PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 The Board of Trade Bill was recommitted, to enable the Council to reconsider the clause giving all the powers of the Board of Trade to associate members. On the suggestion of Sir Francis Bell there was substitued a clause providing that the Board may delegate its powers of judicial inquiry and investigation to one or more of its members, either alone or together with any one or more associates- The persons to whom any such delegation Is made shall, thereupon, possess all the powers of the Board throughout, to the exclusion of the Board itself. It was also decided to refer clause 33, which provides that a prosecution may be inetitued'if an unreasonably high price is charged on any one line of goods, to the States Revision Committee, to enable merchants to be heard in support of their contention that the Board should take into consideration the whole of a firm's trade. The Women's Parliamentary Rights Bill was received from the House of Representatives. Upon the motion to pass the second reading Hon. J. McGregor raised the question of privilege, on the ground that any measure to change the constitution of either House must originate in the House concerned. Hon. Hall-Jones maintained that there were ample precedents for the course taken by the House. Hon. 0. Samuel pointed out that if the point was upheld no inconvenience would be caused, for separate Bills could then be introduced in either House. Mr. Speaker permitted the Bill to go through the first reading, saying that the point raised would need consideration. If necessary, he would ask that a committee be set up to investigate the matter. The Public Trust Office Amendment Bill was read a first time, the Auckland University College Site Bill was read a second time, and the Kauri Gum Industry Amendment Bill was put through its final stages and passed. The Council rose at 8.17.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. SUGAR SUPPLIES. Replying to Mr. Young (Waikato), Mr. Massey said he would ask the Boavd of Trade to inquire into the sugar supplies in the Dominion. His only information on the subject was that a cargo of 2000 tons of raw sugar was lost to the Dominion through the waterside workers refusing to work the Bteamer because she carried a non-union crew. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr. Luke, Sir Jas. Allen said he hoped all the New Zealand troops would be back in the Dominion before the general election. If not, a Mil was ready to deal with the very difficult question of giving the absent soldiers a vote at the general election. Replying to Mr. P. Fraser, the Hon. VV. H. Herries said it was unlikely that a general amendment of the Shipping and Seamen's Act would be introduced this session, but there may be a Bill dealing with some of the most urgent amendments. COUNTY ROADS. Leave was granted to Mr. Seddon to introduce the County Roads Bills, to provide for the construction nnd maintenance of main arterial roads. The Bill was read a first time after a brief , debate. ENROLLING ELECTORS. Mr. Glover introduced the Legislature Amendment Bill No. 3. 'He explained that the Bill proposed that Independent officials should be appointed to' secure enrolment on the Parliamentary rolls, instead of leaving that work to setter carriers. The Bill also proposed that seamen domiciled in New Zealand should have the right to vote through on a voyage that kept thorn away from the Dominion on the d.ue of the election. Speakers, in the discussion that followed, stressed the loseness with which the roils were compiled, and the freedom with which well-known electors are struck off the rolls without sufficient cause. Mr. Masscy, as Minister in charge of the Electoral Department, said lie was most anxious to see every olio entitled to vote on the roll, and his officers weiv of the same opinion. He pointed out that mistakes were always liable to occur, but more so at the forthcoming election than usual, because there had been a change in the boundaries, and many who ought to be on one roll wili find themselves on another if they do not take the necessary precautions. He was afraid that many people did not value the franchise as'they should. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that voting should'be made eompulsoiy, and he certainly thought it should be made a penal offence for anyone to interfere with a name on tlie roll without

