LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1926, Page 4

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE

Speaking in the Legislative Council to the Address-in-Rcply debate, tho Hon H. L. Michel said:

Sir, in rising to speak to the resolution now before the Council, I desire bo say that I associate myself with the previous speaker in what he said in regard to the recent appointments to this Council. Assuredly they have met with the approval not only of their present colleagues, but of tho great majority of the men and women of New Zealand; and when it is made, so will that other appointment, already prognosticated, of one of New Zealand’s greatest citizens. 1 just want to say at once that the Address from His Excellency, the Governor-General contains so many subjects of such great importance that it seems impossible for any speaker to deal with them in a short address and I have just picked out three or four of the headings which I wish to refer to. Certainly it is gratifying to"'find that another vessel has been added to the New Zealand unit of the British Navy; and I think we must all agree with His Excellency’s advisers when they say that it is very probable that in the future New Zealand will have to contribute an even greater share towards the upkeep of the British Navy than we have done in the past. We have not in the past paid as many shillings as the British taxpayer has paid pounds, and it was not until tho Great War that we realised liow much this little country depends on the protection afforded by the British Navy. One hardly likes to think what would have occurred if we had not had the protection of that great force—ever potent against mischief and powerful for good. But wc know that, great and all as the British Navy was, we had to look to another country to help us, and it would he a sorry day for New Zealand and its trade if wo ever failed to realize the need of naval protection. , The contribution we make to the British Navy, is, after all. only an insurance for our trade, and we only do a very little indeed towards policing the oceans we are so greatly concerned in. Reference has been made to tbe last loan. It seems ; lo me doubtful if there is another State south of tbe Line which could have borrowed on such favourable terms as wo have done, or whose loan would have commended itself so well to the British investors. It shows that this country has the confidence of the great capitalistic class, if you like to speak of them in that way—of tbe peopio of England on whom nc depend to find money for tho development of ' our country. It shows the magnificent credit of New Zealand, and that British investors realise that although our indebtedness 'is groat in proportion to our population a- great deal of it lias : been spent on revenue-producing un--1 dertakings—on reproductive works. It is producing its own revenue, and is no burden on the taxation of our country. If we deduct the war debt, a very large proportion of our public debt- indeed is interest-producing, and the English people have evidently realised that. Reference lias also been made to land ’ settlement, and I am one who believes 1 that a great deal has been done by the : present Government, and by previous Governments, to settle land in Now Zealand. But more remains to he done. There are still to he found in some parts of the Dominion large holdings. There arc figures in the Yearbook which indicate that wo have large areas of territory still available, and that is so without doubt; but it must he realised that the proportion of land suitable for close settlement is small, and it therefore becomes a pressing need that all existing large holdings should he cut up. I say that with a full sense of responsibility, and realizing that there is only one value for land that is its market price, and no Government, in my opinion, dare resume land except at its market value. In my opinion, too, the present is a suitable time for the Government to acquire land for closer settlement, as land values are much lower than they have been for a considerable time past, and it is good to know that the Government realizes this and proposes to push on with land-settlement. There is no douDi whatever that the proposed legislation in connection with the Bank of New Zealand is going to help landsettlement very much, and it is interesting to note from the speech by a Cabinet Minister in the other place last night that this idea emanated from the Government, and that other institutions have been approached with a view to their formulating some schemes on the lines suggested by the Bank of New Zealand. No doubt, when that legislation is brought down in another place it will he found to be wide enough to enable other institutions to take advantage of it, and I hope tho other hanks, also the insurance companies, and other big financial institutions will take up the same line. I know that large sums of money do leave this country for other States, and that should he stopped, if we can stop it in a legitimate way. This plan may help to stop it; if men find they can invest their money through these big financial institutions, it will induce them in many instances to keep their money in this country rather than send it away, One of tho most pleasing references in the Governor-General’s Speech is that to the intention of the Government to do somctling to assist large families. T have always felt that one of the great social difficulties-we have in New Zealand is that, while we talk very freely about the standard of living and a Iving-wago, wo sometimes fail to realize that what is a

