TWO NEW BILLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23103, 30 July 1938, Page 15

TWO NEW BILLS

FARMING INTERESTS MORE TEDIOUS DEBATE SPEAKERS NOW TOTAL 30 A BREAK IN THE MONOTONY [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL reporter] WELLINGTON. Friday Although two new Government bills made their appearance in the House of Representatives to-day they did little to relievo the tedium arising from a continuation of the financial debate. This discussion ran into its sixth day and the latest contributions hardly raised the general standard abovo the level of electioneering. The two bills introduced by GovernorGeneral's Message when the House met this morning were the Stock Amendment Bill, a measure designed to prevent the prevalent praetico of sheep stealing in certain districts by enforcing the use of consignment notes, and the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill, which gives the Government power by regulation to extend tho existing voluntary scheme of farm dairy instruction. The Stock Amendment Bill was read a second time pro forma and referred to the Agricultural and Stock Committee lor the hearing of evidence. Tho five speeches in the financial debate to-day cauio exclusively from back benchers, and the only thing exceptional was the development of an argument between Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Opposition —Central Otago) and the Minister of Public Works, tho Hon. R. Semple, concerning remarks alleged to have been made by a woman member of the National Party at tho Pukeora Sanatorium.

There have been 30 speakers in the financial debate to date, 19 of them being Go\ernmcnt members, nine Opposition and two Independents. The debate Mas interrupted by the adjournment when the House rose at 5.30 o'clock for the week-end recess.

DAIRY INSTRUCTION EXTENSIONS TN SCHEME 3LOCK SYSTEM FOR DOMINION POWER TO IMPOSE LEVIES fIJT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday Extensions in the scheme of farm dairy instruction are provided for in the Dairy Industry Amendment Bill which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day by GovernorGeneral's message. The bill contains only two clauses and gives the Government power to make regulations providing for farm dairy instruction and inspection for the purpose of improving and maintaining the quality of milk and cream supplied for the manufacture of dairy produce. Regulations may also bo made imposing levies on persons manufacturing dairy produce in order to defray the cost of instruction and inspection and, if necessary, exempting any person or class of persons from tho provisions of the bill.

Explaining the bill on its introduction the Minister of Agriculture, the Flon. W. Leo Martin, said additional dairy instructors were being appointed at the request of the whole of the industry, including the Dairy Board. A good many dairy factories already had instructors under what was known as a voluntary scheme, but the industry and the board felt that tho system should be made general throughout New Zealand.

Accordingly 35 more men were being appointed, bringing the total number to 77, the Minister continued. They -would not be inspectors, but more in the nature of advisers. There was 110 doubt of the- value to the industry of the scheme that had existed up to tho present and it seemed that the increase in the number of instructors could only have ,beneficial results. "The department always co-operates to the full with the dairy factories," Mr. Lee Martin added. "As a matter of fact a great many of the men appointed as instructors have been dairy jactory managers. The system has been in operation for years and the only change proposed by the bill is to introduce a block system that will enablo dairy farmers throughout New Zealand to benefit." ' The bill was read a lirsfc time.

IF INCOME FALLS MEETING THE SITUATION PROBLEM FOR GOVERNMENT [BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER! WELLINGTON, Friday The Budget could best be described £3 abnormal, said Mr. S. G. Holland (Opposition—-Christchurch North) during the debate in the Houso of Representatives to-day. It provided for abnormal expenditure, ho continued, find tho income on which tho Government based its expenditure was also abnormal, but was not necessarily permanent. Imports had reached totals out of all proportion to the total of exports, and the deficiency was being financed out of tho accumulation of London funds bequeathed to the P™ se .nt Government by its predecessor. railing a r p COVf;r y j n export prices j* n, l a falling awav of imports, Mr. Holland said, there "were only three ways by which tho Government could meet j lO situation. It. must raise tho exchange ratej ration imports, or raiso a '"j' 1 ' 1 .in London to meet the deficiency. i( 'i income falls away," ho added, what expenditure will the Labour government cut first?" labour speakers continually said that r ' ost cutting meant tho reduction of somebody's income, Mr. Holland continued. Costs in industry could bo 'uvuled into three categories, labour, material and overhead. Overhead was Wiernlly about one-third of tho total '"7 s 7' inaiiul'aet uring, and it was a function of overhead that tho Oppop^'"n would aim at when it became the This reduction would bo '"oiii pan ied !>v 311 increase in ''"iciency.