PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 9

PARLIAMENT.

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY . ; DEBATE. I STRONG-SPEECH BY MR. J. ALLEN. , FINANCE AND, RETRENCHMENT. , PREMIER'S METHODS SEVERELY CRITICISED. of '.the: fajeC:.. that-' yesterday ■ .vds I ■ -; Labour, Day, Parliament did not sit until the •v. evoking.. The Legislative Council, which had .... arranged to meet in thoafternoon,: decided' :>>■ .upon i assembling i to adjourn immediately until 'tMs. afternbon.vAftor ;introduoing;a ; number of . » Bills,-.the Hpus/ ui the evening resumed tho do-v^-Vv-JbatosOn-'the :;'4<(&MS-in-Reply. . The■ principal (eatare of. tho disousslon'was ,the speech by Mr; ■J: . jambs] Allen, who' strongly"; criticisedthe.' ad-' . . 'ministration of. thq Government.' Mr. Lauren- :'' -.. Bbn'-I.fillowed. ' The 'debate' will be continued ... this.afternoon. .. '. v.;- v THE HOUSE. ■ 'ftC:V y: v-v' ; BILLS. INTRODUCED. * X■ ■ - The, House Resumed -.its sittings at 7.30 p.m. , jrosterday < y> : 'iiJiTheifollowing.Bills were introduced, read: a , .■ first,i.time; and, ordered to be printed:—West- ;: Native- Reserves. Act 1887 ; : Amendment Bill/;.. Borough 'of,; South Dusedin ■ Bill, EllestS : jDbmaini Bdard Empowering Bill, Waire-.va vi'.i. County,;Bili;;Otago Dock-Trust (Lands EoclamaBill; nGisborne High 1 : .. . School ; . Amendment - Bill, Danedin Distnot .Drainage and Sewerage Act Amendment Bill. V- V;All";/th6ir Sills (wi th ■ "tho" exception of .'the-first-. '. : ;:;-: : -';l^ehH6ite l d > : ordered'ito: ba' read, a ; • v secohd ,;time on' November 3) ware referrod to the Local. Bills Coimrntteo.: > ■ ' ADDRESS-IN.REPLY. J l'v r THE DEBATE CONTINUED. , Mr. ,'GUTHRIE (Otoua), in continuing the ( 'ii;.; f :'deb(itofonVthe."Addrcss-in-Reply;declared that- .': the: Government could not' claim credit for tho facti that tho late depression had ceased to •i;: 'than'twelve months ago,' the Prime ; Minister told 'ti;large audience at Feilding that. :il,'\Ne,w?Zealand-would 'only-.feel.'the 'fringe <of the being-felt throughout tho whereas, the Dominion had soon afterwards found itself in 'a financial mael-

. nouldlike to', know what' was. tho wefof 1 -appointinglcommissions' if better resulta .....- could not l be - obtained ? Despite the' fact' that •' had" repbrted "that; the • -. people.-werann favour: of. tho freehold-the Gov-'^vS.irM4ttt'''hadl«hn)ughtv.?d6wnV;an;''6ut-an'd-but' v^i : ':;,r;'l«aseli6ld;.in^ti^,::;Th^"4-gaiiiV.what ; :: • Native Laud ; Commission dono :to warrant I 'tho 7; ; lit; had cost? I/As 'regards tha Cpinmißsiin,f ; y fo'y considered: that /vi.^'.the^Hpnw'^cOuld.-f.ah^'':;2sv' Amintttes\',hdve- ! doiloy. In ~many/.'ways .;:;tii«^goyernmeht;.j,had, .he;'contended, 'driven v. -,- - ' canitat'.-away- from' the Dominion. :'lf any Gov- \;>, that the'AdvanCeS 'to Settlers :-V;i^ : ft reduc-' . on .money .'req'uired : by ■'; the fxittk-rs it was D'.isrepresenting ;the position. ..'..'Kv.t'.'AsJ.a'lm ''.T'.v-V';th^i m 'e:'.' , dtcidedinot,Hb:,lerid;moher .... . feCUHty". of- the tenure'granted to the Crown ;;c:iV:;i«ttt^fK/rV^at;'.th^ v H,6h66...lntendeS' l 'is;/ 'ryltb;|helt'/.the < struggling*settlers;land.'.'nobody r^^'.^-el^^bniSifirstidf;,allv fblaced- on : thmltod under the L.I.P.- system.-: Signs were : ;have" .; ; ; connection rwith ithe- yaluatibn present sys--tolocal : .'bodies-'quite, v -unworkable. It - was to be. regretted that -the .' ; > c»ntain"raaVindicatrpri'''to' tho •;i'/^«il^C.t ; 'Uhat ;, theV; Go'vernniehti'was l -, willing.; to, ' •'..grant ' the'.'freehold.' ■ V- ■ ■■>■• : •'?,'.yv■;r : J; 1 ; f -'Vv. : .i • Question. >. - > : ,. -,: - Mr.'; i? ia; -'.TAYiOR '(ThamW .r J 4rreii?{o th'ejfacfcv.thatjoh'the-previoug evening- it ''had. i^.be^n^ssef^e'd,' l .by. : ?somei'member.thiit' the 'can--'' ';iithe-Thames'!seat'hao.-hot- been-;6ucce&'ful.r..'