BUDGET DEBATE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 892, 11 August 1910, Page 6

BUDGET DEBATE.

MR. BUXTON ON ELECTION PLEDGES. Continuing the debate on tho Budget at 7.30 p.m., Mr. T. BUXTON (Geraldine) made reference to the matter of election pledges. He had no need to apologise for his vote on the no-coniidence motion. Ho had nothing to repent of. Referring to the prospects for the future, Mr. Buxton considered that farmers had very little to complain of. There was no question but that the country had made a splendid recovery - during the past hvelvo months. Tho credit of the recent unemployment was to a large extent laid at tho door of the GoTenmiMit, but it was not right.

for the Opposition to say this was owing to the legislation of tlio Government. A member: 1 think it is. The land question Was, Mr. Buxton believed, a matter ot sentiment. People today did liot care so much about tenuro as they did about being able to get on to tho land. The people in his district were not afraid of the legislation of the Government, but of the Socialistic spirit that was rising up. He believed there was every bit as good'an opportunity of preventing the aggregation of estates with tho optional tenure as with the leasehold. A PLEA FOR HARD WORK. Mr. NEWMAN (Manawatu) said tho previous speaker had said ho believed in the leasehold as tho steppiug-stono to the freehold. That being so, he should be on tho other side of the House. . (Hear, hear.) Deferring to tho Financial Debate, Mr. Newman remarked on what appeared to be the, waste of time thero always appeared to be on this debate. A commission set up to see if time could not be saved would, he ventured to say, do quite as much good as, say, the Timber Commission. The House had now sat for seven weeks, and had done absolutely nothing. He was a strong_ believer in tho freehold tenure. Ho wanted to sco all the farmers, and as many of the town people as possible the owners of Hheir own land. His land policy was a simple one: "Every man lis own landlord." Deferring to tho Sinking Fund proposal, which is. to wipe out the public debt, Mr. Newman said there was no advantage in forming a sinking fund whilst borrowing was continued. The money to be raised to provide tho sinking fund could only come out of taxation. Sir Joseph Ward: Not-necessarily. A well-known Scottish financial expert continued Mr. Newman, had declared that . all systems of. extinguishing loans by the principle of compound interest were futile. Other instances were quoted by the speaker to show how sinking fund schemes had worked abroad. The best system of extinguishing the .debt was to spend less than you receive, and expend your surplus in tho reduction of your debt's. (Hear, hears.) Tho Government proposed to spend some .£500,000 per year in developing the water power of tho Dominion. This would have been done long ago if it had been left to private enterprise. A member: A very good thing it was not. ...'■•' ' The works, said Mr. Newman, would be very expensive, and. the question could not be dealt.with lightly. Ho had heard a good many complaints from small people, as to what they had suffered under the new Death Duties Act, and he proceeded to give instances of where tho Act acted harshly in the case. of small estates. Thero was, ho believed, roam for tho beet industry in tho Waikato amongst other districts, and ho thought every encouragement should bb given to the industry. Deferring to the land question bo thought the policy of the Government could not be regarded as singularly successful. It had not attracted people to the country or prevented increase in town population. The population of the towns had doubled in ten years; whilst the population of the country had increased'by one-fifth. Tho taxation on the people of New Zealand at present, was as high as we could bear. As a means of illustrating the increase of taxation in his district he quoted ono property which in 1901 paid .£67 6s. 4d. .in rates, ■ and wfiich now-, paid ,£lls 17s. ii. MR. T. E. TAYLOR ON~ WATERS POWER SCHEME. Mr. T. E. TAYLOR' (Christchurch North) referred to the Government's proposals with reference to harnessing the water powers- of the rDoininion. ' The water powers for ages after the .coal supplies have become exhausted would have to supply all. necessary heat and motive power. If they were equipped on proper lines and were situated in close proximity to a. ' volume of electrical energy thousands of homes would not require domestic helps.