VIEWS OF MEMBERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 463, 23 March 1909, Page 5

VIEWS OF MEMBERS.

Mil! A. L. HERDMAN. I have had an opportunity of consider- \ ing tho proposals of Uic Government as outlined in to-night's "Evening Post,'' said Sir. A. L. licrdman, M.P. lor Wellington North. " Everyone will ltcognise that it is the duty of every British dependency to do two things: First, to assist in tJio protection of the British Empiro ill tho oveni> of any,. movement amongst nations of the world taking place which imperils its safety; and, secondly, to adopt some public policy whicli will prevent such a movement taking place. To the cxistonco of Great Britain we 0110 tho ■ faot that wo live and move and have our i bjing, and this 110 man living in the colony for a moment ever forgets. But it has not yet been made clear to 1110 that we arc improperly performing our duties as a depeu. dency of Great Britain by subscribing an annual subsidy; nor is it at all certain, judging by what we can glean from cablegrams* that tho existing relations between England and Germany warrant the committal ol this country to tho expenditure of millions. Tho ' Government may possess information which would justify tho rolony in pursuing such a , course, but up to tho present that informa- . tion has not Been made public. As far as I • can see there is 110 reason why England and Germany should go to war. If Great Britain. • is really threatened, not only is it expedient 1 to help, but it is our duty to help with such 1 pecuniary assistance as it lies> in our power to offer; hut 0110 would like to have it mado i quite clear by the Government that to-day there is tho urgent necessity for this assistance. Germany as an enemy is not yet knocking at tho gate and demanding admittance as an enemy. The time is fast comiii" when tho dependencies of Great Britain-will ' bo compelled to tako ii])on their shoulders ■ greater responsibilities 111 connection with : tho defence of tho Empire than they aro nt present hearing. Canada and Australia, at any rate, aro 110 longer colonies. They aro becoming nations, and instead of enjoying ' tho almost gratuitous protection which they \ obtain by sheltering, themselves behind tho warships of Great Britain, it will soon bo their duty to share moro serious Imperial obligations. So, also, with New Zealand." MR. F. M. B. FISHER. Mr. F. M. B. Fisher, M.P. for Wellington Central, informed a Dominion representative last night that ho would hardly liko to oxpress any opinion upon tho olfer mado by tho Government until 110 know tho facts. It , would certainly demand tho strongest of , reasons to warrant an olfer being mado that may commit this Dominion to ail expenditure of two or three millions without consulting Parliament. However, ho pro- ' fcrrcd to wait until 110 heard tho reasons that prompted tho Government's notion befora commenting thoroon, "If," said he,

