PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1922, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THE REPARATIONS PROPOSAL. DECREASE OF UNEMPLOYMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. G. Mitchell (Wellington South) gave notice to introduce the Child Sustenance Bill. The Minister of Agriculture informed Mr. J. Edie (Bruce), in reply to a request from Otago grain-growers for assistance in disposing of their - Wheat crops, that the Government was carrying out its contract with the wheatgrowers to the letter. The matter, however, was one of great difficulty, as until the grain statistics Were complete the Government could not tell just what its liabilities were. The Minister promised to give all assistance in having wheat tested and in securing an outlet for undergrade grain. Mr. H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labor Party) asked the Prime Minister if he had received any official information regarding the British proposal to forego reparations payments, as mentioned in the cable news appearing in the morning papers. Mr. Holland - characterised this as the most important proposal since the war ended. Mr. Massey said he had not yet received information, and until he did so, which he expected would be within two or three days, he did not propose to make any comment. He added that he need hardly say that some very serious questions would arise out of the proposal, which were not dealt with in the Press cable messages. The Prime Minister, replying to Mr. G. W. Forbes (Hurunui), said he did not think the Taxation Commission’s report Would deal with the position of local bodies in relation to the effect of high land valuations on their finances. He pointed out that while the county mentioned by Mr. Forbes complained that valuations therein were too high, other local bodies had stated the valuations in their districts were too low.

Mr. W. T. Jennings (Waitomo) mentioned a number of farmers who had been employed temporarily on railway construction works in the King Country, and who were now about to return to their farms, and he asked if the Minister of Public Works would put unemployed on in their places. The Prime Minister, in the absence of the Hon. J. G. Coates, expressed gratification at the decrease in unemployment. He had no doubt the Minister would do all possible to absorb the unemployed on these works.

The remainder of the sitting was occupied by a debate on the reciprocal tariff treaty,-and the House rose at 11.45 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. to-morrow.