PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 70, 13 September 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1911. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph—l'less Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House at' Representatives met at p.m. Six days leave was granted to Mr. E. H. Taylor (Thames) on account oi illness in his family, and lour days to the Hon. G. Fowlds on account oi urgent private business. The Proportional Representation Bill was read tor the first time. Sir Joseph Ward 1 gave notice to move that Government, .business be taken on Wednesdays tor the remainder of the session. The ilaiiraki Plains Amendment Bill was reported from committee, with an amendment. The Administration Amendment Bill, providing for the exemption of the English public trustee in administrating a. New Zealand estate from executing a bond, was read the second time without any discussion. The 'iVhmiways Amendment Bill was brought on 'for the second reading, but the debate was interrupted by the adjournment. FINANCIAL DEBATE BEGUN. When the House resumed at 7.50 the debate on the Financial Statement commenced. Mr. Massey said the Financial State-, ment, although extraordinarily long, and' containing a large number of subjects,: was not very statesmanlike, and most of the subjects utterly irrelevant. It was a -vote-catching effort, tout bfcfore many months the Premier would find it vain, sis the people would not Bell their votes. He twitted Sir Joseph Ward with the poor progress made with the public debt extinction during the last year. Loans totalling £022,000 had matured during the year, but had not been paid off, 'but had been added to the permanent debt of the country. During the year the indebtedness of the country had increased by £0,500,000. He (Mr. Massey) claimed to be the author of the Death Duties Act. He .believed the Government was collecting £300,000 instead of £150,000 under the Act. The only reference to the land question was family land settlement, and' if the details 'were all right he. would support it. He twitted the Government with being neither leasehold nor freehold, or anything else, on the land question. Sii Joseph Ward was "fair" as PostmasterGeneral and Minister of Finance, but was not so as Minister of Lands. The Government that did not bring forward and insist on a progressive land policy should get notice to quit. During the past year the area settled'by the Grown was only one-third that of the previous year. He believed in town-planning, und suburban traffic should .be encouraged. Hi 9 ideal was one house, one home 1 and one landlord, the latter the head of the house. Regarding the £5,000,000 loan, it was time the country was taken into the Government's confidence and given particulars thereof. Regarding the savings banks deposits, they should get at least as much interest as New Zealand bondholders in London. Mr. Massey regretted the absence of Mr. Hogg, as he wished to congratulate him on the introduction of the State note. Tho trouble in the proposal was that the reserve of gold behind the notes might be withdrawn in the hope that the .Minister would not go further than indicated by the statement. The House was actually asked to believe that the money invested in native lands waa in-terest-bearing. He did not agree with the statement that the people did not feel the burden of taxation, people were staggering under it. Depression' would come. It followed prosperity, and our resources should be preserved. He would support Sir Joseph Ward itv- any humanitarian proposal. There had been a tremendous increase ill. the cost of government, out of proportion to the population. THE HON. D. BUDDO'S REPLY. The Hon. D. Buddo rose to reply. Criticism on legitimate lines, he said, was always welcome, but he would show where tlm criticism was unsound. Mr. Massey had said the Government was bad, 'but it did not appear so after 21 years. The greatest loss in the population took place during the last year of the Conservative Government. Mr. Buddo took the Opposition platform, and dealt with it seriatim. The Opposition, he said, was in favor of town planning, hut it did not support the Bill. No member of the Opposition voted for the Old Age Pensions Bill, but practically all the Government members did. Coming to land settlement, Mr. Massey said that very little land was made available, but the figures came to 2,000,000 acres. New South Wales, for six months, had made available only (550,000 acres, which showed that New Zealand compared favorably. The high prices ruling for land prevented the Government doing more in the early part of this financial year. A number of estates had been purchased. Land for settlement hinged on finance, and as much as possible had been done. In reference to the five million loan, the Minister read an extract from the Standard," a British Conservative newspaper, showing that the price of stock onlv fell % per cent, for a few hours; Yet the Leader of the Opposi-

lion said the country's credit was affected. Financial fictions that were usually found on the floor of the House were worth only waste paper value. The Ravings tank was gaining increased popularity each year. A hank with a State guarantee of its note issue, was surely the best , possible security. Increase of taxation of land values of big estates was entirely justifiable. Never was New Zealand more prosperous. There had been a drought in North Otago and South Canterbury, but these districts had all the same done very well. Factory workers increased from 32,000 to 78,000 since 1893. The reduction in the number of factories made no diflerenoe. He did not believe anv of Mr. Massev's statements would affect the progress of the country. y The House adjourned at 9,27 p.m. until to-morrow afternoon. Mr. .Mas-toy desired that Wednesday be. kept tor questions, but Sir Joseph Ward said he wanted to get on with the busing of the country. When the debate was fimslied lie would briiifi; down Tni ,- 1(> ks Statement and the Bills indicated m the Financial Statement.