SESSION AND NAVAL CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 529, 9 June 1909, Page 9

SESSION AND NAVAL CONFERENCE.

PREMIER MEETS THE LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL.'

A SHORT DEBATE. ' THE ACTION OFvTHE ,HOUSE ENDORSED. ' ■ Yesterday afternoon . tho Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) met'-members of the Legislative OonnoU upon- the proposals that he should represent New Zetland .at tho . Imperial: Defence Conference and that no Bitting of' th«'. Houses of .Parliament' should ' bo held during his absenco from tho Domin- , ion., The mooting, which rms well attended ; . by ;'membersi . : was; presided "over -by the At-torney-General (Dr. Findlaj). After the Prime Minister h#d briefly referred to the proposals; a resolution similar to tho one - passed by members of the Lowor House on tho previous iday was moved. Only. a . few measbers took part in-tho discussion. .To .the v proposal : that . the* Prime -.Minister , should represent . tho Dominion at tho conference no exception was : taken.- Ono of tho, speakers, the' Hon: J. 1';: Paul; spoke strongly against the proposal that Parliament should not sit dunng Sir Josoph's absonco. ; His suggestion ] : y that, tho two; proposals. should bo considered separately , was not entertained. -Ultimately, 1 the motion was unanimously, agreed to on V v tho .voices. ' Altogothor the proceedings cccupied only thirty-fivo minutes.

REMARKS BY THE PRIME MINISTER.

. When-Sir Joseph entered the' Chamber ,he : was-greeted with applause.; Ho said, ifc was 'ft special pleasure to him to occupy, the,posi- ■ tion in which ho was' placed,- which was no doubt 1 ah unusual one; Ho .'thanked members : for; having ..accepted. his invitation to meet ;: informally. 'V It" was - another* indication • that ' tho people were deeply interested in. the matter "' which they wero called together „to consider. He was' very 'pleased at the: way the people had risen above anything in the shape or party in order to show tho .world that. New .sZealand was readyimd''.willing,to, take .her share, in th'e responsibilities: of Empire. : On tho previous-'diy/ membefs ; of the Lower * House . had, as tliey wero awaro, resolved " that New Zealand should be represented; and : thW'he. should .bo , sent as tho representative ; , of ;tKo .be;of: considerrol»td importance •to ; hiio to j know thafc.h ' .'had ; also,/.tho/Koodwill.. of - members.- oti wio ■ Legislative Council. - As rno3t of, tho coun- . cillors •' .were .- present' during . the:, proceedings on , the previous day, it was 'unnecessary feir 'him', to elaborate on tho matter. : With tho " greatest confidence' ho would leave .tho matter. in the hands of members of tho Council. '. '■■■,<}\:'i \ :V. 1 THE RESOLUTION. Tho Hon. T. Kelly then 1 moved tho following 'resolution, .which, was similar : in ,effect ,'Vto 'that; which had been: agreed to in the Lower House, on the previous day':— • '•'.'That -this meeting of'members of: tho,,: legislative Council recognises the. very , , impending Naval Conference, and con-, ? eiders it necessary' that New Zealand. : :l -should be'represented at' such. cOnferenco.. .by 'the 'Primo -Minister. 1■ " ... "This meoting 'furth'er considers that • . ss this, is'tho. first session .of'a new ;■

; Parliament, it is expedient that the' • Prime Minister sliohld' be . in his place ■ to explain tho policy of his Government : to tho House, and that, therefore, Parliament should, after 'making, tlie neces- ;■ sary' financial arrangements, to enable the jbOsincss,:of'vthe /country: to. bo car- ,■ . : ried on,: be prorogued '.tin'til.-September 30 iThe Imperial Government! had, Mr. Kelly .>emihded,,ra6nibers, v thoughK';jit y, proper.to' ' : hold. the "proposed conference. ..It "was, singular .that .every country should bo exhausting its.means for the purposes Of defence.' With : tho advance: of Christianity* war -should, .he ! - would have thought, , been abolished. ' . .Tho Bafety of Empire depended upon its,prepared-: : npss .for; war, if/war...would come. As England had hitherto had the-supremacy of. the Boas,, that' supremacy . should lie maintained.. New Zealand and- the ,'othor; countries which : enjoyed -the blessings'of peace under England's 1 Navy should assist. It was his Opinion that :it would bo unfair for a sitting of V the Legislaturo to bo held during r 'the absence of the Prime Minister, upon whom de/'vblved/.the duty of/leading the Heusi.. Tho Hon.: 6. Jones seconded tho resolution, but did not discuss tho. proposals. - : ' Upon■ the■>choirmaii intimating that ho would put the resolution, the Hon.. J. T. Paul asKed if it .would not be better to divide it in two parts. This course was not, bow- .. wer,~agteed' to'by-the proposer; : i VIEWS OF THE HON. J. T. PAUL. * Mr. Paul said ha agreed as to; tho.necessity ' tnd ' importance .. of tho conference) and' so one could,' in his opinion, represent. New Zea-' ■ land "so well as. the. Pvimo' Slinistor.,. At the 7 tanlo! time,'he. differed from .those. who .hold .v'thatthe;session should ehdlbefore!the Prime !,Minister;!left. for '.the conference. '. He felt

