THE BUDGET DEBATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 August 1917, Page 4

THE BUDGET DEBATE.

*iR. W. T. JENNINGS' mWPß.TßTrqrfflj By fteportob Wellington, Last NijWt. Mr. W. T. Jwmingg (TawMronili), speaking in the financial debate, said Jti regarded the Budget a» on* that *A House should support. The duty oft-ftf Minister at the present time w«a to. gat money for war necessities. Sir Joseph Ward had shown in the most conchisiyo' way that his Budget of 1910 was a suecessful moiiey-getter, and tsßi>b. was no doubt that his new BuSget would bs jsimilarly successful. Mr. Jennings said he felt that the House scarcely regarded the war seriously enough. Bte wished; that the National Goternmegb had fflllaired tho example of the Australian Government in the purchase of atearaors. Mr. Hughes had shown courage and wisdom in that ;espect, aud Australia) would reap the benefit. ' ' x Mr. Massey: Ths Sew Zealand, Govornment has a ship loading at the wharf now.

Mr. Jennings: I am very, glad to taw It. The Government ought to be doing more in the development of the mines in the interests of the community. Ho drew a contrast between the Socialist* of Germany, who were lighting unitedly .for the victory of PwMianiMci, and the V BrHM Wood, \vi» quibbled over trifles and Jailed to support their country solidly in'the time of war. He believed that some part of the opposition tlo tho militai<y power in New Zealand and elsewhere was due to a feeling that influence had been uaed to favor certain individual*. He believed the Minister for Defence wea the Ismb man in the House to lend hiswuU to favoritism, but there was a ieaijss m the country that some men b&d b«m able able to get commissions by taflaence. That sort of thing should no* «c----Ist. (Referring to land questions,-; Mr. Jennings said that ho was a wans supporter of close settlement, but the peojie who talked of breaking up estate* at the present time ought to roaliae u«t It was very diffloult to sell land in New Zealand at present. People oould a*a tut up properties successfully under wtc conditions. Ho was sorry that soma members had desoribed as extravaisnt the Government expenditure on telaphone' extension. The provision of telephones in the country districts waa often j a matter of life and death, and he iopsd that tho Government would not delay the good work, The coat of living |)roT)lem certainly required the attention of the House, but experiments in Australia had shown very plainly thai the control of prices was not the suaple thing that some people imagined it to be. Even Germany, the most highly organised nation in the world, had failed to control prices. He would not argue that the Government could not da anything. He hoped that the committee Bet up by the House to inquire regarding the cost of living would be tU) to' suggest some means of ahmpexiag Kb necessaries of life. The iMjeVde el Mm Public Works Bapart&ant' mmstruction of roads were highly mis. ful. The department 7 Had 'iftfiti kept abreast of modern systems • i,i enormously Increase its effioftifoy and ijr prove its results by using £.otor ire/ port for road making mateiialsj :