.He .. tmont ,candidate did . get elcoted. Ho would ? alMj'-lip''.t(i-'pbint''.out ;; that' the '.party' which I i;;.:; the ■ Dominion.,...;Why,!-his : opponents had Icq the i-vV:? ; ■ p^ojoj^of: the ;distriet/'to:::believb' that; tho GovThe- pabu--:S;;.;;A : r luinttwhiph;'-WM;/ciroulatcd '.in-'tho!'.district''at ... v' .irQs a discredit-'.to-.the community •i ' . 'at large.' -. Why,..for every, million,' the hdd .borrowed,'; the people had' ■y jwith:the addition of their; own ener : gies Ho make eight millions He went on to -'S.;;;6ayjtMt';ifiNew; Zealand^^hadiiv:universal free-; • : i■v'; would .be one,, of - th's most disastrous y; 'io Athinfir .wUbelieved ' !; / lri'.tne-.retention-' of 'tha; frecliold- for ; small tDoniinion could .. not. i ; ?';s^;ten^es;ip;'thatfflf:;; : were;;'.f''in:J,;.-oporation; id---"■i'i-^; r . T ®bc6iheht;.,wasUhe 'land.qiiestibn, .but sj";v- : the'.;Q4yjrnment-,'wbnld:.havo 1 ' I te"-;Bee^Tii^''-opeii- 1 ing ithfem up that hands wero.not laid, upon ' - position ;ito . which- Now. ' ZeftUnd: ;had i corae. was;ihatithe '.people 'must . j;i havje.'.thb Nativo. lands, and,, perhaps, tho best .-. iolutioti .would to. placo the .valuo of their " •?drplni;iands-ih;;tho' and, lW.'the Natives', - ; - fight among themselves as to 'how it '"should ■ be,, divided-. among. thomsolves: >He 'would like 'X v> : ;.tO:' MoViwhere' the'-'capital ;which-;was- alleged-;-■■;v tho'Dphilhibn'..WM'gbing? : for.Englaridj,where>i£'would!run a' .-.T}s;,of, Mr.-;Llpyd-George's. Bill? Cheaji Capital. Mr. BBICK (Palmerston.North), said- ho .had.- ,- . no .objection to an import l duty on .Oregon .. r.t, /; piJie,t;'Dut i ho 'cotild snot - understand; how; it was ■; Vthdtjjthei-tiniber - industry."was not ; payirig, in; vi?Wjioffthov present *i high'prices-; of. i timber. 1 - He^approved i.tho Prime Minister's schemo to < " prbvide choap money; for -local bodies. He'-did Ju; 1 ;::': not:-,wish', to/see .a. contipuaKon' of;; the system, vS.V:.;pf,>.,yAluing.'.iarids...on-,their ;'paper.rvalue. - Not ,;, : ,,''bnly.i;was icapitalileavingVthek-Dominibn,.' but V-ft ?>;:,thb,samejremark'.applied; to .labour.: What tho ■ -' J. i - country wanted ' .was. cheap capital, - and suHi- ■ S/pipPt:iMour.He;'was :thoroughly .in accord. W'--' yotitti.;.. of V'.'tho 'should bo trained';in;, the use of. the; ''v;. .like. to seei'any large, landlords, black or white, in Now Zealand, but'he lW D ly<of;; opinion 'that,- every: tenant should :-. have i-.^ha: option (of i obtaining > the . freehold of his" pioperty. 1

Mr. Newman's Remarks. '•''• (Manawatn) regretted "that V-.V-' tbo ( . Speech; . to- a ,-iiew 'Counties^Abt/icThe,'question -of ! local "govern* ' W jH^fckeeu-diseased-for;many. Tears; 'and .-j- ../. Promises of . one ; r- yet 'nothing had' been doner. He r" closer as d -very ..important andr he :had-no. greater. 'ambition iu politics cthan;'to r ,seo'. everyworking 1 wan 1 and on :^7;^hich ; -their etootC'vPe that the 'this- country' T7onld \bear t.: the biirdfen f;of dehiwhich it-had x incurred j' and fuller- developnieiit, .was: by * making the' land reproduce YiV '• -besfc be :douo' in tho manner v- / . the ••?V • opposition. from • .tho.' charge •of nonprogressive'complained- of.rbribes;offered by the . inthefiorrnrof. statements affectp-, leases/ and 'other 'inatters between f V *ir''i"®'- 4 «Tfyr-^d^ceohd l the'Rangitikei :: / b3'-olection. ; The <y;2Rict' of the Government j- • 'urged,' was a : ••'• •' Second' Ballot Bill. J Mn DIVE (Egmont) followed. He welcomed r : nrj^v* I^o : Mihister';back, ; and said ho-was' glad ' ho wad looking 1 well, becauso ho, was going >v;W to. : :hayo; ; :;a; strenuousj session.-."I fully ex.other .'side," said Mr. 1 hayc;the, courage;of.tKeir convictions r ; get'up :and .defend their party,' but they,have had, nothing to «iy. Thoy hear nil *I'-'"'l:® a y»'- ani l aro prepared'to take any ' ge«tiona from' us and adopt tlieni as ; .tiiQir-OYrii. Mr, ;33ive said he was disappointed .in ; regard ; .tO;the. r Timbor Commission,-inat no • ! v;®F^l'W e re being 'taken to deal, with tho qnegb6s i the : scarcity, of -.white pino for, tmtleT ; iMr»,;.Kll ..