THE PAST SESSION

NZ Truth, Issue 540, 23 October 1915, Page 7

THE PAST SESSION

Opinions of a Parliamentarian

What Dr. Thacker Thinks

(From "Truth's" Christciurcb. Rep.)

When m Christchurch, Dr. Thacker, M.P., is a busy man amongst his constituents, but when at last "Truth's" I rep. landed him, he willingly reviewed ! the past session. j Preliminarily, he touched on the important subject of war taxing, and said, incidentally, that m his opinion, continual patriotic collections and war subscriptions, the burden of which invariably fell on the small wage-earners, ought to be discontinued, and the welI fare of ;hc returning sick and wounded soliders guarded by a tax, levied on those people who had made or WERE MAKING LARGE PROFITS out of commodities. Another thing, was that wage-earners constituted the bulk of those who had gone to the front and were giving all they had to give to the country. These men had left many dependents who, so far, were not satisfactorily looked after by legislation, neither the war pensions nor the soldiers' wages, being adequate for the comfort of the poor dependents left behind. Questioned concerning the cost of living, Dr. Thacker, said that the Cost of Living Bill established a Eoard which certainly will help to reduce the cost of living-, provided that it is composed of reliable men, and they Indicate a means

by which Parliament can fix prices for the prime products of this country, as far. as foodstuffs are concerned. "But," Dr. Thacker explained, "the cost of living will never be reduced until the gross waste of perishable goods is arrested by cold storage and the production of such commodities as Hah, fruit, vegetables, coal and timber are freely ox•plolted by the State, under a system ot State control. And" he continued, "there's another important point Which is apt to bo overlooked: the Education Department must take a tight grip on such neceKsities as .standardised books and the sanitary comforts of the wage- ■ earners' children m the public schools I by inculcating them with the economic j importance of cleanliness and the caro i of their clothes, boots, and, m fact, anything which, if properly cared for, reduces the domestic expenses of their parents. "Definite strides were made m Parliament during the past, session, m tile direction of legislatively assisting tho workers {n various occupations. Miners' phthisis and a pension scheme, to run collaterally with the affliction were treated by Legislation and Legislation wm also promised to cover the ro-in-statement of waterside workers who wera victimised m consequence of the recent strike. Tho Radical -Liberal branch of the House, together with the Labor contingent, also BLOCKED SUCH CONTENTIOUS MEA&URKS as the proposed sale of the Te Aroha town-shlp, tho birthright of the wagoearners, and the adjustment of the leaseholds which belong to the City of Wellington. In connection with tho lust named, lot it be mentioned for the odlneatiou of readers, that the higher the rates of hutny which theno pay. tho bigger the reduction In city ratea. Therefore, it naturally follows that the bigger the reduction m city rates. tht« ro.org moavmie tl\« rental charged to i\w> account of the rent payer, who la the lowest wage earner. "During the KCHKion, there was a vast amount of work done by th« various commltiws and the P<*iitlnnH Committee particularly. Tho Jaitor got through a largo quantity of work, adjusting <tnd making compensations to workers m all cUjshos of the? community — -civil fttrvantß and othem. Also, the Factories StuluU-s wint- u^wiilod In oiu* or two dlrt'ctions. but. by auburn, uuick and well onmnlsrU stonvwnll, on the purl of Labor im»mhi-ra and the Lilx»nil'U>niiculf--. tin**'* i'ill.s w<ti* pull<ul out. until wx\ «csAio». .it anyratt?.*' And your Impression «>f ih*> NatlomW Cabinet? "W'i'H. the wliuli* atmosphere In th" HouKo .sc<*nu'd m indicute thitt although th«< National Cablin-i had nub-tluf-d thr iiJtrodtirtlon of major contro-vt-rHIcM. thtre wan ;<till a titroiti; foelintt that iinihlntr would bo allowed to como jin m di«gu»««'. to iiijuro iho workiTs |\n any w»«.y and that \\v%\ MeeHion, | when, or If, tlu< war has bi>«>n di«cid«»ti. Ulu'ro will b«- I>!kt onili'aivorTi by tlu» \ llm\iCiil-lAht ral Win*; of tlw llou^c* and ; the* l^ibor Tarty, to p|ac<; itnj"*ov«<d '■■ Jftjjisdutlon for tJ* ** work«-n* ua thi* .^tail utf HonN. I? ftiM>»n« l<» me that oiu of |l)Otlt hUU-A of the H'tiiKi-, their i* t-volv-ing » .strong rrttW'isnit: party, wlnww virHntU <♦>'»• v. ill :'.:'.«. w inuhi!«j;' I" <-■"- ia(»f. which Im cuU-ul?»tr«l to be to the il.-trinx-ru of ttu- ss^r^-rr." In t:on«-hif i«»n. i >r, '(*hi«cki-r nti»<ti?«ily ' tm lit U»n*-«.i thai ill" HniiHp hud Jtlisrv ut-ii-mU'il to th«" conttili'-tna of wugc ourn-t-riJ u»d KoMl»T« m tho cvntruUxcd luili* . taty i':im|i it' \Vi'tUtiK u '"-