PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 98, 3 August 1910, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night, THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

The Hous.; met at 2.30. Mr. Forbes resumed the Financial Debate. He considered the proposal to wipe out the public debt was a healthy sign, and one that would meet with the approval of the county'. He did not doubt that- public sentiment would be strong enough to prevent sinking funds for the extinction of the national debt being diverted by any Government from their proper use. He regretted that the Leader of the Opposition., should level a Charge of "Tammanyism" at the party in power, which was a reflection on the personal character of the executive. He doubted if it was possible to bring down fiuch a Land Bill as promised in the Budget, that would be acceptable to. both, parties in the House. He believed that the legislation now on the Statute | Book was quite sufficient if given a fair j trial. If the Bill contained freehold proposals it was out of touch with the' growing sentiment of various people thorughout the world. He referred to Mr. Massey's amendment of last session, which he characterised as a most barefaced attempt to bribe the constituencies | ever seen. It meant that lessees under renewal lease and small grazing runs Would: fee given a present of £647,000, the amount of improvement on the original valuation. Settlers of the Cheviot would, on the same principle, receive,' on the lowest estimate of improved valu-. ation, £IOO,OOO. He himself would re-' ceived £3OOO as his., share. Was noti that proposal "Tammanyism?" He be-j lieved the people would never sanctioaii such an immoral proposal, nor allow. men with such low ideas of their public duty to occupy the Treasury benches. There was no difficulty,, he said,, in inducing settlers' to go on to. the land under the present conditions, He thought that something auglit to be done' to accelerate the resumption of kindl for closer settlement. I

; 'Mr. Massey, in a personal explanation, pointed out that if his amendment had been carried, it would not have made any difference to settlors on the Cheviot; estate, as this should be under a special' Act. .Referring, 'to the/c'harge of 'Tammanyism,''he denied, "he had applied 1 the wdrd personally. It was the : system he condemned. Mr. Massev also pointed out that the" limitation of areas ■was already the la'w' of the land.

LEASEHOLD AND AGGREGATION. Mr. Buick contended that freehold tenure made the better settlers. The leasehold system, did. not prevent aggre-' gatipn of,.estates, as shown ,by Mr. Hogg's speech, on the leasing '■of Maori lands in the King Country. The reason for the increased valuation of lands was the excessive,. valuations put upon them. Referring to water tpower, he suggested that the local authorities be empowered ;to use this fojr ijhe requirements of their district. Referring, to proposed dairy 'school 'ijt Pajmeratoh, he alleged that the i failure to . establish .„this 'was, due 'to, the fact that .an Opposition candidate had been returned at,'. last election. Many ,of the present dairy inspectors knew very little about their work,, and. a dairy schooj' iwas, .essential''.to educate those engaged in the dairy industry.'

EXPENDITURE AND BORROWING. ' Mr. Thomson (Wallace) replied to the arguments used iby-the-Opposition members to the: effect that 'all increased expenditure .meant , increased. borrowing. It was unfair, he said, to compare the taxation, and debt of. other couri: tries with 'New Zealand, where so manv public .services were controlled by the State. It was impossible for the Dominion to cease borrowing and to .carry on a vigorous Works policy, without which the country's prosperity could not increase: The idea s¥ould be to have a surplus not less than a million, so as to transfer' three-fourths of < this sum to the Public Works Fund to meet unproductive expenditure, so that productive works could be undertaken by borrowed money. When the Treasurer had a million pounds surplus the country would be in a sound financial position. In re the proposal to hand over the con? trol of education to bodies having other duties to discharge, he suggested as a:i alternative scheme that the manacc- | ment of primary, secondary and technical schools be co-ordinated, which would make for greater economy and! efficiency. He regretted the failure or the Budget to definitely state what the Government intended to do on the land questions • '

AUCTION OF CROWN LANDS. Mr. Witty, referring to the land question, asked,'if Mr- was prepared to follow putjitihe proposal of the Farmers' Union," that- all,' Crown lands ibeputup auction. If that was so, it would sirnpTy r meah that the poor nian would have no-.chance against the man with capital.. pjre<;tly the freehold 'was granted it would be impossible to prevent aggregation. The House rose at 5.30 p.m. In the .evening, Mr. Wittv, resuming his speech, said one of the blots on the present lany svstem was. that men -\v".Lh capital were allowed to take up land on lease which they afterwards sold at a profit. He defended the national endowment system scheme as providing both for the youth and old age of the people. He advocated the individ,ualisation of native lands, the abolition: pt Special representation,, in ..which case 1 ; they could be subject to the same taMiori as Europ»ans. In regard to railways', he Advocated the application of the betterment i'system to lands enhanced in value by new lines. He considered r there was no | need for a Land Bill this ''session. The Government's duty was to hold. Crown 'lands for the good of the community and not for the individual, more especially as there was not a great area left.

MR. HINE'S OUTSPOKENNESS,

Mr. Hine said it was not correct to sav that the leasehold system was the best one for the poor man. Under present conditions a man, before he could ballot for land for settlement, had to show that he had sufficient capital. He believed in the freehold, coupled with <nving even' man a chance, to go on the fand if he desired. He asked the Native Minister to come out of his shell and propound a policy in regard to native lands. Tn support of. the charge of "Tammanvism," he referred to the fact that the Government' had, previous to the election, promised to expend £250,-! 000 in roads for-the whieh isum had not yet been spent. Similar cases could be mentioned. • ■ -A SERTOUiS CHARGE. Mr. Hine alleged that a, member wiho helped to put the Land for Settlement Act on the Statute Book had acted as a commission agent to sell lands to the Government under the Act. Sir Josepb WaTd asked Mr. Hine to name the member,-but the latter re-'

fused. He, however, said if a commission were appointed to investigate Uncharge he would give evidence on oath. He criticised the financial operations of the Government, and suggested that provision should be set aside for every child horn in the Dominion. If £1 were set apart there would be a pension of £3O or £4O available at sixtv-flve.

A STIGMA ON THE HOUSE. 'Mr. Laurenson, after traversing the speeches of several members of the Opposition, said Mr. Hine's charge against I a member of the House threw a stigma upon every member of the assembly, and until the matter was thrashed out it was a disgrace to the man who made it. He called upon Mr. Hine to name the member referred to. Referring to the Death •Duties Act, he said this was a good attempt to deal with a difficult problem, which was confronting every nation, that of distributing wealth. In regard to; the land question, he denied that the freehold was being demanded by Crown tenants. When the history of the Dominion was written, the blackest pace would be that which recorded the fact that there was a party so lost to decency and self-respect a 9 to offer a bribe to Crown tenants of £9,000,000 of public money. Tie manner in which lands were settled was of vital moment to evenindividual in the Dominion. Mr. Laurenson concluded by referring to signs of national decay shown by the decreasing birth rate, which called for immediate attention by Parliament.

GOVERNMENT SHUFFLING. Mr. Fisher said the Government were sMfflinaf on the land question. He questioned the accuracy of the amount alleged by tie Government to have been saved as a result of retrenchment. He ridiculed the statement in the Budget that the cost of living had been reduced during 1909. As a. proof of the extravagant administration,, be .said : that the Dominion had added'more to its national debt than the Victorian Government had.in eight years. The debate was adjourned, and the House rose at 11.50 p.m.