IN THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20360, 18 July 1934, Page 8

IN THE HOUSE.

Debate on Tariff Commission Not Concluded. DISASTER PREDICTED. ( ‘Star " Parliamentary Reporter ) WELLINGTON. July 17 Dragging its wry wearily through the day the debate on the report oi the Tariff Commission was not concluded to-night. When the time for adjournment came, a Labour speaker was or. his feet vigorously criticising the new tariff and predicting disaster for New Z.aland as a result. The debate on the report will be resumed to-mor-row afternoon and in the evening private members’ Bills, including the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council Repeal Bill, ccnc:rning which an additional widely signed petition was received to-day. will be considered. Mr Forbes intimated that he did not propose to take Wednesdays for Government business yet

Mr Savage: You would not know what to do with them if you had them. Main interest centred in a discussion on the sliding scale of duties on wheat. Several Labour speakers had supported the retention of the duties, and an effort was *made by Mr Harris to extract from the Opposition its official policy on this issue It was clear there was a division of opinion in the Labour ranks on the subject, each Opposition member’s views being coloured by the location of his electorate. Thus it was that Christchurch Labour speakers were just as strong on the side of the sliding scale, as for instance, was Mr Kvle. while Northern oppositionists were just as .opposed to them as Mr Wilkinson or Mr Stallworthy. Twelve members spoke during the day and there was only one in complete favour of the new tariff. That was a member of the Ministry, the lion E. A. Ransom, who was the only member of Cabinet to speak during the whole debate. Farmers’ Finance.

The statement that some stock and station agents were still charging ten per cent interest on current accounts was made in the House to-day by Mr Wilkinson (Egmont), who asked Mr Coates to indicate to the House the undertaking he received from stock and station agents and finance companies regarding the rate of interest they agreed to charge when the Government arranged with the banks to reduce overdraft interest rates to six per cent. The right of repayment of mortgages at will was urged by Mr Wilkinson in the House to-day, when he asked if the Government. when amending the Mortgagors Relief Act, or when introducing further legislation to afford relief to mortgagors, would take into consideration the desirability and necessity of providing that when mortgages are for a fixed period of years the mortgagor shall in all such cases have the right of repayment by giving six months’ notice of his intention to make repayment. Mr Wilkinson said a semi-State lending institution had made loans for a period exceeding thirty years, giving the borrower no right whatever of repayment earlier. Houses For Workers. A suggestion that advances without interest payments should be made to workers to enable them to build their own homes was made in the House today by Mr O'Brien (Westland) in a question addressed to the Hon A. Hamilton.

Mr O'Brien asked the Minister to bring this idea before the Unemployment Board, suggesting that advances be equal to 75 per cent of the cost of the house erected, and to be repaid to the Unemployment Board at a weekly rental. He said this form of susbidy would be an improvement on that previously given, the former scheme not being available to workers because of their lack of funds. His scheme would return to the board most of the money so advanced, instead of. as under the previous system, the subsidies being a direct grant to some people and firms which were financial enough to erect their own buildings. The building of much needed houses for workers would also cause a considerable amount of employment in the sawmilling and building industries. Adverse Report.

The Railway Board has reported to the Government on the question of resuming the construction of the Napier-Wairoa section of the NapierGisborne line. Suspended railway works can only proceed with the approval of the Railway Board, and when strong representations were made to the Goveminent several months ago the whole matter had to be referred to the board which, it is understood, has again reported adverselv. The report will be submitted to a joint committee representative of local interests which will hold a special meeting this week.