{Christchurcb South,) eaid he had , advocated ;for,' years - that 'this question should be,dealt *ith. Plfla. for the 01l Industry. * / - - _Mr. OKEY (Taranaki) was 1 , the next speaker. IfG.contoiu'eu that (lurim; thoreceatdcpvOßBion , settlers saw more clearly. than over the ;■necessity for..the freehold 1 tenure bcinn granted. . HenVould givo; a-- limited amount iof freehold ;. to,all Government,tenants. 'What was required, to prevent depression was ' an .of e'xpoSW, and in order to secure that the Native

lands "must to settled. He approved, prinqiple :of '.tho' Xarnl Settlement Finr.nco Bill, /. There wore many mombers'.who would Ilka to kuow tho details of tho l'rimo Minister's cheap-money -scheme. , - ' '"Sif.Josephi Yon stop this debate and I will toll you all about it. ',' Mr. Okey went on to say,that the Government should conio forward to assist th§ oil industry. . * . ' ' Hon. T. Mackenzie: In what way? Mr. Okey: By purchasing tho crude oil. Resuming, Mr. Okey said that not long ago oil. had been tried as fuel on the railways, but tho oil for this purposo had not been purchased in the Dominion.

, SPEECH BY MR. J. ALLEN. ' Mr. JAS. ALLEN (Bruce) stated that during tho dobate cortain charges had been made, which had not elicited 'an answer.'' Among ,other matters was. the charge of bribory in connection with! the Ransitikei olection. - Was it a fact. that tne charges could not be;answered? There was (he continued) ;a Minister on/the Treasury benchos who was a pronounced 'Single-taxer. The object of the system was to take away from the land-owners the advantage of the unearned; increment; Ho (the, speaker) would not say that tho landowners were responsible for .tho nholo of the unearned increment, ;but they wore responsible for much of; it.. Ha would like again to ask' tho Minister a question which he had nefer yet answered.''.Seeingthat he was prepared to deprive the land-owners of the whole of ■ the unearned ■ increment,; was he prepared to support a Bill 'which-".would' deprive; people in > other ■brahches of business of the; goodwill 1 at. taching to them? , ■ A ivbibe.: ,Who is tho Minister ?fAnother member: Geo. Fowlds. . (Laughter.) There was .also tho assortion of Mr. Fowlds as to; the, effect,of a drop in the price of wool. Why a drop affected not only the wool kings," as, they ..had been called, but everybody in the community., A' : . Finance. . .Mr.' - Allen urged.,..that tho fact., that ; the Government had been scooping up so much local' money, - which : would otherwise be available for private utilisation, and; had been taking that, money, away from tho Ordinary chan. i\als of industry, had undoubtedly helped to inbrease'the ,financial stringency. What was tho position in regard to tho A.M.P. Society? According' to the balance-sheet of the society on.March.3l!last, in.connectiori with the, Now Zealand branch' of the ' society,' the Govern-ment-had borrowed £225,000, and in connection with the general account they had scooped, np. <£1,182,000. If that money had not been 'scooped.'.up by the.. Government the .greater 'portion;'of it. would hava been available for general investment, and .' the tightness of: tl|o money market. would not have been nearly so marked 'as: it had been. -•■>; During last year, taking: new ' investments' only,. .£824,900 of post affice' money the poor people's, money, had been Scooped-up by the Government, and utilised by thenii'. and from the. Public Trust Office ■ •8146,000 had been taken. If .thoso !moheys had. been loft - to go 'into; the. ordinary . channels the 'financial- pressure on, the ...country; wouldhave been .eased.' ; With regard -to., renewals, theso .amounted, 1 iin'ythe. case - of : post'.offi.ee moneys; to '-G1;762,000," and: with 1 regard .to,.the: 'Public: Trust the ; amount was not so biit.r/it - was: considerable. .. This'-"' 'w .the : ohargo theyv, wero making, and .' it had ' nbt6 been 1 answered and, could. ' not bo answered.