Attack and Defence

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 July 1927, Page 5

Attack and Defence

Address-in-Reply Debate Continued Troubles of the Primary Producer Discussed THE troubles of the primary producer* and the problem of high wages and production costs were discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday when the debate on the Address-m-Reply was continued.

Press Association. WELLINGTON, Friday. rpHE debate on the Address-in-Reply 1 was continued in the House to-day by Mr T. D. Burnett, Temuka. Referring to the proposal made by the seconder of the motion before the House to set up a committee to irfquire jn to the conditions at present facing primary producers, he said he hoped [he difficulties of the wheatgrowers and their relation to the millers would not he forgotten. It was a fact that llie primary producers were having a iiard time. There was no use blinking at the fact, and no one should be branded a pessimist if he said so plainly. He was surprised at the attitude taken up by the Labour Party during the debate. They claimed that high wages were the cure for all their ills, but what was the use of trying to keep up a standard of wages which arose during boom times when prices had everywhere slumped.

Mr. W. a. Veiteh, Leader of the Liberal Party, stated that the road to progress would be found along the lines of cheap money ana a good standard of living. Progress would not be achieved by reducing wages. There had been a covert suggestion in the House that as labour had reached an impossibly high standard of wages the Arbitration Court should be abolished. While some unions had abused the principle of arbitration, the vast majority stood loyally by the Arbitration court and they should be protected. The functions of the Court should be extended and improved. One of the most potent causes of unemployment was that the people were being driven from the land by economic pressure, and there was nothing in the GovernorGeneral’s speech to show- that the Government realised the situation. In conclusion, he said confidence in the Reform Party was rapidly waning. The drastic policy of the Labour Party was looked upon with suspicion and iherefore there was only one thing left, and that was “revived Liberalism.”

CUSTOMS BARRIERS The Hon. A. X>. McLeod, Minister of Lands, said one of the modern difficulties into which most countries were drifting was the customs barriers which were being erected all over the world against trade. Britain was the only nation which at present was keep-

nnfw .7 doors open to trade. This it Britain mlsht ” ot continue long, and ohm™ , °" ce decided to make the , wr f fnm nd ?- dopt h *grher customs duties U would raise a question every bit as serious as disarmament. This muen thi^ei e w^ WaS +S nCOUragin& ’ that bad a s yioi? ni ft ’ tbey were better in New than in any other part of the world or Empire.

The debate was continued in the y r - J ’ A ’ Lee - Auckland rider' S£ L ld he had h °ped the Minister of Lands would have cleared up matters connected with the Dairy Conti ol Board, but nothing satisfactory had come from him. What was wrong w ith control and xvhy had the Government wrecked the marketing organisar,?" “ et up as a result of legislation? Did it want the old conditions of gluts and shortages to continue? The farming community was waiting anxiously to see if the Government intended to provide adequate assistance through the medium of rural credits. He asked rura l credit bonds could not be offered straight out to the public, as backed by the State. The country needed and wanted a change of its political managers. The people were tired of promises without performance. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, Gisborne, said the Government and Parliament did not ’tfcrn disposed to face a solution of the difficulties at present facing the country.

Replying to an interjection, Mr. Lysnar said he blamed trusts for the conditions of the meat industry to-day. THE DRIFT TO THE TOWNS

Mr. H. G. R. Mason, Eden, quoted liberally from the Government Statistician’s annual report to show that the condition of the farming industry was in a very unsatisfactory condition today. The Labour Party were not the only pessimists in this connection. Under the present land policy of the Reform Party it would be impossible to stop the drift of population from the country to the towns. It was against the principles of the Reform Party to compel the subdivision of large fertile estates, and they would not finance the breaking in of rough land. Thus, the net result was that they stood still and did nothing. The Hon. A. D. McLeod: The trouble is no one wants to go on the land just now. Mr. Mason: If the good land now held in large estates was made available there would be no shortage of applicants. The debate was adjourned.