PARLIAMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12889, 16 July 1913, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE Oi-' REPRESENTATIVES

fPer Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 15. Tbr> Houso met at 2-30. NOTICES. Tho Hon. Allen gave notice to set Tip a Committee to inquire into the working: of the Defence Act. . The Hon. Herdman gave notice to Introduce the Police Offences Amendment LEAVE OF ABSENCE. , Mr. Ngata -was granted four days leave of absence-. FIRST READINGS. The Defamation Bill (Mr. Herdman) and Napier Harbour Board Empowerin^'and Loan Bill (Mr. Campbell) were """roSSITRY 6-COMMISSION. The Premier laid before the House the report of the Forestry Commission. NEW BILLS. The Land and Income Assessment Act Amendment Bill and the Police Force Bi'> were received by Governor s mess-r-Tii and read a first time. Tho Min--ister explained' tho provisions of the former Bill, but his remarks were mavdiblo in the press gallery, lhe purposn of the Bill is to liberalise the ■terms of-.-the Act, the mam provision 'being to extend the limit of exemption to noisons with families. " .. ' ABRESS-IN-REPLY. Mr Hino continued the debate on tho Address-in-Reply. He contended that what New Zealand wanted was the settlement of people on small areas. Tho Government -was dome; that. lh« weakest spot in present and past administrations of the settlement of lands war, . tho pace at which roads providing access to back-blocks were made, and the ■condition of the roads. He hoped the Government would make strenuous efforts to find more money for settlers in tho back-blocks and to find a system lor tho provision of medical comforts for people in isolated places. He rr- • groti'cd that the Minister had not fulfilled- his promise cf last session with Tf>p-ird ..to nurses for the back-blocks. :Mi\ Hnnian.: The Government wants stirring up. M:\ I-linc: They do want stirring ivo. Denliup: with labour matters., he thought it should bo mode compulsory that tho majority should rule in connection with tho formation of unions. Dealing with banking matters, he hopod tho Government, would safeguard the? interoslp of tho; Bank of New Zealand. Tliu . Rank's functions should be extended towards tho State. If the Government were wise they would make . provision with somo bank, if not th-> Bank of New Zealand, so that av.ail•ab'.o funds could be invested >at call. They should also have an agreement with tho Bank under which they could, ■when emergency funds were needed, draw on the Bank r-'Uiout incurring tho expense of underwriting. Mr. Ell followed. Ho hoped tlio House would watch closely any legislation put through affecting the Bank of .New Zealand. Ho sincerely hoped that tlip matter would not be discussed ■on party lines, but that the interest of tho peopl© of the Dominion would bo properly protected. The matter should bo looked at from tho national standpoint. • Ho criticised the proposal to increase tho Bank's capital to five millions, mnd in that respect contrasted the! institution with ithe -banks of France, Germany, the Netherlands and •others, which he showed had capital exceeding tho Bank of New Zealand's proposed capital by very little, notwithstanding the enormous difference in the turnover of the foreign banks. 'There was not a man in the House but desired to help, the old shareholders of the Bank. He did not think the mortgage tax should bo repealed. If it were it would do no good to the bor.Tow;ers of thl3 country, but would only ■ assist tho rich man. He believed the Public Service (Commission ■ would cost ' the country thousands and thousands of pounds, and do no good at all. The ■ •question of political influence in connection with the public service was a silly., ■empty bogey. It never existed. .; ■■ Mr. Mander advocated » tax on theatres and race tickets. He thought, when speaking on the National Provident Fund, that the spirit of the ago was to look to the State for everything. He regretted that fact. In his opinion tlie, natives-had not had justice done to them, in the past. Dealing with local go vernjrnent matters, ho hoped som«-.,th|iig^-(j)ild be done this session.. Tho ".preseijji position with regard to local government matters was most unsatisfactory,. The7Hpuse resumed at 7-30. Tho^toh.■ W.- F. Massey said the place to find .the policy of the Government was not in the Governor's Speceh, but on. the second reading of policy measures. That was where tho Govern- ■ ; ,.ment's policy would be found. Speaking of land settlement, he claimed to know flSmuch of pioneering as anyone, arici" tieVas riot afraid of the result when his administration could be examined.- He had found there was a short--r.go -of: surveyors, and had met that, shortage. The policy of the Government was. to. put a settler on every acre of laiid.-fit to carry a-settlor, So far .->s : administration, of the Lands for ■Settlement Act was concerned. ho. coh]<l say that with only two exceptions ev«>ry iflcrb that ' had been bought had been disposed of, and he had "a telegram in his possession offering to repureha.se at a profit of 2o nei- cent, much of tho criticised purchase from Mr. .Beetham ot Masterton. One of tho, mistakes made in the past in connection with land settlement was that ~thoy had not made sufficient distinction between tho.man who made good use of his land and tho one who merely held it for .speculative purposes, and if ho was at "the head of affairs when tho next change in the incidence of taxation took place ho would see that that mistako was remedied, because the main purpose of the Government was to increase the productivity of the land. Land of every class was available and some of the finest land in tho Dominion was to be nut on tho •market in tho •course of n few days Replying to Mr. Russell, he claimed that tho Government had carried out its Dlodgor: by giving the freehold, by abolishing patronage in the public service, by giving a pension to the Maori wnv veterans, by putting the finance of tho country on -a sound footing, and by promoting settlement. Ho anticipated that in four years the large estate;: of over 10.000 acres will bo redup-<-d by at least 50 pc«r cent. They had promised to reform the Legislative Council, and they wero doing it. Thoy Jmd. now placed full information before members on the finance of the rountrv through tho Finance Com mi t--lop. He ntlmitted that the expenditurn .lind increased durincj tho year, due to the growth of big Departments such as Old Apt* Pensions and Education. Revtvino i 1 -'»r 1 incmnr?ecl in r. much firmtcr ratio. Ho denied any bargain l)oiwee'i tho Government 'md Mr. Mackenzie i in fon.Tipi;;tion with the Hio-b ComniiKstonorsliio. He characterised as a anoat^ statement th^ Ktatemonl that tbo GonT'imont was fostering financial sti'i"£ftr"cy in order to mltv info tho h;i"d.s of monoy institutions.' Aixgrecation was not groins on und-T -tlTo lejjifclntion of tho Government. Ho defended the Government sending noli"c to.Wn'hi. ?i"d rr<ad a lr-M-.er siennd by over SOD residents endorsing the action.

, (Mr. G... T.4aiironson (Chvhtoh.urfh) •claimed-IATHI ,plac*vl on tho marl-"* f«r settlement had' fallen" from 400,000 acres'. jinder the Liberal regime to 150,-

000 acres. The recent loan was one of the greatest blunders ever perpetrated. Mr. Massey when in Opposition had condemned the appointment of political rejects to the Couucil. When in offico three of the four gentlemen appointed were rejects. He did not condemn tho appointments, but denounced tho inconsistency. Dealing with the Public Service Act, he would like to know why the biggest branch of tho public service was not under what was termed the irresponsible triumvirate. He attacked the Government for its attitude during the Waihi strike. The Minister of Justice stood aside while ono set of workers went at the tliroats of another. Ho denounced the action of tho Government in appointing Mr. Garlick without advertisement.

Mr. Buick commended the Government's legislative proposals. He pleaded for an agricultural college fo.r tho North Island. The Government had dono a good action' in giving small grazing-run holders a better tenure of land. If settlers were prepared to put their hands iii their pockets and build light railways they should be encouraged. It would help settlers and help tho Government.