BO AMENDMENT PROPOSED

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1929, Page 13

BO AMENDMENT PROPOSED

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE DISCUSSION OF LAND POLICY. OPPOSITION LEADER'S DEFENCE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. D. G. Sullivan gave notice in the House of Representatives to-day of his intention to introduce the Workers’ Annual Leave Bill. Replying to tho Rev. C. Carr, the Primo Minister said he would inquire whether the Forestry Department could do anything in the direction of relieving unemployment at Tiinaru. Replying to Mr. D. G. Sullivan, the Hon. E, A. Ransom said steel bars were being ordered from England for tho Hurimi bridge in order to save time. The plans of the bridge were similar to the standard plans already in England, so that delay would be reduced to - a minimum. Replying to Mr. H. E. Holland (Buller), the Hon. P. A. de la Perelle said he was satisfied the fire-fighting appliances at Westport were now adequate to eopo with any probable outbreak. After the transaction of formal business the debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed by the Hon. J. G. Coates, who expressed regret at the impending departure of Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson, who had devoted themselves to their public duties and had socially ingratiated themselves into the hearts of the people. No visitors would be more welcome than they if they ever thought of returning to New Zealand. Feeling reference was also made to the illness of the King and to the death of Sir Charles Skcrrett. Mr. Coates congratulated the mover and seconder of the Address, commenting on tho genuine tone of the seconder’s speech and venturing the opinion that the mover had still something to learn about the subjects on which he touched. That knowledge he doubtless would gain as tho result of his Parliamentary experience. He, for instance, had said Central Otago was becoming the home of squatters. As a fact, Central Otago had fewer big estates than ever before and was carrying more people than was ever previously the case. It was not aggregation that was taking place there, but as tho result of the policy of the late Government, Central Otago was rapidly becoming a centre of ! small settlement. REVOLUTIONISED IDEAS. Mr. Bodkin had stated that ono owner had recently acquired 30,000 acres in Central Otago, but he had not stated that the block was carrying only 5000 sheep. Mr. Bodkin had also stated that New Zealand was not being scientifically farmed: that was not so. The late Government had revolutionised ideas in that respect, and whatever was being done in ; the way of scientific farming was due to the late Government. There was no doubt room for furtner development, but so far he had not noticed that the present Government had improved on the work of the Reform Party. Mr. Bodkin wanted a free breakfast table, continued Mr. Coates, but in the same breath he had asked for protection for the fruit canning industry. He at least should be consistent, and one way of being consistent was to see that his party carried out its pre-election pledges. The mover of the Address had urged tliat a strong agricultural bias should bo given to primary education, but this was exactly what the Reform Government bad been trying to do, and he should in fairness, have given credit to the Reform Party for what it had done. It had made what was being done possible. In this connection they were awaiting a declaration of his policy from the Minister of Education. The Governor’s speech, continued the Reform leader, was remarkable not for what it contained but for what it did not contain. He looked in vain for any policy direction. Before the election he had advocated careful expenditure and a strong effort to recover economic balance because these appeared to him to be essential to the naional welfare. On the other hand, the United Party had promised £70,000,000 and lavish expenditure, but had any one of its promises been given effect to? Not a single one! Mr. Coates said he did not propose to move an amendment to the Address because he did not think it was an occasion on which the old party tactics should be resorted to. He had decided to give the Government a chance to develop its policy in the hope that that policy would be for the benefit of the country as a whole. He did not propose to harass tho Government in its efforts in that direction, but that did not mean there would be no criticism of its proposals from his side of the House. PATENT EVIL-IN COUNTRY. The Hon. W. A. Veitch, Minister of Railways, said Mr. Coates was evidently not yet impressed with tho seriousness of land aggregation. It was all very well to quote a few estates that had been cut up, but land aggregation was a potent evil all over the country. Land settlement was at a standstill under the Reform Government, which always said. “Who wants to go on tho land just now?” Thus it lay across the path of progress and it was not until the United Party came to the rescue that the people had any hope at all. The Minister of Finance had done wonderful work in connection with the Advances Department, and that was only an earnest of what would yet be done to assist the advancement of land settlement. With reference to what Mr. Coates had said on tho subject of agricultural education and scientific farming, Mr. Veitch gave the Reform Government credit for establishing Massey College, but he said that college was too young to have done a great deal and there still remained a great deal for the present Government to do in the matter of promoting scientific farming. Mr. J. A. Young defended the late Government against the charges that it was responsible for unemployment. The problem, ho said, was not peculiar to New Zealand, and so far as the Dominion was concerned it was due entirely to the temporary inability of the primary industries to absorb their usual quota of labour. Easy finance was not the sole remedy for the settlers’ difficulties; it might even increase those difficulties by inducing them to venture too far. Some method of reducing the cost of production must be found. CHANGED OPINIONS. Mr. Young said Mr. Veitch now had a different view of borrowed money to I that which he held when he was in

