THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2276, 9 October 1914, Page 7

THE HOUSE

The House of Representatives sat at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. F.'.M. B. FISHER gave notice to introduce the Legislature Amendment Bill No. 2. ELECTORAL AFFAIRS. Mr. R. M'OALLUM (Wairau) asked the Minister in charge of the Electoral Department whether any opportunity, would be afforded to soldiers in the Expeditionary Force who had neglected hitherto to record their votes to do so before the transports sailed. The Hon. F. M. B. FISHER said that on the arrival of the troopships at "Wellington arrangements wore made to have an electoral officer plaoed on every troopshijj, to do everything possible to enable soldiers in the Force to record their votes. Ample opportunities were being afforded'to members of the Force to record their votes. In reply to a question, he said that tho same applied to the troopships now at Auckland.

Tho Electoral Act Amendment Bill Right to Vote Bill (Mr: J. Payne) was introduced, and read a first time. Mr. Payne explained that the object of the Bill was to allow a man to record his vote even if his name were not on the roll on his making a declaration on oath before a deputy-returning officer as to his qualifications as a voter.

LOCAL RAILWAYS LINES FOR COUNTRY SETTLERS THIRD READINC DEBATE, The Hon. W. FRASER (Minister of' Public Works) moved tlie third reading of the Local Railways Bill. Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) criticised the Bill at length. He opposed tlie clause under whick votes are to be allotted according to the amount of security staked by the voters. He said that tho system of voting proposed was not democratic. "Why," ho askedj "should one man have more than .ono.»'oto?" Members: Because he has to put more money into the line than others. Mr. Witty: But won't he get more out of it? Tlie Hon, W. Fraser: Not ilyMr. Witty said that they had been very disappointed in the present Government. Government imcmbers (laughingly)! Certainly you were disappointed. A member: You don't look very cheerful. Mr. Witty declared that unfair pressure would be brought to bear on the Government to tako over certain lines. He was surprised that tho Government had brought down such a Bill.Tho Government should borrow money and build railways on the betterment principle—should borrow, say, £10,000,000. A member: Oh, mako it £20,000,000. The Hon. R. M'KENZIB (Motucka) said that ho was satisfied that the Bill was not going to bo of any uso to tho settlers. Thcro was onq line however, which he thought would be built under tho measure, and that was tho of the lino to. Lake, Taujjtio

Ho went on' to say that tho Bill lacked necessary safeguards. It would be better for tho Government to go in for a substantial loan- and construct tho lines themselves, than to proceed with this Bill. Tho Bill did not provido for the financing of tho works contemplated by those .who framed it, and tho system of tho classification of tho land did not go far enough. Tho method of construction laid down carried no safeguards. No maximum rate for fares, and none for tho carriage of goods, was provided for, and tho board would bo able to charge- what they liked. Maximum rates should be laid down. A Delight to Taranalii. Mr. J. B. HINE (Stratford) said that it was evident from tho speeches heard from the Opposition benches that it was tho policy of the Opposition to dony to tho settlers tho right to havo railways. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon): What is the Opposition policy? Mr. Hine: To deny to the settlers the privilege of having railways in their districts. . Mr. Hino said that he had-read as a boy of the policy of solf-relianco enunciated by tho late Hon. J. Ballance. How had the "Liberal" Pa-rty_ thrown that policy completely to the wind! Tho "Ijiberal" Party had put oertain catchcries before tho people at the time of tho last election, but tho Reform Party had known how tcdeal with them, and the "Liberal" banner had gono to the mnd. Tho Bill would be hailed with delight in Toxanaki, and 'he hoped that it would go through in its present forim Soon after tho Bill'was passed, he hoped to seo a verv -important branch lino started under it in his own district. The country people were generally shrewd, and they would not put their money into a line which was not going to pay. „.,,•• An Opposition member: If the line is -going to pay, why don't the Government build it?

Mr. Hine said that the Government could not bo expected to raise sufficient money to build all tho branch lines which wore needed.