high standard and a good living wage i for a single man may he a starvation i wage for a man with a large family; and we have done very’ little in tho nast to level up this great inequality. I hope, therefore, that when that legislation is brought down we will find that it will not only bo in the direction of helping large families when the income is small, hut that provision will also bo made for helping those who are permanently crippled or permanently invalided through sickness. Take the case of a man or a. woman of fifty years of age permanently incapacitated. I have known such cases, and 1 undertake to say that there is not a member of this Council who does not know of cases of men who are perhaps fifty years of age, permanently invalided, with.no income at nil; and some cases in which the wife has had to go out to work in order to get enough food the house. I have said before, and I repeat, that it has always appeared to me a blot- upon this country, J which is so far advanced in humane legislation, that provision lias never been made to help those who are permanently invalided through sickness and who have no income whatever, and never live to bo old enough to have the advantages of the Pensions Act. I sincerely trust that some provision will be made for tliese cases. It lias been made in some other States. In Victoria they have the Old-age Pension and the Sick Fund Act. and there is no reason in the world why something in the same direction should not he provided in New Zealand. I know that honourable members will say: “Yes, hut where is the money coining from ?” There is no doubt- that all such matters involve questions of finance; hut in a country such as this, which spends not thousands of pounds, but- millions upon millions of pounds, on other

things, it seems weak to contend that, on financial grounds, no provision should be made for the class of men and women to which I have referred. I did not wish to say anything about unemployment, which is not- referred to in Ilis Excellency’s Speech, but it arises from tho last subject. Unfortunately we have a number of unemployed in New Zealand; hut, while I believe it is the duty of the Government and of the municipalities—and, in deed, of all of us—to help these unfortunate men who are out of work—many of whom are really anxious to procure it—l cannot for a moment subscribe to the theory put forward that it is the duty of the Government to find work at union rates, or pay tho rates whether these men wprk or not, if they choose to come into the cities. Any Government that pursued such a policy would soon come to the end of its tether, and would wreck the finances of the country. And where would the workers bo found? If the unemployed are told that if they come into the cities—Wellington. Auckland. ' Christchurch, or Dunedin—they can demand from the Government—these are the words—employment or wages at award rates, who will be prepared to remain in the country? Who will bo prepared to do the work? I say it is an absurd contention, and one that has already increased the number of unemployed, because when that sort of “piffle” is used it has a bad effect upon the minds of men in the country, because these men decide to join tho ranks of the unemployed in the cities. I trust that I am not misunderstood. I am glad that the Government and the municipalities are doing all they can to assist men where unemployment exists. Wo have to remember, however, that not only in New Zealand, but in every other country of the Empire, there are unemployed and also the unemployable, and very often the unemployable are the people that swell the ranks of tho legitimately unemployed on occasions such ns this, and make, the problem more difficult for the Government and the municipalities to handle. Tu conclusion, I desire to say that we have a Government in power 1 that is determined to do its host for the uplift ing and the betterment of the country and its people. But if I were asked to find fault with the Government— if r were asked to state its greatest fault—l would have no hesitation in saying, that it has not only a tendency but its policy is to bring in continually regulations affecting the imports ami exports and tlio business of the country. T feel perfectly sure that this continual interference with imports and exports is having n pernicious effect upon the cost- of living and the general development of New Zealand. And mark this: it is always done because it has the supposed merit of helping and bettering the people. But it does nothing of the kind. I do not wish to go into details, but T have in mind some of tho regulations lately brought into force. It is not the fault of the present Government alone. For the past twenty or twentyfive years wo have had far too much government by regulation in New Zealand. Wc all fully subscribe to the Prime "Minister’s slogan: “Less Government in business and more business in Government.” It would be well if the Government would pursue this policy, and realise that there is a growing feeling that the continual interfering with the imports and exports of mil' country, and the continual interfering with the trade of the people by regulation, is not making for the betterment or the uplift of New Zealand- I support very heartily the resolution before the Council.