Opposition. Then ho described Reform borrowing as equivalent to a man who sold his home and went on tho spree witli the money. Nov borrowing was tno ono thing needful to keep the conncry prosperous. With regard to tho Advances Department Mr. Young favoured a reduction of the interest to settlers. That had been promised by the Prime Minister, but the promise had not been carried out. Perhaps thero had not yet been time. Mr. Young agreed -with tho policy of tiie Leader of the Opposition not to move an amendment to the Address. They all knew the position of the parties and tho times demanded that they should all do their best to assist in furthering the interests of tho country. At tho same time ho thought Mr. Veitch had made but a poor reply to. the speech of tho Leader of the Opposition. Mr, W. J. Polson (Stratford) said ho did not agree that land settlement was the remedy for all the ills the State was heir to, but it was salis-actory to know that they now had a Government in office that had benight down a promising policy in this connection. Tho late Government aa-l admited it was bankrupt in ideas and had thrown up the sponge so far as settlement was concerned. Now they had a Government that gave them some Lope. Settlement was not in itself sufficient. An agricultural bias in education was not enough; they must have some assurance that the men who went on the land would be able to make a L-ving when they get there. There were many on the land to-day who were baiely making two ends meet. Thero must be a prospect of success to induce people to go on the land. MR. POLSON URGES ECONOMY. Mr. Polson advocated economy in public expenditure, but this, he said, did not apply to the giving of relief ' to victims of tho recent earthquake. Thero must be a clearing-up process there, even if it cost a large sum of money. In that the Government could rely on the support of the House. Railway building was in a different category in that there must bo the strictest economy, and he entirely agreed ■with the stoppage of the Taupo railway. He knew that country well and ho could not see how the lino could bo justified. Tho Leader of the Opposition’s reference to the timber grown in the district was, he supposed, only tho latest excuse. To improve tho position of the country there must be increased production, and that could not be done if, as tne Labour Party desired, they were to shorten tho hours of work. They must reduce the costs of production. To do this he did not suggest reducing wages or increasing hours, but they did want a better understanding with labour. The late Government had gone a long way in that direction by calling together tho industrial conference which, unfortunately, just missed its mark. Since then industrial councils had been set up in England,, and he felt sure had tho New Zealand conference been called together again similar good results would have been achieved. High tariffs increased the cost of production and bore heavily on the primary producer, who could not pass them on. Mr. Polson could not seo how these tariffs could be abolished, but he did think if industries were protected the public had a right to expect that those industries should bo efficient. The time had arrived when there should be an examination of the fiscal system by scientific experts—certainly not by politicians. What they required, was some system of Imperial preference. By equitable bargains between the British Dominions he believed they could confer inestimable benefits upon each other. THE PRICE OF FLOUR. Thero were other influences keeping up the costs to the people, and one of these was the operations of commercial combinations. An inquiry should long ao-o have been 'held into the operations of the combination which was keeping up the price of flour. The cost of money was also a serious handicap to the people, and in this respect he thought New Zealand was paying very dearly for the service the banks were rendering. He thought the Government should have induced the Bank of New Zealand to give a lead in rid’icnig the co it of money. Ho favoured tho issue of itral credit bonds and thought tho Refoim Government had done the system a gieat injury by refusing to give thft first issue of those bonds a State guarantee. They did not want to seo New Zealand a country -with rich cities and the farmers the serls of the land. What they, wanted to sco was reasonable settknient, but there must also be a reduction of the costs to the producers. Mr. H. S. S. Kylo said that as a Cancermiry member he did not favour tho construction of the South Island trunk railway; nor did ho favour a further commission to deal with tariff revision Such question should be referred to the House, whose duty it was to settle them m accordance with the wishes of the people. He also hoped there would be no revision of the 999 years’ lease instituted by Sir John McKenzie. The best land system ever introduced into the country was that of the late Mr. Kolleston.

Mr. Kylo strongly deprecated any attempt to remove the wheat duties, which would ruin the wheat-growing industry in tho South Island. This step would revolutionise the whole of tho farming in tho South Island and cause incalcu* able dislocation and loss, W’hen the farmers in the south guaranteed to grow the country’s wheat requirements they should be protected. . The House rose at. 9.45 p.m. till 2.30 p.m, to-morrow.