air. W. A. VEITCH (Wanganui) declared that it was no use the momber for Stratford saying, that the Opposition wished to deny railways to the settlers, because that statement was not correct. Mr. W. Nosworthy (Ashburton): Look at the division listl Country Member Welcomes Bill. Mr. G. V. PEARCE (Patea) said that it was characteristic .of Mr. Veiteh that he had just said that he did not wish "to deny the settlers ■ the right to have railways. Why, during the second reading debate, Mr. Voitch had wholly condemned the Bill!, This characteristic of Mr. Veiteh reminded him of the somewhat similar capacity of the same membor for supporting the leader of one party to-day, and the leader of the other party to-morrow. Mr. Pearce said that the railways built under the Bill would be just as much safeguarded as they would if built by the State—probably more, for politics would not enter into the question. The settlers who asked for a line to be built would .not petition for a railway unless it was going to benefit them, i'ho Bill Bhould be welcomed by Wanganui instead of opposed by Wanganui's member, for in a little while the money could bo raised to put through a lino which would be of very great service to Wanganui. : Mr. G. W: RUSSELL (Avon) declared that a wrong attempt was being made to endeavour to create the impression that the Opposition was unwilling to allow the settlers to have the privilege of railways. Mr. Russell made a somewhat explosive attack on the measure to show that it was "a fraud." Shouting at a House which laughed heartily, he endeavoured to assert his own views, and when the Hon. W. HVaser (who was in charge of the Bill) told him that he was wrong regarding a particular clause, ho cried aloud that the Minister had insulted him, and that tho Minister had not road the Bill. (Loud laughter.) And so tho member for Avon continued, but before concluding he said that the Opposition favoured giving the settlers tho railways, and would vote for the Bill. (Laughter.) However, the Opposition policy would be to raise a quarter of a million of money to build the lines required. Prime Minister Crushes Mr, Russell, The Right Hon. W. F. MASSJSY (Prime Minister) described Mr. Russell's speech as the most extraordinary of tho. many extraordinary speeches delivered by that gentleman in the House. Mr. Russell had denounced tho Bill in trumpet tones, but toward the end of his speech had dropped his voice to a theatrical whisper, and said: "But, I am going to vote for tho Bill." Mr. O. K. Wilson: No sympathy with tho settler! Mr. Ma-ssey: No, of course not. His sympathy is with tho man who owns 60,000 acres and upwards. Speaking of private lines made in the past, the Prime Minister referred to the Manawatu railway. A Railway Commission, he said, was set up to inquire I into tho probability of the projected undertaking paying. Tho Commission reported that the line would not pay, and, so, the Government would not touch tho scheme. But a private company took it up, and it proved a great success. It had. been said that the Government would eventually take over the lines which would be made under the Bill. He hoped that the Government would take them over, but they were not going to act the part of the dog in the' manger. They certainly could not borrow money for the whole of the lines requested, but 'they did not wish to stand in tho way of the settlers on that account. Tho proposal would work out that the Government could eventually take the lines over at a price not exceeding the cost of construction. The Government were doing all they could in the way of opening up tho country, and where they could not build railways they were going to show the settlers that they would not stand in their way. Tho proposal was not a new thing; it was long past the experimental stage. There was the Mana\vatu line, which had been a tremendous success; the Sandbn tramway; and the Taupo Timber Company's line. Why should the principle not be extended? Development of the Country. Mr. Russell: What about the financial success of those lines? Mr. Massoy said that he had always understood that tho Sandon line paid vory well. Hie Taupo line, of course, was built to carry timber": New had had opportunities in the last fow years of supplying new mar-1 kets with its produce, among these, I Western Canada and the United States. I Tho country contained a million indus-1 trious peoplo who were willing to do tho best they could for the development of tho Dominion, and the Government would not be doing their best to help thorn unless they wero prepared to allow them to build their lines to carry their produce. If these branch lines wero built, and tho settlors wero assisted, the country would go ahead a.s it had novor gone ahead before In tho last Sew years our exports had very considerably increased, and if it was not for tho war they would show another increaso this year. And this Local Railways Bill was ah excellent moans of opening up tho country, and still further enhancing the exports. | Mr. Russell: Give them the railways. Mr. Massoy: Tho honourable gentleman's party was in po'wor for twenty years, and why have they not dono "SO?' '| Mr. Russell: Wo-spent over a million a year on railways for tho last twenty years. ■ Mr. Massey said that tho expenditure did not amount to quite that, hut.

that for -cho last eight years or so nearly a million was spent on railways, and yet the lato Government had not given the people nearly all tho railways they required. The Difference in. Parties. "So far as the party that I am connected with is concerned," said Mr. Massey, "I might say that their watchword may be summed up in a few words—progress and consequent prosperity. Ever sinco wo havo been in power—and wo have only had two years and a half on tho Treasury benches— we havo never lost an opportunity of advancing what we believe to be in the interests of this country. We have never lost an opportunity and the results prove it. Mr. Forbes: The interests of your own friends. , Mr. Massey:.No, the interests of the whole.community.. That is a very improper suggostiou lor the honourable gentleman to make. We have not worked in the interests of any particular section of tho community. (Hear, hear.) Now, when the wholo Empire is under tho oloud of war, and the wholo world is suffering from a depression, I don't say that New Zealand is not suffering at all, but I do say that there is no part of the Empire that will suffer less than Now Zoaland on account of tho Euro? pean war. I don't know how long the war may last. I hope it will not last long, but I am quite' sure New Zealand will recover from the war more quickly than any other part of the Empire. In conclusion, Mr. Massey aslfecl those who had denounced the Bill to vote against it. _ A Government member: They will funk it.

Mr. Massey Baid that when he denounced a Bill, as ho had on many occasions, he.always had the courage to vote against it, and if his party had not had tho courage of their opinions they would not now be on the Treasury benches, Clogs in the Wheel of Progress. Mr. W- D- S. MAODONALD (Bay of Plenty), after delivering some criticism of the Government, said that ho would vote for the Bill. Mr. C. K. WILSON (Taumarunui) said that every man who had the interests of the small settlers at heart would support the Bill. The Oppositionists were clogs in the wheel of progress, and tho country would resent their attitude toward this-measure. Mr. H. ATMORE (Nelson) said that he would vote against the Bill if ho could get anyone to "tell" with him at the division. The Bill would work in the interests of the big men. Mr. F. H. SMITH. (Waitaki) said that since the second reading of the Bill it must have come to tho ears of the Bill's opponents on the Opposition benches that they were going to lose considerable support in the country on account of their attitude, and,— — A Government member: And they are apologising.

Mr. Smith: Yes; they are sort of apologising how. '. Another'momber: And going to shirk a division I

Mr. Smith went on to offer a number of reasons for supporting the Bill, and devoted some time to a criticism of Opposition arguments. Mr. P. C. WEBB (Grey) opposed the Bill. Mr. J. A. YOUNG (Wnikato) Baid that the Opposition had criticised the Bill because it had come from the Government. The measure was a good one, and was conceived in the interests of the back-country settler. (Left Sitting.)