NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1369, 21 February 1912, Page 6

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

SPEECHES BY THE TWO LEADERS.

THE GROUND OF ATIACfi

Tho no-confideneo debato which, has been looked forward to with such intenso interest and will be looked back upon as historical, began yesterday in the House of Jl'cproscutativcs, . in the presence of full : ;benclu'S and 'crowded galleries, many ■would-be listeners being unable to gain ednYUsion. Nearly all the members'were. in their places at 2.30 p.m. Air. Massey was'among the punctual ones. Sir Joseph Ward, with * handful of" papers, entered three or four minutes after the opening prayer had been read by the Speaker. The'air was tense wit'h suppressed excitement, so that tho questions of which numerous members, gave notice, and which dealt with schools, trains, railway crossings, roads, and other'local wants, seeni*d perversely and irritating!}* trivial. An announcement by Air. Speaker that ladies'must not talk during the proceedings or wear their hats in the gallery led to some discussion as."to the utterly inadequate accommodation" for "strangers" tind evidenced tho keenness with which tho public aro, watching, the- political crisis.; One member.' said that flarge numbers of people had'.conie, from Canterbury that morning "on .purpose to take part in the debate.".■;:Ho" corrected: himself timid laughterr--'for; tho" purpose of. listening fo!. the! debate."; : .. '

Sir Joseph Ward-.then : tabled and read a statement'.concerning, the present state of the finances. . Ho also introduced his Local Government. Bill and his- Bill for altering the composition''of tho Tipper House; "Death-bed repentance \" ' exclaimed Sir. >Masscy, arid - t the Premier was plainly irritated. .';'.'

At last tho debate was reached. The mover of *-ho Address (Mr. Vernon Reed) asked members to disregard the fact that the amendment to be moved by Mr. Maspny was directed expressly at the Ministry, and to vote according to their views on (ho policy of the Government. Listeners interpreted this as an inspired liint that if the Government defeats the no-confidence motion, reconstruction of tho Cabinet will follow. The seconder, Mr. Thomson, from Wallace,. talked of many things, but not of tho political crisis. Mr. Massey soored in interjections. Tho peroration of Mr. Thomson's Fp'cech hud to bo held over until the evening sitting.

In tho evening tho House was literally besieged at f very entrance. Women -waited from half-past five till half-past raven, and hundreds' hung alout the en-' tranco Jobbies.and even waited outside in tho daVk and in a keen wind, hoping against hope. .It had become known that Mr. Massey was-;to speak;shortly after 7.30, and everyone ivas 'on' the tip-toe of expectation. Tho House was inconveniently crowded, and strangers wero even allowed to stand on tho floor of tho House behind members.

Tlio Reform Leader rose at twenty minutes, to seven? Ho at oneo declared that ho would liot discuss thi) Speech from the Throne. It was an indignity to his Excellency the Clovcrnor to put such a manifesto into his mouth, and it was also an- insult to the House and the country. In: a fine fighting .speech, Mr. Masscy referred to .the state..of,parties, in the House as proof that the Government had lost the confidence of (ho country. He summarised, in trenchant words, the case, against the Government as put before the country at the elections. "The Government seems to have forgotten," he declared, "that the people have rights, but tbefpeople have shown that they have not forgotten, and they are quite ready to assert their rights again."

The Prime Minister followed. In regard to the state of parties, ho contended that it was not snch as to make it .'his duty to resign. The Opposition would never be able to "put him down."- and if Mr. Massey came into power he could not carry on, and could not get a dissolution. The Premier also repelled several charges against himself, and stated that even if ho wen on tho no-confidence division ho would not continue to hold his'present position.

Mr. Allen dealt with some of the blundering in connection with tho finances, and' pointed'out that the Premier appeared to bo purposely leaving difficulties ■for'bis sneeesfor to deal v>;ith.

Tho adjournment was taken at 11.50 p.m. on tho motion of Mr. Tayne (Grey Lynn), who thus secures the right to relume the debate this afternoon. . .

