THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 536, 17 June 1909, Page 4

THE COUNCIL.

THE FINANCE BILL,

PUT THROUCH ALL STAGES. • When metobors of tho Legislative Coilncil met at 3.15 p.m. .'yesterday was i Toad from the House of Representatives, ! stating that it had passed the Finance, Bill, and requesting.tie eosoon^nce'of.theCotuioi|.; . Uponthe. Bill having■ been i;ead .a .first' . time, it was agreed that tho Standing' Orders should be suspended to enable- it •t-o -go through all ; stages; at bno :sitting, "and ; tEo Hon. R. H. J. Reeves (Nelson) was appointed Chairman of Committees-for.the day.- - The ATTORNEY-GENERAL' (Dr: Findlay), in moving tho.second reading of tho message, briefly : explained : its! provisions':-""; V--•<■:■■■■ ■ I: DEFENCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT.

I Tho Hon. J. JENKINSON :- (Wellington) said that it would be better "not to. otter a second Dreadnought' to- tho - Royal) Navy; .- With the, money whioh tho .second .vessel would oost, , tho Dominion should establish ail adequate harbour ,on tho West Coastj. whore vessels could refit arid,get.-;supplies. .Tho harbour' should be formed .'either,.- at. : iWestportvOr Point Elizabeth,-or somo other part of the coast.\ There was not a port m tho. Southern Hemisphere where, a vessel of ,tbe : Dreadno'ught typo could'take safety and refit. If the Prime Minister: discussed the . matter with tie, Admiralty .authoritiesj'-thoy would meet New, Zealand in tho matter. 110 knew .that he was . entrenching On'.tife'-sus-'. coptibilities:of the-Auckland members, but h'& was speaking in'tho interests,of the.country. Os a; wholo. ■ Only a pettifogging' class , of steamers; was.' in uso ...for carrying coal j-from tho. West, Coast, and delays occurred in {tho . master of transit?.;, If five'or'ten. million .woro expended in,providing a good harbour on tho .West Coast, it . would' be, money woll 'spent-'. There were; larger deposits -of. coal there, and ■ if'-they were fully developed it", would -give « great deal of employment;! Only last work 6000 tons of coal were shipped from Newcastle to Now. Zealand; . It was .probable that that coal was hewn by workers who had left New Zealand lately owing to' the late'industrial troubles. -It would be batter if the work had. been found for them in Now Zealand Ho was quito sure the visit of the Prime Minister to England would be" productive of much rood. . .' i

TO SATISFY THE EARTH HUNCEH. Tho Hon.. G. JONES (Otflgo) commendcd ;,'tuo. Government on its decision -to purriliasb' ; raore lands,from the, Natives; . 'If ' New Zoa- . lartd panted, to keep 'its population;;' Mt;- : ; must have .lands for settlement, Tbero were thousands '.of-: peoplewho'would malto fine settlers; if thoy could only; get-on tho land. ..,lho earth' hutiger was greater. to-day' tli'an ever hitherto; and there was littlo land available. Ho thought that tho Government* should hasten ithe resumption of' estates.' The 11 Prime Minister was; iin .his opinion, .entitled y, to :repTesent 'New Zoaland at. the. Defence -;. Conference:; Sir- Joseph would Hot hafco asked that Parliament - shonld adjourn if it . tvere not in .the. best interests of the Domin- .. ion.

FROM THE MAORI VIEWPOINT. - Tho Hon. Wl I'EHJo (Hawko's Bay) said that 1 those who had opposed tho Dreadnought offer would shortly conic'; out.' of tho darkBoss into tho light. -.The matter of expense should not eilter into consideration in connection with .tho.Primo Minister's visit to 1 ; England.; He would personally'givo £500 or £1000 to pay his exponsoS if ho wore por-■ mittcd to. Ho wont on to any that ho was 6U,ro tho. Maoris would. bo glad if .tho cost 1 of tho trip:'were ,'mado a "tax on .them. If the white peoplo did not care to assist to ..defend New Zealand, the Maoris would 'do-it ;singlehauded. When.;' tho . white - peoplo mingled with tho Maoris it was liko angels mixing with dogs. It was nownecessary for.i tho dogs to liiivk to warn' tho angels as-to : where they .wore trending," If. it had not been that-, the King, "their; father,'', had cried out .'for tho 'Dreadnought, ho would have adopted 'tho views put forth by tho Hon. J, Itigg. He thought that the Prime Ministor should.get the two,millions for tho Dreadnoughts"when ho was'-at; Homo. Sir Josoph bonld buy one Dreadnought "with Ono million,- arid bring tho-' other' million . back to -New Zealand, whore it : should bo loaned out. If :in connection with tho offer each Maori had. to pay £300 he would do it.-Na-tives, as ivell [is Europeans, /wero desirous of obtaining loans at tho present time. . : •' THE NATIVE LAND POLICY The Hoi W W M'CUIDLE (Auckland) held that the Native lands shou|d ho,speedily - settled. It was, in his opinion, ono .; of the most important s questions for. decision at tho present time.' - ' The Hon. A. I3ALDEY (Southland)'voiced a similar opinion. If the number of-settler's wero augmented more employment would be available. He congratujated tho Prime Ministor oil his prompt attitude i»r mitkitfg tho Dreadnought offer. ;■ ■ Tho Hon.,lt. A. LOTOHNAN'(Wellington) felt that tho Prime Ministerwould' not hrivo' made tho Droadnought oifor->if ho h'ad not had ill his possession information which, justified it. ,Ho declared, inter" alia, that tho wOrlt of afforestation, should bo'hastened.

REMARKS BY OTHER .MEMBERB. Tho Hon. J. MARSHALL (Westland) approved of tho Hon. J. Jonkinsoii's suggestion that a navul coaling-'station and Tiarbour should be established .ifr New Zealand. The matter should, he thought, bo brought up by Sir Joseph at tho Defence Conference., The Hon. J. T, I'AUL (Otago) thought that steps should be taken to relievo tho distress by tho unomplofmont. The money for the' Dreadnought would' not bo spent in this country.,, If tne Government proceeded in tho'mattor of internal jMepctf it would givo employment to . many pcoplo. He was pjeltsed to be able to Bay that it was now plain'that tho. Government realised the gravity of the unemployed It was his' opinion that a , Select. Committee, should bo set tip ,to consider .tho wholo quea-' tion of unemployment. fv „ The A'ITOHNIiY-QENEHAL, on behalf of; the - Prime 'Minister,, thanked memfcorfl for their cordial expressions of goodwill/. Dr.' Findlny said ho felt suro Sir Joseph would • worthily represent New Zealand at the Defence Conference.

Tho second reading of the Bill was agreed to on tho voices, and it then passed through tho remaining stage without amendment. COMPLIMENTARY SPEECHES. , Tho ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Dr. Findlay) said that before the Council adjourned ho would like, on behalf of tho members, to say how pleased they were once again to meet tho Speaker (Hon. C. 0. Bowen). They felt that ho presided over their deliberations with impartiality, kindness, and great success.. It was also a pleasure again to meet tho_ officers of the Council, who discharged their duties with .efficiency.' Tho SPEAKER said he heartily reciprocated the kind expressions to which utterance had been given. ' ,