PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 22 February 1935, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

MORTGAGE LEGISLATION wtr By 36 votes to 28, the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand Bill was accorded a second reading bv the House Jof Representatives last nighty Before rthe division was taken, the Minister of Finance, Et. Hon. J. G. Coates, replied Briefly to criticism of the measure and (arguments used during the. debate, [which extended over five sittings. Mr Coates indicated that during the comsnitteo stages he proposed to make some '(amendments, including one providing [for a measure of decentralisation by (the appointment of associate directors throughout the different provinces. A festart with the committee stage will be .made to-day. The division was on party lines,"lndependents voting with Xabojir against the Bill. other Ministers participated in yesterday’s debate, the Minister of Defence, Hon. J. G. Cobbe, and the Minaster of Education, Hon. S. G. Smith. Mr Cobbe devoted most of his time to tan analysis of the Labour Party’s policy of guaranteed prices. This he described as pure inflation. Mr Cobbe Said the Mortgage Corporation Bill was Jan hone.3t endeavour to help the farmer !to exfcap* from his present intolerable position, and thus improve conditions generally throughout the Dominion.

“ALSATIAN DOG MENACE.” Deference to what was called the “Alsatian dog menace” was made in ythe Legislative Council yesterday afternoon. The Hon. C. .T. Carrington asked the Leader of the Council whether the Government would consider the question of [introducing next session legislation similar in character to that contained in Kho Alsatian Dog Bill passed by the Council on 7th September last, in order -to protect and safeguard citizens, especially women and children, from the idaily-inereasing danger of serious bodHyijjyury and suffering from the atLiclsFof these dogs, as evidenced by .the widley reported Press notices of pome of the many recent cases, and also by the resolutions of local bodies regarding the need for legislative action in dealing with the Alsatian dog menace. The Leader of the Council, Hon. E. Masters, said the question had been noted, and would be set down for consideration when the legislative programme for next session was under review.

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT. Protests against the infliction of corporal punishment on a sexual offender recently convicted in the Wellington Supreme Court was made in the House of Representatives yesterday by the Rev. C. Carr (Lab., Timaru), and by Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt). Mr Carr drew the notice of the Minister of Justice to. the reported comments of the Chief Justice when imposing a sentence of four months’ imprisonment with hard labour and 15 strokes of the cato ’-nine-tails on a sexual offender. The Chief Justice had said that whether or not corporal punishmentvhould. remain as a punishment that migmt be imposed sxi Jnji cases was a for the Legislate, not for him, and. the Legislature no doubt had regard, to the general public opinion. Mr Carr gave notice to ask the Min--sster whether, in view of the close connection between sexual irregularities on the one hand, and masochism and sadism on the other, so that the attempt to cure might only accentuate the disease, he would afford Parliament an opportunity of providing wiser guidance [for the judiciary, and in particular the [services of a fully-qualified psychoanalyst. Mr Nash, who had intended to ask the Minister a question on the same fcijbjcct, withdrew ihs question, but read it to the House. He said he would have asked the Minister to take steps to repeal the law, which made it possible [for this brutal, degrading and demoralising punishment to be continued. Mr Nash also referred to the remarks of the Chief Justice, who had said that he himself expressed no opinion on the subject. He had said, however, that while the law contemplated that, in a proper case, corporal punishment ehofid be given, he would not be doing his™ty if in a proper case he refused to order that punishment.

“PERNICIOUS DOGMA.” Dangers associated with the Labour Party’s policy of guaranteed prices for jprimary produce were emphasised by the Minister of Defence, Hon. J. G. Cobbe, during the second reading de“bate on the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand Bill in the House of Representatives last night. Mr Cobbe gaid it could not be denied that the seheme bearing the euphonious title of 'guaranteed prices was simply pure inflation under a new name. No amount of verbal quibbling could hide the fact that guaranteed prices meant inflation of the currency. Mr Cobbe said that at the present time, when the markets of the world were demoralised, and people were struggling to make ends meet, public men were going around the country telling the farmers that if a certain party were "'given a majority the farmer would j receive a guaranteed price for bis produce. Leibour members: Hear, hear. Mr Cobbe: No farmer wants a guaranteed price if that guarantee has aothlb behind it but a depreciated, dcand finally worthless cur-

rcncy. Reference was made by Mr Cobbe to a recently published manifesto issued by the Labour Party, which, lie said, contained promises evidently designed to catch the country farmer, especially the dairy farmer. These promises included a guaarnteed price for butterfat,security of tenure to farmers competently using their land, and the readjustment of mortgages and land costs on a basis of guaranteed prices. _ Labour members: Hear, hear. ■ / Mr Cobbe, to Mr W. E. Parry «ab., Auckland Central): I wonder if. the honourable member understands what a guaranteed price means. Mr Parry: I am a fairly good pupil, so you" had better tell me. Continuing, Mr Cobbe said the Leader of the Opposition, Mr M J. Savage, was careful not to say what the guaranteed price for butterfat was to be.- One penny on each pound of buttldL produced in the past . season amount to £1,532.785; if the guarantee should be 6d a pound, it would amount to upward of £9,000,000,

to which should be added the amount of guarantee on cheese. Then, of course, the wool man would also put in his claim. It would require at least sixpence a pound to put wool upon a reasonable basis. This, on last year’s production, would require about £7,500,000. Leaving out the cheese, which would require several millions to place it on a parity with butter, they had in the other two items a sum of between £16,000,000 and £17,000,000.