HON. G. W. RUSSELL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1482, 3 July 1912, Page 8

HON. G. W. RUSSELL.

WANTS TO APPEAL TO COUNTRY. THE BORROWING QUESTION. The Hon. G. W. Russell (Minister for Internal Affairs) was received with applause from all ineml>ers. ■ Ho congratulated the mover and the seconder of tlio motion, especially the member for Wairau, who had come well through a trying ordeal. He congratulated the Leader of the Opposition on tlio freedom of his speech from the asperities that hrul marked his big speeches.

Mr. James Allen': A nmst improper thing to say.

Mr. Russell said that ho thought tho remark was justified, becauso the Leader of tho Opposition had certainly lieen guilty of asperity in dealing with him (Mr. Russell). But tho speech had been a most disappointing ono, in that it did not define line of policy. That was the honourable gentleman's fault; he never looked at questions with the eye of a statesman, but. had treated them alwavs from a party leader's view point. Leasehold and Freehold, In reply ts Mr. Massey's statement that there were six leaseholders in llie Government, Mr. Russell said that Mr. Massey had never been dignified enough—he would not use a stronger term—to say what a leaseholder meant. It certainly did not mean that lie and the others in Ministry were anxious to destroy the freehold tenure. They were not landiiationalisersj there was not a singletaxer in the Cnbinet. It was all very well for ill - . Massev to pick an isolated sentence from his (Mr. speech, and use it in the endeavour to prove in tho most bare-faced manner that tho Government wero opposed to the freehold tenure, whereas all they wished to do was to keep intact this country's heritage of !),000,000 acres of endowment land. There was not a single member of tho Government who wns prepared lo amend (hp present land laws to mako it any more difficult for settlers to acquire I.lie freehold of lands acquired for closer settlement. ATas the Leader of the Opposition prepared to sell tlios-n O.OflD.OflO acres of endowments? Again, if .Mr. Massey got into power, the first thing he would do would be to repeal the Old Age Pension Act. Mr. Massey: That statement, sir, is incorrect! Mr. Russell: All right. Mr. Massev: It is not all right! Mr. Rus-eit quoted the "Wuiioa'Bell" and "New Zealand Herald" as renorting that Mr. Massev had criticised the old age pension scheme, and advocated a scheme of national superannuation. "Wrong in Everything." Mr. Fisher: Yon are wrong in everything you say! Mr. Ktissoll: If ever Mr. M.r«ey gets into pew'ei', I,he lirpt thinij to .£0 doJiP £iH . Jjs tilQ old

pension scheme. (Ironical laughter.) .Mr. Russell continued that Mr. Massey had referred to _ the Legislative Council and a scheme of reform. Was tho honourable gentleman still in favour of reform and abandon the system of Government patronage of which bo had complained for so long. So. ho was silent. Mr. Massey: Yes —■ (but laughter and Mr. Uussoll prevented his saying more). Mr. Russell hoped the honourable gentleman would take his punishment 'better llian :ho was taking it. Why was it that Mr. Massey objected so strongly to the name Conservative? Mr. Massey said there were no Conservatives in New Zealand now. But all l.lio men who had boon members of the party that was proud to call itself Conservative »:ho wcro in Parliament now were behind Mr. Massey.

Mr. Massey: What about tho l'rimo Minister?

Mr. Russell went on to discuss the name "Reform." If Mr. Massey's party ever got on to the Treasury benches they would be a reformed party, and they might one day get into the reformatory. He maintained that tho Opposition was still Conservative in character. At "these rallies" of which the country liad been hearing so much, Mr. Jlassey .had not been in the habit of declaring his policy; ho had been going on other lines—upon, tho lines he had followed in his speech. The honourable gentleman wr.uUl go back to tho country after this session as after last session, to rally his disordered troops. About Pledge-Breaking. Ho talked of the "pledge-breakers." They bail not been spoken ot so much of late. jrr. Massey. You never heard anything of that from me. ' .

Jir. Russell: What about last session? I don't want to refer to any painful incident:—(laughter)—but you said a great deal." Jir. Russell suggested that the reason of tho silenco was that ill". Massey thought thero might be some pltwgebrealviug to put him in olf.ee. Would, the Government havo taken and retained (ilncu without having a solemn undertaking from tho members present at the caucus which selected a leader? If tho U<adev of tho Opposition thought ho could persuade those who gavo that pledge. to break it, lio was doomed to disappointment. There had been in the discussions of tho last few years a great deal said about excessive borrowing. ll® would deal with iinanco to show how hollow was tho distrust of tho Liberal partv with regard to borrowing, tic quoted figures showing tlio amounts that had been expended on directly reproductive works. Jir. Russell characteilsed Mr. Massey's policy in regard to Crown leases as an attempt to bribe tho tenants. It was an attempt to buy polltical power" ami placo with five millions of public money. Angored at some inter■jeetions by Mr, Massey, Mr. Kusscll protested loudlv, and remarked that he would bo very glad to meet tho lion, gentleman out in the lobby. (Laughter.) Tho land policy of the Government, said Jir. Russell, was expressed in the laws now in operation. The lion, gentleman had sneered at the condition of Jlarlbo rough, and had (-aid that the Liberal party was responsiblo for it. Did the lion, gentleman imagine that the Liberal party oven ill twenty years could buy up ail tho land in the country? Mr. Fisher: Why didn't you tax them ? In the Time to Come, Jir. Russell averred that the constant cry of the Opposition against increasing tlio public debt had greatly hampered tho Government in carrying out a vigorous land setltoiuent policy. Tho lime would como when Marlborough and other provinces backward in this respect would receive the attention they deserved. It was generally agreed that'no Minister was moro zealous than the present Prime Minister in promoting land settlement.; Jir. Jlassey, if he formed a Cabinet,!' would bo delighted to secure Mr. Jlackenzio as his Jlinistcr for Lands, and would feel that tho success of his Government was assured. If the present Leader of tho Opposition did attempt a bursting-up policy, it might lead to division in his party. In his "policy speech" that liighlv 'Jir. Jlassey had not criticised any of tho great Liberal measures' on the statute Book. If. he was prepared to accept these measures, why did ho oppose tho •party that had parsed them? A crisis had arrived, Jir. Rus-cll continued, in. which it had to be determined whether a Liberal and progressive Government should be displaced, and its place taken by a reactionary parly, which had spent twenty-one years in fighting the measures which the Liberals bad placed on the Statute Book. If it wero a easo of an appeal to tho country, the Government was prepared to make that appeal six weeks from date. At present tho Government had to face a House elected as a result of "slanderous attacks" made throughout tlio entiro country upon Sir Joseph Ward. Given a chance to appeal to tho country on its own merits, tlio Government would look to tho result with confidence. "If we are voted out," said Mr. Russell, "we will go out." (Opposition laughter.) The Minister said that if tho Government was voted out, it would go out with dignity, and not copy the bad example of the Conservative predecessors of the member for Bruce. Jir. Russell was applauded as ho concluded. The debate was adjourned at midnight, on tho motion of Jir. E." Xevinaii (Rangitikei) until 7.30 n.m. to-day. The Houso will meet at 2..10 to transact ordinary business.