ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2197, 9 July 1914, Page 4

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

CONTINUANCE OF-DEBATE.

Mr. J. V. HROWN (Napier) then continued tho debate on tho Address-in. Reply. He complained that he could uot got widows' pensions forms from tho Pensions' Department in Napier when ho wanted forward them to n widow. Af tho samo time, they wero supplied to a man who was likely to bo n Reform candidate against him. Ho also complained that a special Pensions Department was opened in Napier, and a supporter at tho last election of the Minister of Customs and tho Attorney-Gene-ral was placed in charge by the "hackdoor" entrance. That was douo thrco or four days before tho Commissioners wero appointed. Talk about tho cost of living, he said. The Government wero burying fish at Taupo. Last year they buried 12,000 beautiful fish, without examining them. If the fish would not keep, why could it uot be smoked ? Ho claimed that the Opposition should get cre<lit for tho advances to tho Police Force and the teachers. The Discredited Party. Mr. C. A. WILKINSON (lament) said that the vote on tho No-Confidence. amendment was a foregone conclusion. It was an indication of tho fight to tako place at the elections. It had had tho. etfect of roping in thoso members of tho Opposition who had hitherto termed themselves Independents. Ho believed their independence had gone at last. It was not a matter of congratulation to have tho Labour party members on any side. They had declared that they wero going to uso whichever party best suited their ends. In',connection with such a question as Hibjerreadiug in the schools ho would say that he did not Ixdicve that was a question which could bo decided bv tho voto_pf the majority. Ho did not fa- ' Vdnrif naval subsidy. He believed they should do all they could to defend themselves. Tho Japanese Alliance was a rotten reed to lean on for safety. Australia'was doing its duty, and New Zealand should do its best and endeavour to provide at least ono ship for defence.- It was not suggested (hat a Bristol cruiser should be sent to sea to fiffht battles, but it could be used in the' event of any raid on the coastlino. And after all ho did not think •p?opro were likely to be scared by the mis-statements being made by members of tho Opposition that tho scheme would shortly cost a million and a half per annum. At the Imperial Conference of WO9 Sir Joseph Ward, then read of tho Government, claiming to represent Kew Zealand, had put forward a wild-cat scheme which had been unanimously turned down by every other delegate to the conference. He declared that the Leader of the Opposition had now no ]>olicy and thai the Opposition Party was a discredited party. Mr. M'Callum: Not discredited. ' Mr. Wilkinson: I maintain that it is a discredited party, for it jettisoned Sir Joseph Ward in tho timo of his trouble. lie won on n division r.nly on Ids promise given to retire and allow another section of the party to carry on. .Mr. Isitt: You tried to jettison your leader. Mr. Wilkinson: I? Mr. Isitt: Your party. You tried to jettison your leader. Mr. Wilkinson: As far ns I can learn the Reform Paity havo nhsolule confidence in their leader. Mr. Wilson: We'll go down with him. Mr. Wilkinson: In any case, you need not say we tried to do it. Yon have already done it. (Hear, hear.) It .would'not be possible, be addrd. for the Opposition Partv to satisfy i!- Labour supporters without alienating the sympathies of the more moderate Libcnils of the party, He thought the Government should take some step, to picvonl th' l iutlux of Indian coolies to New Zealand from Suva.

ITe took the iiii'inher lor (IrMchiircli North seriously (o task for his extravagant lan;iiiaj:e in his condemnation of the Government. It was not a fact, as hod lioqh lliat Tnru-

iiuki members won their scats by slander and miMcpresculatioii. Wiicn in his electouito, .Mr. ImU iuul made Ihilii to speak «f Hi,' West Cnas» Native leases. It appears that there was mi great, opposition shown at 11 it- meetings to liis lit tenures, Iml it so liapp.'luii that at tlic two places where .Mr. Isill spukc tho West Coast Native leases were not a burning question. I'robalil.v mil one person at tlie meeting was in any way all'octcd by tliom. It was likewise n misrepresentation to refer, as Mr. Isitt had, to the Government party as a hand of robbers, anxious to despoil the Natives. Would .Mr. Isitt include in the band of robbers .Mr. H. \V. Smith, who had voted for the Hill of last year in every single division!' lie (Mr. Wilkinson) etronglv approved of the Hill artccting the West Coast Native leases, believing as he did that the Natives would liavo a good chance, at the end of the period of lease of netting some of their lands back. Under the old leases under the legislation of the Liberal Party the hinds of the Natives had none from tliom for ever. He urged that the construction of the XtrattonlOngarne lino ought to he pushed on more spmlilv. At ll.L'O p!m. Mr. J. M'Coiiilm moved (lie adjournment of the debate, und the House rose.