THE BUDGET DEBATE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10694, 15 August 1912, Page 5

THE BUDGET DEBATE

2N THE HOUSE OF REPRESEN TATIVES.

I by Telegraph—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night. The debjto on the Budget was resumed in the House of Representatives to-night by MrH. G. Ell (Christ■church), who ffiiid there was a great w deal in the Statement which agvo him x ttitisfaction, and a' good deal surprised him. It was so un!;.-:.} what they lad been, used to hearing from the other side of the House. A comparison of the land taxation of the Ward Government and that of the Masrey Government showed to the advantage . of tho Ward Government. The pro■f>TC£:isive land tax instituted by Sir •Joseph Ward had had a marked effect in breaking up largo estates. The Liberal' Administration had justified if?. existence, and had only been defeated on a campaign of misrepresentation and Zander. There was nothing in tlie Budget to indicate that the Government would prosecute the workers' dwellings scheme in country ■districts. 'lt n*s« left largely tn local authorities to set. A good deal bad fceen done by tho late Government in tho ivnv of local Government reform. Extended powers had been given to the people, and a broad franchise decided upon. No party in any Parliament in tho world h id done as mu.?h m the wav of Labour legislation for the •mnwos of the people a« their -riarty. They wore told now that the Government wore not going to sell the national endowments, though when in Opposition they said they would. That was Evidence that the Government was a "back-down" Government. Dealing with the Arbitration Act. ho said. "Hod help the people *>F this omntrv if the compul.sorv fbmsos rf thn Act were taken away!" Th? attitude of the present Government townrdj.i the Advances to Settlers T)onnrtmcnfc was further evidence of , their "back-down" pelicv. Recardin(t taxation, be said tho Libera! party bad left'the tariff without one article of food Ving taxo'T nr. -rent those isueli ns biscuit. s !, which -vr»rt> taxed to protect local industry. ' ■ MRPTATHAM. M- -Rlatham said M>* "! ?, 1 b'ifl fi-nno back some twnb' y n !tr*. and if some people had dinner I rd their oninions dnrrcr that, ?+ oniv they were moving alonT with tb n t'mes. De->linp- with +li« ■nublic debt extinction scbeme. b?> yaid tho was that any imTieeuiiion* Government mipbt aloncc and take +lie whole lot. AH «ncb in"»in v pliniiVl ho o-nt of nnacb of Tinv, future Government. Such n d<n>nrt;ire would <m»nUv improve the r-"dit «f New Zeiland. The G"vr...,n.nn|r| nn ,. two-thirds of t'li" r ~~t- rf fnimtw +plenho"'>s of ns in the past. Tho :r;:n

P-..-' incliifitriTs were languishing, vhlcli was had for the* workers and -T"v ynrm'g mw who wanted trj go in engineering. When young n:on th reverb their ternv. of apprenticoN. ship, they h'vl to leave the Dnmini/v". Ho wpk n'eas«d to isee tlint the TM'nJstfvr of had decided to •d»nl with sliArldv poods. and he an■plnuded the hunisiiitii.-ian WiVat'en yirn-rtsod in 'th? Hudgef. We referr"'l +n t" tlio /-"irrmulsorv tflionp, -'ul rniri'"(lerl U>."> MouS'" l that odiipitinn wa? '• •"r. Iv'i t)|OT hp'l 'VI / fo that. The nresent woul' 1 effect what wca <1 >'n flv» vnv ' f closer <vp++l r> in r, "+ "f r, 'f thif. "iid also ff +h« fact thnt their in r-Hic 1 lmd not done what thev «hoid<| hnv« this direction. He defended +he larce run r holder>i of old. Thov had broken in the country when tiieren was 110 population in the country. They utilised the land to : ts fullest extent, and improved the breed of <fihcep Mid cattle, and were responsible in a great measure for tlip prepent excellent rotate rf New Zealand's meat trado. <"K ef erring to the labour unrest, lie said Mr Fowlrts had left the la to Government because they were ■departing from their principles. The Labour Party were organising, and were totally distinct from the present Opposition. New Zealand had been, through a period of prosperity, but I what share had been received bv the workers ? Why should not a working nun participate in the higher standard of living? He was wire that every mm on the Government fcide of the .House had the interests of the working man at heart. HON. D. BUDDO. The Horn. I). Buddo (Kaiapoi) 9:1 id he would try to prove to the Government that the yhad turned a- somersault during a very recent period. He -dwelt upon' the restitution of racing permits to the Eangitikei Club, and pointed out that it was a peculiar thing that members adjacent to Tlangitikei were all supporters of the Government, and members representing Christ church, which had suffered by the loss of one day, were supporters of the Opposition. This savoured very much of politicla pp.tronag?. ?50 did the fact tlint the Education report appeared in tliveo T)ppoeilion papers only befoie the report came before the House. Ho dealt with the Hon. Mr Fisher's allegations