THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3134, 12 July 1917, Page 6

THE HOUSE

The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. Mr. G. HUNTER (Waipawa) gave notice to ask. the Minister of Customs whether he would this session consider the advisability of introducing legislation to impose a duty on motor tyres, tho money so collected to be handed over to local bodies for expenditure on tho upkeep of roads.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

AN AMENDMENT BY MR

M'COMBS

OUR REINFORCEMENT

Mr. J. M'COAIBS (Lyttelton) resumed the debute on the Address-in-lieply. Ho congratulated the Minister ofDefence on tho honour conferred upon him by tho King for services rendered to the Empire. The debate hud been lifted tho previous evening out of the commonplace by the statement of tho Minister, a statement which he proposed to review, regarding the part New Zealand was playing in the war. On the financial side he declared—quoting from Dr. Bedford, of Dunodin—that the Dominions were bleeding the Mother Country. Particularly he condemned the Government of New Zealand for extracting the highest possible prices for our produce sold to the Old Country. Mr. M'Combs then spoko of tho raising of reinforcements, the increases - in the size of the Main Body, and the introduction of conscription. Ho was especially loud in his denunciation of tho Government and of Parliament for having passed the Conscription Act, and for having used tho National Register as part of the conscription machiuery, when-an undertakint; had been given that tho Register would not bo used for the purposes of conscription. He declared that before a singlo conscript was taken into camp in New Zealand, New Zealand had already done more proportionately than Canada, or .V.istraiia, or even Dlster, lui-i done up till now. Voluntaryism did not fail in-. New Zealand. But "somebody had gone mad in this country on this matter of over-reinforcements." Mr. M'Combs concluded by moving an amendment to add the following lor* paragraph to the speech:— "We feel it, however, to be our duty to submit to your Excellency that in tho opinion of this House the time has arrived when New Zealand's part m tho war should he carefully reviewed, and when tlie Defence Minister should ho instructed that all troops authorised and raised for reinforcemonts. should be used for the purposes for which They are raised. "While New Zealand must and will provide a fair quota of tho Empire's Forces, and will nrovide all necessary reinforcements to keep the quota m> to full strenL' | -h, wo view with nli'nn the present policy of creating new brigades out of accumulations of reinforcements, thus weakening the reserves in England which should always he' hold in readiness to meet every possible demand lo rci'lfurce the two brigades which New Zealand equipped and sent from her shores. The extension of New Zealand's batHe-front bv the creation of these two extra brigades will double the possibility of casualties of the New Zealand "Forces, while weakeninc our reserve, and thus making it imperative to call nn the whole of tho Second Division.' If the accumulations of reinforcements are well (15 to "-arrant, inordinate extension of the New Zeiilnncler'' lintHp-fronr, we would respectfully, submit that the men "lie. v.-o"f from our shores in the Main Evneditionary TWly should be rriven n hnliirlnv on "xtetu'eil leave, and be taken \ back io New Zealand if tliey so desire."

Labour Me.n Go On. SIR JOSEPH WARD suggested to tho House that the debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply go on as if the amendment had not been moved. Later, if necessary, a division could bo taken. ne asked Jlr. Jf'Combs whether he. had consulted his party about the amendment. (Laughter.) Mi 1 . M'Combs said he preferred not to reply to a question on a matter "which could not be the concern of this House."

The debate did not go along the even tenor of its way, however. The order of speakers arranged was altered by tho Labour man cutting in.

MR. A. WALKER (Dunedin North) seconded amendment.

About "Elderly Gentlemen." MR. A. H. HINDMARSH (Wellington •South) said ho was pleased to congratulate the mover of the amendment ou

"tho manly tone" of it, which was (ho said) in refreshing contrast to some of "the slush" of which there was so much in tho House. Mr. Hindmarsh went on to talk very sternly to "the elderly gentlemen" in tho House, who were, as 'he said, so solicitous for the right of property, while careless of tho rights of people. Ho declared that the elderly gentlemen were ready to send any number of men to the war, but not to make any sacrifices themselves. He again referred to the high rents in Wellington, and the failure of the Government to regulate them.

JIR. J. PAYNE (Grey Lynn) urged that New Zealand had sent enough men to the front. Ho protested against tho conscription of married men while tho United States had millions of single men available for service. The married men would not get to the front before America's millions began to arrive, and the House should refuse to .allow New Zealand to be bled to death in order to redeem real or implied pledges given by Ministers.

Mr. Payne said that a general election ought to bo held at an early date. The electors, he said, were yearning to meet their Ministers, face to face, and show what they thought about the National Government and its methods. The National Efficiency Board was a ridiculous pretence of activity, producing no practical Tesnlts. The •Javernment appeared to have suppressed the re. ports of the board. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. T. A. H. Field (Nelson). The House rose at 10.45 p.m.