ihat 'if the session. went on' in tho, absence . of' the .Prime, Minister, important,. matters .: iould.; rccoive,.' consideration; -without.dan . co the Government. If tho Ministry realised the gravity of the unemployment problem, lie , would ' raise, no''further objection. -'All l-.e ■ ■would ;say if .that' were tho. case was: "Lot ;' Parliamentihe.proroguedj and-trust the'.Gov-, .vsrnmeht to, do -the right thing. 1 ' s'Like - afcSwr. ;. governments,': the: Ministry-* in - New .Zealand i had not tho facilities for finding out tne exact ,-aumber or position of tho unemployed. Twelve Now Zealand was, assist- - iing immigrants to its shores;. now.; peoplo wereleaVingMh ■' dozens -evory week. ' Tho Government should, in "his .opinion, fm- ■ mediate steps ; 'to ; prevent'* "this ■ national . waste," , for' r it V- could not .b« oallcd ; 'anything; ' else. ' As leader .of what .' was ' perhaps • the • most . democratic v. .K>untry.'.in tho world, Sir Joseph Ward-when -; he; went''-Homoi should make it . known tq„the

British people that what the proplointhe , , riewer-lands "desired'was .that the - sacrifice made. by each unit, in ihe : ; Empire' should be. \ " equal. -He might at onco ssj'thtt he had no,. ..eympathy for .those.street comer orators who ;. said "I havo nothing to defend." ' Such men as .that should, in opinitni, bo put-hi one of .tt'b r places-—either,in school tb learh sbme- ". thing or in one of ' tho asylums.Men. who .talked!in,.that way did.not ; lmow'tho ABO . >-of'.anything. ;,Mr. Paul .went on ,to,say that ;; the ivorking man who put olio' (Shilling towards the defence of. the Empiro.'.was peniaps ■ doing a great deal more than tho millionaire ' - who subscribed a pound~ Under the circum-. stancesjhV.disagreed; with, tho gift of- tho . '; Dreadnought, but he misht add that, ho ■ would! bo. in-favour flf 'tao donatian of ten' .battleships.; if: tho futtiro of tho : Empire were at risk. -Last year less than nine million- ': airesZ-worth fifteen millions,' died, in tho Bri- ; ' tish Empire, v. Tho niillionaires could afford'to ' kalw "a donation of a Dreadnought or two . than, tho peoplo of New Zbitlajid. He -would like- to explain his iwsition witlv • regard to tho motion :; ho could . not . tote agnirist the first part, and he ; wouW. not press. -. division ".in-.-'regard, to,; tho. second, part. Seeing; the . views whieh .he.-heidj- he was placed--in an unfair position if tho motion ■/ were not divided. , OTHER MEMBERS' OPINIONS, The Hon. "Wi Poro thonght that, the British Empire, ws« in difficulties, o,nd wanted assistaiice from Hs outports.; When ;the-'Maoris ', Warned; thai'an enemy was likely to. attack . them they immediately set about building fortified paj. The Hon. Mr.' Paul was only a youth; if he w*o older,,and had been in New Zealand in the days when there were battles, 1 he would speak in r tone. .-Mr; P»ul ( - I would: like you to stop tnikini; in thi» matter. -;;Dpn'fc say any more. ' If. iicitaiii were defeated, -where would you b; Whore would be your porch ? Would yo. !'«;ct bo ailo to carry" your body in a ri;.'.---;-(viurso.wh«i your bead was off'V • . T:j' Hon. J. 11. Bincla<r supported the V projxml .that the'.Primo liihisier should at- ' tend the -oonferchce. They knew that a portion of the ooufercnca must bs secret.' Far. too much Jud been said about the disadvantage of adjourning Parliament.-From October ■ ;. 1 till, Cft ristmas' tliero"would be ample, time • to Dass .dl Wie locishvtion that was asodljr