- When,' ,th<^■ large institutions, were scooping up the public money?, and they were being collared every time by the Government, it was making it very hard indeed ..foi' the trader and the. business Wan to 'get money, 'to carry on .his-business.'. In. addition to that, 'tho 'Advances to Settlers Department' had ira- : Anibtedly l • caused;.; investment.. compahies.; to withdraw. : ,their -i operations. I ',,' r They . could, .see-what! the.. effect' of' the new ,loan ;had been. '.The amount-of Government money on deposit in the Bank-of New Zealand was ■"nearly ,£400,000 more" ' than .in '1008,' and -. that; was to some extent; helping to ,'mako . matters'" a bit easier 'now. But; all fhe vnew money wa£: pledged, and would soon go, and no doubt the : Prime, Minister ..would i be. coming,, down soon for another .loan Bill.. ■:• .' i The Prime Minister: You know that I have already.,' intimated .as much, 'and .'yoh. should not state it in that ; way.. just as well to bo fair. ' - Mr. Allen: -1 am fair, and I-am not going: : to. be tongue-tied. I*'told: you Uast' year that, you i'lvould;. have.; to i : como idown!' for,: another foan. • r;;•'.i-','- V-;-

Retronchmcnt. .- v ,....... • , Mr. .. Allen ' said that. on; tho question , of re. • tronchment, 'Mr.- Fowlds. had said • that 'the Op-.' position ..had the , Gpv ; , ornmbnt in „• the'" direction...;• of -r : retrenchment:' Time and the. Opposition .■ had • .to reducehbxpenditure;. timeand.; again; jthey.-preventitha-crratiori.-of/nowyDo-,. ;.partmente..;.'Why>' :. it jwould;.,vbe just jas' . easj! to Btop a stream running down lull as to atop? the iPrime ?Ministeri ''who :was ;a 'plunger,-and' who .wan plunging' with the Dominion's moneys • That could be , proved .- by-; facts .'.before : I hi • members.-Why, the Ministerifor.Bailways had . time, and: again,-before<..he ;became aMinister,made financial . speeches accusing his chief of improvident expenditure., ' He aid . not know what .effect Mr..'Millar, had -had.in the 'Cabinet,'bnt';he ,was,.; sorry: the. effect, he .had' had' la/it year..was not;'satisfactory,-'and he.trusted there would be an improvement. ..Tho . Opposition'had -never .blocked retrenchment; ; . Personally ; he : 'came into, Parliament; in 1887, and ■learned; his lesson ol retrenchment; and he had i'not .forgotten it..';, Since 1801 14 'new' Depart- : meats had .been, created,. arid how many' of them had been members of.the Opposition ?: . The .' Industries:., and..Commerce Department had been responsible forborne 'expenditure which had been of mighty little use to the country.;' Could the. Hon.. IT;. Mackenzie honestly" say whatgdod the Services i of Mr.' I Gow. and the .money, that .had been''paid'.him, .had .'done? Then there was. tho 'Tourist and Health Resorts Department., Something should undoubtedly bo. done .in that direction, but >it had fjrown out of hand, and was a. financial .iniquity oh the part 'of the Ministry. Then;" 'again, had there not been a great waste in .regard to the vPublic; Health Department P' The' proof of' the' waste' in connection'with .it .was evident. : He'had'.not'time -to deal with; tho i other Department. . . V'..'.;-'-. 'J. . 1 Millions have been Wasted. •The. fiict that Sir Joseph said .£250,0Q0 : could cut oft' without- the- efficiency, being affected, spoke'.for' itself.' Ho for one believed that, more;than that amount; had been wasted every'year for jtho past 10 0r,.15 yoars..: ; Wli6 ! ■ was "responsible? ' Sir 'Joseph Ward had ; been. there all; the time, so'had Mr. Carroll, whilst ' 1 'Mr. Fowldshn.d also been there for' a' considerable period. TVas Sir-Joseph Ward now; : recanting in - his, old political age as. ,a result of the influence'.of ; the newer members of:the Ministry? •' • •'■ :W,:.''•' ' Sir' Josophi Have I not '.stopped you from'-' getting' ,enormous..'expenditure? Mr. Allen: Can you say so? ' ..." ■ ■ j;-: Mr.'-.'Mnssey:. .What: about; your own supporters? ' ■;.'. -- Mr. Allen roplied that tho interjection was no answer to his charge. • Had-ho over -asked for; expenditure in regard to the Departments to.'which' he had referred? Did he hot', point out to the Prime. Minister.: that, it' would be | a of money to establish 1 -tho' Public Works - '. Department?-.. .'Was it not . created for political - purposes?. The • present Minister in charge of it;was now'.going to. wipe .it out.. 1 .How; many; thousands had been .wasted | in connection with it? The reason why the Op- ; position had not been able to check extravagance and wn»to was that it had been in tho minority. With the. money that had been wasted in-.the public service, dozens of railways could 1 have',been • built; irrigation; could haye". been carried out in Central Otago, etc. .No one was responsible for tho waste but the Minister 1 who! had led the House. . Was it not a fact that 'as a; result of/.Mmistorial .influence votes had been Approved against! the wish of - the ..majority of members? .-. ... . -.- . , • -. Defence of Banks. Replying to Mr. Poole, Mr. Allon urged that it' was wrong for a publib man to shelter himself behind. someone else unless he was' 1 sure that' that.someone,'-else _was; a.;'roliabls .authority., If it was an evil,..thing to decry, the credit of the colony, it was also an evil thing to decry tho credit of colbnial, institutions ■tvhich aid so 'much with proper -. management for the prosperity of tho country. Mr. Poole, in his attack upon tho banks, .had sheltered himself bohind a pamphlet to prove that, these 'institutions were not properly managed. Did hb wish to' Bay that;they woto not properly managed?. Did ho wish that, to go out to the country?- He was sorry to cay- Mr. Poolo had not . had the courage to say these things for himself,-but ho had sheltered himself behind a Mr. Hobart. Who was Mr.. Hobart to start with? Did ho afilc who ho was? Did lie inquire in regard to this> authority? Did ho try to ascertain of what valuo his words wore? "If ho had," continued Mr. Allon, "I vonturo to soy he would have found that Mf. ■Hobart's opinions oil this question were, practically speaki'ig, valueless. Mr.. Hobart (Mr.. Allen stated) had'no practical knowledge of banking institutions,. and : banking affairs, and ' what he said was prompted, by spito and liroctically not worth tho paper it, was written on.He 'protested. against ' an . attack on institutions! mado not openly, but' in an underhand, way, and he was .-'not , going ; to . deory institutions which the Prime Minister himself had, said were doing good work for New Zealand. The Prime Minister would not say for. a moment that; these; institutions "were carrying; on busi-' ncss in such a way that the colony was not,

receiving benefit from thein. If Mr. Poole had read articles on the banking returns in Tuesday's papers, he would have seon that the things he had said on Tnesday night were not justified. Mr. Poolo made out that tho banking institutions wero not dealing fairly with the people of tho colony, and that one of the reasons .of tho recent financial stringency was that they had looked their money np and not allowed it to be nsed. He: (Mr. Allen) had studied the banking returns, and ho thought that when the stringency came the banks did all they could, and more than they might have been expected to do, to relievo the stringency, and the proof of that was in tho returns. It was absolutely necessary for the banks to send a proportion of. their money to tho Old Coun. try, but it was not a large proportion.

Additional Observations. Mr. Allen said he did not know whether members had .examined tho revenue and expenditure for the last ten years. It was true that there hnd been from year to year an increase in the revenue, but last -year it was i85i,000 less as compared with the-previous year.- . ' . Hon. T. Mackenzie: TOat about the values of produce? Mr. Allen in reply said that it might be that that might'have-been partly responsible, but it would not account for a drop from an increase, of ,X650,0D0 for 1907-0S to a decrease of jCM.OOO in 190S-00. And what had been tho position in regard to expenditure? It had increased from year to year, but last year, despite tho drop in revenue,' had increased by .:' Where were the 1 responsible Ministers?: He would ask the. country to judge them on their finanoial policy. They ought to be judged and punished for leading tho country into its present position. What had caused the depression was the financial position into which the Prime Minister and his colleagues had led the country. From 1901 onwards the increase, in expenditure was £3,305,000, whilst tho increase was only wC3,148,000. The country coula , not go on in that way. Parliament had been impotent , for sonle years to prevent expenditure. The Dreadnought gift was an example. ' SirJoseph:;Tou acquiesced beforei Parliament met. ' - ... - - ' Mr. Allen: Did I? ■ 1 Sir-' Joseph: I could name some of 'your :friend6 who ,told;-mo so.-; ■■ '■■■.-. ... ' Mr. Allen:' I said nothing of the sort.- - Resuming, Mr, Allen said the fact remained that Parliament'had no say in the matter. He went : on to. say. that the Department of Justiro was not represented by a Minister in the House. -:A» a matter of jfaot .thora was great dissatisfaction '. owing to ' the -lack of opportunities for'thoEe' who entered the Department after passing the examination.. They found outsiders policemen,'and others being shoved over their. heads. The matter ought to be inquired into. Mr,: Allen also ■ referred to the Native, land and other, questions. . ■ ! . MR. LAURENSON REPLIES. Mr. LAURENSON (Lyttclton) defended the flnanco of the Government, and denied that the feeling, in favour of the freehold was so general as had been represented by the Opposition. .He complained that on-this question'the: views of ■the leasiShold party;,were..misrepre«entcd, and ho offered to debate tho question of tenure .from- the'leasehold' side in any city ef the Dominion on the public platform, ana declared that he wduld; be awarded the - victory. • -I A:- Member: ; You. should- debate it in the country.',. *'-■ 1 . Mr. Laure'nson said he wauld; dobate tho quostion anywhere ;in tho' country whora ho could get an.audience of a hundred' persons. He. would ;debate it in Mr; Massey's electorate if an nudir.nc.-i of ;two hundred wero. guaranteed. Replying to: criticisms-passed on thq oitravaganeq o£: the',Government, Mr. Lanrenson said that> in connection with the. reception to. tho American fleet, which ' had : been . instanced by. Mr,,'Allon, .the - financial i.return" to . the Domihion was six times' .what, had ::bedn- spent, by,!the:Government. With regard to the caso of retrenchment at Dunedin,' ho said that.the man Referred: to' ihad borna, a' good' character in-,the sorviceV, 'He Was \suddenly notified .of his.;.ratrenchmen{,\'and lie;'had a family and other' relatives tb support.'; Ho was also at an advanced period of lifo, and •ho thought ,tho' Government'had : acted iu U .humane manner, ;in view, of'.these • circumstances, 'in .finding :him. anpthef ,position,jn'thdysamo'Department, but at a-.lower:'salary than he. had proviously received., Referring -to -statements of unprofitable .expenditure;.Mr; Laurcnson said'he could name railways which had -been run past thewool., sheds': of large land-ojvners,'"both' in the North. Island, and ,in .Oanterburv. 1 Ho quoted figures ; hew . the . flocks in tlia'.country were .owned, with tho object ..of showing that :tha:-phrase;-£wpbl;,kings"- .was .applior.ble to a large;;iiumber 6f,; owners., : "With regard to tho .assertions - that,-property throughout the , Dominion, was overvalued, he . would ask why it ..wasrtthat; tho. owners .did not -take ,advantage ?f jne, Pnyi'eges under • which they, could offer .their...property tq -tho State at. 10 per cent, above the.assessment. He thought thofact' ! do.so : was: a.-sufficient ans^ej to 'the., complaint. . Mr; Fowlds had' never spoken, favour, of single . tax iinco he had I b^n.in,"the- Ministry,... r '■ .' .. . m : I'lio debate was adjourned at 1.20 a.m.