STRENGTH OF THE LEGISLATION

Southland Times, Issue 22993, 12 September 1936, Page 8

STRENGTH OF THE LEGISLATION

Personnel Of Commissions

AN IMPORTANT FACTOR (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) Wellington, September 11. The opinion that the whole success of the Mortgagors’ and Lessees’ Rehabilitation Bill would depend on the efficiency of the men selected for appointment to the Adjustment Commissions was expressed by Mr C. A. Wilkinson (Ind., Egmont) during the second reading debat> on the Bill in the House of Representatives to-day. The Government, he said, should appoint the very best men available regardless of their politics and pay them an adequate salary. “The real work of administering this legislation will be done by commission,” said Mr Wilkinson. “I do not think the Judge of the Court of Review requires two assessors as the work of that tribunal will be largely the hearing of appeals. The strength of the legislation will be in the commissions and two assessors might well be appointed chairmen of commissions as the experience they have gained must be of some said that he was largely in agreement with the proposals in the Bill He agreed that the interest rates to farmers should be kept at a low level and he believed that the reduction in interest rates had been largely responsible for the recovery of the country. The low interest charges were imperative and the Government should do everything it could to maintain the rate at a low level. “I want to give the past Government credit for doing a great deal to help farmers who were in difficulties, with their mortgages,” added Mr Wilkinson. “The Rural Mortgagors Final Adjustment Act was a great help to these people, but the Act had one fatal flaw, the five-year Budgetary period. I want to give the past Government credit for having tackled a difficult question at a very difficult time. It has to be remembered that the mortgage position, although difficult to-day, is not nearly as troublesome as it was a year or so ago. However, I want to commend the present Government for bringing in this Bill which should serve a very useful purpose.”