sufficient cause. Mr, Wilfnrd paid it would he extremely difficult to, enforce compulsory voting, as tin' courts could not deal with the numbers who did not rote. Besides, itwould lie almost impossible to d.;a! equitably with all the various excuses which people would be entitled to give for not voting. Sir J. Fhidlay said voting was not merely a privilege, but a duty to vie State,' and the performance of that duty should be enforced. Compulsion had been adopted in France with beneficial results. He congratulated the Premier on bavins adopted the progressive view that voting should be made corrpulsory. The Bill was read a first time. The House rose at 5.30. EVENING SITTING, The House resumed at 7.30. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Sir Joseph Ward opened the debate on the. financial statement, by saying that he did not propose to discuss the budget up to the 31st March last, for the obvious reason that up to that time he was personally responsible for what appears there. At the same time he desired to convey his thanks to Mr. Myers, who acted in his absence, for the able manner in which he carried out the duties of Finance Minister during that time. He also desired to say that while a member of the National Government and Minister of Finance he wa3 not interfered with in any way by the Premier in the discharge of his duties of Finance Mim ister. He, however, would have something to fay regarding the sew jropwah

of the Government in their relation to the country's ability to give effect to them. He then enumerated the Government's borrowing proposals set out in the budget, which he said totalled £33,015,000, to which he added the ordinary expenditure of the country, £•22,441,057, making a total of £55,458,057. The cost of supplies to the Imperial Government could be eliminated from any calculations of the country's liabilities, but, allowing for this, he felt bound to say he could not see any justification for the Minister of Finance putting his proposals forward as safe proposals. They were not proposals the country could regard with equanimity. During the 41 years' war our average borrowing was £9,724,812 per annum, totalling over £43,000,000, yet'if all the Minister's proposals were taken together they total 10 millions more than our war expenditure. The budget was remarkable for what was not in it. There was not, for instance, any provision for the housing of the people, and there was not one word suggesting thrift. He enumerated the proposals for assistance to soldiers, but said these proposals were driving the soldiers headlong to destruction. He criticised the values at which land was being purchased on which to settle soldiers, and said that £ 14,000,000 was being asked for t$ put men on the land immediately:' •■' This meant not only, purchasing high priced lands, but it meant forcing up values still higher. He contended that this policy of settling soldiers should not be pushed on with excessive haste. We, Should first readjust our valuations and our land tax, so that land may be obtained at rates which will not ruin the soldiers to despair. Then ho declared that the raising within the country of large sums required for soldiers would result in disaster. The country could not stand it. Already there were indications that the present war loan was not going to be reaidily subscribed. He believed the compukary clause would get us the money, and we ought to get it, but while he was responsible for instituting the compulsory clause he never dreamed of imposing that compulsion one day after the last war loan had been raised. If they did that they would have financial panic. The only way to get the money required was to pay its market value. He entirely dissented from the view that the money could not be borrowed outside the country, jproof of which was that he himself had arranged without difficulty to borrow large sums for hydro-electrio. power for the Otago and Southland Leagues when ho was in London. Tf he were treasurer he would not hesitate to borrow money for hydro-electric power, lands for settlement and other purposes, amounting to £12.000,000, outside the Dominion, and

so preserve intact the accumulated surpluses, the seizure of which he strongly deprecated. If these monies were taken now he was afraid there would never again he any incentive to any Minister of Finance to strive to save so as to relieve the taxpayers. Discussing the Minister's estimates, he declared that there was evidence that he was going to get two to three millions more than required. He now said he thought taxation could be reduced, but it could not be reduced in this way. Yet, lavish as the Minister's proposals were in some respects there was insufficient money provided fpr.public works, after *>/„ years of war, during which public works had been practically suspended. The people in the backbloeks were entitled to something more than the snail's pace promised by the budget. There was a reference in the budget to the housing proposals, but not a word as to" the amount to be expended in that connection. After declaring that the budget did not disclose the financial position of the country he proceeded to state methods he ( would employ to reduce taxation. Had he had his way. he would have preserved the accumulated surpluses in London, using the interest therefrom for assistance to soldier settlers and local public bodies. In addition to that he would have a State bank, out of which £500.000 profit per annum could be got. Then there rhould be at least £ 000,000 profit derived from a "rent national hydroelectric scheme. Another new avemr of revenue was State-owned coal mines, out of which he believed we could get a quarter of a million per year, if rightlv managed. From these new sources of revenue he considered the taxpayer could he relieved to the extent of at least .