ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1798, 10 July 1913, Page 6

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

MR. A, HARRIS. LABOUR AND IMMIGRATION. . Two hours were spent iri discussing tho replies of the Ministers to questions and the Address-in-Reply debate was resumed shortly, after fivo o'clock. . . . Mr. A. HARRIS (Waitemata) said that tho member for Grey Lynn had shown exceedingly bad taste in -his speech on the previous ovening in referring to Mr. F. G. Ewington, of Auckland, as "the oily, greasy gentleman." . There was nothing else in Mr. Payne's speech which called for reply. Tho tone of tho debate so far had been fairly respectable. (Laughter.) Inhere had been comparatively little party feeling. _ The Government had taken office at a period of great difficulty. Ho defended the action taken by tho Government at Waihi. He hoped that the projected amendment to tho Industrial Conciliation, and Arbitration . Act would be ■in the direction of minimising the evils of.industrial unrest, which at present obtained not only in New Zealand, but elsewhere. It was time to settle the question whether Premier Masscy or Mr. Mills, of Mil-, waukee, was to rule New' Zealand, and he thought that' the better feeling of tho peoplo of tho Dominion would prevail.' He specially urged that the Government' should devote greater attention to immigration. It would be advisable, more particularly, to secure boys. and youthful workers. He was snro that many of tho industries of the Dominion could absorb a great number of additional workers. One factor/ manager in Dunedin had assured him that he could increase his staff by one-third if ho ■ could . get them. The aim of the anti-militarists in New Zealand, he said, seemed to be to destroy all law and order. He hoped the Government would deal with these l lawlesspeople, with a very Aran hand indeed. He had some respect for the religious objector, but none .whatever for the so-called conscientious objector, who was in reality no more than a parasite and a-shirker. Ha urged that Maoris should be required to pay rates on their lands. The Reform Party, -he~saiil, was pledged to break up tho land blockade by which Natives held back from productive use vast areas of valuable land. It might ba said that this was in contravention of' the' Treaty of Waitdngi, but'surely the treaty should be no more inviolable than a Crown grant, which was not held to be inviolable nowar days, when it was against the public interest. The salvation of the Maoris was work, aad they ought to be ta.ught trades, which they might practise and so molco themselves useful membWs of the community. He wa3 confident that the Public Service Act would v work out. well for the Civil Service. Ho hoped the amendment to the Shops and Offices Act which wag to come down would do away with tho numerous . exemptions allowed under the law now, and would make the closing of hotel bars on tho statutory half-holiday compulsory.

WESTPORT HARBOUR BOARD. MR. COLVIN'S ATTACK. Mr. J. .COLVIN (Btiller) complained that the present Government was 'not doing sufficient to foster the mining industry. In his district there were large tracts of country known to be auriferous, but the places were tit present so inaccessible that prospectors would not go into ..thejn...Ho su»g'csted that the Government could by making Toads into it mako the field accessible, and put 10,000 men on to the field. Then Mr. Colvin went on to commence what developed into a virulent "attactiQiL Mr.' Fisher.. For himself lie had'-held overy . elective position in. his owii 'district, and he had the satisfaction of "knowing 1 that he had never done anything wrong. Ho would rather have this knowledge than be pointed out after this fashion: "There is a brainy man; but lie is untrustworthy; he is untruthful." The honourable the Minister had made charges against him which lie could describe only with a word of four letters. The Minister for Marino had come down to Westport and held a public meeting, gone round tho district, and set everybody by tho ears. The Minister's conduct at that particular timo was not very creditable. If he went round other districts and acted in the same way tho Ministry would not last long. At tho meeting addressed by Mr. Fisher ho (Sir. Colvin) had gone on tho platform and introduced the Minister to tho people as kindly as he could. And yet the Minister had'insulted him on the platform. . Mr. Fisher: Rubbish! Mr. Colvin declared that Mr. Fisher had suggested to the Harbour Board that tho services of an outside engineer he engaged to report on the harbour works, and had promised to pay a pound for pound subsidy to defray the cost. Tho j gentleman the Minister had named had been appointed, and- he had reported. Afterwards the Minister's friends on the beard had said the Minister would not pay half the cost because tho report was a good one, and the board had voted the wholo amount. The Minister had eone back on his promiso made to pfly half tho cost. The Charge, He declared that Mr. Jisher had been looking for the Hon. R. M'Kenzie's seat at Motueka, and that was whoro he dug up his friend Mr. Simpson. The Minister had said he had appointed to tho Harbour Board the man who was top of the latest poll for tho election to tho county. He contrasted the actions of Mr. Fraser and Mr. Fisher on the West Coast. Mr. Fraser had behaved . quito decently, apparently, but Mr. Fisher "came down all • bombast and bounce, and went about with larrikins." It was no use, he said, for Mr. Pishor to fo looking for "Roddio" M'Kenzie's seiat. Io could "stay round hero about Wellington." The Minister had "gazetted our' two members of tho board who had been thero for very many years, and whose timo would .havo bean up on July 1. And this had been dono so that tho Minister could get his friend into tho chairmanship, which carried JE2OO a year. Hhe Minister had made a statement in the House that Mr. Gillen .was recommended bv the union in tho district. Ho would' tell tha tcinfiuiAjilo gentleman that

