THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1799, 11 July 1913, Page 6

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Opposition Disavowal,

DEBATE RESUMED. Resuming the debate on the AddTess-in-ltepiy, Mr. J. H. BRADNEY (Auckland West) said it seemed to him that a cruel thing had teen done by the member for Nelson in dragging up the past of the man recently appointed to the Westport Harbour Board, especially as there was no possible justification for bringing the matter up after the appointment was made. Ho wtnt on to speak of the question of monopolies and cost of living. He declared that the actual cost of necessities was nothing like it was 50 yenrs ago, but that it was the furious rate at which we were living which gave rise to the outcry about cost. Monopolies, too, were often wrongly blamed for 'the high prices of commodities. But for the enterprise of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company wo would not havL» such good or such cheap sugar in New Zealand. It was said there were monopolists, but a foreign competitor had ouco tried this market, and 'found it impossible to under-soll the local company. The monopoly which iiad done most to raise th? cost of living was the monopoly of labour. Ife did not oppose tho legitimate demands of labour,, bu.t now under the monopoly tliey had created men could work when tliey liked and do what they liked. And it took four or fiv» nitm now to pm used to dn.. Those iyera„

the tilings that were making it hard for ; people to live. Ho was sorry to see the , Government had followed up the policy of the late Government in regard to ■ workers' homes. It was a waste of money. Tho homes built by tho Government for the workers wen? never seen by tho people who should have them. Tho poor casual, who earned his 30s. or so per week, still lived in slums in insanitary hovels, while tho Government cottages wore used by men earning wages big enough to provide homes of their own. What the Government should havo dono was 'to grant money to municipalities to enable them to deal with tho housing problem. National Annuities Advocated, Ho considered it quite timo that national annuities were provided. He did not approve of sectional pension legislation, and could not understand how it came to bo tolerated in a democratic community. Compulsory insurance would compel people to provide ft)r their future. He would not abolish tho old ago pension, but he would give evoryoue a pension. Mr. Laurenson: What would it cost? Mr. Bradney said that it did not matter what it would cost. The pensions would come from a fund built up by premiums, and supported ty endowments. The nucleus of such a fund might bo provided by imposing a tax on amusements. Stamp duty of ono penny might be imposed on each admission ticket. Somo of the despised squatters, Mr. Bradney went on to remark, were capable of doing very great things. He mentioned a case which had come under his notice, in which a squatter had paid off tho mortgage on the home of a poor carter, asking nothing in return. A largo loan should be raised for railway construction only, and railways should only bo built where they were likely to pay interest on tho cost of construction. He sympathised very much with the Minister for Justice in his struggle with the Police Association, which had been formed with intent to embarrass the Government. Ho was satisfied that a great majority of the people up north approvod tho film stand which the Minister had taken. The Minister had the country behind him in his effort to keop tho Police'Force outside of labour troubles. Mr. Bradney thought 100 much was being spent upon military training in its initial stage. Too much was being spent upon boys fourteen years of age, and too much was expected of them. He also dealt with naval defence, and advocated a reduction in the duty on tobacco. On the other hand, lie would debar foreign cigarettes altogether. AN AMENDMENT PROPOSED. THE MEMBER FOR TIHARU. Mr. J. CRAIGIE (Timaru) said the House liad had an excellent example of party politics during tho last seven days. The Government members had played the party game fairly but strenuously when in Opposition, and now, some of the samo treatment as they had meted out was coming their way. Ho would like to see party Government done away with and tho affairs of the country controlled by the best men on both sides of tho House. He approved strongly of tho Advances to Settlers legislation of tho late Government, but he was sorry the present Government were starring this Department, He would have liked to havo seen the Minister for Finance get another million when he was at Home, and devote it all to advances to settlers, even if he had had to charge the settlers a little more than tho usual rat© for tho loans. Ho attached a great deal of importance to education, to which ho was afraid tlio Minister did not give sufficient attention; Ho urged that the Minister had too many portfolios, and that he might with 'advantage hand the portfolio of Education over to Mr. G. M. Thomson. Ho deplored tho legislation passed last year ■ by which renewable lease tenants wore given tho right to acquire the freehold. The Government ought to do as much as possible to increaso our exports, and in order to do so must settle more people on tho land. The closer settlement would need better communication by roads and railways, and tho Government should also bring o.ut more peoplo who were willing to work on tho land. He believed settlement of the land oouild' bo accelerated by increasing the graduated .land tax, which might break up somo of tho largest of the estates still held in NewZealand. The present graduated land taxation was ineffective, and would never cause a holder to sell his land. Ho went on to move the following amendment:—

