PARLIAMENT OPENS.

Otaki Mail, 15 June 1923, Page 3

PARLIAMENT OPENS.

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH

, 3 I WELLINGTON, June 14. I I, The - v f eatlle t' is dull and grey ant ' heavy showers fell during the morn » ing- interfering considerably with the outdoor ceremonies connected with Hit s opening of Parliament. 1 I -, 'P ie opening took place-.at s 2.:su p.m. t The Governor-General, in the course of his speech, said ilia during the res cess tiie marriage of His Royal h kli- . ness the Duke of York had been solehii nized. This happy event once mom , caned forth manifestations of the iov . aity and affection felt bv th e people c ?/ u » e Empire for their Majesties and the Royal Family. "Acting upon the advice of my Ministers I have convened Parliament »o-nie\vhat earlier than is customary in • lainily. it had been a splendid caucus, ' j order that more time may be, afforded . lor ihe work of (he session in the event i oi your determining that my Prime Minister should atiend the Imperial Conferences in London which are to ! commence on or about October 1. Mv j -Ministers consider that only a grave emergency in the domestic "affair* of our Dominion could excuse the abJ sence of the Prime Minister from the fiomerences." His Excellency dwelt upon the need for the Prime attendance as only a personal ex- ' liange of views could dispose of difficulties that might, arise in u , e rol; ,_ uons of the different, parts of the Empire and in regard to foreign policy New Zealand having a mandate in regard to Samoa. He also referred to the procedure of the League of Nations in regard to reports on mandated territory. "It is a mater for satisfaction that western Samoa continues to make steady advance under New Zealand control. The rejations between th" inhabitants, both "Eurojjean and native, and the administration are showing a very satisfactory improvement. "The result of our share in the control of the phosphate deposits of Nauru lia s been satisfactory and the demand m New Zealand for phosphate rock has increased. The quotas to which New Zealand is primarily entitled namely 16 per cent., ha s been approximately utilized during the past year "The very difficult and important work of consolidating the Dominion Land Laws had been undertaken, and a lengthy and elaborate measure will be submitted for consideration. A Bill would also be submitted bringing ail titles to lands in New Zealand tin- • der the Land Transfer Act, within ten years. At present titles were held under the Land Transfer and Conveyancing and Deeds Registry svsteins.' The latter had produced such* a multiplicity of volumes and records as to render search against encumbrances difficult.

"Durigg- the past year immigration 1 from Great Britain hart progressed sat- ' isfacforily; special facilities being- extended for farmers, farm labourers and all classes of skilled artfs>ans '<'- I quired for secondary Industrie.'. Min.--tors bad been able to arrange for a very low scale of passage rates. THE DOMINION'S RECOVERY. Addressing the House of Repres«i- ---■ tafives be said the financial year ending on March 31 last had'been extremely satisfactory. The reduction in expenditure a'si .'compared with the previous year amounted to £2.203,078. | am] notwithstanding the remissions in taxation granted by Parliament last year the revenue had exceedethe estimate by £f.33!),-i43. The result is a surplus of actual, revenue over {.actual expenditure of £1.315.683. P was gratifying to have so substantial a proof of the prosperity of the country generally arid of the success of its industries. ' CREDIT IN LONDON. • '-Evidence of the Dominion's credi l was in addition afforded by tlie terms j of the loan floated in London in the month of May for the Sum of four million pounds at the rate of Ci per cent, issued at o;._ The v.'i c largely over-subscribed and the reduction in the rate of interest ensures a substantial relief of the burden on !' e revenue? as compared with the rates on previous recent loans. ECONOMY IN ESTIMATES. "The estimates for the current year have been prepared on a basis of that rigid economy in public expenditure which my ministers regard as essentia]. The burden of taxation waiargely increased by the war and reductions of that l)Ui<l£JJ can only b<- j effected consistently"with safe finance ] by curtailment of expejytiture from the j consolidated fund and by careful iini- ; itaiion of the extent to which the j Public Works Fund, consisting of bor- j rowed monev, is utilized.' THE HIGHWAYS BOARD. j The Main Highways Board under j the Act of last year had recently been | appointed. The provision of money I urgently required for the essential i operations which the Board is to con- j duct and control is a matter which ministers consider will require early j and careful atention.

HELP FOR SOLDIER SETTLERS. "The position of our returned soldiers has received anxious consideration from Minisers. With-regard to the advances for the purchase of businesses, houses and furniture, the resord of the soldiers is one of whim the Dominion may weil be proud. These advances amounted in gross to £2.330,000. nominally secured on chattels, but really resting on the honour and good faith of the men who received the monev. No less than £h--260,555 of the capital advance has actually "heen repaid. In the vast majority of cases ail interest has been paid, and onlv a very smalt amount Is in arrears.' Less Than 3 per cent, of those to whom such advances were made have failed to meet their obligations and in the majoritv of those few cases the failure has been due to misfortune.

Advances upon land for settlement and for purchase of stock and later upon houses for ihe soldier settlers, amounting in the aggregate to more than £21.000.000 has caused anxiety ' and demands careful and sympathetic | consideration. Tlie position can be met by authorising remissions of arI rears to a certain' extent and where j necessary reductions in the capital values. More difficult cases are those where under a special provision of the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act soldiers" were enabled to purchase 1 lands from private persons, advances 1 heinst made hy the Government to | theft!" for that purpose approximating to the capital value as ascertained by Government valuation. In that class of cases there is in general a second mortgage of the land to the vendor, followed, in some instances, by other mortgages where the vendor was hint- ■ self subject-to a charge. The rights of vendors as well as of the Governm.eni , are thus involved and a .soiunori i-. -r> no means simple Boards of_inoi»ry 1 ™v™ been -nstifuted with ino duty ,;of T maS close investtgatton ta^Mg nf soldiers under the DisL?arged Soldiers' Settlement Act -hrouVbouf. the Dominion so that acf*n SVav be taken thereon during the M-esent cession of Parliament, | P Amongst the Bfils to he submitted 1 was the Dairy Produce Export EUI. 1