this was incorrect, and ho challenged the Minister to lay the letter on tho table recommending Sir. Gillon for a position on the Harbour Board. The secretary of the Buller District Union had told him that day that tho union recommended Mr. Dow-gray. Tho first act of the board aften the Minister had got his friends appointed was to issue from 250 to 300noticesof dismissals to every servant of tho board, but only two officers, tho secretary and tho overseer, were disturbed. Tho man appointed instead of tho overseer had no knowledge of public -works, having been "reared a farmer in tho ICaramen." This chango had been mado for political purposes. During all his knowledgo of the gentleman discharged, he had never known a complaint to be made against him. It had been alleged that there was something wrong with' the accounts of the board, but .ho was certain that if a proper accountant were sent down he .would prove that tho accounts were right. Mt. Fisher: You are going to get an inquiry. Sir. Colvin said something; (inaudible) which did not appear to betoken satisfaction. Mr. Fisher: Now yon "havo got your report, you are not satisfied. Mr. Colvin spoke for some fivo minutes longer, but he made no new allegations against tho Minister. THE MINISTER'S RETORT. FULL INQUIRY PROMISED. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER made a personal explanation, in the course of which he replied to some of Mr. Colvin's charges. Ho Juid never, ho said, made a statement to the effect that Mr. Gillen was recommended in writing by the Labour party. What ho had said was that he appointed Mr. Gillen to tho Harbour Board because he was tho nominee of tho Labour party, and because lie was next at the poll to the man elected, c , t was not the nominee of the Labour party. Mr. Dowgray was the nominee of the Labour party, and you must havo had tho letters. , Mr. Fisher: It is perfectly true that I received letters from unions on the West Coast, asking me to appoint Jlr. Dowgray. To those letters I sent formal acknowledgments. Uut wheu. tho elections came on they did not, for some reason, nominate Mr. Dowgray, but Mr. Gillen. Y° u know the reason. Mr. Fisher: I do not know tho reason. ... . I know the alteration on the West Coast after twenty-one years has upset some of them a little. He weut on to say that in reference to the appointment of Mr. Simpson he was glad to hear that Mr. Colvin was no more aware of Mr. Simpson's record than ho was. He (Mr. I'isher) to make it perfectly clcar .that at least ho knew nothing about it. ■Tho honourable member had said a good deal about some members of the staff of the Harbour Board being dismissed. But did ho not know that neither tlio * Minister nor the Government had any control over employees of the board? At any Tate, he (Mr. Fisher; was quite prepared to refer the whole business about these-appointments, together with tho inquiry into the affairs of the board, to bi investigated by n committee of the House. Would that satisfy the hon. gentleman? | Mr. Colvin: I accept that offer.

■Mr. Fisher: Not only that, bat I propose thai when the Government sets up this inquiry into the administration of tho board, the order of reference- shall cover the actions of the board and my actions also. Ido not think'tho hon. gentleman will-be unreasonable enough to express dissatisfaction with that course. I will open up this whole matter as far as it can b? oponed up, and I want tho lion, gentleman to help mo. Mr. Colvin sa.id he would accept an inquiry by the committee of the House, if evidence was to bo brought up from liisller. . But tho Minister had not explained why he did not pay the .£75 for the services of tho engineer. Mr. Fisher: I do not want to carry this' tiling on any longer, because the hon. geiitieman can get all this out at the inquiry. .But the question of repudiating this payment of £15 has never been even discussed by Cabinet. The hon. gentleman can get all this, and other points ho won't like so much, when tho matter is before the committee.

MR. C. K. WILSON. PLEA FOR THE BACK-BLOCKS. < Mr. C. K, WILSON (Taumarunui) said that undoubtedly Mr. Alyers had found the finances of tJie country in. "a very deplorable condition, and had been compelled to .raise money on *a bad market. But before he took office the Treasurer who preceded him could have raised the money on much better terms for a long period.'; Instead of doing so, that Finance Minister had sacrificed the country to .his own feelings. The neglect of the late Government to provido money for the Advances to. Settlers had been an act of criminal folly. Who reduced tho limit of borrowing under the Advances to Settlers?

Mr. Macdonald: Your paTty. : Mr. Wilson: I am surprised at the member for the Bay of Plenty. I will settle him in a minute.. (Laughter.) We have all known him as a steady, solid man, but since that meeting at Gisborne ho will say. anything. .He knows that the limit was put on even before he became a Minister of the Crown, by misfortune, mishap, I mean. All I can say is that if this Government did not remove it there would be troublo. - . .

