IN THE HOUSE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20541, 16 February 1935, Page 8

IN THE HOUSE.

Notes and Comment From Parliament. HARD FIGHT INDICATED. ** Star ” Parliamentary Reporter, WELLINGTON, February 15. There are already indications that Mr Coates may have to fight hard for some of the clauses of the Mortgage Corporation Bill when it reaches the committee stage in the House. The second reading debate, which was opened by Mr Coates on Thursday night, was continued to-day, when Mr Savage, leader of the Opposition, entered the lists. He claimed that the Government’s proposals were inadequate to deal with the plight of the farmer, contending that the problem could be solved by readjustment of mortgages under State control and guaranteed prices for products and services, which would enable producers to meet their obligations on a new basis. Another speech followed with interest was that of Mr Poison, who stressed his opposition to shareholder capital, and pressed for a co-operative plan controlled wholly by the State. Hesaid that he would oppose certain clauses of the Bill during the commit-’ tee proceedings. The debate was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30 p.m. when the House rose until Tuesday. Mr Armstrong’s Criticism. Discussing the Mortgage Corporation Bill in the House to-day, Mr Armstrong said that while the monetary system was controlled by private enterprise the farmer would be a serf. If there was any good in the Bill he hoped it would i apply equally to urban as well as rural areas. The Corporation would in the end be controlled by private enterprise and would probably grow into one of the greatest exploiting institutions the country had ever seen. It would put the State Advances Department out of business. The whole purpose of the Bill was not so much to secure the farmer as to secure money lending institutions, many of which were not getting their interest to-day.