POLITICAL NOTES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21415, 6 March 1935, Page 10

POLITICAL NOTES

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, March 5. Committee Debate Ends The committee stage of the debate on the Mortgage Corporation Bill drew to a close in the House of Representatives to-night. To-day's discussion centred mainly on two points —whether soldier settlers would suffer by having their mortgages transferred from the Lands Department to the corporation, and whether the Government was wise to transfer the control of rural intermediate credit to the new institution. The House has been almost constantly on the subject of farmers' mortgages for more than a fortnight, and the committee debate has lasted much longer than a week. Third Reading Deferred It is the intention of the Government to defer the third reading of the Mortgage Corporation of New Zealand Bill until the introduction of the allied measure—the Rural Mortgagors and Tenants Final Adjustment Bill. The Minister for Finance explained this evening {hat this procedure would enable the House to discuss all the provisions of the bill which had some bearing on the Mortgage Corporation Bill. It was his intention to give members a full opportunity of considering all the problems involved in both measures. State Advances "Since this clause makes it possible for the Government to transfer classes of securities to the Mortgage Corporation, does it mean that if all the State Advances securities are transferred the State Advances Department will simply go out of existence?" asked Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt) in the House of Representatives to-day, when the Mortgage Corporation Bill was being discussed. The Minister for Finance (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates): That is possible. Mr Nash: Apparently it is not only possible. It is correct. If the securities go the Government has power to wipe out the department without further reference to this House. Mr Coates: That is a correct interpretation. That could be done. Mr A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden): That is the whole intent of the bill. Mr F. Langstone (Lab., Waimarino): When this bill goes through, will it be possible for the State Advances Department to consider making any more loans? Mr Coates: No. Mr Langstone: Well, that ends it. Mr W. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central): It closes up the shop. A Fish Hatchery When the Government was looking round for means of reducing expenditure two or three years ago it decided to cut the annual grant to the Portobello marine fish hatchery, near Dunedin, from £750 to £3OO. The hatchery has been carried on in a small way since then; but its existence was threatened when, some time ago, the Government decided to discontinue the payment of the grant as from December 31. The Minister for Marine (the Hon. J. G. Cobbe) has now decided to continue the payment of the grant until March 31, and in the meantime efforts are to be made to direct the work of the hatchery to ends that are practical rather than simply educational. A Labour Protest Protesting against the Government's procedure in withholding the Rural Mortgagors and Tenants Final Adjustment Bill until the Mortgage Corporation Bill had been passed, Mr Parry, in the committee debate in the House of Representatives to-night, said that had the Labour party known what was contemplated there would have been a to the finish. Mr Parry said the Minister for Finance kept referring to what was in the next bill; but nobody outside the Government knew what it was going to contain. "We are asked to put shutters up on the State Advances Department," he added, "although no indication is given as to how far the next legislation will fill the bill. It is not fair of the Minister to ask us to agree to such procedure. Surely the "linister, forbearing to turn the House into a secret society altogether, will say what will appear in the new bill to compensate for the destruction of this institution." The Minister made no reply, except to say he had no intention of going over the whole subject again. Request for Subsidies A request for subsidies for the three New Zealand pottery works was made-in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr E. J. Howard (Lab., Christchurch South). Mr Howard asked the Minister for Employment whether he would favourably consider the payment of subsidies from the Unemployment Fund to save two of the works from closing down on account of unfair competition. One of these works was already being subsidised from the fund. Minister's Assurance An assurance that workers who are now mortgaged to the State Advances Department and are finding difficulty in meeting their commitments will be treated reasonably when their securities are transferred to the Mortgage Corporation was given by the Minister for Finance to-night. The matter was raised by Mr R. Semple (Lab., Wellington East), who said he was somewhat concerned about the fate of people who were struggling to keep up payments to the State Advances Office on their houses. Many had lost their houses because they were behind with their payments, and he sought an assurance that they would be dealt with fairly before they were handed over to the control of the Mortgage Corporation. Mr Coates: They should do the best they can. That is all any reasonable Government would expect them to do. Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt): Then as long as they are paying all they can reasonably be expected to pay, they are all right? Mr Coates: Yes.