THE WASGANUI SEAT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15971, 13 November 1919, Page 8

THE WASGANUI SEAT.

ADDRESS BY SIR YE ETCH. M.P.

The Opera House was well filled last night, when Mr W. A. Veitch, the Labqfir member for Vanganui delivered a political address. The Mayor (Mr C. E. Mackay) ]>resided. Mr Veitch, who was enthusiastically received, stated that just prior to the start of tlie last session he had addressed his constituents, explaining what his aspirations were as to the approaching session aid giving an account of his stewardship up to that stage. He proposed to take up the running from where he had stopped, on that occasion. This was a growing district, and Wanganui was fast developing into one of the chief cities of the Dominion. Naturally, therefore, there was a good deal of local business to bo don© on behalf of the district by their member. In this connection Mr Veitch said that he had managed to get through the House all the business on behalf of Wanganui which had been referred to him. In the first place, he said he would like to congratulate the commissioners of Gonville on their V ENTERPRISE AND COURAGE in acquiring the May Estate of 40 acres, which was undoubtedly worth a good deal moTO than the .£IOO per acre paid for it. It had been his business to help the Gonville Town Board in financing the transaction, and he had approached the Minister of Lands, with the result that £IOOO was voted. The land would be of value not only to Gonrille residents, but to the whole of the district. It was a fairly generous grant by the Minister. Another matter of considerable interest was the lands belonging to the Wanganui River Trust, about 12,000 acres, still unoccupied. Year after year money was being voted by the Government to enable the Trust to carry on its work of keeping the river open. This year £3OOO had been voted for this purpose, but he considered it a great waste to bo taking money out of the Consolidated Fund for such a purpose when so much land was lying idle instead of producing revenue He had approached the Minister of Lands on the subject, and asked that the land be utilised for the settlement of returned soldiers, the surplus revenue to go to the Trust to carry on its work. As a result of his representations the land was to be utilised as he had suggested, and this would entail a considerable saving to the people of the Dominion-

Mr Veitch next referred to ’the unsightly swamp of about 150 acres at Castlecbff, and stated that the Harbour Board had asked him to get legislation, through Parliament to enable the Board to dump the spoil from the dredge there end make useful laud of it. Ho had been, instrumental in getting the necessary clause through. There was a large area of Crown land unoccupied in the Waitotara- County which he thought would be suitable for returned soldiers, and he had urged the Minister to have it opened up for that purpose. His endeavour was to make all the unsettled lands available for returned men, and thus prevent the necessity of soldiers belonging to this district having to go to other parts of the Dominion to get land. There was ample room for a bigger policy of

SUBDIVISION OF LARGE ESTATES

in tills district, and he was just as keen as ever on that point. He had always been interested in the co-operative movement, and he had had some correspondence during last session in regard to the improvement of the law enabling cooperative societies to readjust their finances and establish one big co-opera-tive business in New Zealand. He had urged iho importance of the matter, and Parliament had favoured the proposal. Last session Parliament had voted large sums of money to push on hydro-electric works. This was a very important matter for this district, and he had approached the Minister of Public Works on the question and secured a promise that Wanganui would get a fair share of ELECTRIC POWER from the Mangahao source when it was available. Mr Veitch said that Wanganui should make an effort to develop any other power source in the district, and ho understood that the Borough Council was considering that aspect. If the report was favourable he believed the Borough Council would rise to the Occasion. With respect to Proportional Representation, Mr Yeitch said he had had a Bill before Parliament for some years, but he had not succeeded in getting it on the Statute Book. This year it had been far down the list, and was not reached. Proportional representation was the fairest system of election. Another Bill had been introduced by Mr MoCombs, and he believed it was a really good one. If he found it was as good or better than his he would be quite willing to withdraw his own Bill and support the other. In the WashingUp Bill clauses were adopted relating to the Harbour Beard and Wanganui River reserves. During the session a Bill had been introduced by Mr Walker, of Dunedin, with the object of improving the law in respect to WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. The speaker had supported that Bill, as the present law was behind the times, and needed expanding and improving. Under present conditions an

injured worker could not claim compensation until he had been laid up a fortnight, and then he received only half pay. The'Bill was not brought on, being kept well down the Order Paper, and members were not given an opportunity of voting on it. The Bill would have been a good step forward, but next session, Mr Veitch said, he hoped to have an opportunity of doing something more than was proposed in Mr Walker’s Bilk In his opinion the law needed altering so that compensation could be secured after- three days, and full payment made instead of half payment only. The cost of administering the Act at present was a great deal more than was necessary. Jf a State monopoly was made of workers’ insurance he believed that full payment could be made to workers in case accident without putting any burden 51 on the community. This would be a great advantage, and a big effort should be made to bring it about. POLICE FORGE BILL. Referring to the Police Force Amendment Bill, Mr Veitch considered, there was very little good in it, and some harm. He moved several amendments which provided for a complete classification, the same as other public services. The police force should not be singled out for special treatment. An appeal board was also necessary to consider grievances in the force, and he had moved in that direction. Unfortunately his clauses were ruled out on a technicality. He was well supported by a number of members in the House.' At least by bringing the matters forward some good had been done. Mr Veitch next touched on what he said was one of the most important social problems, the

HOUSING QUESTION. He advocated a comprehensive scheme of housing. Even here in Wanganui, dozens of people were in the position of having to get out of their houses, and this at a time when everything possible should be done to produce contentment. This unfortunate problem was having an unsettling tendency which was to he regretted. He wished to give the Government credit for having introduced a Bill .which was a very good one indeed. It provided for finding large sums of money to loan to local bodies, employers and individuals throughout the Dominion to erect houses. Some exception was taken to the provision lending money to the employers to build houses for employees. It was claimed employers would get undue advantages, but he did not hold with that view. There wore cases when it was desirable that employers should own the houses, but should pass on the advantage to the tenant. The employers should not charge more than would pay the interest on the money invested. There was no reason why the employers should not find the land, and employees should have the privilege of purchasing the home. The matter had to be faced carefully and determinedly, and the law would have to be carried out. In cases where mine owners were providing “shacks” not lit ‘for a man to live in, they would have to be compelled to provide proper housing. The speaker said it was not enough to put the law on the Statute Book, it must be carried out in a progressive way. He was not quite satisfied with the way the Labour Department were carrying out the law. They were calling for tenders for the erection of houses, but contended that only in two or three cases did the prices justify going on with the work. If that is the position there .is only one remedy—the Government must arrange for tee purchase of the most up-to-date plant for the erection of brick and concrete houses. The huge national scheme required would need tackling in a big way, and would justify the purchasing

of an up-to-date plant. If the houses were built of brick or concrete they would be permanent structures, and thus the difficulty would be got over year by year. This was the only com-mon-sense and satisfactory solution of the problem, as private enterprise bad failed to find people with the housing acquired. Mr Veitoh proceeded to deal with

THE SAMOAN QUESTION,

which he said was of,, very groat importance to the Dominion. From the point of view of defence only it was essential that Samoa should be controlled by some part of the British Empire, though he was not keen on N.Z. running the island. However, he thought that in accepting the mandate N.Z. had acted wisely, even if it cost the Dominion money to administer Samoa. As a set-off to any expenditure in that direction they had to consider what a menace it would be if Samoa was in the hands of another Power. One matter in connection with the mandate which had given rise to a keen and critical debate in Parliament was indentured labour. The Germans had imported Chinese and Island labour, as the Samoan people were too intellectual to work hard. He considered New Zealand was not entitled to press the Samoans into service- The well-being of the natives should be our first consideration. The Government proposed to provide for the continuation of indentured. labour, which the speaker had opposed strongly, as it was entirely wrong in principle. To import the lower types of natives from other countries and mix them with the beautiful people of Samoa would be a disgrace. In practice the sytem of indentured labour had proved almost equivalent to slavery. The Americans had shown that they could administer their part of Samoa without indentured labour at small cost, and that being so surely we could do the same. Those opposed to indentured labour had not been strong enough to kill the clause, but had drawn a promise from the Premier that the number of indentured labourers. will be kept down to the present total, and no more be brought into the country. The Samoans’ first experience of the Government of Now Zealand’s methods in connection with the epidemic was not one which made them wish to have any, more of it. If a country could not .govern without killing then it was not fit to govern at all. WOMEN IN PAELIAMENT. Personally he had always supported making women eligible for Parliament, and he was pleased to see they had been made eligible. EDUCATION. He was bound to confess that fair progress had been made in educational matters. This session increases had been given to the staff, and the money for schools had also been increased. He strongly advocated the extension and improvement of the educational system. Theer were few national questions in which people were so vitally interested. He believed that the future of the country depended upon education; if the people were well educated, the Government would be wise, strong, and satisfactory; there would not be government by the favoured few or by the wealthy. The system which turned out mere mental athletes was of no use. He would continue education in this country on present lines, which were good and not unsound. The financial proposals, however, were inadequate; twice or even three times as much money spent on education would not be wasted; too much money could not be spent in providing a sound commonsense education system. He had not changed his attitude towards State aid to private schools denominational or otherwise. He was still of the opinion that the State should provide secular education. He did not infer that it should be without moral teachings. He did not think that anything should be taught which would offend the religious principles of any people. He would like to see more direct religious teachings, but he did not sec any possible way

of doing this. The sectarian ifisaae should be kept entirely out of schools, Some people said that the churches should undertake education. In New Zealand, with, its scattered population and with purely sectarian schools there would be a great diflicully for children in the cation

backblocks to secure Hie necessary schooling. The cities and large tJjkns would not be so badly off, hut in backblocks, where the. denominations were we."!;, there would bo many thousands who would not secure education. It was a difficult matter even for the State to establish schools in every district. He was still strongly opposed to State aid being given to private schools of any kind.

SHEA EE RS’ ACCOMMODATION.-

For many years he had been advocate ' ing for better aecoiumodal ion for shearers. He had introduced a L’iil into several sessions of Parliament, but had always failed to got it passed. This cession ho had asked the Government to take up his Hill as a Government. measure. Finally, the Premier introduced a Bill of his own, which contained .xuanv very good provisions. Realising that the. Government had a belter chance of getting its Bill through, hewithdrew his own and supported tho Premier's.

SOLDIER S G JiATUTTT,

The gratuity, .said Mr Veitch, was intended to be a gift, a complement from the Government and the people of New Zealand to the soldiers, it was not intended as a set-off against anything else that they were entitled to, It was not intended as a paymentfor their services; that would I>e impossible; but it was au expression of appreciation for what they had done. He had supported the amendment to refer the Bill, back to the Committee, because he thought that, bettor provision might have been made for married men and for single men with dependents. lie did not think it was fair to say that bfioso who ha dsupportod this amendment were doing so for electionecring purposes, or that the Government had introduced the Bill for the same reason*. Another amendmentwas made to increase the rate to 4s epr day, but he did not support it as he considered if, unreasonablefor the Hou.se to adopt it when it had refused a resolution offerin'' 2s per day. * P. AND T, BONUS, Air Veitch said that ho considered the Government had made a mistake in tins matter. The Post and Telegraph men we.ro entit'od to their bonus .as a matter of ordinary equity. When the classilicatien, was being made the increase in the cost of living was not considered, and a bonus was to bo paid to cover this increase. Sir Joseph Ward stated in the House that when he was Postnqistc.rGoneral .in the National Cabinet lie promised the bonus to the P. and I’. ment. Mr Veitoh said be considered a promise made by a Minister should be kept by his successor, especially in the matter of wages. The Government did not take Sir Joseph Ward’s word for it;, and thought fit not to pay the money. After considerable pressure, it was decided to refer the matter to a Judge, to decide whether the beams should be paid or not; the Judge was really being asked to decide whether or not Sir Joseph made the promise. THE RAILWAY MEN, There had been a great deal of discussion in respect to the railway 'men and their classification schedule. Air Veitch paid a tribute to the splendid, services rendered to the railway men by Air S. Smith, of Taranaki, and said he desired to acknowledge appreciation of his services. Air* Smith is a splendid worker, and in him the railway men had a real friend. They had pressed to have the schedule of the ffecond Division men increased, but the Premier would not agree; they had also pressed for a loouus, but the Premier would not agree to that. Finally it (Continued on Page 9.)