ADDRESS-INREPLY.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18425, 4 July 1925, Page 13

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

YESTERPAY'S DEBATE.

IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

rssss assocutiox sefo>t) WELLINGTON. July l\. In the Legislative Council to-day. the Addrcss-in-Replv debate was continued by The Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie, who dealt at length with the produce market in England. The great difficulty, he said, was lo estimate what produce was in stock and coming forward, for upon that information effective control depended. Ho stressed how essential it was for the men who were responsible for the control of meat to know tho right moment to release the produce upon tho market, lie attributed the slump in wool to unemployment in England and unrest on the Continent. In conclusion he urged that tho Dominion should confine its export trad. 1 , as far as possible, to the "Mother Country. Surely, he remarked, a sound and proper policy was to widen our system of preference. The Hon. W. IT. Triggs spoke upon tho recent Commission of Empiiry on which he had boon engaged and ..tressed tho need for tho establishment- of juvenile courts. He also advocated the privnto ward system in hospitals, saying that it was a great success in Canada and the United States, and he had never heard anything said against it there. The debate was adjourned until Tuesday. IN THE HOUSE. Tho debate on tho Addross-in-Repiy was resumed in tho House of Representatives to-night. Mr J. C. Rolleston (Waitomo) dcalr with the report 10-f the Committee which investigated the deteriorated lands ol the North Island. The term "deterioration" hardly was correct. It really was a case of reversion to the original condition. ' The report was a valuable one, but he was afraid the publicity given tho report and tho recommendations had led to a large proportion of the land mentioned gaining undeserved condemnation. Much of it could be profitably used if fanned in the proper manner, but the rest was really useless, and should be abandoned or turned over to the Forestry Department. The eorrcet application of manures would prove effective in rehabilitating a considerable portion of'tho first-mentioned part. Ho advocated experiments in sending meat Homo chilled instead of frozen, so as to compete with Argentine moat. Financial assistance should be given to settlors on such areas as investigation proves nro worth working. The revaluation of tho land was imperative. Tho enquiry had only rolated to Crown lands, but tho scheme of assistance should also apply to lands hold undor freehold and Native lands, man/ occupiers of which woro working under great handicaps. Reading was urgently needed, and local bodies should receive a subsidy to enable them to pro vide facilities for access to lands settled. Men wont on tho land on tinunderstanding that proper roading would bo provided, and in many easc& this prorniso had not been fulfilled. Mr Rolleston complained that counties were not getting sufficient assistance under tho Main Highways scheme lo keep tho roads in ordCr under tho abnormal traffic burden imposed by raptor traction, -which now was bo destructive to road Burfaces. In Waitomo County, for instance, a portion of the' To Kuiti-Ncw Plymouth road carried heavy through motor traffic, of which tho much larger proportion did not contribute to local revenue. The Highways Board's contribution of ohe.third of tho cost of maintenance was not nearly .adequate. The difference in tho cost between that involved in meeting the settlers' requirements anil in providing tho road surfaces desired by motorists should be borne by tho Highways Board. Mr Rolleston applauded the proposals to encourage scientific farming, and hoped more farm schools Would be established. He also Considered farmers themselves might be encouraged to undertake experimental work. Touching on herd-testing, tho speaker commended the group system adopted in the Waikuto, but the Government should protect innocent farmers by requiring that "dud" cows giving poor tests should be branded to indicate their uselessness as dairy He also commended the agricultural in structioii given to school children. Mr "W. E. Parry. "Mr Yv". 13. Parry (Auckland Central) described the Governor-General's Speech as colourless and bloodless. Referring to the Franklin by-election, he said that Labour had nothing to regrot in having contested that election. H 3 referred to tho Prime Minister's participation in the campaign, and animadverted on the granting of holidays to school children. He declared the time had arrived when tho House should set its face against utilising the schools for political log-rolling. Referring to the Labour Party's policy, Mr Parry said years ago the Reformers had contended that there was no requirement for an Opposition, so long as it was in opposition, to disclose its policy. Labour therefore had u precedent for'withholding its policy now. He proceeded to denounce the Reform for not reforming cr abolishing the Upper House, in conformity with its intention as exprcssc-1 in tho years before it gained office. It had certainly passed a Bill to deal with tho Upper House, but it had never been put into operation. Labour's opponents quoted happenings in other parts of the world in their efforts to damage tho Labour Party in this coun try. Labour contended it had nothing to do ■with these happenings, but the Party was bound by and stood to the planks of its announced platform, and nothing more or less than this. Mr Parry condemned the Government's borrowing policy, which lie' <le scribed as reckless. He denounced the spending of two and a half millions of public money on land for soldier settlements that was worthless for this purpose. He charged tho Government with neglecting farmers' interests, and with exhausting tho patience of the London money-lenders. It had been told to go elsewhere if it wanted money. This was because higher interest could be obtained in foreign countries. "That is Imperial preference for you," he. declared. When Victoria wanted eight millions in London, only eight hundred thousand was forthcoming, while at the same time there was a rush of plicants for a forty million loan dC6ireu by a country.not long ago at war with Great Britain, 350 millions being tendered therefor. • Referring to tho Arbitration Mr Parry protested against the manner in which wages were being fixed to-day by the Court. It .wns insulting to <t useful worker to have his wages assessed to such a nicety as to require

