Vol. 101 No. 4
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £820,989 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1947, for the increase of the Grant to Local Authorities in Relief of Rates on Agricultural Land (No. 35 of 1925, No. 28 of 1931 and No. 23 of 1939).
I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary is aware that, in his Budget statement, the Minister for Finance indicated that it is intended to add £1,000,000 to this provision. When is this additional £1,000,000 to be voted? Will a supplementary Vote be required or will additional legislation be needed? I think that there was a good deal of misunderstanding in regard to this increased allocation. It has been represented as a very great boon, conferred on the agricultural community, but, on closer examination, it shows itself to be very little of a boon. It is, in the main, an attempt to redistribute the allocation in relief of rates. There will be some increase in the provision for the relief of rates in the case of people with valuations under £20 but it will be at the expense of those with valuations over £20.
So far as any favour is conferred on people with valuations over £20, it will be by way of wage subsidy in respect of each man employed and that is purely of a temporary nature. It is only to last for two years. I expect that, at the end of the two years, the additional £1,000,000 will be completely withdrawn and we shall have no increase whatever in the grant for the relief of rates on agricultural land. The whole thing has been a kind of subterfuge for the purpose of representing to the agricultural community that a substantial boon has been conferred upon them, whereas only a temporary benefit has been conferred, which may not accrue to the farmer at all inasmuch as it is merely a wage subsidy, which may be offset by a decision of the Agricultural Wages Tribunal to increase agricultural wages by that amount. I think that there has been a good deal of deception and misrepresentation in regard to the increased grant and that it ought to be dispelled.
Deputy Cogan should never attempt to shake hands with the devil until he meets him. £1,000,000 is £1,000,000 and, whatever motives Deputy Cogan may think fit to attribute to those who provided the money, it will go to the relief of rates and to the relief of those who work agricultural land. It may be that, in two or three years' time, it will be withdrawn——
It was definitely stated.
It was stated that it may be withdrawn in two or three years' time, but sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.
We may have a much more unjust system of allocation then.
I do not think that there is any danger of that.