enacted. Even if an adjournment meant actual loss, in addition to inconvenicnco, ho would support it to allow the Prime Minister to' so away. \;Tho motion was then put and carried unanimously. ~ , - CONGRATULATIONS FROM AWARUA. Ini ißtEomru—ritMs, AssiiouTios.) Inveroargill, June 8. j '"■A meeting'of representative Winton residents to-day discussed tho. proposed visit of tlio Prime .Minister to England, and passed a very cordially-wordcd resolution of con; gratulation to the Government, and particu-. lariy tlio Premier, oti the decision como to by members yesterday. The meeting expressed pvido in. Sir Joseph their repovscntative in Parliament. The motion concluded: "Awaraa .will 'watch your progress at Homo, will share tho' honours conferred on" you, and be over ready to welcome you back." '

KARORI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE TEAItWAT QUESTION.

. The KciTori Borough' Council met last night. Thore were present—The . Mayor (Mr. C... I. Dasmt) and Councillors Wedde, Cathie, Rame, Hildreth, Spiers,: Wuhnsley, Burn; Celling, and Star,den. " ;■"■ ■ , ' The .'Trani^ay.. Committee , reported That it bo a recommendation, to the clanncil to put back the running time of-the cars ten minutes florin* tho day,: the first car to leave Karori at 7.10■ a.m.,finstead of. 7.20 a.m.; .that a 20 minute wrric® b© run oa Saturday nights after 7.30.p.m. i-v ' ••v''-"'":, \« ■ i Et was decided to adopt tho recommendations,. with tho addition that there he a 20 minute serrico affceT 5 p.m. on Sundays. ' Thfc ftity elcctrical engineer: drew th© councils attention to tho danger existing at Dix s comcr through tho sharp turn and the narrow road, and ho suggested the installation, of signals for caTfi,; consisting- s of:. green • and red light*, ti.an estimated cost of JCS3. The matter tyb,v referred to .the Tramway Committee. ; Rsnorting. on a proposal' to 'erect. ; a_ car accommodation slied: at Karon, the engineer stated that lie was informed b.v Mr. Stuart Richardson, city electrical engineer, that the, 'cost ; of-a suitable shed, with all necessarysteel work, .for. housing, four cars,, would be. from <fISCO to . I iMr. R,'. C. Hamerton wrote stating-that tho [erection of the shed wotild be a breach of the law, and, as a neighbouring landowner, he would take steps to.prevent the erection of the; shed. The letter .was rcecifea. ' ■ , The Mayor pointed out that the city author!ties wero opposed to tho erection of a carshed in Karori, as it would involve: the constant removal of. mechanics ; to «ind fro. ..He -.added that he had not been ableTto gTasp Councillor Standen's'theory of the savings resnltant from, tho.erection of-tho shed.

The .report; was sdopted. : .', t In'accordance with, notice. Councillor. Cathie moved That steps be taken to hold, a .poll of ratepayers to raise a loan of 500, to extend theipresent tramway to the junction of the Main Hoad with the .South Karori Eoad, the-Sum to be allocated as follows tion of line, road widening, supervision and contingencies, .523.250; : stone , cmsher and appurtenances, - cost of raising, the. loan and first year's interest, _ Speaking to the { motion, .Councillor Cathie said that the matter 1 had previously been before the connoil. but the. time was not con-, sirlered "opjwrhine to .raise ;.th« money. The rntepavers should have the opportunity of giving' their, oninion on . tho. question, and N tho council could, if. the proposal was canied, raise, the. money on a convenient Cccasion. Of course, nothing would be done for,, a good while, but'it was desirable that. the council shcmld be in a position to make any arrnnirement that, might ;ba 'considered desirable. He thought the niojoTity of the people desired the extfiiision,' and. he hoped - tho•motion .would be carried.? ' '

The motion was seconded ty CouncillorBurn ■ : v ' - - . Councillors Hildreth and Baine wink* brjeflj

to the'motion, and'-tho'Mayor said that, the ■line net., he. started , for a'year at, least. The . money 'could 'not' he raised at' a' payable rate or interest for months to come. . ; •Tho motion was carried; , ; - ' 1 1 ' ' '" ' '