PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COtML jßy Telegraph.—Press Aesocktißt. j Wellington, East XEjgbt, '' The council lesunied th* delate. -<ai ' the Juries Act Amendment BiiL Tlie debate was adjourned. i HOUSE OF ' The House met at &30 pjifc MUBS'fERIAL EEPJjIES ! Replying to_ Mr. Webb, the Minister j far Ouv.iee said it was proposed to cct- | tend certain concessions to Well-behaved ■prisoners, with a view to improving their ' conditions at Lyttelton gaol. Replying to Dr. Thaeker, Hon. V. D. ' S. Maedonald said the Board of "jWa ; ' was working under statute, and they had been instructed to iakc action in all ' casua ot proved exploitation. Tins coinse , was directed by Jaw. Be, M Minister, ' had no power to over-ride the lane, and had never attempted to" do eo. Replying to Mr. Webb, Mr. Maasey ' said there was no censorship of AusiTaiian news at this end. He had re-, caived a eaMe from Australia, and he was in a position to eay that the many ' minors regarding martial law und ma- i ; chine {finis in the streets were absolute- 1 H without foundation. A strike wto ' going on there, and when it would be - o/cr he could not say, "but much we heard about, it was not true. The debate on the Budget was wammJ by Mr. Okey. - Mr. Reed contended that the of the Government was,not calculated to ' encourage new businesses. He nrged thiit 1 the Minister of Customs should "be Rent' to Australia to arrange for reciprocal tar- ! ' iffs. , Hindmnrsh denounced inaujtion cut the Government in reducing the cost of" living. ITe then dealt, v.'ith land in Hawked Bay, quoting in- f , stfinets where small farms had been y wiped out by the aggregatcr. He nrgefl ' generous liiiancial y sistance to Sta.tr Bchooln, which were being han- - dicapped by tlie lack of funds. The' Hcm'so rose at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr. Field (Otaki) criticise*! the- proposal to tax lnortg'iges on land as un» fair. Discussing the profts tax, lie declared that many rich firms had not pay- /" 1 ed anything like their share, and be , urged Ihe Ministcf to make an effort to y 7et at that wealth. The rich should .v bear the heaviest burden of the war, and nnless this \vas done many pool settlers would be heavily oppressed by taration.. 1 ''j Mr. Wobb deeiared that our politics were still dominated bv the old Reform (> party, and tlmt n general-eleetiofl waa necessary to fcl»ar the pt.mosphere. and then the Labor party—thu'oijlv party ; which rnak«ci New Zealand—would gov-. ;• era New Zealand. He opposed the toa, . ta:j ami, amusement tax. He regrettjed | 1-lic Oovernniejif was not strong enotjgh s to Mijiport the IV.n, G. \Y. Rusnoll in his attitude on-the Unioni Shipping Com- ' pany merger. The ships of that fleet;,, oujjjiit to have been. purchased, for already the Government had paid the com- ( pany for hire £131,000 on ships! valued at .4560.000. Was: it any wonder tb*":!!wovkers had no confidence in the liusmeS»j!! : capacity of the Government? ,* Hon. W. D. S. Maedonald said that BO far as he could see there would be a refund of a halfpenny f>er pound in con-'' r neetion with the bntterfat levy, and some refund would also be matte to ■■■ cheesemakers, The levy was inerely an - equalisation fund which, went back to ' those' engaged in the industry, ft ' never a hardship on the produce)®, foe, : after the- levy, the phodneete : wei-3 receiving £44 per ton more than pre-war prices. He did not blame tho farmers very much for being rehwtant, - to grow cereals, as there had been twpy ,bad seasons, and the profits were veiy .■ small. In asking 5s lOd per h shel thejr were not asking too much. Hp referred;, to the .purchase of' wool and meat sfca*-> ing that if nnv town or district in toa. ,: vicinity of freezing stores dedred purchase meat at Imperial prk-eg the Government was prepared to help them to do so. but it eoiilil rot jbe supplied tfttJ/. the public at pricrs less than tl«> Imperial Government paid without, either the producer or the imperial Government, . losinff, so Bomeoiitt would have to make. >. up the difference no urged unity -tlie face of the enVmy, binding all energies to win the War. • . ...A Mr. Field (Nelson* also spoke. The House rose at 11.23 p.m; , ;