ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19057, 9 July 1924, Page 5

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

THE DEBATE CONTINUED MR MASSEY’S STRIKING SPEECH (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, July 8. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, after formal business had been dealt with, the debate on Address-in-Reply was resumed by Air de la Pcrrelle who stated that the time was ripe for a change in Government, and this was evidenced by the feeling universal throughout all classes except the wealthy classes. He deprecated the three-party system and advocated an elective executive as the remedy. The Premier was adopting a policy of bluff in taking advantage of the present position. If something did not please him he immediately declared that he would face an election. So far as the Liberals were concerned, they would submit to no intimidation from the Premier. They were ready for anything, and would do their duty. He adversely eritcised Air Massey’s conduct at Home when attending the Imperial Conference, and then proceeded to claim that the Advances Department was unable to cope with the people’s demands, evidently as it was under the personal direction of the Premier, and he was therefore responsible for the present shortage of cash. He advocated the immediate and liberal replenishment of the coffers of the Department, so as to enable every man to own the home in which he lived and the farm which he cultivated. Land settlement was languishing. What was wanted was a bold comprehensive system of settlement, not land aggregation, which was going on all over the country. The taxation policy of the Government was generally condemned, and the hope was expressed that the proposals of the commission recently reporting would result in some system being devised which would benefit the small man and not again result in profit to the big fellow. The tourist resorts of the Dominion were not sufficiently advertised. Railway matters were in a state of muddle, and it was unfair that the South Island railway facilities should be curtailed because the drift of population was to the north. The Liberal Party was still in the middle of the road, but would soon be on the Treasury benches, when peace and prosperity would prevail. Air T. W. Rhodes (Thames) defended the action of the Government in regard to the financial assistance given to the Muir’s Reef Gold Company, which mine will repay development. It was the bounden duty of the Government to help such concerns. As to the amendment moved by the Leader of the Oppositon, the majority of his 13 items comprised matters already taken up by the Reform Party, and were now in progress of development to a greater or less extent. Personally, he subscribed to one item in the amendment, viz., agricultural banks, which some of the members on the Reform benches did not agree with. After traversing in terms of approbation the many activities of the Government, he said the House and country had every reason to be proud of the position of the Dominion and the manner in which its affairs were being handled. The country was good, the Government was good, and everything was just all right, and therefore he hoped members would end the sham fight and get on with the work of the country.

Mr Smith (Taranaki), said there was not a single word in the Governor’s speech which indicated that the Government had any sympathy whatever with humanitarian legislation, and it was not until the amendment w'as moved by the Liberals that their interest in this class of beneficial legislation was quickened. Credit had been given to the Government for the establishment of the Meat Board and Dairy Producers’ Board. As a matter of fact the former had been of no benefit and the latter had done nothing but collect a levy from the producers, and never would, because in his opinion the board was wrongly constituted. In the same way the Highways Board was likely to do little beyond impose penalties upon progressive districts like his own. The speaker condemned the New Zealand arrangements at the Empire Exhibition, declaring that a hundred thousand sterling had been wasted in fitting up a display unrepresentative of the Dominion. He blamed the Government for generally boycotting his district and in particular complained that the Government had refused to send the Government geologist to assist an American expert w T ho was investigating oil prospects. He approved of the Government proposal not to lift the moratorium unconditionally, but demanded a more comprehensive pensions scheme, and denounced the proposal to make soldier pensioners go to the cities for re-exam-ination as a direct attempt to lower the pensions bill of the country. The House adjourned at 5.30. PREMIER’S FORCEFUL SPEECH. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 8. When the House resumed at 7.30, Mr Massey took up the debate. In reply to Air. Smith’s criticism of the Advances Department he said the Act put upon the Statute Book last year was the most liberal measure ever passed by Parliament. He did not take any credit for what was done under it immediately after it began to operate, because he was out of the country; but more had been lent in one month than previously had been lent in twelve months. From August last year, when the Act first came into operation, up to the end of the financial year, 8000 persons had been assisted with loans, which was a most satisfactory record. In reply to criticism of New Zealand’s show at the Empire Exhibition, he quoted from a letter written by a New Zealand resident on June 2, in which the writer stated on that date that he considered New Zealand’s showing was better than either Australia’s or Canada’s from a utility point of view, and he considered the writer’s remarks generally would convey good news to all who wished the Dominion well. He congratulated the mover and seconder of the Address upon the speeches they had delivered, but he was unable to extend similar compliments to the Opposition. Especially was this the case with the Leader’s

