VARIETY OF TOPICS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 211, 22 September 1937, Page 3

VARIETY OF TOPICS

•Presp AsBociafcion.)

Members' Address-in-Reply Speeches MR. SULL1VAN IN REPLY

(Bv Telpsrrnph —

WELLINGTON, This Day. The debate ou the Audress-in-Koply was continued by Mr. W. M. C. Denham, who contended that the Southland farmera were more than satisfied with ( what the Government was doing with ( regard to the guaranteed prices. Mr. T. D. Burnett said, in his opinion, Britain 's decision to re-arm had. had moro effeet on the world to-day than any recent international event. He failed to understand New Zealand 's apathy towards defenco and suggested a private scssion of the House at whieh the Minister of Defence and the Prime Minister should tako members into their confidence concerning defence measures. The Government's industrial legislation, he said, was driving a wedge between farmers and the agricultural l'abour market. Criticising the Government's guaranteed price policy, Mr. 'Burnett said tho producer liked to market his own produce. Mr. C. A. Barrell (Hamilton), who was making his maiden speech in the House, afiinued his support of ihe policy of the Labour Gove|nment as outlined by the Prjme Minister. Keferring to the Opposition 's contentions that tlie Labour Party 's legislation was endangering the solid financial structure built up by the pioneers of the Dominion, Mr. Barrell asked how inany of the pioneers had enjoyed the fruits of their labour. Most of the men and women who had done the hardest labour in building up ,the foundations of the Dominion, had not enjoyed ,the fruits of their industry, which had gone into tho hands of a fpw. With regard to tho Press, the Opposition had contended that the newspapers had assisted in putting the Labour Party into pcwer. Personally, he had not noticed it. He contended that the metropolitan papers throughout the country dcvoted more space — four inches to one inch— to Opposition spealcers in the House than to those of the members of the Government. He was looking for ward to the day, he said in conclusiou, wlicu, under a proper ecouomic system people wanting money for building could get it . at the cost of producing and whcii the Government would provido money ior housing agricultural workers, which, he considered, would tend greatly to relievo the difficulty being cxperienced by farmers in securing the necessary labour, Mi. W. J. Polson said tho Minister or Education in his speech in the House had tried to discredit Mr. Hamilton 's speech when moviug the amendment to tho Address-in-Eeply. He had stated that the Government's guaranteed price scheme had not been the same as that proposed by tho Dairy Board, but Mr. Polson drcw attention to the similarilies between the Board 's schemo and that at present being oporated by the Government. Ho stressed the fact, liowever, that under the Board 's scheme there had been no commandeer. Mr. Folson said it was timo that all the "ballyhoo'^ about marketing should be stoppea. The Dairy Board, had it been ieft alone, would have carricd out the job more efficicntly and at less cosi vhan the Government. « Hon. D. G. Sullivan said farmers who knew their job wei?' reported to have said 80 or possibly 90 pcr cent. of the dairy-i'armcrs throughout tho Dominion were satisfied with the Government's guaranteed prices. .A most .thorougk and exkaustivo investigation had been made beforo this ycar's guaranteed prices had been fixcd— just about as complete an investigation "as had evcr , been held upon any subject. • Mr. Polson: Let's have the reports submitted at an investigation. Mr. Sullivan: That's a matter ior the Prime Minister and the Government, but I don't think the hon. gentleaian would consider his caso had been strcnjgthened even if he did see those reports. With regard to the Government's marketing scheme, Mr Sullivan said it had been the custom of the liouse to accept the word of honourable members and they had the aosurauce or tlie Miuister of Finance that the Government's scheme was not the same sw> that of tlie Dairy Board.

He prophesied that the Leader of the Opposition was in for a diflieult time. A lot of people, said the Minister, even among the Opposition 's own. supporters, felt sure that tHe members for Kai para and Hurunui had been thrown over board in the time of their defeat and the present Leader. of the Opposition would have that to contend with.

All the talk of bureaucrntie control of industry of the Labour Governmeut was tho purest propagandu. Mr Hamilton in this conncction had mentioned tho Government's housiug policy, but Mr Sullivan pointed out that the provious Governmeut also had conducled a housing schemo aud tho same thiug applied to the Opposition 's criticism oi! the present transport policy. The Government was applying the principle of co-operation with industries under the Industrial Emergency Act. Control, lic said, was fully justified as long as it was exercised with discretion and judgment. There had been hundreds of companies in New Zealand wliich should never have been started. He instanced a number of land utilisation companies as among these. Tlie ilouse resumed at 7.30, when Mr S. G. Holland assured tho Government that the National Party was in excellent trim and had never enjoyed such prospects of success as it enjoyed at the present time, nor was there any compulsory unionisia as far as membership of the National Party was concerned. (Laughter.-) He expressed the opinion ithat th» Government had taken office -u laori • ■..jimj'-Gsa aautliilimi. and ifl

the first year it held office the eountiy ihad experienced a record year. This he contrasted with the trying conditions the previous Government had jkxperienced in the depression period. ■He gave the Government credit for the •pre-election promises it had put into effect, but it would not have been able to carry out these promises if it had not had available a record natural income. There were, however, certain promises the Government had not carried out, including the removal of the excliange xate and saies tax, and there was no indication it ever intended to taka these taxes ofL Neither had the Government reduced taxation, nor had it kept its promise to reduce the working costs of Government departments. With regard to the industrial legislation, Mr Holland said the basic wage was having a very detrimental effect on the young people of the country, and he quoted figures showing the increasing numbers of young people that wefe leaving the schools before they had completed their education, so they would be able to complete their apprenticeships before they reached the age of 23 years. The Government 's policy to-day, he said, was Socialism, as opposed to .private enterorise. Mr. Yv . x.o^kin said the Labour Government had completely destroyed confidence in this country. Speaking of shipping contracts for our produce, he said the reason why Australia had secmfcd a better contract than New Zealand was that in this Dominion the position of waterfront labour had got completely out of liand, and, consequently, port charges were considerably higher. He accused the Government of a socialistic policy, and said it did not want to encourage the private ownership of land. That was the reason why the Government had no land settlement scheme to-day. The House rose at 10.30. ^ ^