"That, in the opinion of this House, the welfare of New Zealand' requires that the natural advantages possessed by this country in the way of climate, soil, etc., should bo ' more fully utilised, and seeing that, sufficient land for this purpose is not, by .reason of tho'large estates in which it is held, available, it. is necessary that tho laws relating to aggregation of land should be inado more effective, and the most effective way to accomplish this end is by means of a graduated and ever-increasing land tax."

Mr. Craigie* added that ho hoped this would bo accepted not as a party question, and would be carried on the voices. Mr.'l'. K. SIDEY (Dunedin South) seconded the amendment.

Tho Hon. JAS. ALLEN: lam-quito sure that if the Prime Minister were liero lie would have only ono word to saythat he must accept this, coming from the other side, or as a direct challenge to the Government. In tho Prime Minister's absence, I say so on his behalf.

Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon): I havo only to .say that the amendment moved by the member for Timaru has been moved entirely upon his own initiative and without consultation with members on this side of the House. A Government'member: He is one of the leaders, isn't he? MR. H. M. CAMPBELL. THE BEER TAX. Mr. H. M. CAMPBELL' (Hawke's Bay) said it was a.welcome change to have a excise business-like Address put into his Excellency's hands, instead of a longwinded harangue full of promises. Tho Civil Service Board had been a great boon to tho Service. Mr. Laurenson laughed. Mr. Campbell: Tho member for Lyttelton may laugh, but it was no laughing matter for tho Civil Servants. During last election some of them in my district asked mo to meet them in back streets at night. They were afraid to be seen speaking to me. Mr. Alacdonald: It's far worse now. Mr. Campbell: Of course, you fellows don't like it, but the Civil Servants havo no causo for fear. Wliou the House resumed after tho dinner adjournment ill-. J. CRAIGIE (Timaru) said lie wished to add a word to his amendment to make the last words of it read "an everincreasing graduated land tax." He wished, if it was the pleasure of the House, to make this chango in his amendment. / Mr. Allen objected, and the addition was therefore not made.

Mr. Craigie: Mr. Speaker, could I bo allowed to make a little explanation? Mr. Allen: No, no.

Mr. 11. M. Campbell went on to speak of tho amendment moved by Mr. Craigie in favour of an increase in tho graduated land tax. Hie admitted that we needed settlement, but he did not think that evon now under tho existing method of assessment enough allowance was made for improvements. The increase in the graduated land tax last year had realised .£BI,OOO additional taxation, and the member for Napier had promised last year that if the Government would put up tho graduated land tax he would agree to an increased tax on beer, Now he would suggest that it was the turn of beer to be taxed, and ho would suggest that the Government should put an extra 2d. a gallon on it, which, he understood, would bring in .£BO,OOO. Sir. Brown: I will support it. Mr. Campbell; I am very glad to hear it. I thought he would. I believe he is a sport. Mr. Wilford: It won't hit the brewers, but the publicans. Mr. Campbell: If they try any passing 011, the only tiling for it will be a Statu brewery. 1 would suggest it at once. He urged then tlmt liquor in hotels ought io be inspected, lie had no confidence in the proposal to lay light railways as feeders (o (lie main lines. Rather lie would like io see the Government spend money on better roads, which would take motor lorries. Also, ho was not sure that all was right with our education system. BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. CASK FOE THE SHAREHOLDERS. Mr. A. 8, MALCOLM (Cluttm) epokn of _tha Bank of Now Zealand, and tho rcla*