Mr. Macdonald: That is your opinion. Mr. Wilson, said it was not his opinion only. There was no doubt that the Ward Administration, by its reckless financial methods, had been-compelled to put the limit on, leaving it to this' Government to raiso tho amount again. It was true that tho present Government had reduced tho limit under Advances to Workers, but this was due to the fact that'it not only, found tho finances of the country In a deplorable condition, ' but had not tho money it required to keep the advances going. What was the position to-day? The limit under Advances to AVorkers had been raised, the limit under Advances to Settlers had been raised twice, and money had been found for needy local bodies. Mr. Wilson condemned the prosecution of the Midland line, and urged that such works should not proceed while there were settlers in tllo back-blocks unprovided with means of communication. Neither should tha new Parliament Buildings proceed until tho settlers "had been provided for. Ho would very much liko the member for Auckland East to see the conditions under which these 6ettlers lived. Mr. Myers: Do you invite me to Taumarunui? Mr. Wilson: I beseech you to come. Mr. Myerj Convorted, Mr. Myers: I can't resist that. Mr. Wilson: Because -i know that 1 should make a convert to the cause of tho men and women who suffer hardship in the back-blocks. Mr. Myers: I am converted. Mr. Wilson: There is ■ a peg in our room; come along whenever you like! I am liko a Roman senator, he continued. I say that Carthage must be destroyed. It was a scand'alous and disgraceful position that members on the other sido of the House, when they were a Government, had left the people of the back-blocks in. It was tho duty of the House not to cavil at trifles, but to unite in removing that blot on our history. "I will read a letter," continued Mr. Wilson. An Opposition member: You said that before. Mr. Wilson: I have said a lot of true things before and they are always worth repeating. A Cry From Out Back, Ho read a letter—it was from a woman constituent who appealed for road access to her back-block home. "It is a mistake for women to live so far back," the letter ran, "they would bo better dead. Wo have had 13 years' misery, hard work, and sorrow." There wero thousands of such cases, 'Mr. Wilson declared. Ho went on to remark that when ho saw the battle-cruiser Now Zealand ho thought: "Two thousand settlers on the land." An Oppositionist: Twaddle. Mr. Wilson said that tho yeomen of this country wero willing to bear arms in its defence. Tho Socialist and the antimilitarist werp not, but tho farmer and tho farmer's son would stand to tho defence of their country.

Mr. Myers: Were you a believer in tho Dreadnought offer? Mr. Wilson: Oh, certainly, certainly; but I am o- much better believer in cutting peonlo on tho land. IWorrlnf? to tho membor for Nelson, Mr. Wileon eaid

' that a fow months ago the flash-light i had struck him "in the front there." Since then Mr. Atmore had shifted about from pillar to post, but the flash-light would never strike him again. Ho defended the Government purchase and settlement of land as opposed to tho operation of tho graduated land tax. Native Lands, . In regard to Native land?, Mr. Wilson said that too little attention was paid to the fact that theso areas increasecf greatly iu value without any useful work being (lone by their owners. Tho big squatter at lease made his land produce as much as possible. He advocated the introduction of agricultural immigrants, and urged that a more economical system of carrying out public works was badly ' needed. There was 110 need for him to laud the Government. That was being dono from end to end of tho Dominion. One thing ho wished to say for tho Government was that when it promised a sum of money it spent it. Ho was very well pleased with what had been dono in his district. Mr. Wilson commended tho constitution of the. Public Service Commissioners. There was a. very fine body of able men in the Civil Service, but there wero crawlers in it, too. He defended tho Defenco Act and its administration, and remarked that men who were not prepared to light for their country had better get out of it. Many people had said tilings in criticism of the new railway manager, thoujh they had never seen the man and knew nothing about him. No doubt the appointment would tend to a much-needed improvement in the condition of the railways. An Oppositionist: What condition are the railways in ? Mr. Wilson: A rotten condition! Mr. Laurenson: Give one fact. Mr. Wilson said that he had seen five thousand sheep waiting for ai fortnight because there were no trucks. To another question ho said that {he incident happened not six months ago. Mr. Wilson said that this sort of thing was tho result of a bad system which had been, growing up for years past, and would only be rectified when the railway administration had been overhauled by the new general manager. In reference to industrial disputes, he advocated tho secret ballot, and contended also that the wives of work«ns should have a voice in the matter. He approved the Government proposals in regard to the Upper House, and expressed a hope that some useful measure of local government reform would bo passed this session.

Mr. A. E. GLOVER (Auckland Central) delivered a characteristic speech, in the course of which ha ' covered a variety of subjects, ranging from humanitarianistn to ivire nails. Ho referred to the Civil Service Board. He declared his intention of persisting in sending nominations of candidates for positions to the Commissioners, despite the penalty to which he was subject. "You may incarcerate mo if you choose," Mr. Glover declared, with a contemptuous glance at the Treasury benches, "but if you do you will find that it will be the rock upon which your political bark will be wrecked." He hoped that if suoh an event came to pass nobody would pay his fine. Some members, he declared in the course of references to another subject, "will go back to their own, and their own will receive them not, but I do not believe that there is a member in this House who . could defeat the member for Auckland i Central." ("Hear, hear," and laughter.) .Mr. J. H. BRADNEY (Auckland West) moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose at 11.8 p.m.