PARLIAMENT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 339, 28 September 1932, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

("Post" Special Gomniissioner).

YESTERDAY'S TOPICS COMMENCEMENT MADE ON , ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE OPPOSITION MOTION TO-DAY

Wellington, Tuesday. To-night the House of Representatives made a start with tKe Ad-dress-in-Reply debate. The mover was Mr. J, N. Massey (Government, Franklin), and the seconder, Mr; P. McSkimming (Government, Clutha), who traversed the economic diffiiculties without shedding aiiy new light on the present prohlem. After listening to two speeches, the House adjourned till to-raorrow when Mr. H. E. Holland will move the no confidence motion and a minister of the Government will reply. Encourage Aviation In view of the importance of aviation, Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour, Napier), suggested in the House yesterday that the Government should provide modern aeroplanes so that the young men and women of the Dominion should have the advantage of using the very latest machines. Mr. Barnard criticised the report On the defence forces of New Zealand, particularly the portion relating. to aviation. Much had been heard of economy, he said, but in this matter he thought economy could be pushed too far. In view of the report on the old aeroplanes which were still costly, the Government should consider scrapping them. Mr. Barnard also said that the Government should do more for the encouragement of commercial aviation. Gaming Amendment An indication that the Labour Party is divided on the question of the licensing of hookmakers, was given in the House to-day during the hrief debate on the first reading of the Gaming Amendment Bill broughi forward hy Mr. H. T. Armstrong, which seeks to make provision in this direction. Appealing to the Government to take up the measure, Mr. Armstrong said the bill proposed to set up a licensing committee, comprising a Wellington Stipendiary Magistrate, representatives of the Racing and Trotting Conferences, hookmakers and the Government. This committee would be the sole judge of the qualifications of an applicant for the hookmakers' license. Even in the present depression, hookmakers were looking just as prosperous as before. The tax on hookmakers would double the revenue obtained by the clubs and would double the revenue obtained by the Governmnt from racing. Why should the hookmakers be exempt from all taxation? The Government had increased taxation all round and allowed hookmakers to go free. If the committee were to license 300 hookmakers which was just half the number in the Auckland province at £200 eaeh, it would bring in £60,000. If they did business amounting to £4,000,000 a tax of 5 per cent. would bring in £200,000 and a tax on ticlcets would bring in £5000, making a total of £265,000. "In the event of Mr. Armstrong getting his bill brought down for consideration, it will give me the greatest amount of pleasure to vote against it," said Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central), who explained that a number of his colleagues in the Labour Party would take up a similar attitude. The bill could be very well postponed for twenty years . The first reading was taken on the voices and the second reading was fixed for October 19.

Immigration Rumour In the House of Representatives to-day the leader of the Opposition (Mr. H. E. Holland) , asked the Minister of Public Works (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates), whether any arrangements had been entered into to bring British immigrants to New Zealand either immediately or at some future date, and whether the Minister would also make available to the House the full details of such arrangements. Replying, Mr. Coates said that the agreements made with the British Government were trade agreements and would be placed before Parliament. Mr. Holland : There is nothing relating to immigration? Mr. Coates: No. There has been a rumour current that the British Government has offered New Zealand a loan at two per cent. on condition that New Zealand guarantees to abSorb a number of immigrants yeariy. Use of Superphosphates "it would appear that the policy of subsidising superphosphates is sound because it has induced farmers to use so much more, with a eonsequent increase in production," said the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. C. E. Macmillan) to-day when referring to the completion of arrangements under which New Zealand has secured a reduction in the price of the raw product. The reduction will mean a gain to the Consolidated Fund of £16,000. Mr. Macmillan said that the reduction applied to the current financial year and it would lielp to offsdt the £165,000 which represented the cost of the subsidy of 11s on evefy ton of superphospliate manufactufed in New Zealand. The State 'subsidy was further subsidised by manufacturers and merchants. As an instance of the increased use of supei'phosphate the Minister said that deliveries from Nauru and Ocean Island for this year had praetically reached those of the peak year, 1930. For the year ended June

30, 1930, deliveries in New Zealand totalled 176,143 tons; for 1931", 132,130 toris, while 'the estimate for 1932 was T68, 878 toriS. ' Since the granting of the subsidy there had been a very material increase in the demand for the phosphates and the ability of the Islahds to yield increased supplies was dhe partially to the estahlishment of an up-to-date cantilever loading appliance at Nauru, which enabled the work to be carried out most expfeditiously. i