FURTHER SPEECHES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 19 July 1929, Page 6

FURTHER SPEECHES

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE TAXATION MATTERS REFERENCE TO MAORI PEOPLE (By Telegraph) (From "The Mail's" Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, 18th July. Nearly forty speakers have now participated in the Address-in-Rcply debate and the Uoodgates of talk still appear to be well open. The debate was resumed to-day by Mr J. T. Hogan (Rangitikei), who referred lo the declared Government proposal to provide homos for people in their old age. He thought it deplorable that people with no visible means of support should be arrested. The Minister of Justice (the Hon. T. M. Wilford): "It is proposed to introduce legislation towards that end this session." Mr Hogan said he favoured free trade if every other country adopted it, but such a policy could not be introduced while the U.S.A. imposed such high tariff walls. New Zealand imported too many goods that could be manufactured here. He. deplored the huge imports of foreign motor cars which, he said, could bo developed to employ many thousands of people. Most of the money went to the country which would take, none of our goods." The Government should fix a quota as to tile number .of motor vehicles to enter the Dominion annually. Dealing with land settlement he said the Government should commence with derelict farms., A loss might he sustained for a while, hut that was better than that farms should lie idle. An insurance fund could be set up to offset losses. He favoured a heavier graded land tax to burst up big estates and advocated a- system of Government permanent endowments near cities, the proceeds of leases to be devoted to land settlement. Endeavour should be made to shift the incidence of taxation especially in regard to wheat and bread. The farmers and the millers required to put their house in order so as to reduce the price of the loaf. Not enough was being made by the amusement tax, which should be increased. Company tax should also be removed to some extent. PAST LTHERAL ADMINISTRATION The Hon. K. S. Williams attributed much of the present economic difficulty to the past Liberal administration's putting people on undeveloped land. New Zealand had nothing to be ashamed of in connection with the Reform soldier settlement scheme. Touching on the Rotorua-Taupo railway he said the Jate Government had regarded it as a development scheme, rather than a 1 lino expected to pay its way. It was l-egrettable that people holding large areas of pumice lands in that district were not be given an opportunity to make full use of their land. It could not be claimed that the proposal was a rash one, as the line would remain a part of the main system. He did not regard with great favour the proposal to build a road instead of a railway. Mr Williams defended the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates against charges in respect to the North Auckland railway, adding that the line was wanted by every settler in the district. The Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata said unemployment was -due to the fact that the country had passed the pioneering stage. The rough work had been done mostly ; by the Maori people who had not received the credit due to them. There was unemployment in every native settlement in the North Island. In the past the natives had survived unemployment by tightening their belts, goI ing back half a generation and living on shellfish, and the tflouble to-day was that the people could not move back in the same way for the pakehas to-day were put' of tune with nature. Some of the natives were earning 9d an hour working for Chinese and ho hoped the Go-vernment would be able to do i something to regulate conditions of employment in market garden?. Under dis- ' Iress conditions Maoris were the only people who would accept-such conditions while Chinese were the only ones who would dare pay such a low wage. He advocated an economic survey affecting the whole of the Maori race. The native problem in the King Country was acute, for the Maoris bad come up against a very progressive white population. Until the Government contributed to the Maori funds for native developmental purposes, it could not keep the natives up to their responsibilities in paying rates. SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION Mr A. M. Samuel (Thames) made a good party speech, urging Government, members to adopt a spirit of co-opera-tion rather than one of arrogance because they happened to sit on the Treasury benches. They should be more subdued and show more humility. He paid a tribute to Sir Joseph Ward and said if ho (Mr Samuel) were in agreement with the United politics he would say Sir Joseph Ward was the right man in the right place. He was entitled to all the reward his political work for, the country might givei him. One reason for the United Party's coming into power was the irresistible lure of gold—the promise of £70,000,000. If the Minister of Lands brought down a vigorous land settlement scheme he would be generally supported. The Government had made promises and if they failed to give effect to them the Government should be run out. The Minister of Lands (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) defended the Government against the criticism referring to pumice land. He said lie did not believe in booming it, but it -was intended to take a block and try to settle it. Much depended on the class of settler. It was premature to put the railway through to Taupo before the possibilities of the land wer© tried out. Outlining his legislation proposals the Minister said there was a great deal of land capable of settlement, but the Stale must be prepared to spend money to bring new lands into production. They could be best settled by men with an incentive to establish homes for themselves and they should be financed in clearing operations and obtaining a few cows to start with. He was endeavouring to arrange) for the necessary money. The debate was adjourned by Mr G. C. Black (Motueka). imwwiii»»liim»nininfniliij