DEBATE ON BUDGET

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19308, 8 October 1932, Page 17

DEBATE ON BUDGET

HOUSE ADJOURNS TILL TUESDAY. By Telegraph—Press Association. WELLINGTON, October 7. The Budget debate was continued in the House of Representatives when the House resumed at 2.30 p.m. Debate Interrupted. The debate was interrupted by Mr D. McDougall, who, rising to a point of order, drew attention to the report in the Christchurch “Sun,” of yester - day, referring to a question asked the Minister of Employment, which had not yet been answered. He considered that the statements contained in the report reflected on all members of the House. The Clerk of the House read the report, which was headed “An M.P Criticised,” “Discussion at Meeting of Progress League.” The Speaker said the usual course was, when the House decided that a breach had been committed, for Mr Speaker to write to the editor, publisher, and others concerned, asking for an explanation. In the present case Ig might be better to refer the matter to the Committee of Privilege, and that would prevent any hasty decision being arrived at. On the motion of the Hon. E. A. Ransom, the Acting-Leader of the House, the matter was referred to the Committee of Privilege. Financial Position. Mr H. T. Armstrong said the financial position would go from bad to worse unless the Government grappled with the problems of currency. He expressed disappointment with the results of the Ottawa Conference, and said it was not reasonable to expect the Old Country to place an embargo on goods from countries outside the Empire. He considered the establishment of a market within New Zealand would be the only way in which lasting benefit would accrue to the Dominion’s primary industries.

Mr A. D. McLeod described the National Expenditure Commission’s report as the Treasury’s opinion, and declared that shifting the load from the general taxpayer to the local taxpayer was not going to be a national economy. Referring to Ottawa, he said if secondary industries had nothing to fear, it meant that the farmers did have something to fear. The House adjourned at 1 p.m. The Rev. C. Carr (Timaru) criticised the Expenditure Commission’s report, and asked whetner it was economy to impoverish the Plunket Society and j restrict the school dental and medical i services. He wondered whether the Commission realised what would b* | the effect on the race. Referring 1 \ currency. Mr Carr said nothino con’d j be accomplished while the con'roi money was in private hands. H-s considered that prices could be stabilised in Now Zealand, and there was no necessity for the prices paid overseas to determine the prices paid here. Handicap of Farmers. Mr W. J. Poison (Stratford) contended that currency inflation would not help the farmer because he sold abroad, and world parity fixed the price he received. He was not suggesting that it was impossible to arrive at some plan that would help the Dominion, but so far he had not found a plan. High tariffs were adding to the handicap of farmers, who had now reached a desperate position. He knew of farmers who were not going to shear their sneen this season as they could not afford the cost. New Zealand could not afford to continue to protect uneconomic secondary industries. Peace in Samoa. Mr F. W. Schramm (Auckland East) appealed to the Government to take every measure to re-establish peace and goodwill in Samoa. He said that there were some 40.000 or 50,000 inhabitants in Western Samoa, and 90 per cent, were dispat'* fled with the administration of the New Zealand Government. He recalled that the term of banishment of Mr O. F. Nelson expired this year, and he asked whether Mr Nelson and others desiring to return to Samoa would be guaranteed peace and freedom in their native country. It was up to the Government to do that. Mr Schramm considered that the appointment of military men to the position of Administrator had been a mistake. New Zealand might have followed the British precedent and appointed medical men. Prestige of the Government. Mi H. M. Rushworth (Bay of Islands) said, that it was most regret-

table that the prestige of the Parliamentary institution in New Zealand was net as high as it should be. He ieafou it falling even further, and this, he ton. id’red, was due to the fact that it had become inefficient, or. at any rate not sufficiently efficient This ii in. \-.n due to the mistaken idea as D; where efficiency lay. He considera .: v . a pi stake to believe that it Jay in strong stable Government, tecs. . : it really rested with an efficient oppo iticn. It was very nice for the Government to be able to steam roller anything through, but there was no efficiency in that. The powers of the Opposition had been whittled away until they were now practically nonexistent. The last power, somewhat childish though it was, had been taken away by the introduction of the closure to prevent obstruction. It was necessary to restore some power to create an effective opposition, or alternatively to select some more effective means of governing than the present institution. He thought that members of the Opposition would agree with him that they were only wasting their time by attending Parliament under the present conditions. The Government was impervious to any kind of argument. One over-riding pledge made them impervious, because when members were elected they were pledged to support this, that or the other party in the matter of noconfidence. Every matter the Government brought forward was made either openly or quietly a matter of confidence, and members were compelled to vote against other pledges because of one over-riding pledge. The debate was adjourned when the House rose at 5.30 p.m., till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.