GREATNESS OF THE EMPIRE

Chronicle (Levin), 10 September 1947, Page 6

GREATNESS OF THE EMPIRE

Mr. Ormond Wilson Explains

Mr. W. H. Gillespie (Hurunui) re•sumiug the Budget debate in the House j of Eopresentatives, said the Opposition j was not against the 40-hour week prin- * ciple and mueh as he would like to see | it applied to farmers, he did not think ! it eould be carried out. It couid not be applied to the single-unit fariner unless ' he empioyed extra hands. All the talk ; abbut a 40-liour week for farmers was « eausing theru diseontent. The farmers got a lot of enjoyment out Of working. ' Mr. P. Kearins: They get a lot of j enjoyment out of talking to neigli- j bours over the fence, too. ( Mr. Gillespie said that if New Zealand was to play her part in the Aid to Britain campaign, the sooner the . Govcrnment learned and understood the ( fundamentals of farming the better. Mr. 0. Wilson (Palmerston North) ' said that over the years the Minister of Finance had stabilised the long term finances of the country and had paid off , £50,000,000 of overseas debts whereas, , previous Govermnents had borrowed at , the rate of £5,000,000 yearly. He hoped . the Government would coutinue to take over industries which had been ruu at , a loss by private euterprise. Mr. W. S. Goosman: Such as? • Mr." Wilson: . The eoal mines are a good example. Mr. Goosman: Bank of New Zealand? Mr. Wilson said that was a fortunate industry which was not run at a loss and was one which the Government had taken over for the good of the'community. He described the references of the Leader of the Opposition to "Dear Oid Britain1 ' as "a lot of sentimentai twaddle. ' ' "I must say some things I have said before hut I hope that this time they ■will not be deliberately misinterpreted," said Mr. Wilson in proceeding to discuss empire relationships. It was the greatness of the British Empire, he said, that it had taught its subject peoples to overthrow the shackles of Empire and to attain self-government and independence. Britain had taught that great lesson to the peoples of India who previously knew nothing of democracy or independence and the Indian peoples had now attained their freedom although it would be generations before the lesson Britain had taught them would be fully learned. The greatness of present days was that the m'ajor portion of the British Empire had-be-come a British Commonwealth — a change not merely of name but of fact. Britain had shown her real greatness by voluntarily and willingly removing the shackles from Pakistan and India. Mr. Wilson said he hoped this process would be extended to the rest of the Empire and that within our time we would see the whole Empire transformed into a British Commonwealth. Diseussing aid to Britain, Mr. Wilson said ko thought 110 mcmbcr of tlie House would agree witli an editor in liis own city who had suggested it was a good thing that the Americans ' were iniposing strings 011 their assistance to Britain with the ol)ject of liiiiiting the Labour Government- 's socialist legislation. Whatcver their views, members would not wi.sh to see anv British Government shackled to auy foreign Government. Mr. Wilson said we were linked to Britain by sentiment, economics and everv other sort.of tio. The time had come when we should say to United States that we would not buy one dollar's worth more from her than she bought from us. That would mean some hardship here and. a foregoing of some luxuries but it would be a good thing for the United States. Although New Zealand was too small to hope to exert any import effect upon the economy of United States, such a gesture on our part would be valuable.

New Zealand should also let her sterliug balances in London accumulate as mueh as possible even though that increased the risk of inflationary developments iu the Doiuiniou. Charitv began at home and Mr. Wilson suggested the house committee should introduce some economy or saving, perhaps in lunclieon menus, which would enablc Members of Parliament to set the example of personal sacrifice to make more food available to Britain. Mr. D. M. Kae (Parnell) said there 'was widespread anxiety in New Zeaiana over Britain 's crisis and he urged that, where every day's delays iu New Zealand ports cost Britain 3000 dollars, vessels should be turned rouud quiekei so that badly needed foodstulfs could be taken to Britain with out delay. All sections of the community would have to take part iu the drive for greatei production without any one seetion being left to applaud the efforts of thc others. He suggested that bottleneckj

in primary production should be removed, the farmers given a bonus by way of taxatiou exemption on all goods produced in excess of the 1940 lcvel, and delays removed between the farm and sliipping port. Mr. P. Kearins (Waimarino) diseussing the increases in fertiliser prices, said farmers had rfipeatedlv deelared they wanted 110 Government interterence and wished to stand on> their own feet. They were now-. being given the opportunity to do that but might regret 1 it later. Farmers could still obtaiu ] fertilisers at the old prices if they were preparcd to pay subsidies from the pool accounts, now that the subsidy from the eonsolidated fund had been withdrawn. ( The farmers should try to obtain soine permanent assct from the pool accounts before they were frittered away. Difficult tinies were ahead, through no fault of the New Zealand Government, ancJ if the farmers were prudent tlicy would apply the wool accounts to buying out freezing works aud therebv obtaining a sound asset and increasing their prolits in future years. Plant Native Trees Diseussing timber production, Mr. Kearins said it was diffieult to see where a market would be found for the large quantities of exotie timber now maturing 111 the North Island. It seemed unlikely that a market for more than 100,000,000 feet per year could be found 111 Australia and the loeal market was liniited. He bclicved Now Zealand 3ia (1 ovnrplanlod in pinus insignis or

piuus radiata and there was an urgeui need for istituting a policy of piantmg slow growing timbers. Our native timbers, with careful husbandrv, should last for another 80 to 100 years aud they were incomparably better than the ! the quick growing exotics, even allowing for the fortifying of the latter by modern chemieal treatments. New Zealand 's need was for the planting ot slow growing timbers, even tliose requiring 100 years or more to become available when. our native forests were exhausted. The only way for the Government to get more first class land for soldier settlement was to invoke the compui(sory clauses of the Servicemen's Settlement and Land Saies Act and apply it to areas where there was an excess oi good land, deelared Mr. Kearins. Amid Opposition cries of "where did you get that" and "rot", Mr. Kearins said the policy of the National Party really was to settle soldiers on low grade land and to leave the first class land alone. He did not thihk the Government had pursued a bold enougn policy in regard to land for soldier settlement and he advocated strong action in order to ohtain more progress in land settlement and" to effect a redistrihution of population and check ttye drift away from rural areas. Mr. Kearins eonsidered the Government was not asldng too mueh when it • asked doctors to implement fully the [social security scheme. "Eightv per cent. of doctors are plaving the game but 20 per ccuf. n.re nct," he said.