"the orisis in England is as groat as it Is made to appear, it certainly seems strange that so strong an Imperialist as Mr. Balfour should move a vote of oensuro at so oricioal a juncture." MR. R. A. WRIGHT. Mr. fl. A. Wright. M.P. for Wellington South, said he could not coniprohend the paiiio that existod regarding tho naval question, and suggested that porhaps the Government know moro than tho general publio did. If the necessity was' urgent that New Zealand should do all sho possibly could, ha would support tho Government's dcoision, but ho desired to know more than was nvailablo on tho question at present boforo ho would considor it oritlcal. Tho Dominion was not in such oiroumstancos as to allow of tho expenditure of something approaching a oouplo of millions of money unless tho Empiro was absolutely in danger. MR. T. M. WILFORD. .Admitting that battleships ore choaper than battles, Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P. for Hutt, could not say very much until ho hoard precisely what tho .Prime Minister's offer was. He opined that the offer was intended to indicate to tho world that Britain over tho seas was ono with tho Mother Country when it came to trouble, and ho believed that somo day tho frito of New Zealand would bo deoided in the English Channol. Thoso who observod. havo pointed out that , all tho new ships that had been built for Gormany had a small coal-carrying capacity, indicating that Germany's objcctivo was somo nation not far distant from her own shores. In 1867 tho Gorman Emporor visited France, olive branoh in hand; threo years later ho levied a. war indemnity of £60,000,000 on that nation/ and annexed tho fruitful districts of Alsace and Lorraine. Last year Emporor .William paid England a visit, and talked about blood 'being thicker than water, whilst in Berlin the Reichstag voted £200,000,000 for the construction of warships, to bo expended at the rate , of £20,000,000 a year. Mr. Wilford expressed tho hope that history was not altogether a slave to its habit of repeating itself. • MR. D., M'LAREN. . Mr. D. M'Laren, M.P. for Wellington East, said that ho was opposed to the Government Committing tho country to an expenditure of between £50,000 and • £60,000 a year,' at-a season of financial stringency, without consulting Parliament. If it could do so, they might as well abolish Parliament altogether. Such hostility as existed between Geiimany and Britain was 1 largely an artificial creation, and was prob- ! ftbly fomented by tho commercial classes for : thoir own advantage. Mr. M'Laren also cri- : ticisod the offer from the point of view of 1 >thics, and stated that if the Christian 1 ihurches did their duty they would oppose 1 the growth of militarism. If a fifth-of this ! money were appealed for with the object of ' Employing people for creating further wealth 1 for the community, there would bo very J small response. ' J MR. W. ERASER. t Mr. W. Fraser, M.P. for Wakatipu, who { is at presont in Wellington, said that so far , as tho general principle of offoring to help was ooncerned he approved of New Zealand x manifesting sympathy with the desire to see j the Navy made strong enough to resist any •" ither nation. He did not look upon it as , raising the question of Britain's ability to f pay what was required to place tho Navy in that position. That would be absurd, seeing s that Britain had about 3000 millions in- r vested abroad, besides the wealth at Home. With no details available as to how tho money is to be provided, it would be premature to express any opinion on that point. LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. t (bi telegeaph special CORRESPONDENT.) r Auckland, March 22: s In. the oourse of an interview to-day, Mr. 0 Massey, Leader of the Opposition, was asked: P "Have you anything to say about the re- n cent discussion on the Naval Estimates in i the Imperial Parliament as affecting this 8 country?" h "Just this," 6aid Mr. Massey. "Most 1 people are aware that our contribution to .° the Royal Navy will be increased to £100,000 per annum as from May next; Under ordi- n nary circumstances that would be a' fair con- ? tribution, but extraordinary circumstances may arise, if they have not already 'arisen, P and I am quite sure that/ whether we are enjoying prosperity or experiencing adversity, u New Zealanders will be quite willing 1 to do ® their duty along with the other colonies in P assisting to maintain the supremacy of the P British Navy." ; ' • . ■ ' '-tl Mr. Massey had unfortunately left town ? prior to receipt of the news of the offor of " tho battleship. ' 1 ' e MR. T. E. TAYLOR. : " IS • (BY TELEGRAPH— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) C< Chrlstchurch, March 22. In connection with tho Government's offer a of a Dreadnought, 11 only a condition involv- n ing war between Great Britain and some „ other Power-would justify tho rights of the 0 House of Representatives being so com- n pletely ignored as they have been by Cabinet s in this matter," said Mr. T. E. Taylor, mem- t' ber for Christchurch North, when asked for p 'bis opinion on tli« offer. ."From a constitu- c tional standpoint," ho,continued, "I do not D believe Cabinet has any right to involve the r colony in such expenditure without obtaining e tho authority of Parliament, except' in an un- ft doubted crisis. Parliament" caii be readily a called together in tins country, and as I control ot tho country's expenditure is thou first prerogative of the House'of. Ropresen- t tatives, the action, of the Government is one p tha.t should' only be taken when the cas£ is f one-of the most extreme urgency. I do not d think, however, that members are called upon t to mako comment upon -the offer. Tiiey p havo not been consulted in the matter, for t which the Government has.assumed entire re- d sponsibility. I havo no doubt they will givo ii their reasons in greater detail when tho House meets, and the Cabinet ask to have their action endorsed." ' HON. C. ' C. BOWEN. Christohurch, March 22. In an interview, the Hon. C. C. Bowen 51 stated that he heartily approved of the Gov- t emment's action. Ho was very glad- that c what had been done had been done, as he s boliovod it was tho right thing for the Gov- d ernment to do.' ■ European Powers were 1 ] je'alous of Great Britain's colonies, and ■ in r tho event of war Great Britain's unpro- 9 tooted colonies would in all probability be * amongst tho first ■ points to bo attacked. 1 Consequently, apart altogether from patri- I otic motives, it was very necossary that ! Great Britain should possess a. strong navy. . The maintenance of a strong navy by Great 13 Britain was as essential to the British coin. a flies as it was to the'people of tho Home- 1 land. Therefore, it. was quite right that J New Zealanders should do something to- ' wards helping Groat Britain to strengthen E oer navy. » MR. G. M. THOMSON. Dunedin, March 22. Interviewed regarding the proposal of tho Government to present a battleship to the Imperial Navy, Mr. G. M. Thomson, M.P. t for Dunedin North, hesitated to givo an t opinion in the absence of details. He fully, c realised the responsibility of the Dominion i to contribute adequately to Imperial defence, c but a battleship would cost 1J millions, ' which would increase the national debt by s that amount. The Australian Statos had 4 r million as against less than the million white i population of Now Zealand. He recognised c however, the great' moral influence the col- ii onial offers would have in Europe. r MR. J. F. ARNOLD. a Dunedin, March 22. « Mr. J. F. Arnold, M.P. for Dunedin Cen- r tral, also hesitated to give an opinion in the a absence of details. It was no doubt the duty i' of those in the Dominion to seo that the '1 Navy, the first_ lino of defence, was main- s tained in an efficient condition, and wo must I 1 contribute a fair share of the financial re- I sponsibility. Tho cost of one or two fully- b equipped warships would bear heavily on so j' small a community, and it seemed to him tho a proposal was out of proportion. Also there o was great tightness in tho money market, c and dearth of employment, and necessity for a extending public works in aid of settlors, a Those betokened advorso oonditions during t the winter. He would not, however, say s anything definite till he learned more n definitely what was proposed. s

Is ■ MR. JAMES ALLEN. Dunoclln, March 22. Mr. James Alien, M.P. for Hruco, in an in--10 tarviow regarding tho battleship oll'or, said: Tho disclosures that havo come about in tho discussion on tho Navy Estimates aro very disquieting. Tliov mako ono doubt olio's n conlidoueo in tho Intelligence Department at ® Homo, or olso in tho Ministry. Presuming >- tho newspaper reports aro correct, and that Sir Joseph Ward and his rolloagitos aro not o acting in a panic, but. aro fully nwaro of tho v gravity of tho situation, I would not liesiI, tato myself to advocate a million and a quari, tor of Now Zealand money being expended s for battleships, but, it rests with our ado visors to prove lho facts. It looks to mo i- as if Now Zealand was trying to go ono beto tor tliaii, Australia. _ 1 cannot understand i- the Ministry committing tho country to so - lingo an expenditure without consulting Parliament. It seems to mo that if the situation is so gravo as to warrant tho authorisation of a million arid throe-quarters, or two millions of expenditure, Parliament should havo boon called together immediately. I am not saying that it is not a necessity to help in tho way proposed, but I tlo say "that no Ministry should commit us to this kind of expenditure without consulting tho people's representatives.