PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 236, 5 October 1928, Page 8

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

JOTTINGS FROM THE GALLERY

land policy discussed.

GOVERNMENT UNDER FIRE.

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

Little real progress towards the end of the session was made in the House of Representatives yesterday. Discussion on the rural intermediate credits system occupied the greater part of the afternoon, and the remainder was filled in with debates on the Select Committee reports. It was expected that the report on a petition concerning the proposed Waitemata Harbour bridge would be presented, but Aucklanders were disappointed. In the evening the Land Laws Amendment Bill was read a second time, put through committee, and passed after a protracted second reading debate, which lasted till nearly 1 a.m. A feature of the debate was the fact that the Labour Opposition quoted freely from "Touchstone's" article in the "Auckland Star" on land problems and Reform's lack of policy. The Minister of Lands, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, made no effort to controvert the facts contained in the article. His only retaliation being a facetious reference to "Touchstone," who, he believed, was "the sire of Traducer." (Loud Reform laughter.) That seemed appropriate, and was apparently the object of the writer, whatever that means. The House rose at 12.50. Promise Without Performance. During the 1925 general election the Reform party made many promises concerning land settlement. Their manifesto promised that a general survey of all unoccupied land in the Dominion woul« be made, in order to ascertain what areas were capable of profitable production, with a view to bringing such areas under settlement. Mr. Martin (Raglan) reminded the House of this during the debate on land settlement this morning. Three years had passed since that manifesto was issued, said Mr. Martin, and the area settled was insignificant when one took into account the number of forfeitures and surrenders. From 1922 to 1927 there had been 3786 surrenders of forfeitures, with 2,211,303 acres involved, and during the same period 9652 selections had been taken up, the total area settled being 2,653,748 acres. Thus, it would be seen that only 442,405 acres had been settled, if one deducted the area which had been forfeited. Had swamp lands been properly handled thousands of settlers could have been settled, and pumice lands were also capable of extensive settlement. The Minister of Lands, Hon. A. D. McLeod, said that surrenders had been lumped together with forfeitures in a manner which showed that the facts regarding surrenders were not intelligently understood, or, if they were understood, references to surrenders had been made for party purposes. Bankrupting the Farmer.

More was heard of the success of the old Liberal land policy in the House tonight, this time from the Labour Benches, Mr. Savage (Auckland West) singing praises of the late Sir John Mackenzie and those associated with him. It will be remembered that Sir Joseph Ward claimed the other night that Sir John Mackenzie was the greatest Lands Minister New Zealand ever had. Mr. Savago said if the present Minister would proclaim a policy tJiat would work out like Mackenzie's many on the Opposition side would fiock round his standard. The Minister of Lands (Mr. McLeod) interjected: The present Government has brought about twice the settlement of resumed areas that was ever done. Mr. Savage: Yes, and fifty times the bankruptcies. During the term of office of Sir John Mackenzie there were no 7 thing like the number of bankruptcies that have occurred during Reform's term of office, and especially within recent years, which only goes to show that the whole of those bankruptcies were mainly due to Reform's policy. It is after fifteen or sixteen years of Reform administration that we have an army of insolvents, composed of men settled on the land by Reform, and "well and truly settled." A Grandmother's Petition.

Favourable consideration was recommended by the A to L Committee on the petition of Susanna Cosgrove, of Auckland, praying for a widow's pension. Petitioner is the grandmother of four children whose parents died of influenza within 24 hours, the mother having no opportunity to apply for a widow's pension before death claimed her. The committee stated in its report that provision should be made for payment of a.pension to the guardians on behalf of the children at the same rate as would have been payable had the widow's pension been in force at the time of the mother's death. Mr. Harris (Waitemata) thanked the committee for their favourable report, and, after detailing the circumstances of this sad case, expressed a hope that effect would be given to the recommendation of the committee, since the grandparents were not in a position to rear and educate the children without assistance. Kauri Gum Experiments. The Kauri Gum Control Board's first annual report, presented to the House to-day, contains little information not already published. It states that samples of kauri gum are being sent to England for special testing, with a view to production of a satisfactory cover for airship fabrics. Experiments are being made at the board's expense in the production of pitch and charcoal from swamp timbers. If such processes are successful they are likely to have a very beneficial effect on the industry. A levy of J per cent on all kauri gum exported was made from May 1, 1927, and from that date till March 31, 1928, yielded the sum of £1573 after a deduction of 1 per cent had been made by the Customs Department for collecting the levy. Reports on Petitions.

Mr. C. Nisbet and another, of Auckland, who petitioned for compensation for land taken for railway purposes, have been given a satisfactory report by the M to Z Committee, who recommend that the petition be referred to the Government for consideration. No recommendation was made by the Lands Committee on the petition of S. F. G. Williams, of Rundman, praying for compensation for loss on a soldier farm. The Railways Committee recommended that the petition of Hugh Bradley, of Ohakune, praying for compensation on account of injury received whilst employed by the Railway Department, be referred to the Government for consideration.