FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 6

FINANCIAL DEBATE.

COOK ISLANDS. \ CHARGES REVIVED BY MR, 1 ATMORE, 1 Mr. H. ATMORE (Nelson) resumed t'ha Financial Debate at 2.50 p.m. He accused 'the Hon. Dr. Pomare of discourtesy in replying to the member for Christchurch North in reference to charges agaijist tho administration of the Cook Islands. There was a feeling, he stated, ■ that Dr. Pomare was tot really in charge ' of 'the Islands, but was only a figurehead.' Mr. Atmore traversed a number of the charges, and contended that the administration of! the Islands left a lot Jo be desired. It ill became the Minister to sneer at religion, and at a man who had formerly occupied the pulpit (Mr. Isitt).' A good minister of the Church was infinitely better than a Minister responsible for bad •administration of the Cook Islands. Dr. Pomare: Prove it I Mr. Atmorfi said that there was a . 'great contrast between the dignified Mr. Ngata, the dignified and courteous Mr. Parata, and "the stately and most dignified man in the House, Sir James Carroll, and Dr. Pomare's ill-bred Mr. Atmore was ordered to withdraw "ill-bred," and did so. Ho said that Dr. Pomare's . bitter attack upon those who had- criticised, tho administration of the Cook Islands..was a painful contrast to' the dignified and conscientious way in which tho other gentlemen in the House who represented the Native race dealt with the questions that oamo before the House. He congratulated tho Government upon the proposal to assist associations of fruit-growers to provide canning- factories and cool storage. There weTe already _ five thousand acres under fruit trees in Nelson and in time the industry would- become a very important one. Alleged "Persuasion." Mr. Atmore next quoted n. statement reported to have been made at Dunedin by Mr. Allen, just before the last general election, which constituted, he declared, a damning indictment of the party . of purity. The statement ran: "One candidiato for the Southern Maori seat, Mr. Uru, is-absolutely independent. Dr Pomare who is contesting the "Western Maori Beat, is, I understand, an Oppositionist. There ia a chanoe for one of the Native members gaining Executive rank tinder Mr. Massey. Of course, If tho Natives do not want one of their representatives to,hold office in the Cabinet they will vote against Mr. Massey's party." Mr. Payne: It sounds like bribery and corruption! Mr. Atmoret It certainly ' 6ounds liko an .attempt' to persuade, put it that way. Mr. Atmore appealed to the Prime Minister, as one who had bowels of compass sion, to bring in taxation relief proposals for the benefit of people of small incomes. -Tho Government were masquerading as Liberals and throwing out sops to the democracy, but they were not prepared to "throw out the baby, land monopoly." ..They almost accused you of saorilege if you talked about the gigantic. Bheop run which' was branded on the map aa Hawke'a Bay. In 1911 Mr. Massey had , said that - there was enough Crown and Native land available to keep the country going for ten years. The Prime Minister daTe .not repeat that statement to-day. Settlers were being forced to go away because land, was denied to them, the Government refusing to put on a stiff enough graduated.tax to break tip the big estates; Dealing with military- training he recommended the

Government to pay men undergoing training the same rates of wages os they received in their ordinary occupations, up to 12g. a day. Mr. Atmore went on to eulogise Sir Joseph Ward and the Liberal achievements of the past twenty years. LAND HUNGER. A LABOUR MEMBER'S ATTACK. Mr A. H. HINDMARSH (Wellington Douth)_ pointed out that the Government Statistician received a salary of ,£3OO a year, while tho Director of Physical Education received .£6OO a year. Could anything, he' asked, be more idiotic ? He went on to uige that the Statistician should accompany the _Arbitration Court upon its circuit and assist it with his advice. Tho Court should spend not two hours, but two months, upon a case, and the fullest possible survey should be made of all tho connected facts and circumstances. Poll and complete statistics Should bo prepared in New Zealand, as was done in the Commonwealth and other countries. The sum and substanco of tho Government's land policy, he declared, was to. "sell landi borrow money, and lend it out." This mado things more difficult for the landless man. The Government should have lent

money only to settlers who settled upon some plan laid down by the Government. The Prime Minister had said that by intensive cultivation a good living could,bo made off five acres of land. If this' were so, this country had a great future aliead of it. Ho appealed to tho Prime Minister to some scheme with a view to settling the rural question. Probate duties should be largely increased. Mr. Hindmarsh attacked tho party system, asserting that it was worse than an absolute monarchy. . Even tho honourable and gallant Colonel -Allen, 'he stated, put party, before patriotism. On the subject of Government land sales, Mr. Hindmarsh cited an instance in wliioh bush land, at an elevation of 2000 feet and five miles away from tho nearest; cart road, was sold at £2 an acre. This was surely a scarcity value. He accused tho Prime Minister of "a wioked statement" in saying that "wo want rnoro people to go on the land." What inducement had this country to offer to poor wretches to go upon tho land? There was an intense' Scarcity of land in this country, 'and it had not enough .land for its own people. It would be a shocking thing to attract people to New Zealand leading them to believe that they could • get cheap land 'or could get plenty of work on farms.