PARLIAMENT

Southland Times, Issue 17734, 11 August 1917, Page 7

PARLIAMENT

FRIDAY, 10th AUGUST. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 10. The House met at 2,30. FLOUR IMPORTS. In answer to Mr Poole the Prime Minister id shat early in the year the Government Statistician advised that there w;is not sutlicient wheat in New Zealand to last until next harvest, and therefore Australian wheat was purchased. Recently, however, it hud been found that the quantity of Australian flour imported threatened to put some of the southern mills out of action. The matter would come before Cabinet to-morrow, but he could not say what action would he taken. PRICE OF BUTTER. In answer to Dr Newman, the Prime Minister said that the maximum price of butter stood as before. The Board of Trade reported that it was being sold at between Is 6d and 2s Sd. Some months ago the owners of butter were under the impression that they could not get supplies away, and the price went down to Is 3d, but later it was found that a supply might be got away early in the season and the price went up again. INSCRIBED STOCK BILL. Sir J. G. Ward gave notice of intention to introduce the New Zealand Inscribed Stock Bill. He proposed to circulate the bill among members to night with a view to asking them to pass it at an early date. There was nothing exceptional in the hill but it was necessary that it be passed before the loan was floated. The Hon. G. W. Russell gave notice of intention to introduce the Rivers Boards Bill. MR WEBB'S COMPLAINTS.

Mr P. C. Webb, in asking leave to introduce the War Regulations Amendment Bill, said that some of the linest men in the dominion were at present behind iron bars because of the rigid nature of the War Regulations. There was not a drop of tierman blood in these men, and they were in no sense German agitators. Though they strove to avoid industrial trouble they were in gaol. He considered that it was to the advantage of the dominion that Mr Massey and Sir J. G. Ward were out of the country when the conscription strike took place on the West Coast, because the men left behind showed u more statesmanlike view of the position than those two Ministem ever took. They used conciliatory measures and were assisted by some of the leaders of the men. Yet within a week of the strike being settled the men who ordered the Blackball men back to work were put in prison. If those men chose to raise their little linger they could plunge the country into industrial trouble to-morrow. He detailed the proceedings in connection with the recent strike, and claimed that his personal efforts were all in the direction of peace. lie worked day and night with the miners to avert trouble. The worst he and others who were put in gaol had done was to criticise the Government. He challenged any Minister to question his action in connection with the strike.