- As regards 'manufactures, production and traction, the value of utilising tho .water powers could not be overestimated. If the water powers were developed plants could be • established to secure cheap manures in the form of nitrates gained from the atmosphere. After the next few years the deposits of nitrates in Chile would run out. Then again only' recently an invention -had. been discover' ed. whereby ironsand similar to that in the North Island could .bo utilised. He should have liked to have seen the Govern-, ment bring down full details of its scheme. As regards Mr. Fowlds's \ proposal • to throw the cost of primary education on local rates, it would be a retrogrado step. If the proposal should be adopted the ratepayers would be more heavily burdened, whilst taxation'would not be reduced. He would resist the suggested change of. control with reference to education to the utmost extentMembers on both sides: We will all help you. , >lr. Taylor said the. very -moment the Laud Bill appeared this session. it .would be subject to closer scrutiny than any "measure for , twenty-five. years. ■ If the Bill contained any proposal to break any contract between the State and auy .tenant or make gambling in Crown.lauds easier or dirt not propose to stop it, tins measure did not stand one chance in ono thousand of gotting through ' the House between now and Christmas.: He was further of opinion that if tho Executive took the platform, on the subject fewer than twelve members would be returned to .Parliament in 1911 who were not pledged up to. Ihe hilt to stop the sale of a. remaining acre'of Crown lands. MR. GRAHAM O.N NATIVE 4-ANU'J. Mr. GRAHAM. (Nelson) said the speech of the Native Minister showed that the Government were doing a great deal for opening up the European and the Native lands of the country. Crown and Native lands were being opened lip as fast as the facilities at tho .disposal of the Gov- ;' ernment enabled them to be opened up. Mr. Graham went on to refer to the recent remarks made by Messrs. Buchanan and Bollard in regard to the population of the Dominion. The position was not' as serious as these two gentlemen would have had -the Houso believe. After quoting various setb of figures, Mr. Graham stated that in 1308 . the increase .in population had been greater than it had been in any previous year since the Atkinson Government went out of office. There had been a temporary depression last year,': and due to that we lost ■ a few people. Ho bad, however, .to congratulate the Ministry on meeting the depression with-1 (<ut calling on the people. Mr. Massey: "Half .a million extra taxation." ■ Mr. Graham: "For special purposes, as you know." After Mr. Graham. had dealt, at considerable 'length with the national debt of the Dominion, railways, and the Post Office Savings Bank, the debate was adjourned at 11.50, ou the motion of Mr. Poland. INSPECTION OF MACHINERY . AMENDMENT BILL. ; . The Inspection of Machinery Amendment Bill, which was circulated yestcr ; day, provides that every person employed* or acting in the capacity of enginedriver, who is in charge of any windingengine or winding machinery by means whereof persons are drawn up, down, oi along any shaft, pif) or inclined plane or level in any mine or coal-mine, or by means whereof material is raised wheli a shaft is being sunk in any mine or coal-mine, shall be the hcldor of a wind-ing-enginedriver's certificate. Tho board may grant, without examination, certificates of service to any person of good repute who applies on or before December 31, 1911, and satisfies the board that-for six months prior to January 31 of that year he had been acting as an electric-windiug-engino driver, and who produces from his employer or employers a testimonial that tho applicant has actually been' employed in charge of an electric winding-engine by means whereof persons are drawn up, down, or.along any shaft, pit, or inclined plane in any mine or cool-mine, or material is raised when a shaft is. being sunk. Regulations are also included as to dangerous gases,' and some amendments' are made as to inspection fees. THE CRIMES BILL. Discussion on tho second reading ol the Crimes Amending Bill, which was introduced by the Hon. Dr. Findlay on Tuesday, was set down for yesterday, but on tho suggestion of the Attornoy-Gen-oral the discussion was adjourned until tho next sitting day of the Legislative Couucil, to give members a further op- | portunitv. of. .ifjidviui: tho proposals. .