THE BUDGET DEBATE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13687, 20 October 1937, Page 5

THE BUDGET DEBATE.

CHAIN STORE RUMOUR DENIED.

WATERFRONT QUESTION RAISED.

Electric Telegraph*—Press Association WELLINGTON, This Day. With the exception of a speech byMr R,. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs), all of the contributions to the Financial Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday were made by Government members. The debate has now extended over lO sitting days, and 42 speakers have taken part. Twenty-three speeches have been made from Government benches, 17 by Opposition members, and two by Independents. Ministerial answers to questions will be circulated and discussed this afternoon for the second time this session, and the debate on the Financial Statement will, be resumed tonight. First speaker in the debate was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing, Air J. A. Lee (Government, Grey Lynn), who defended the Government s housing policy. He said that as" the production technique improved so would the quality of the houses which were being built. The Minister of Industries and Commerce, Hon. D. G. Sullivan, took part in the debate in jfche evening. He denied a rumour - that the Government was considering entering the chain store business with the idea of keeping retail [xrices down. He also said the suggestion that the Government intended to take control of chemists if they did not put their house in older was groundless. Mr A. G. Hultquist (Government, Bay of Plenty) was speaking at the adjournment at 10.30 p.m. During the formal business at the commencement of the sitting there was on unusually large number of notices of questions. An urgent question relating to conditions on the waterfrent was asked by Air W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford), and in reply to this inquiry the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. AI. J. Savage, said the Government was having inquiries made with a view to having the position rectified. Several departmental reports were also presented.