BUDGET DEBATE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12082, 10 August 1917, Page 3

BUDGET DEBATE.

YESTERDAY'S SPEECHES.

[Pr.n Prksk Association.l WELLINGTON, August 0. In the House of Representatives this eve.a?ng the debate on the Budget was resumed by Mr Yeitch, who opened with reference to the effect of the war on the condition of wage-earners. Ho said that the curtailment of railway traffic was being carried out with unnecessary severity, resulting in the destruction of country roads, to say nothing of inconveniencing thousands of .suburban residents who were compelled to come into the towns because means of reaching their homes was cut off. There was not buch a shortage in running men on the railways to warrant such drastic economy. The organising of the on such a basis simply disorganised our social system. He believed that the Premier meant well when he introduced the Rent Bill, but the fact remained that the clause permitting rents to he fixed on an 8 per cent basis nullified the whole scheme, and he urged the Government to repeal that clause.

The Prime Minister remarked that course resulted in the stoppage of building operations in Xew South Wales. Mr Yeitch, continuing, said that would not apply in .New Zealand, where wo had insufficient building material to make building worth while. He commended the proposal to pay a war bonus to Civil servants, but asked that anomalies discovered last year should be eliminated and payment made in a thoroughly equitable manner. Everyone whose, salary was not higher than at the rate of £'3l.j should receive a bonus. The excessive number of resignations from the. Public Service was* commented upon, and then the speaker proceeded to urge the greater development, of co-operative ideals, especially in the direction of .shipping and distribution of our products. He regretted the determination to confine the legislation of the session to war' measures. There was a large amount of social legislation necessary, and be urged Ministers to galvanise their latent talent and not justify other people saying of them what they seemed to .say of themselves, that they were not, able to cope with the war and social problems at tho same time.

Mr Hudson said tliat in launching his gigantic taxation proposals th" Minister of Finance had been aroused of inconsistency, but political, social and military condition s ; had been so revolutionised by the abnormal state of things that it, was not possible for anyone to remain consistent. He regretted the absence from the Budget of a generous programme of public works benefiting backblock settlers, whose roads and schools were' being starved in n manner highly detrimental to country committees. Our old ago pensioners were deserving of more literal treatment, Thrift was punished bv our pensions regulations, and ho put in a plea for n substantial increase in payments, contending that they should bo not restricted but universal in application. lie generally approved of the taxation proposals of tho Budget, one fly in the oinfment being the tax ;m tea. which he regarded as a hardship. Tin? encu'wragemont of minor industries was advocated, and be urged a development of mineral wealth.

Mr M.'Combs said that the policy of the Budget was '' get rich quick, for to-morrow the soldiers return," the idea, evidently being that profits should be made* while the opportunity lasted. The Government, which would not hesitate to conscript .men, would not look at the scheme outlined by the member for Timaru to conscript wealth. We bad pledged the last man and the last shilling. The, hist man would bo sent, all right, but we wcru borrowing the. last shilling at a rate that varied anywhere from seven to ten per cent. H'o reiterated h-s previous criticism on the remission of income tax on war bond interest, and on the organisation of the New Zealand brigade at the front. He ridiculed th c abolition of the excess profits tax. which was a confession of impotency on 'the part of tho Minister, who should have followed Mr Bonar Law's, example and amended tho tax bv eliminating anomalies. It was claimed by the Budget that the Board of Trade had been very active. What it had done w:v s to keep down tho price of butter, but it bad put up the price of bread, which was dearer in New Zealand than in the remotest villages of France, while the general cost of living bad been mounting all the time, what formerly cost a sovereign now costing ill 7s 4d. The Cost of Living Bill was the greatest piece of political hypocrisy ever foisted on Parliament. '.Discussing the supply of coal and wheat, ho said that when the coal miners talked of " going slow " sedition regulations were- passed and men sent to gaol, but when the farmers refused to grow wheat because they did not get the price tliev wanted they were not sent; to gaol because they were friends of the Government. With all the talk of going slow the miners produced -15,.">11 tons of coal in excess of the previous year's icoord, while the farmers grew 1(H).000 acres less wheat than in the previous year, and thc Minister had to onfoss that the farmers were so unpatriotic that lie was compelled to go to Australia to buy wheat for the people of the Dominion. Vet the farmers were still out; of gaol, Mr J. M. Dickson (Chalmers) expressed satisfaction at the assurance of the I'rimc Minister that the rumours of want of harmony amongst members of the National Government >v:uo unite unfounded. Thes 0 rumours, he was afraid, had been fostered for 'lip purpose of creating dissension, and ho hoped that they would be of no avail. Most of the taxing proposals he approved of. but beer and spirits could and should bear heavier imposts. The administration of suburban trains was condemned, and the speaker concluded by suggesting that a special cm -nmiitoc of the House be set up to a;;sist tho Government with matters of pi l'ry in connection with the war. The debate was adjourned on tho motion of Dr Thacker.