THE HOUSE AT WORK

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 100, 6 September 1929, Page 7

THE HOUSE AT WORK

FINANCIAL DEBATE NOT YET FINALISED

MEMBERS AIR; VIEWS AND PASS FIRST ESTIMAIE

The financial debate was continued by Parliament yesterday, a comparatively quiet day being devoted to a on subjects difficult and varied. The outcome ol tne day s wor*, ac cording to Press Association messages received, was the passing ol the first estimate, involving £89,000 odd for the Legislative Department

W KLLTA'GTOjST. Sept- m Representslives mot at 2.150 p.m. to dav.

civo eH-Vet to Ms policy with the money at lus disposal. Home of the schools Iji the Dominion, Mr Semple addin . ■wore a disgrace to the Department. 1 - also urged that higher salaries shou d he provided for primary school learners, especially for head teachers in order that such an important protessioii might be made more attractive A the present time the highest sahuy that eon Id be obtained was £OBO a year. Mr W. D. Lysmir (Gisborne) also staled that the* salaries paid headmasters in the primary schools were not su - fimentlv attractive. Mr 11. 11. Jenkins (Parnell) discussed the steamer services with America, and said he favoured the route via Honolulu and Los Angeles. , Mr 11. T. Armstrong (Cliristchiu'cn East) criticised the proposed expend Hire on what he edescribed as the “comic opera Defence force. 0 said it would be m keeping with the policies in other parts of the Empuo to reduce expenditure in this direction, n his ojiinion it could be cut down >y half and, with the money saved, wonders could bo worked in the way o' pensions for soldiers . Mr J. A. Young (Hamilton) urged that some course should be sought to enable a greater continuity in the slatting of small country schools. He stated that, at the present tune, the stalling was frequently interrupted by variation in the average attendance. klr F. Langstouo OVainiariuo) joined with Mr Armstrong in criticising the defence voted Ho said it was futile to expend the money on obsolete forms of defence in view of the recent develop ments in scientilU, and chemical warfare. Ho also suggested organising nalive fanners and providing them with, capital to enable them to cultivate native laud as a remedy for conditions of poverty in some of their pas. Mr if. G. S. Kyle (Riccarton) said lie hoped the Minister of Agriculture would reconsider his decision and centralise experimental work in the South Island at Lincoln College in the same manner as the work in the North Island had been centralised at the Massey College. The system of open-air schools throughout the Dominion was advocatid by Mr J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn).

Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central), in asking leave to introduce an Employed Workers’ Bill, said that the Labour Party was gratified to know that it had won some converts to the idea of unemployed insurance. Deputations had waited on the late Government asking that the matter should be taken up, pointing out that the unemployment, problem was likely to get worse’ as the years went by. The Bill was an earnest endeavour to grapple with an urgent problem. The late Government had done nothing in connection with die matter in 11)27, or 11)28, or, apparently, had been willing to go along on the. same old lines so far as the unemployment problem was concerned. That failure" to do anything had undoubtedly contributed toward the defeat of the Reform Government, Air Eraser stated. He had been gratified with the reference to unemployment insurance in the Governor-General’s speech, but he regretted that the Government did not propose to introduce legislation this session. Every member of the House seemed to be in favour of the proposal and the Government's explanation that the time was not available for the drafting of a Bill could not be taken seriously. Legislation had to be introduced. This session was the lightest for any year during his ten years’ experience The Bill was introduced and road a first time The Labour Bills Committee reported on the Apprentices AnietuK meat Biii and recommended that it bo proceeded with. The A to L Public Petitions Committee reported that it had no recommendation to make in regard to the petition of W. E. Barnes, of Wellington, who claimed the return of £42 extradition expenses in connection with charges of forgery. Air Fraser pointed ou) that Barnes had been robbed of £3OO from his Post Otlice Savings Bank account as the result of a clumsy forgery. The person responsible for the forgery left for Australia and t;hc police refused to take step’s to extradite him unless Barnes found the necessary expenses amounting to £T2. This Barnes did and the defendant was brought back and convicted. The amount of £3OO was returned to Barnes, but ho was not rocompensated for the £-x2 which he had .expended to bring about the extradition. An amendment was moved that the report, be referred back to the Committee for further consideration and, after lengthy discussions, a division was called for umFthc amendment was lost by V votes to 44. . , The House spent the remainder ot the afternoon discussing Select Committee reports and adjourned at b.oU 1 The House resumed at 7.30 to-night.

Trade With U.S.A. Discussing trade relations with United States, Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) said he had been informed while in America that while New Zealand trade was a mere bagatelle the combined. Australian-New Zealand trade was valuable. If these two countries were to combine in an endeavour to secure some reciprocal arrangement with the U.S.A. there would bo a fair prospect of that being attained. Mr A. W. Hall (Hauraki) urged that extension of the dental clinic service to country districts should be expedited. Mr' D. McDougall (Mataura) drew attention to the profit from last year’s operations in the Post and Teiograph Department and urged that employees’ salaries should bo restored to the former standard.

Overseas Mails I The Now Plymouth Borough Council j Empowering Bill (Mr S G Smith) was read a second time and the House wc into committee of supply and when consideration of the first estimates was resumed Mr 0. A. Wilkinson (Lgmont) suggested that the present mail service to San Francisco should be duelled to Vancouver. It might be even mote satisfactory if the subsidy wore employed to provide a faster service direct to Britain via Panama. Sir Joseph Ward, replying, stated that the present services were meeting the requirements of the country in a reasonable way. It would be very <hfllcnlt to make any alteration at the present time. He looked forward to the day, however, when there would be a service through Panama to New I oik and from there to London. . . . Mr Leo Martin (Raglan) criticised the charges for rural telephones ami rural deliveries. Ho expressed the view that the Department should p ace service before profit. He also urged that more attention should bo directed towards combating diseases among cattle, Mr H. G Dickie (Patea) advocates improving the rural communication services in conjunction with a land settlement scheme. He also recommended that au endeavour should be made to arrange a reciprocal agreement with the Commonwealth of Australia, whoieby wc would give preference to Australian dried fruits by increasing the tariff on similar imports item the United States, in exchange for a reduction of the duty charged m the Commonwealth on imports irom New Zealand of pork produces. Teachers’ Salaries Mr R. Semple (Wellington East) expressed dissatisfaction with the estimate for Education and stated that ha did not see how the Hon. Atmoro could

Mr Kushworth (Bay of Islands) referred to the reduction in the provision for carriage of lime for bona lido farmers and for portion of the freight rates on fertilisers compared with the amount expended last year, and staled that he trusted this was not to be interpreted as an indication that smaller quantities would be used this year. Mr E. Lye (Waikato) expressed the opinion that treatment of diseases in cattle was largely in the hands of the dairymen themselves. Ho suggested information as to the results of research into the subject should bo circulated among farmers.

Koyal Life-Saving Grant. Increase in flic grant to the Royal Life-Saving Society was sought by Mr U. G. Sullivan (Avon) who said the very heavy death roll in New Zealand as the result of drowning was partly due to lack of knowledge of scientific methods of life-saving. Hon. de la Pcrcllo indicated that the supplementary estimates might disclose an increased grant lor the Royal Life Saving Society. Mr Wilkinson expressed the opinion that the present situation in regard to the High G'ommissioncrship was unsatisfactory. It was unfair to the present High Commissioner that he should lie in the position that appointment might be terminated at the end of October. He suggested that Sir James Parr’s term should be extended six months.

The first estimate (Legislative Department £80,80(1) was then passed and the House rose at 10.80 p.m.