tion of the shareholders to the State. Since tho State had como to the bank's assistance sixteen years ago, the average earnings of sharo capital had been only -El Is 6d. per cent. Ho had no doubt that the Government, in coining to . tho assistance of the bank, was desirous of helping the shareholders, but very much moi'o anxious to prevent tho downfall of the bank, bringing down in its ruin other financial institutions and private people, to prevent which tho State was much mora interested than wero tho bank. In coming to tho aid of the bank, tho State had sacrificed nothing, but in order to reestablish the bank tho shareholders had had to make very big sacrifices. All tho capital they had in the bank—about two millions sterling—was written off, and also a reserve fund of upwards of ,£700,000. Now tho shares of tho bank were at a high market pria?, but the shaieholdew had, he repeated, made the biggest sacrifices in bringing the bank up to its present prosperity, and tho Government should recognise this. Mr. Ell: What about thoso who bought their shares at 10s. t

Mr. Malcolm maintained that tho shareholders were ontitled to have their shares honoured at the face value, and in support of this proposition ho instanced tho action of Congress at tho cud of the American War, when bonds which liad been bought for yence during tho war wore subsequently honoured bv Congress at full face value. The Government should now consider the shareholders, and the shareholders were entitled to have the capital that was written off, two million pounds, written on ugain. The mere fact that tho bank-was prospering, and had been made to prosper by the shareholders' money, was causing greedy eyes to be cast upon it. Mr. Isitt: Public money. Mr. Malcolm said it was not publio. money, but the shareholders' money, that had helpol the bank. Tho bank had fulfilled its contract with the State, and now what right had the State against the bank? But in 1003 tho State, seeing that the bank was doing well, had insisted upon taking voting control on the directorate, before the money lent by the State was re-advanced. Tho directors had previously asked to bo allowed to consult their shareholders, but this opportunity was denied them. The Government had. simply taken the bank by tho throat, and had ever since had control of the directorate. Now it was contemplated, in tho proposals of Mr. Beanchamp, that this power should be used in defiance and contempt of the shareholders. It was wrong that this power should be used to tho detriment of shareholders. And in considering the shareholders the State could make no distinction between the original holder who had had his capital writtein off and the man who had bought his shares at a discount. It 6cemed to him outrageous that the S.tate, seeing its opportunity of making a good thing out. of the bank, should take that opportunity at' tho expense of other people. He stated that he was not in. the confidence of tlio Government as to what they proposed to do, nor had ho any brief for. the bank. The speaker also dealt at somo length with the matter of naval defence.

MORE ABOUT WAIHI. MEMBER FOR OTAKI AGAIN. Mr. J. ROBERTSON (Otaki) said that the Hon. A, L. Herdinan, at an earlier stage in the debate, had accused him of upholding anarchy and defending riot and violence. This he denied. The Minister had failed to answer the charges which he (Mr. Robertson) had made. The member for Otaki went on to refer in detail to the Waihi strike, mainly upon the lines of his earlier Address-in-Reply speech. He repeated his previous allegations that evidence tending to show that tho man Evans met his death in any i other way than at the hands of Constable AVnde had been suppressed, aud that the police had connived at the expulsion of Fcdeiationists from tho town of Waihi. Mr. Robertson then read u number of depositions on the subject of events at Wailii (Turing tho strike. ,Tho general tenor of these statements was that members of (ho police forco sent to Waihi had. treated strikers with gross barbarity, and had been guilty of provocative tactics. Ho had asked tho Minister for ah inquiry, and he had come away from that interview feeling either that the Minister did not waut the inquiry or that he knew nothing about what was. going on.

Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said the honourable member for 'Timaru, an independent member of the House.—(Laughter, and cries of "Oh" from the Government benches.)

