DOMINION’S FINANCES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1014, 3 July 1930, Page 9

DOMINION’S FINANCES

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY MOVED OPENING OF DEBATE Press Association WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The Address-in-Reply motion was moved in the House of Representatives this evening by Mr. C. IT. Clink* ard (G o vernmen t—Ro tor ua ). Mr. Clinkard mentioned the Prime Minister’s recent financial statement, which, he said, had been described as unduly pessimistic. lie asserted it was not a question of optimism, or pessimism, but one of accuracy. The Prime Minister was well advised to take careful note of the state of the country’s finances. After referring to land settlement, the member said there had recently been a very serious decline in timber output and in the number of men employed in the timber industry, while importations of timber from foreign countries, as well as from Canada, were increasing. Something had to be done to protect our own industry. He refuted the claim (hat New Zealand timber millers had been increasing their charges, and, while he did not attribute th© state of industry to importations alone, he insisted that it would bo necessary to place some check on the amount of timber coming into the country. He urged that some substantial protection should be given and that any softwoods required should be obtained from Canada under some reciprocal arrangement, affecting, for instance, the importation of New Zealand butter into Canada. The motion was seconded by Mr. R. AN. Hawke (Government—Kaiapoi). Ho supported Mr. Clinkard’s references to tho recent statement on the country’s finances. Th© member expressed his approval of the policy of bringing pumice land into productivity and stated that it had been shown to be possible to prepare this land for occupation at a cost of something over £7 an acre. The debate was adjourned on the motion of the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates The House rose at 8.35 p.m. until 2,30 p.m. tomorrow.