PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 24, 13 September 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Per Press Association.) Wellington,' September 12. The House ol Representatives met at 2 30 p.m. .r.ix days’ leave was granted to Mr. E. H. Taylor (.Thames) on account of illness in his family, and four days to the Hon. G. Fowlds, on account of urgent private business. The Proportional Representation Bill was read for the first time. Sir Josepn Ward gave notice to move that Government busicss bo taken on Wednesdays for tho remainder of the session. _

Tiro Hauraki Plains Amendment BiR was reported from Committee, with an amendment. The Administration Amendment Bill, providing lor the exemption of the English public trustee in administrating a New Zealand estate from executing a bond, was read the second time without any discussion. Tho Tramways Amendment Bill was brought on for the second reading, but the debate was interrupted by the adjournment. FINANCIAL DEBATE BEGUN.

When tho House resumed at 7.30 the debate on the Financial Statement commenced, * _ Mr. Massey said tho Financial Statement, although extraordinarily long, and containing a large number of subjects, was not very statesmanlike, andraiost of the subjects utterly irrelevant. ■ It was a vote-catching effort, but before many months the Premier would find it vain, as the people would not sell their votes. He twitted Sir Joseph Ward with tho poor progress made with the public debt extinction during the last year. Loans totalling £922,U00 had matured during tho year, but had not been paid off, but had been added to the permanent debt of tho country. During tho year the indebtedness of the country nad increased by £6,500,000. Ho (Mr. Massey) claimed to bo the author of the Death Duties Act. Ho believed tho Government was collecting £300,000 instead of £150,000 under the Act. The only reference to the land question was family land couloment, and if the details were all right he would support it. He twitted the Government with being neither leasehold nor freehold, or any tiling else, on tho land question. Sir oph Ward was “fair” as PostmasterGeneral and Minister of Finance, but was not so as Minister of Lands. The Government that ,clid not bring forward and insist on a progressive land policy should get notice to quit. During ti:e past year tho area settled by the Crown was only one-third that of the previous year. He believed in town-planning, and suburban traffic should bo encouraged. His ideal was one house, one home, and one landlord, tire latter the head of tiic house. Regarding the £5,000,000 loan, it was time the country was taken into the Government’s confidence and given particulars thereof. Regarding the savings banks deposits, tjiey should get at least as, much interest as New Zealand bondholders in London. Mr. Massey regretted tho absence of Mr. Hogg, as ho wished to congratulate him on the introduction, of the State note. The trouble in . tho proposal was that the reserve of gokl behind the notes might bo withdrawn in the hope that the Minister would not go, further than indicated by-the Statement. The House was actually asked to believe that tho money invested in native lands was interest-bearing. He did not agree with tho statement that the people did not feel the burden cf taxation. The people were staggering under it. Depression would come. It followed prosperity, and our resources should be preserved. Ho would support Sir Joseph Ward in any humanitarian proposal. There had ‘been a tremendous increase in the cost of government, out of proportion, to the population. The Hon. 1). Buddo rose to reply. Criticism on legitimate lines, he said, was always welcome, but he would show where the criticism was unsound. Mr. Massey had said tho Government was bad, blit it did not appear so after twenty-one years. The greatest loss in,'the' population took place during tho last year of the Conservative Government. Mr. Buddo took the Opposition platform, and dealt with it seriatim. The Opposition, ho said, was in favour of townplanning, but 1 it did not support the Bill. No member of the Opposition voted for tho Old-Age Pensions Bill, but practically all the Government members did. Coining to land settlement, Mr. Massey said that very little land was made available, but the figures came to 2,000,000 acres. NowSouth Wales, for six months, had made available only 650,000 acres, which showed that Now Zealand compared favourably. The high prices ruling for land prevented the Government doing more in tho early part of this financial year. A number of estates had been purchased. Land for settlement hinged on finance, and as much as possible had been done. In reference to the five million loan, the Minister read an extract from the “Standard,” a British Conservative newspaper, showing that the price of stock only fell 4 per cent, for a few hours. Yet the Leader of the Opposition said the country’s credit w r as affected. Financial fictions that w r ere usually found on the floor of tho House were worth only waste paper value. The savings bank was gaining increased popularity each year. A bank with a State guarantee of its note issue, w r as surely the best possible security. Increase of taxation of land values of big estates was entirely justifiable. Never was New Zealand more prosperous. There had been a drought in North Otago and South Canterbury, but these districts had all the same’ done very well. Factory workers increased from 32.000 to 78,000 since 1595. The reduction in tho number of factories made no difference. He did not believe any of Mr. Massev’s statements would affect the progress of the country. The House adjourned at 9.27 p.m. until to-morrow afternoon.

Mr. Massey desired that Wednesday be kept for questions, but Sir Joseph Ward said ho wanted to get on with the business of tin? country. When the debate was finished lie would bring down tiie Public Works Statement and the Bills indicated in the Financial Statement.