speech, which was the same old oration which he had trotted out all over the country since the last election. It was devoid of a single bright word or original idea, and failed to rouse any enthusiasm. The fault lay with Air Wilford himself, for the people of the Dominion could not forget his public record from the days of the “sort pedal” onward. Leaving the Opposition, Air Massey proceeded to defend the Government against the charges that the Government had bought land for soldiers from their own (the Government’s) friends at excessively high prices. He offered to have the closest inquiry into any specific charge of this character which anyone chose to make. The fact was that mqst of the land purchased was selected by soldiers themselves and bought by the Land Purchase Department under Air Ritchie, and no member of the Government ever interfered in any way with the transactions. Discussing the Taxation Commission, Air Alassey contended that though the Government had set a commission up the Government was not bound to accept its recommendations, but, all the same, he hoped that the report supplied would be very helpful. He charged Air Wilford with misrepresenting the financial position of the Dominica in his public speeches, heaping upon the Government the whole blame for the rapid increase in public expenditures, never reminding the public that we had just conic through a great war which piled up heavy expenditure in all directions, including pensions for soldiers. Nor did he tell the public that at the first favourable moment the Government had reduced taxation, amounting in all to £1,563,590. He quoted from Australian papers the appreciation of the Government’s financial administration as the only Government in the Pacific which had been able to reduce taxation. He hoped, before the session ended, to be able to propose still further reductions in taxation. The Government had been charged with “filching” funds from the Advances Department. There was no such thing as “ filching. ” Temporary investments .were made in other departments with surplus funds from the Advances Department, but everything done was done under statutory authority, and was perfectly in order. They had now, however, reached a point when not a penny was owing to the Advances Department. Mr Massey devoted considerable time to discussing Mr Wilford’s meeting at Pukekohe. He then proceeded to claim that the Government’s taxation policy was not discourthe formation of companies, as was proved by figures. He admitted that the Government had increased Customs duties, but only on luxuries. Not a single penny had been put on commodities used by the poorer classes. The purchase of Reparoa Estate (near Rotorua) for soldiers was defended, the Premier contending that no estate in New Zealand had a better prospect of becoming an unqualified success. Advances made by the Government to Afuir’s Gold Reefs Company was next explained, and defended on lines already published. Discussing the alleged increases in railway freights and fares, he elucidated the position of rates on timber and dairy produce, explaining why rates had gone up, the principal reason being extra working costs arising from bonuses awarded to men during the war. He had hoped soon to be able to reduce railway fares and freights, because he realised that they were too high, but only the other evening the Opposition had voted to increase overhead charges, and that was just the sort of thing that would prevent the reductions he and the Minister of Railways hoped to bring about. Coming to the question of Imperial Preference, he read a telegram he sent to the British Prime Alinistcr setting out New Zealand’s view of the subject in the hope that it might influence Air MacDonald’s mind. Unfortunately, it had not done so, but he was still hopeful that Preference would be given effect to. Prospects of this were better now than ever they were. He defended himself against the charges of interfering in the British election. All he ever said in England was that he hoped there would be less party and more patriotism. In Belfast he told the people plainly what the industrial position of Britain was. While in Canada he spoke as a British citizen to British citizens, which he had a perfect right to do, and as he had been doing for years, although the A.lanchester Guardian, which was quite out of date, had evidently only awakened to the fact. In conclusion, Air Alassey warned the Opposition against the proclivity of maligning their opponents in the course of their political activities, clinching his warnUy the well known Shakespearian quotation “Who steals my purse” etc. MR HOLLAND. Air Holland said it was a pity the House could not have agreed upon coming to an immediate vote on Mr Wilford’s amendment, because everyone knew exactly what the result would be. The vote on the Imprest Supply Bill settled that. The Government majority would be the eternal three. Coming to the Liberal amendment, he said it . merely consisted of so many planks in the Labour Party’s platform, which the party always consistent, would vote for. Yet there were one or two notable omissions from the amendment. Whore was the reference to Electoral Reform? Perhaps it was left out to make ready for the jerrymandering which was to take place in connection with the electoral legislation which was to come down. There was no reference to the production of coal, but the time must come when it would be determined that all coal used in New Zealand must be produced in New Zealand. If New Zealand coal could not be profitably used on New Zealand railways it was only because we constructed our locomotives in such a way that they could only burn coal produced outside New Zealand. After dealing at some length with, the “sham fight” which was going on between the Government and the Liberals, the speaker j proceeded to deal with the land ques- I tion. He said important as the mora- ! torium question was, it was only one | phase of the land question. Before the | Government proposals came before the I House, members should be supplied with i details of mortagages owing in New I Zealand and the rates orf interest being I paid. He considered one of the first ! duties of the House was to reduce the rates of interest, because it was impossible for farmers to pay six and seven per cent, at present charged by lending institutions. Continuing, the speaker proceeded to argue that the freehold tenure was not an unmixed blessing, as comparatively few of the farmers were the real owners of the properties they

occupied, fully thrcequarters of the capital value being under mortgage, until to-day the total registered mortgages in the Dominion amounted to £258,208,558, the interest bill on which, averaged at 64 per cent., amounted to £16,783,554. Seventy-seven per cent, of the mortgages affected sums under £5OOO, so that it was clearly the small men who were in the grips of the mortgagee. In the face of this, members on the Reform side of the House said it was taxation from which farmers wore suffering. Their big trouble was their interest bill. Not only under the freehold system did the mortgaged farmer not have an acre he could call his own, but he had not a fat bullock or a fat sheep he could call his own. In support of this statement he read a letter in which mortgagees claimed the right to say where show stock from farms should be sold. The speaker next referred to the frequent sales of land, every transfer of which added to its cost. He quoted one scries of six sales, every one of which was made by the same land agent, whp.se commission amounted to £11,113, to say nothing of stamp duties and other costs. He reiterated that reduction of taxation was not the sole remedy to the farmer suffering from high rates of interest. Inasmuch as the Liberal amendment was largely made up from the Labour platform, and inasmuch as it was a vote of no confidence in the Government, the Labour Party would support it. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr Edie, and the House rose at 10.30.