BUDGET DEBATE

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 90, 13 October 1932, Page 9

BUDGET DEBATE

STILL GOINtf STRONG

VARIETY OF SUBJECTS

The Budget debate was continued ia the House of Kepresentatives last even. ' mg, when many topics were again discussed. ,ATr. A. Stuart (Government, Bangitikei) .said the Government had been criticised over land purchased for soldier .settlement, and although some of it -was deal-, money had never been spent in a better way, as it had resulted in closer settlement. Heferring to hydro-electricity, he said that irrespective of the party in power, there -■would have been a demand for the spending of money while it was plentiful. Development work by tho Public Works Department could be carried out more economically by contract. ■ I* .was pleasing to know that the deficit was less than was anticipated, but everybody was balancing their budgets at the cost of efficiency and something had to suffer. Mortgagees haa treated mortgagors in a fair manner, bnt bank interest was higfier than it should be. Land was much cheaper to-day, but the banks, although enaeavouring to get everything out of the land, were not helping the farmer. If .good land in New Zealand was going to be worth only £20 an acre, as had been stated by the Minister, then half the land could not be farmiea; The price of £20 an acre would pot pay for the improvements in some cases. The ten-acre scheme was a Very good one, and the main object should be to place farm labourers on those areas. A good deal had been said about the standard of living, but he' thought the standard in New Zealand was high enough for anyone. The great responsibility the Government had was to bring down costs. A thousand bales of wool would not pay for what one bale would pay for previously, because to-day the wool wentoff the farm in debt. SOLDIER SETTLEMENT. Mr. D. "WV Coleman (Labour, GisOome) said that money had been ■wasted on soldier settlement. The Iworkers of the country could not earn Sufficient to enable them to put away something for a rainy aay. He appealed to the Government to assist the people of Gisborneand Wairoa in connection with earthquake damage. At Gisborno damage totalling about .'£200,000 naa been done. He urged that the stand-down week should be abolished by the Unemployment Board. Dealing with the National Expenditure Adjustment Commission's report, Mr. Goleman criticised the suggestions made about tourist resorts. If the /recommendations so far as Eotorua ■was concerned were put into operation, it would be a National loss. He deplored centralisation of Government departments, and said that the hospital proposals were a retrograde step. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (Government, Waitomo) said there was ample scope ifor the use of unemployment funds on land and mining development, particularly the latter. Dealing with the 'Adjustment Commission's report, he Said that the House had to stand criticism, and the searchlight of inquiry sever did any harm. He considered that such, inquiries should be extended. ' He criticised the proposals to set up boards, which, he said, would take away control from the proper authorities. He could never understand how the departments of Lands, Agriculture, and Forestry could have been separated. Hospital lating should be Basel on. per capita, and not on land. Dealing with rating, he said it was unfair to load a Ismail coterie of local bodies with the loss' on the Native rating question. It was a national matter. He affirmed the policy of the present Native Minister. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. "W. J. Jordan (Labour, Manukau).