BUDGET DEBATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25300, 6 September 1945, Page 6

BUDGET DEBATE

LAND AND TAXATION REHABILITATION NEEDS < ANOTHER MAIDEN SPEECH (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday The Budget debate was continued in the House of Representatives this afternoon and tonight. The Land and Income Tax (Annual) Bill was introduced tonight and read a first time. Mr M. Ratana (Government —Western Maori) making his maiden speech, received warm applause when he roso to speak in the Budget debate this afternoon and was again applauded ten minutes later when he resumed his seat. He said that never before had the Maori people been so united as they were today and referred to the valuable voluntary contributions the Maoris had made to the war effort by oversubscribing the overseas drafts. He paid a tribute to the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, for his wartime effort and expressed the. thanks of the Maori people to the Prime Minister, Mr Eraser, for the latter's outstanding leadership during the war and his | leadership at the San Francisco Conference. The Maori people were pleased that the Government had put the claims and grievances of the Maoris on a better basis, continued Mr Ratana. Mention had been made in the House of the Taranaki Trust Board, which had been doing good work. It recently contributed £2OOO toward an X-ray plant which would do good work, among the Maoris in the fight against tuberculosis. Deterioration of Farms Mr E. B. Gordon (Opposition—Rangitikei) said there was not one proposal in the Budget which would stimulate employment. Large numbers of men were "due to return soon and before the Government knew where it was it would have a big unemployment problem on its hands, ilr A. G. Osbon.e (Government —Oneliunga): Wishful thinking. Resuming the debate tonight Mr Gordon said that a great deal of deterioration was occurring on farms in many parts of the country. In the back country scrub second growth was taking possession of land which once was highly productive. This deterioration must be arrested. It had been inevitable during the war. but steps must now be taken to combat it. A particular need of back-country farmers was better access. Some farmers in his electorate were still waiting for a metal road after 30 years on their property. Mr Gordon' urged a speeding up of the Government's land settlement policy and considered that more inducement could be offered to parents to settle their sons 011 the land. Referring to taxation, he" said that Australia was reducing taxation and he asked why there could not be a reduction in New Zealand's taxation. Woman Member's Views s Miss M. B. Howard (Government — Christchurch East) said that every member of the Opposition was demanding a reduction of taxation in one breath and in another accusing the Government of the absence of rehabilitation plans. The fact was that this year it was impossible to reduce taxation when the war had just ended and rehabilitation claimed attention. She hoped it would be possible to reduce taxation, but that would be because of the war having now and it was merely a coincidence that next year was also election year. Miss Howard said they could wait no longer for a scheme to provide help in the home. The time was ripe for recruiting among women in the services camps. She considered that one of the camps should be retained as a training centre where elementary nursing, dietetics plain cooking and home science would be taught. The recruits would be registered and have their own union. One of the essentials of a help in the home scheme would be to improve the conditions and status of employees. Contention by Mr Atmore Mr H. Atmore (Independent—Nelson) after discussing import controls, congratulated the Government on its plans for taking over the Bank of New Zealand. He predicted that in ten_ years there would be no private bank in the world. Mr Atmore contended that if the Government had the courage not only to nationalise the Bank of New Zealand, but to proceed with other measures which would be the ifecessary corollary to that step, New Zealand would be showing a lead to the world as it had done in the past. The House adjourned at 10.30 p.m. until, tomorrow afternoon. INSPECTION DEFERRED THE NORTHCOTE PONTOON A report that the inspection of the vehicular landing pontoon at the Northcote wharf would have to be deferred until the slipway was less urgently required for other work was made by the engineer-superintendent, Mr J). Holderness, nt a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board. It was decided to reply in the terms of the report to an inquiry from the Northcote Borough Council as to what steps were being taken to have the pontoon slipped for inspection and repairs. The council had stated that the pontoon should be repaired without further delay and put into serviceable condition ready for the summer when greatly increased traffic was expected. Tho engineer-superintendent also reported that the board had not undertaken to repair the pontoon but had stated that it would be put on the slip for inspection and report. It was inevitable that permission would not be granted for tho use of the slipway for this purpose. PRIZE FOR SCHOOL As a tributo to Mr Winston Churchill, the Hon. Eliot R. Davis. M.L.C., has given an annual prize of £lO, to bo spent 011 books, to the Auckland Grammar School. This was announced at a meeting of the Auckland Grammar School Board yesterday.