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adjustment to a farthing per hour. Tho arbitration system under the llcf'orm Government bad deteriorated. Tho Government had done nothing but follow a policy of drift. The Arbitration Court had developed into a national charitable aid board, instead of what the Ballanco and Seddon Governments intended it to be. The wages question was going to cause a great deal of trouble in Now Zealand if tho Government did not do something t-> iniprovo tho workers' conditions. if this were not done, then the workeis would have to take action themselves in behalf of their wives and families, and he would stand behind them 10 their demand for proper living condi* tions. Mr S. A. Wright. Mr E. A. Wright (Wellington Boh* urbs), after congratulating the Ptimd Minister on his accession to office, pro* ccoded. to answer the charges mad* t>£ speakers from the Opposition benches. It was unfair to blame the Sefornt Party for opposing pensions since when that legislation was passed tas Reform Party did not exist, and an> member now in the House was in it then. Tho English moneylender had beon criticised for lending where ho could get tho highest interest. Did not the worker do the same) He sold his labour in tho highest market. As to the charge of waste in the purchase of land for soldiers, tho Government of the Bay was forced by all patties to get land for the purpose, and it had to pay the current market value. Mistakes had been made. All realised that, but when the purchase was mada the National Government was in office, and it and nil tho then members of the House should share in the blame to be pluccd on any shoulders. The criticism of the Arbitration Court was unfair, so far as the allegation of Goverrnicut interference was concerned. Defending tho Liberal Party against the accusation that they were selling their souls for tho sake of fusion, Mr Wright declared that the first to suggest fusion was the Labour Party. They repeatedly said there was no difference between the two Parties, that the fight going on between them was a sham fight, and that thev were all Tories together. Ho had no hesitation in saying tho Liberals wero not prepared to sell their souls in the negotiations now going on. They had their own case to present, and they had eonducted themselves as gentlemen. The speaker concluded by expressing a hope that the people of New Zealand would give a warm and kindly welcome to the officers and men of the American Fleet. Mr K. S. Williams. Mr K. S. Williams (Bay of Plenty) <• .said he did not know whether he should congratulate Mr Coates personally on his elevation to the Premiership, but he could congratulate the eountry and Reform Party on getting a man who was able and prepared to carry the burden which his groat office entailed. The speaker then proceeded to discus* briefly a number of topics relating to country life, including care of children 's teeth, the dehorning of cattl» tha deterioration of bush lands, the fat lamb industry, and the destruction of deer which, he said, were doing irreparable damage to native bush. On the motion of Mr J. S. 2>ic*soa (Parncll) the debate was adjourn-d at 10.45 p.m., when the House rose till 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday.