THE COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 864, 9 July 1910, Page 10

THE COUNCIL.

,i , ADPBESS-IN-HEPLY. ■ ■; DECLINE IN INDUSTRIES. . The debate - on the Address-in-Reply rras continued ill tho Legislative Council . yesterday' afternoon. ■The Hon. C. M. LUKE (Wellington) strongly emphasised the' importance of .installing wireless telegraphic apparatus on ocean-going steamers. He was glad that provision was to be made for a 'largo'. number of lightships up ind down* the ■ coast. ; A lighthouse should, be erected as soon as possible, ho considered, at Cape Terawhiti. It would be worth" while for the Government to borrow more money for these purposes. In regard to mail services, ho thought .that.-if the mail boats'from America could not touch' at Auckland,, there should be a connection be-! tween Suva and Auckland. He said Auckland, because that- port was nearer to Suva than. Wellington, and because he had 110 parochial feejings. A quicker connection with Great Britain via. Sydney " aid t)io Suez Canal'should bo afforded, either by faster steamers or by jan' ilnproved connection between the steamers. He believed that if .better inducements .were given to the shipping companies ' tho mail services could be improved. A'regular mail service was preferable to one that was quicker, but, less frequent and more uncertain. -Mr.Luke expressed his hearty approval of tho Government's proposals for utilisation .of the country's ■.■water, power,' and suggested that a beginning might well bo made by harnessing Lake Coleridgo to' provide power for Christchurch' industries and. tlio electrification'of the Lyttelton-Christchurch railway. , A strong. demand- was also made. for - the repeal of the clause which provides for the' licensing* of bookmakers.

Local Industries. ; • The Dominion was not making the m.dustrial progress which it should do. Many of thoso engaged in local industries would very "gladly retire , if they could, but they were unable to retire because they were too deeply .involved in such industries. They had not only pledged' all' the money thoy possessed, but they had pledged their lives and the lives of their, families to these industrial enterprises. In 1904 the number of persons engaged in factories showed an increase of 4924, in 1905 thero was.u decrease of 1200, in, 1906 a further decrease of 2690, in 1907 an- increase of 4907, in 1908 a decrease of 3315, and in 1909 an increase of 223. Though the number for last year showed , a slight increase, quite one-third, time had been lost through "short time" worked, and .in some industries only one-third time was worked. 1 Dr. ■ Findlay: They should; go on tho land. ■ ' . • ; Mr. Luke paid he regretted very much that he could not go on the land, but after 38 years given to an industry he .was unable to begin life again. Ho urged that the position of the country's industries' should •be considered by the Government. In regard to tile ..build-. ,ing trades, also, none could for a , moment dispute, that we had suffered a great relapse. He could not suggest a leniedy.. Ho was perfectly confounded ' and puzzled; and he; helieved that the man, who should solve the labour problem of this or any country to-day would be, the greatest man of his timo. He had no sympathy with thoso who would wipe out the industrial ■ legislation of this country and the arbitration system. He did not think that- that would improve the position. So;long as tho improved social condition of' tho workers in this country was maintained, it would lie necessary to raise tariffs to enablo industries to be carried on. If something, was not done, many of the industries would be shut down, not by choice, but. by■ force of circumstances. -Many of those engaged in industries would retire now from choice if they wero able to do so, but'they wero between , tho hammer and tho anvil-all the timo.

The Hon. G. H. Mills. The Hon. 0. H. MILLS (Wellington; denied that Sir John M'Konzie had introduced a. very bad policy for the Stato in establishing tjio 999 . years' lc?so. He thought that the tenant would bo a "darned" fool who should give up his lease in perpetuity, for tho freehold. Personally, though he had no strong feeling on the matter,-ho,did Hot think that these tenants were entitled to the freehold. Thoy should abide by the compact which thoy had made with tho State. He hoped tha.t tho present tenures under tho Land Act would bo retained..

Hon. J. Barr on l,and Camblin s . ' The Hon. J. BAItR (Canterbury) expressed satisfaction with the proposal to form a sinking fund to wipe out the national debt. The country could hardly be developed without" some measure of borrowing, and it was customary for local bodies to form sinking funds at same time that they were borirowing for other works. If what could be done in the smaller case it should be possible to do it in tho larger casfc. He hoped that the Annuities Bill, whicli had been before Parliament for some sessions, would this year be placed upon the statute book. It was.to the credit of the Government that they should seek to deal with the matter of secret commissions. He was inclined to think that the bookmaker was a very small evil compared with some other gambling evils. The bookmaker was plain to see, and the vileness of his calling was conspicuous.- It was, therefore, easy to deal with him, but in conncction with other kinds of gambling, ho thought there was considerable difficulty.. This island was cursed with the fever of gambling in land, and its ramifications wero almost impossible to follow. It had reached such an extent that one listened with suspicion to anyone in the North Island who spoke of cutting up of land and getting access to Nativo land, because vory probably lie was not so much interested in the settlement of the land as in tho putting of it on the market so that it mio-Jit go through

very many hands, including probably his own hauds. In providing for assistance in maternity cases, the •Government must bo careful not to sot up a system of doles which would sap the independence of the people. A' graduated tax on bachelors was advised as one means of assisting people who had families. More should be done by tho Government for technical education.-

The Council adjourned at 5.30 p.m. till Wednesday nest, when - the debate will be resumed.