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present time, I would venture to suggest that in our contributions to the solution of existing difficulties each interest might well consider to what extent by its own sacrifices it can alleviate the position ; and whether by our own individual efforts, or by the individual efforts of a class, we can remedy our own difficulties without attempting to pass our own difficulties, or uhe difficulties of that class, on to the backs of other interests or other classes. And on this point I would like to draw attention to the wonderful effort which has been made by the dairy industry and the dairy-farmer towards solving these difficulties' pressing upon us in the towns as much as on anybody else. The dairy-farmers, by improved methods of production, have substantially added to the quantity of dairyproduce exported by this country ; and I may venture to say that they have probably put themselves by their own exertions in a position to some extent independent of any drop in prices that may come in the next few years. If every one adopted the lines adopted by the dairy-farmers I venture to say that the present difficulties confronting us would to a great extent disappear. Next, may I point out that these are very abnormal times. When criticizing the Arbitration Court so many critics have failed to recognize that that Court has had to function in the last ten years amidst difficulties never anticipated by the men who created it ; and to the difficulties caused by the war, the extraordinary inflation and the subsequent deflation that has been the result of the war, have been added problems arising from new discoveries and new methods of trade very far-reaching in effects. All of you know the revolutionary changes in the industrial position brought about by the introduction of steam after the years of the Napoleonic wars Mr. Parlane : Sir, when Professor Murphy's address was given yesterday it was promised that it would be printed and laid before us before the discussion on the professors' papers. Are copies of his address available yet ? The Chairman : No, but they will be available at 9 o'clock to-morrow. Mr. Nash : Might I suggest, Mr. Chairman, that speakers have half a minute's notice of the end of their time-limit. The Chairman : I will see to that. Mr. Roberts : Another suggestion we have on this side is that the speakers, if desired, shall be one from each side alternately. Mr. Nash : I want first of all to refer to some figures quoted by Professor Tocker. I want to suggest that these figures quoted by him have a tendency to prove that what is wrong with the country at the present time is faulty distribution of the national income. If you refer to his paper you will find that he quotes the national income as £116,000,000, and he then goes on to say that there are other factors to take into account, and the national income may be between £140,000,000 and £160,000,000. Supposing we accept it as £150,000,000. Later on he states that the number of wageworkers is 400,000, and he adds that the share of the national income that goes to the wage-workers is at least half. So the assumption is that the 400,000 wage-workers receive £75,000,000 each year, or did so for the last year for which figures are available. These 400,000 will be responsible for at least 1,200,000 of the population of this country : that is, there are two workers, let us say, out of every five persons. The 1,200,000, then, receive £75,000,000, and 300,000 receive the other £75,000,000. I suggest that some of the things Professor Murphy has said with regard to faulty distribution tend to prove that this is one of the main causes, if not the main cause, of the trouble we are in. at the present time. One fact to back that up is that if you refer to the income-tax returns you will find that the amount returned for last year was slightly under £55,000,000, and wages are shown as £18,000,000, or roughly one-third. That shows that the worker's share is not even as much as stated by Professor Tocker —£75,000,000. I would suggest that, while the average worker does not send in an income-tax return and therefore his figures are not included, this conclusion is largely supported by the fact that 81,700 of them only received £16,000,000 in the last year that the figures are available for. I suggest, then, that one of the main troubles in this country is proved by Professor Tocker's paper to be faulty distribution of the national income. One other point I wish to mention was stressed by Professor Belshaw—the question of over-importation. Ido not think we have that factor put strongly enough. In the seven-year period 1920 to 1926 inclusive our exports and imports were practically the same. We imported £334,000,000 worth and sent away £334,000,000 worth. In the period 1913-20 we exported £60,000,000 more than we imported ; and going back to the period 1906-13, we exported £14,000,000 more in products than we imported. I suggest, therefore, that the second factor of importance that we must take into account is that we are importing too much in the way of goods manufactured in other countries ; and I submit that these prices are hardly, if at all, affected by Arbitration Court wages, and that the prices of imported commodities contain very little from a wages point of view. Professor Tocker also mentioned one other thing of importance, the point that there is no shelter for our primary industries. I would suggest that the 8.0.W.R.A. institution is one of the finest sheltering instruments that they could possibly have, and that it is absolutely imperative that it should be adopted if our primary industries are to go on. I want to refer to one thing Professor Murphy said. He stated that we have had thirty years of public and private extravagance. I wantto emphasize the fact, and I think it was emphasized by Professor Murphy himself, that that extravagance cannot be laid at the doors of the workers. They could not have been extravagant in any way, because he stated Mr. Purtell: May I suggest, Mr. Chairman, the suspension of the Standing Orders in order that we may discuss the question of the time-limit for speakers. Both speakers have been very interesting, and I would like to have heard more from them. I suggest that it be a recommendation to the Business Committee that it reconsider the time-limit. The Chairman : They may in the future, but at the present time we are bound by the limit laid down. Mr. Acland : May I ask a question, sir ? When did the 8.0.W.R.A/ appertain in regard to New Zealand ?

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