THE BUDGET DEBATE

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10699, 21 August 1912, Page 5

THE BUDGET DEBATE

CONTINUED IN THE HOUSE

AN AMENDMENT PROPOSED

(By Telegraph — Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Last Night

Tn tlie House of 'Representatives ithis afternoon, Mr R. Scott (Tuapeka) continued the debate on the Budget. He said that what wae contained in the Budget would convince them that the Government now in power was determined to bring down progressive legislation. Tho late Government did many good things, but t'lley had made . many mistakes. It remained for ike pro&'JTl-i; Government to rectify them. They heard last week that large landowners were throwing up their hats bocau&'J the Masscy Government was in power. He could inform the House that small .farmers, artisans, and working people generally were throwing up their hats. Even the Civil Servants threw up their hats when no one was looking. He applauded the proposal to reform the Legislative Council, and the extcssion of rural telephones. Referring to mining matters, he said he

knew of good agricultural land, worth £BO per acre, which hid been destroyed by sluicing. Ho thought tho Government should moderate the terms of water supply for irrigation, and suggested that farmers should be given water free for the first two yean?. If this was not done, farmers could not carry on. In conclusion i he advocated a vigorous system of reafforestation.

MR BRADNEY. Mr Bradney (Auckland West) pleaded for bettor administration in the future of the Old Ago Pensions Act than had been the case in the past. The pension should not be doled out as a charity. He dealt with the manner in which prisoners were employed, and suggested putting them to forming roads in the back blocks, and making them an allowance for their work, portion of the allowance to go to their wives and children. Referring to State mines, he held it to be unfair competition for the State mines to undersell. He believed in the competitive system. When all borrowed money was being circulated amongst the working men, there should be no labour unrest. • The workers were getting better wages noiv, and were living in better houses than ever before. The fact that the Arbitration Act had failed way due entirely to the administration of it. He dwelt upon what he called the evils of the alien agitator. "We open our ports," he .said, "and allow tho ; drops of the Continent to come in anxl upsi?t the whole, politics of our country." ■■ They should be made produce their certificates of character before being nationalised. He would do away with the Upper House. Ho doubted whether the proposed reform of the Council was good. Party feeling would generate if an elective Council were adopted. He would like to see the land settled by self-respecting, self-reliant people, who would not go cap in hand to. the Government the moment ihey met a alight reverse.

(VSR CRAIGIE. Mr Craigie (Timaru) having referee! to tho excesses of imparts over export.--., pointed to the clanger to the country if this continued. He hoped that instead cf limiting loans to local bodies to £SOOO, the Government would allow the borrowing of even as much as £50.000 for necessary public works. He believed in. the abolition of the Upper House, as it way unnecessary. In its place ho would have an Advisory Council. He favoured the erection of workers' homes in the country, with sufficient land to enable a tenant to provide- produce for himself. He defended the New Zealand railways, which ho contended were run very well. They should not be run as a dividend-earning concorn, but should pay interest on working and depreciation, and be run for the people all the time. On the question of land settlement, he said no country in the world was better adapted for the small farmer than New Zealand. What they wanted was public works and immigration. **N AMENDMENT PROPOSED. Ma- Craigie said he intended to diI vide the House on the land question, I and moved the following amendment:-'-

"That in the opinion of this House, the time has arrived when the national estate of land should be rigidly conserved, and that hereafter no land of the Crown shouldhthems hmtsh of the Crown shall bo alienated otherwise than by way of renewable lease, with periodical revaluation of land." Mr Colvin (Buller) seconded the motion.

The Hon. \V. F. asked whether he was to understand that the amendment moved came from the Leader of the Opposition, or whether it nad his approval.

Mr Craigie replied that he moved the amendment on his own initiative. He did not ask anyone in his; Party.

Mr Robertson (Otaki) said lie approved of the amendment. They had heard so much about the- land question tli.vt they wero justified in discussing it. He did not believe the late Government had been -responsible for tho inoreaso in values. Mr Robertson urged that the land nearest the cities J'hould be settled more closely, ar.d made more productive. There could be no objection to the freehold tenure if the occupier made the best use of tho land. Speaking of the dairying industry, he recognised that land had increased iii value hecauso the products had increased in value, cheap labour. The Speaker interrupted Mr Robertson, remarking thai unless tho Premier accepted the amendment as a no-confidence motion, speakers must confine themselves to the subject of ihn amendment.

Mr Massey, replying to Mr Robertson, said he_did no£" accept the amMr Wilford welcomed the amien.d-