'•';■ FINANCE. The House did not reach the Address-in-Keply debato until nearly four o'clock, but some of the business .taken before that hour had reference to the coming motion of no-confidence.' The PRIME MINISTER tabled, and partly read, a statement of the finances up to tho end of last month (as reported elsewhere). ,••-.■ Mr. -Massey asked • whether members would have an opportunity of .discussing it apart from the Address-in-Reply. _ The PEIItE MINISTER said his object in submitting the paper was that it should l;i< discussed in connection with tho Addrcss-in-Rcply, but after the Government liacV won, he would have no objection to'giving tho House a further ipportnnit/'..'. Mr. Ma*>ey: You will have to wait a very long fimo for that. (Laughter and applause.) - • The Prime Minister: "Wait till the numbers go up,: and. you'll sec! (Laughter snd npplniisc.) The Sunday Labour Bill, Legislative Amendment' Kill, and Proportional Representation Bill, all of them introduced by Mr. Fisher, were Tend a first time. Mr. fisher .named "that day four weeks" as tho date upon which'he'desired each measure to lie. read a second time. (Laughter.) GOVERNMENT'S NEW BILLS. The Local Government Bill, ami the Legislature Amendment Bill were introduced by Governor's Message and read a first fitiie. When tho House went into Committee to consider these measures, it was agreed, ?n the motion of the Prime Minister, that Mr. Colvin should take tho chair for the sitting. Mr. HANAN, when the House was in Committee, urged that the House should b* given some explanation of the Local Unvurnmont Bill before it was allowed to pass, The PRIME MINISTER acceded tn this request, as reported elsewhere. Members inquired as to the object of the Legislature Amendment Bill introduced by Governor's Message, and Mr. Massey asked what was the'object of introducing, (lie Bill now. Sir Joseph WAl(f) said it w;is being introduced in. eiri.-r that members might

Lave it in their hands durin" the debate on the Addrcss-in-Koply. ' It would bo referred to, and ho intended to refer to it himself. It contained tho proposals lor altering the constitution of the tipper Honsc. He, did not agree with the hon. gentleman's (Air. Alnssey \s) .proposals. Air. Alassey! Death-bed repentance! (Laughter.) ' Sir ,1. AVard: That is what you call it, but; I know exactly what I'm doing, and I'm not sure that the hon. gentleman does. lam responsible for what lam doing, and the views of the hon. gentleman nre a matter of supreme and complete i-idiffercuce to me. A member: Get on with the no-confi-dence motion. (Hear, hear.) ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEBATE. Air. AIASSEY suggested that during the coming debate the House should meet at 10,30 a.m.. and rise at 10.30 p.m. (Hear, hear.) He pointed out that there was no committee work'to be done this session. The PBIAIE AIINISTER said that he was sorry that he could not agree to this proposal. It was impossible for Ministers to do their work by 10.30 a.m., and then sit until 11.30 p.m. Under ordinary circumstances ho had no objection to meeting at 2.30 p.m. and rising at 11 p.m. Further, • ho suggested that, instead of starting the debate now,' the House should start upon it at half-past seven. Cries of "No."

The PRIME MINISTER urged that it would be the most convenient arrangement if the mover and the seconder of iho resolution spoke that evening, and the Leader of the Opposition and him" self continued the debate on the following day. A buzz of conversation arose in the House. The prevailing note seemed to be, "Go on." Mr. MASSEY said that he had.no objection to the Premier's proposal, provided a majority-.of members approved of it. The PRIME MINISTER, referring to an interjection by Mr. Fisher, said\that ho hoped that the suspicions of tho member from Wellington were not aroused. At this juncture there could not bo any suspicion' of political strategy. (Laughter.) ' Mr. MASSEY: la the debate likely to be a lengthy ene? The Prime Minister: Well, it depends on the ' members on your side of the House. Mr. Fisher: Yon said three weeks a little while ago. The P:rimo Minister: Well. I thought that you were wing to bring in your Sunday Labour Dili.

Mr. Massey: I t.nink that the feeling of tho House generally is in the direction of going on. The sooner the debate takes place the better it will be for the House and for the country. Let the new Government settle down to its work. . , "'. There was no further discussion on tho subject, and without further preface the Speaker called upon Mr. Reed to move the Address-in-Reply.

licod had commenced to speak, there were forty-two monitors in the House. Tlio Government, Air. Deed continued, had done a great deal to improve, tlio position of tlio worker, and to prevent tlin operation »f trusts and combines in this country. Tlio policy of the Government and of the Opposition must, he judged by work and not by professions. The want of confidence motion had been bo designed—

Air. Witty: .As to catch the unwary. Jtr. Heed said that the motion* had been designed as a direct attack upon the Administration. Members who approved the policy of the Government should vote for the Government. Then they would have an opportunity, afterwards, of having a say in regard to the advisers and as to whether there should be ji reconstruction or not. (Applause.)