Mr McCombs, in supporting the motion, declared that one accused person had been convicted for no greater offence than quoting the New Testament. If one man was sent to gaol for quoting the Bible other men, including Mr Isitt, should be convicted for selling them. On a division leave to introduce the bill ■was refused by 44 to 10. FIRST READING. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill (Mr Walker! was introduced and read a first time. SURGEON -GEN ERAL HEN' DERSON’S REPORT. The Minister of Defence tabled the report of the Director-General of Medical Services on the camps. He described the report as very comprehensive. Discussion on the report continued till 6 JO, when the House rose, EVENING SITTING. THE BUDGET DEBATE. The House resumed at 7.30, Dr THACKER (Christchurch East) continued the debate on the Budget, urging that more than £IOO,OOO should be devoted to education. Technical education especially deserved more liberal support, for it was specialised industry that made Germany the nation it was, and to that from education we have to look for the commercial and industrial advancement of the Empire after the war. Ho found fault with the manner in which patriotic funds were collected. They should be nationalised and administration reduced to something like a common system. Otago has one system, Canterbury another, and there was neither sufficient reciprocity nor generosity in the administration. He asked that less niggardliness be shown to the widowed mothers of soldiers. He deprecated the tendency of Reform members to dominate the National Cabinet, then proceeded to advocate favourable terms to small investors to purchase war bonds in preference to annuities from private companies. Speaking on military mutters he contended that some prominent Staff officers should be sent to the front and made to do something for the decorations bestowed on them by a suffering country. Conscientious objectors should be reasonably treated. They should not be herded with Prussians as they had been, and when sent away their friends should be given due notice of their departure. If treated kindly they would soon get over their conscience when they saw the Hun bombs dropping on English towns. He denounced the waste going on in the administration of the Defence Department, and concluded by denouncing any attempt to militarise the democracy of the country. Mr NOS WORTHY (Ashburton) said there was a general impression about that the man on the land was the man who made money during the war. That opinion was erroneous. It. was the speculators, transport agents, banking institutions, and mercantile linns who made money, and he was afraid the Budget would not get at those people as they deserved to be got at. He agreed with many of the readjustments of taxation proposed, but some of the old blots still remained, particularly the practice of charging a man on his debts, namely, the mortgages on his land. The customs had remained stationary during the w'ar, but the land and income tax had oeen steadily increasing. That could not go on for ever, and next year if another loan had to be raised more of it would have to go on the customs. For that reason he approved the tax on tea. This war was not being fought to benefit any one class. It was being waged for all classes, and all classes should bear a fair share of the cost. Anomalies existed under the graduated land tax, -'.nd he was not sure they were eliminated under the proposed progressive land tax, and he could see that taxation was going to fall heavily on the man on the land under that system, He was not complaining or blaming the National Government, but he did complain that taxation was levied on a man’s capital and not on his income, or on his equity in the land. Discussing the income tax he thought the higher the income the higher the graduations of tax should lie. On incomes of £6400 and over there should be not only graduations, but a surtax as well, to make those pay who can afford to pay. Only net income, not gross income, should be taxed. He favoured the tax on cigarettes, and warmly supported heavier taxation on motor cars and beer. All luxuries should be taxed every' time and all the time, not only to carry on the war, but to make provision for' soldiers’ dependents as well. Mr G. W. fORBES (Hurunui) said that the people of the dominion were retuly for heroic measures, and that was why the criticism of the Budget had been so mild, for notwithstanding the drastic taxation there had been practically no complaint. Though there had been little complaint on

this .'■core the fact remained that there was widespread discontent with the National Government, not so much with the ideal ol the National Government, but with their administration. For this he thought the absence of an election was responsible, tor when the Government had not to face the peopic they were apt to become autocratic, and he tendency of autocracy towards social legislation was to turn a deaf ear. Autocracy might be the best medium to carry on war, but when it came to social legislation it could not enter into sympathy with tin people. The National Government should possess wisdom and courage. While he did nit say that the present combination was devoid of these qualities, they did not possess them in excess, especially courage. One of the causes of discontent with the Government w;ls the failure to grapple with the cost of living, and war profits, and to him this was one of the disappointments of the Budget. The war profits tax should not have been dropped because it failed to catch everyone. In England this tax was not abandoned when it did not. realise the estimate, but it was doubled, and it would be a great disappointment to many people when they realised that the large sum of money which was due to war profits was not going to he specially dealt with. Surely there was enough ingenuity in our tax gathering department to get at that fund represented by the difference in the value of products before the war and now. Another cause for discontent with the Government was the extravagant expenditure of the Defence De.-itm-nt, and to a minor extent liic abeeme of a r td:eal policy for the settlcn.i m oi so! oers on the land, luc fact, was tln.t the National Government was allowing things to drift, and there was no proposal in the Budget to deal with land settlement, in a manner that would be satisfactory to the soldiers when they return. The change in the method of levying the land tax was going to destroy the effect of the graduated tax, and it would be found that no large estates would be broken up under the new system. The Budget admitted that land values were increasing and the Crown found difficulty in purchasing for settlement. Brices were being forced up by the very war that necessitated the settlement of soldiers, but there was not a single proposal in the Budget to meet the problem. His remedy was that all purchases by the Crown for settlement purposes should be on the basis of Government valuation. Extravagances should be taxed, and there was no greater extravagance than liquor. He was not at all satisfied with the proposed beer dutv, and hoped that before the Budget was passed the Government would be made to feel it was the wish of the House that this duty must be increased. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr Wilkinson, and the House rose at 11 o’clock.