PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1920, Page VII

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Aiaeolatlon. Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Replying to the Hon. J. A, Hanau, Mr. Massey said he quite agreed that the land legislation required consolidation. He hoped' this work might be taken up-next recess. Replying to Mr. McLeod, Mr. Massey said it' was impossible to subsidise the purchase of fencing wire out of the public funds. If, however, the Government could procure information regarding cheaper supplies they would be pleased to do so. The Elective Executive Bill was introduced by Mr. Statham, and was read a I first time.

THE POSTAL SERVICE.

NEW RATES CRITICISED. The House then went into committee of supply to consider the Estimates, and the first vote taken was Post and Telegrams (£2,402,737). Mr? Holland made a protest against the increases in postal rates without the consent of Parliament. In order to get the opinion of the House on the subject he moved to reduce the vote by £l. • Mr. Massey said everyone knew that the Government had recently made increases in the salaries, etc., to the postal and telegraph employees amounting to about £1,750,000. That money had to be made up, and the question was whether it should be made up through extra taxation or from the consolidated fund. It was not in the consolidated fund to get, so taxation became necesBary, and this was the course which every section of the community approved.

Mr. Holland said his amendment was not an attack on the increases to departmental salaries, but on the Government's method of imposing taxation. This extra revenue should be raised from the owners of large estates, and not from the great bulk of the people.

Mr. Statham asked whether the extra postage rates were intended merely to meet the cost of the increases in salaries, or to provide additional revenue for the consolidated fund.

Mr. Massey said he could answer that question at oftce. They would raise by the new postal rates £40,000 short of what they would require to meet the increased salaries.

Mr. Statham said that was a complete answer to the amendment.

Dr. Newman objected to the proposed expenditure on a copper cable across Cook Straits for telephone communication between the North and South Islands. He also objected to expenditure On aerial services.

Mr. Horn put in a plea for greater postal facilities for country settlers; too much money was being spent in the hig towns.

The Hon. J. G. Coates said that so far as the telephone cable was concerned the Government was committed to nothing. They were simply making inquiries, and nothing would be done till the cost of the cable was reasonable. He defended the aerial services, and he anticipated great developments in this direction. On a division being taken the amendment was lost by 54 votes to 6.