£•2,(100,000 per annum. The budget was singularly silent on the point as to what the Minister estimated next year's surplus would he, nor could he find in the budget any indication as to when the Minister thought we would get back to normal times. The Minister said we would have to wait for an increase of population, but personally he thought we would hnve to wait for twentv-five, perhaps fifty, years before we get back to normal, because we would have to wait, for a new world for it. .Tie quite agreed with the Minister in his proposals regarding superannuation. He then proceeded to contend that a more vigorous policy of public works and railway building should be pursued He advocated the completion of ths South Island trunk line, and other railways in the North. Our railway building policy should be galvanised into life rather than holding out a bunch of carrots to the political donkey in the shape of holes here and holes there. He concluded by making a final appeal to the Minister not to seize the accumulated surpluses, ■ which were the nost.egg'to provide revenue for future purposes for all time. Sir James Allen said he hardly knew which side of the Leader of the Opposition to take seriously. He commenced by a dismal tale that the country was going to the dogs, and then concluded by asking the House to .indulge in extravagant expenditure on public works. His main objection to the Budget was that accumulated surpluses were to be taken and used. He pointed out that New Zealand was the only country which j had not used any part of the revenue \ for war purposes, and then asked what accumulated surpluses were accumulated for —for war purposes—and it was his (Sir James Allen's intention to see that the surpluses were used for the purposes for which they were raised, and that they should not remain for any unscrupulous Minister of Finance coming after him to seize. He proposed to use twelve and a half millions of the accumulated surpluses for repatriation purposes, than which he could conceive no more noble purpose. Sir Joseph Ward suggested that twelve and a half millions was too much to use this year for repatriation purposes, and said it should be cut down to seven millions. He thought Sir Joseph Ward did not know the demands that were made on the Repatriation Department, otherwise he would not advocate a reduction. He (Sir Jas. Allen) would like to know what the soldier would have to say regarding the "go-slow" policy advocated by the Leader of the Opposition in the matter of settling the soldier on the land. He. totally disagreed with Sir Joseph Ward's view as to the final dispoial of aaeuuulatttl wrpluMa, and

lie thought lie was unfair in Ui|m| of stating the average expenditure aiSjM the war years, as hi overlooked thf£j9 that some of the war loans vrmnUl outside the Dominion. |9 Discussing the proposals In the Bubal on public works, he declared- that WM Minister for Public Work* wu perfsefiH satisfied with the arrangement* I&mB Doubtless more money would be H(uSfl for hydro-electric schemes, but tHM would be provided for iu the Bill WAjSjfl would bo introduced later. The «*3fl could be said regarding housings tSH how much money would be provioVktll was not prepared to say at that tn<UMa| Turning next to Sir Joseph Ward's Sm uunciation of the Government'a punbtifl of lands for soldiers at high TabuM lie read from Sir Joseph .Ward'* jnajjll festo to show that he advocated VHfH the same thing, and claimed that his oJH words were his best answer. ' 'IS Defending his estimates, Sir JaIMM Allen denied that he had any large IIH up his sleeve, as suggested by Ward. He only hoped it nisakMMH that the revenue would be ""* there would be a substantial sum nfts9 sleeve. He did not know what 19 revenue would be, but at present b$ $9 not agree with "Sir Joseph Watd tan taxation could be reduced, To do tb|9 we must havo more population. It Wfm no use talking of spending a lane'Mß unless we had more people to. share tuj burden. The labor position also dtpitJH ed to a great extent on the popufatni question. This was especially so I*JMh| nection with the coal mining indßtttjM The National Government made iiu liuilisjfl attempt to get more miners intoS! country, but their friends here, for sora reason, prevented them coming. £|fl Mr. Semple: Build homes far tnoM who are here I ''* M Sir James Allen: There were ttaufl houses at the State mines at that ttfH Mr. Semple: That is not true. '/3 Continuing, Sir James Allen faSd Jw could not agree with Sir Joseph WttH ideas regarding borrowing, as he sJH disagreed with his ideas concerning tm| purchase of coal mineß, which was w9 such an attractive prospect as it appeafl ed, and he spoke of something of wfajeu he knew. Apart from his the Government's proposals regarding accumulated surpluses, Sir Joseph W«JW criticism of the Budget had been a modsij ate one, the proposals being largely tkosj of the hon. gentleman himself. At 9.40, Mr. Massey intimated that If no member of the Opposition was anztooi to speak he was prepared to adjourji the House at once, and, this suggestioi meeting with general approval, the Eontj rose till 2.30 to-morrow. ______ > ~— ■ %