Air. Isitt: They haven't got him yet. Mr. Witty said Mr. Craigie had never been to any of the Opposition caucuses, and had never told any membor of,the Opposition party that lie proposed to bring down his amendment. In spito of the fact that the member for Avon had assured him that the Opposition knew nothing of the motion, and had had no warning of it, the acting-leader of the House (Mr. James Allen) hod insisted upon treating it as a no-confidence motion. The party, however, wished to have this made clear, that the Opposition party were not associated with the motion in any way. He pointed out, also, that the amendment was defective in its present shape, but Mr. Craigie had not been allowed to perfect it. MR. HINDMARSH SPEAKS.

LAND MATTERS. Mr. A. H. HINDHARSH (Wellington South) intimated luut ho would speak of the Government's laud policy. He declared that the Prime Minister, tho only member of the Government who knew anything about farming, really knew nothing about back-blocks. It 'was "absolutely cruel" to put farmers, lured out to this country, on lands not served by roads. They were now -offered land in the wilds while there was plenty of good land in tho country suitable for subdivision. He took it that tho Minister's object in putting on the graduated land tax was not to get more revenue, but to induce owners of largo holdings to subdivide them. This being his object, why did he not so increase the tax as to make it effective? He mentioned the names of several large landowners, who, he declared, had sought so to devise their property as to avoid stamp duty. Ho upbraided tho Government for having appointed to the Upper House a wealthy sheep-farmer. The present graduated land tax was altogether inadequate, and there was much land in tho Dominion which was not thoroughly occupied. He thought Mr. Kobortson had made it sufficiently clear that the Minister ought to have conducted an inquiry into affairs at Waihi. The police had no doubt been somewhat provoked at Waihi, bnt this was no excuso for their acting unfairly or allowing their tempers to get the better of them. An inquiry should certainly have been held to clear up tho charges made.

A Government member: What does tho member for tho district say about it? Sir. Hindmarsh, evidently under the impression that the member for the district in which Wailii is situated was a Government supporter, said that the reason why the member said nothing' was that tho Government had treated the matter as a party question. Sir. Poland, member for Ohinemuri, still kept silence. Most of the rest of Mr. Hindmarsh's speech consisted of vociferous shouting, but he was continually side-trackcd by interjections, and his speech developed into a skirmishing argument with the interjectors. He insisted that the Prime Minister, if he wished to carry out the party system consistently, should make not only tho land question a party one, but the liquor question also. Ho declared that no such procedure was ever followed by a British Prime Minister on any question.

"Whereupon an interjector said "Suffragettes," reminding Mr. Hindmarsh that Mr. Asquith had refused to treat the woman suffrage question as a party one. SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS. Slt. G. \V. RUSSELL (Avon) said tho Opposition did not adopt Mr. Cntigie's amendment, but with tlio subject of it ho was in entire accord. Ho believed 1 there was some land aggregation going on Mr. Ma-toy: You'll'get your iuquiry presently. Sir. Russell said the aggregation goingon in some districts might surprise the Minister if he knew of it, but. ho did not blame the present Government for it. Tho Government might bo properly held i-espfln»iblo for nffitrefintinn which mlfht /yjme -lata: .when, tho freehold jjoUcy of

tlio Government began to take effoct. Ho repeated that the motion in its present form tlio Opposition would not support, because the.v would not Jay thomselves open to misrepresentation afterwards. Tlio Minister for Finance would not allow ,Mr. Craigio to put tlio motion into suolii shape as would giro it the effect lie desired.

Mr.W. D. S. MACDONALD (Bay of Plenty) said the Opposition never had any intention of treating tlio ilmendmeut as a no-confidence one. Tlio Opposition party had no intention of submitting any resolution at all, and they could not support Mr. Craigie's amendment in its i>reeent. stage.

Mr. T. M. WILFOBD (Hutt) endorsed the opinion that tlio member for Avon had expressed that the motion was so drafted that members could not vote foiit without pledging themselves to an increase in tho tax on small holdings, as well as largo ones. He hoped the member for Timaim would bo allowed to withidraw his amendment.

A division on the amendment was taken at 11,15 p.m., and it was lost on tho voices. The mover failed to call a division.

Tho debate was adjourned, on tho motion of Mr. Nosworthy. Tho House roso at 11.8 p.m.