THE SECONDER. ME. J. C. THOMSON'S SPEECH. Air. J. C. THOMSON (Wallace) rose at 22 minutes to "> to second the motion. He referred to the beneficent action of the Government in connection with old ago pensions, and advocated that those oTd men who had fallen by the wayside in political warfare should receive special consideration. He was afraid that our political warfare v\\s deteriorating, and at the second ballot,things had happened that would he a disgrace to any country. (Loud Opposition Hear, hears.) lie quoted the words of Archdeacon Harper, at Wellington, on this subject. He also quoted Dr. Newman's remarks, made many years ago when he was a member of Parliament, against party Government. J here ha.s been misrepresentation from the other side of the House.

Air. Alnssey: What about yours? Air. Thomson added that there was undoubtedly social unrest, but there was less in New Zealand than any other country in the world, and wo were enjoying a period of financial prosperity. It was not the Government, but the Opposition, Hint vivas responsible for the social unrest in New Zealand. (Government Hear, hears.) As to the charges of bad administration, there were no facts adduced, y«t the Opposition press said it was rottwi. They might have just as well kept that word, which he objected to, standing in type—it was so often used. The samo thing applied to the statement about the increase in the national debt and the heaviness of the taxation. The Opposition blamed that for the high cost of living. The circumstances in regard to our national debt were different from these in England where the money had been spent on wars and warships. It was different in New Zealand where we bad realisable assets.

Air. Hemes: Dreadnoughts! Air. 'Thomson went on fo advocate State competition as a way to help the people of New Zealand, lie referred to the wealth of a few men, like Pierpont Morgan, Rockefeller, mid others, and added that he believed in the people owning the millions.

I graph should be added to the Address-in-Ueply representing that the Government: did not possess the conlidence of the House. So far as the Speech which was placed in the month of the Governor was concerned, .Mr. Alassey said that he had not the slightest intention of discussing the contents of that document. (Laughter from Alini.sterialists.) In view of the verdict of the electors at the general elections, his opinion was that by asking the Governor to make such a Speech the Government had imposed a serious indignity upon the representative of ihe Sovereign, ami an insult to the intelligence of member.-' and (if the people of .the Dominion, because nianv of its proposals were "imply part of a belated attempt to bribe the people with hu expenditure of their own monev. Tlio Speech had been condemned from'the North Cape to tlio lilulV by everv section of the community—(.Ministerialists- "No.")—and . damned with faint prais'" l bv all the Government newspapers. iMoices: "Hear, hear.")

Views of Previous Speakers. Air. Alassev said that in an Address-in-Eeply debato it was customary for the Leader of the Opposition to congratulate tlie mover and the seconder of tho motion. He did so on tho pres.ent occasion with a great, deal of pleasure, though he did not agree with the opinions expressed by those members. As for the member for Wallace, he would say that that member read his speech beautifully. There were one or two points in their speeches to which he desired to refer. The member for the Bay of Islnnds mentioned an amendment dealing with the land question moved by the Leader of 'the Opposition about two years ago, and expressed tho opinion that the object of that amendment was to place certain Government supporters in a difficulty. That was contrary to fact. He. had moved that amendment because the authorities in connection with land settlement were not sufficiently energetic, were not encouraging the development of the land, but were really placing difficulties in the wav of bona iide settlers.

The Native Land Question. Sir. Keed declared that the Opposition advocated free trade in Native lands; ho challenged any niemljcr to say when ii member of the Reform parly expressed himself in favour of free, trade in Native lands. He save the .statement an unqualified contni/liction. The Reform party desired to secure to the Natives the titles of their lands, and for those who owned more land than they could utilise a fair price for the land they desired to dispose of. Two Borrowing Policies Then lie impression had been conveyed to the House that the Heform party proposed to cease borrowing; that also was incorrect. The Reform party knew perfectly well that money must be borrowed for the development of the country and for the prosecution of necessary public works. Hut it was opposed to borrowing

