MINISTER’S CLAIM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19695, 29 July 1938, Page 12

MINISTER’S CLAIM

HUGE WORKS BILL MR. FORBES' CRITICISM LAND SETTLEMENT PLEA MAORIS AND HEALTH NATIVE OWNERSHIP ll’nr I’rnKS AHHOciution.) WELLINGTON, this ciay. The debate on the Budget was resumed by Mr. E. P. Meachen (Lab., Wairau) in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. The Government was getting little, if any, credit for the great amount of work ii was doing in improving road access for baekbiock settlers, who were extremely grateful for what had been done, said Mr. Meachen. He also stressed the importance of roads from a defence point of view an aspect to which the Government was fully alive. The Itt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Nat., HurunuD stated that the Government members did nothing in the.r speeches but abuse the Opposition. The Government had a large majority in Parliament to-day, and its supporters did not exercise their privileges as members by criticising any measure introduced by the Government. That was not carrying out their functions us members of the House. It appeared that members of the Labour Party were afraid of being considered disloyal if they gave expression to any intelligent criticism, and that was to be regretted. The Ministers themselves must really feel in need ol' some i criticism, in order to permit them to gauge public opinion outside Parlia- j ment. Staggering Expenditure Mr. Forbes said lie had travelled round the country and had a fair idea of public opinion. He admitted that the expenditure of public money had some ell'cct on the people in election years, and the Government that curtailed expenditure did not receive any bouquets, but the staggering expenditure that was being provided for this year was unparalleled in the history of the Dominion. He had talked to many people, and the general opinion whs that the day would come when the country would pay clearly for what was being done. Referring to the subject of depressions. Mr. Forbes stated there would be slumps in the future, no matter who was the Prime Minister. He

quoted a recent cable message from Geneva predicting another depression, and expressed the hope that it would not prove correct, but, he added, any Government that went on like an ostrich, hiding its head in the sand, would land itself and -.Tie country in greater difficulty than ever yet experienced. Vigorous Laud, Policy Mr. C. 11. Burnett (Lab., Tauranga) advocated mom intensive settlement, apprenticeship in farming, and more financial assistance for farmers requiring farm buildings. He stated he would be amazed if working farmers let go tlie guaranteed price plan for the will-o’-the-wisp scheme called the compensated price. Stating that the wealth of the country was produced largely by the primary industry, Mr. Burnett advocated a vigorous subdivision policy, the development of farm lands by reading and higher cultivation. There were many areas in New Zealand capable of being brought into more intense production, he said. The farm labour shortage was a serious problem, but if young men were to be induced to lake up farm work they must have the possibility of securing an area of land. The later debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30. Decrease in Taxation Depressions were man-made, said Mr. It. E. Herring (Lab., Mid-Canter-bury), continuing the Budget debate at the evening session, and lie was of the opinion that by the proper man- j agoment of our interna! a flail's and I economics there was no reason why ] depressions should not. be avoided, j The Associated Chambers of Com- n meree, he said, were always complain- ' ing of the burden of taxation, but he considered that the word “burden" | was an unfortunate term. Some very strong adjectives, all in the superlative. had also been used by the Government’s opponents to describe the Government’s taxation, but not one of these superlatives was justified. Mr. Herring produced a large graph to il-, lustrate his argument that the ratio j of taxation paid to the total income 1 of the country had not increased, but rather had decreased since Labour came into office. Sir Apirana Ngata (Nab, Eastern Maori) said the population of the Maori race had increased in 13 years from below 40,000 to 84,000 to-day. The chief feature in the arrest of the decline was education in the laws of health. The speaker went on 1o pay . a tribute to the work of the Minister of Health .the lion. P. Fraser, but said that much remained to oe done, and he advocated that steps should bo taken to manufacture suitable vaccines in {lie Dominion to immunise Maori children from the ravages of dread diseases to which they were subject.