coifr.try. Tli-.it it had was proved bv the state of the benches that n : g!il. (Voices: No, no.) It was proved ),y the fact that a number of Government supporters, not the Independent, member for Christchiirch Noi'lh. had lost their seats to members of the Opposition, and that in nearly every case the majorities of Government supporters were reduced, and those of Opposition supporters wero increased. If ever o. party had been given notice to quit it was the one which, now oceunied the Trea>nry benches. The Government hail hung on to oliice in a manner that certainly would not increase its reputation for integrity nor il.s popularity Lat-ely, at all event-, the Government party had had no guiding principles except the interot-: ot party. It: was like a ship without a nuld.M-, blown in all directions by the breath of public opiniiu, rolling in the swell of public indignatiiii, ;u r |, every time it rolled, it showed thousands of political barnacics. If was just a political derelict. He would like to say that there I ,V! li i a t S Klel ' n ' impression, and he hon- [ estly believed, indeed knew, it to be a correct impression, on the part of the peopie. that where the interests of tho party in power clashed with the interests of the country, then the interests of the country took a second place. This had been his experience of the gentlemen on the Treasury benches, at a'nyrate, during the past half dozen years. A member: Prove it. Air. Alassey said he would prove it m a very few minutes. But for this attitude on the part of the Government they would not have been in the miserable position in which they now found themselves. On one occasion their attitude was illustrated by their inducing a majority in Parliament to postpone tho session for three months, in order that oue or two of their number might go to England. He was thinking particularly of what happened three years ago, when the country was suffering under the sharpest piiieh of depression that it had suffered from for twenty years. Instead of Parliament being convened for (he purpose of relieving the distress that existed, the session was postponed. This was an instance of the kind that the lion, gentleman had asked for. Fortunately,' the prices of staple commodities had recovered, and prosperity had returned to the country, but that was not done by the hon. gentlemen opposite.

Paramount to Parliament. In financial matters the Government seemed to think that the Executive was paramount to . Parliament. He was thinking of the worst example that he could call to mind—the gift of the Dreadnought. It might be said that the gift was patriotic, but there would have been just as much patriotism in it if Parliament had been consulted, and had given the Dreadnought to the Imperial Government. It would have been the gift of the peop'e through their representatives, and not the gift of one man, as had been stated by some of the papers in England. There were other instances where the sum involved was only a fraction of the cost

on, the result would have been a depression from which tho whole of the people of the country would have suffered. As it was now, lie- believed' that tliey would escape with a certain amount of financial stringency. He sincerely hoped that this would lie the ease, and that tho country would not suffer any more than ! that.

I An Ignominious Failure. In regard to land settlement the Government had iglinmjnionsly failed in its duty. Everyone knew perfectly well that if this country was to be prosperous its prosperity would depend upon successful kind settlement, if we were to pay our way our ability to do so would depend upon our success in promoting agricultural and pastoral industry. Everv member knew that the Government had failed in this respect. Large areas of unoccupied land had been allowed to lie idle, no attempt being made, year after year, to settle them. Good settlers had failed to get laud at ballot after ballot, and had been allowed to drift away to other countries. More must be-done to encourage land settlement than ever had teen done in the past. They must discriminate between the man who used his land' properly and the man who did not. Members: Hear, hear! Mr. Massey continued that this" was a point which the Government had never been able to grasp. It was sometimes said that improvements on land were exempted. Most certainly they were not. It was known to every "improved" farmer and settler that the more he improved his land the higher went his unimproved value. Ho knew instances in which men were paying taxation on unimproved values, where those values were based simply on tho improvements that they had made. Another class of settlement in connection with'which little or nothing had been done was the. cottage fami settlement— small settlement in the neighbourhood of the large cities. Whatever. Government occupied those benches in the future would have to face the land problem as it had never been faced yet. He was finite willing to admit what- had been done by the Workers' Homes Act, and others for workers, but precious little had been done for those workers whose average earnings were less than Ms. per week. Ihis was a class for which something should be done by the Legislature. He l«lieved that these people could be given lower rents at very little cost to the country. Iho lime would come when the country would not be so much dependent upon agricultural and pastoral industry as- it was at the present time, but in the meantime the motto of the party in power shouid be settlement, more " settlement, and still more settlement. (Hear, hear.) When land was wanted for settlement purposes it must be found, and he believed it could bo obtained either from European or from Native owners, with; out any injustice to the owners. ' But it must be obtained even if grasping methods had to be adopted in dealing with the owners.