PARLIAMENT
; ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED VARIOUS WAR PROBLEMS The House of Eepresentatives sat at 2.30 p.m. 1 Mr. u. HUNTER (Waipawa) gave notice to ask the Minister of Defenco whether he will give instructions to tho medical boards to make tho first medical examination of reservists more thorough, or tako such other steps as may be necessary to protect reservists from the less and hardship caused by their being passed as medically fit, sent into camp, and immediately rejected. Mr. B. A. WIIIGHT (Wellington Suburbs) gr.vc notice of the Maori War Medal Bill. The Borough of Karori Empowering Bill, the Wellington City Trading Departments, Reserves, and Renewal Funds Bill, and tho Day's Bay Sanitation and Water Supply Bill, nil in the name of Mr. R. A. Wright, were introduced and lead a first time. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY THE DEBATE RESUMED Mr. R. M'CALLUM (Wairau) resumed the debate on the Address-in-Eepiy. lie congratulated tho Minister of Defence on tho honour conferred upon l.ini by His Majesty the King, saying that no title ever given in this country had been better bestowed. He commended Sir .Tames Allen especially on his conduct of affairs in tlie absence in England of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward. No Minister liad such n grip of defence affairs as Sir James Allen had, and it wtuld bo a calamity if he were to be compelled to relinquish his work by impairing his health by overwork. He congratulated Sir John Pindlay on his maiden speech, and deplored the fact that the lion. G. W. Russell had found it necessary to at r tack the member for Hawke'a Bay. Referring to the speeches made concerning reinforcements, he said that he was scrry -.that there had been any note of discord. Ho thought tho .House should support tlie Government in this. .ITe believed that the married men of the Second Division should bo prepared to go when- it was time for them to go, and married men who sought to evade their obligations were shirkers. He would like to see our force kept down to its present size, but it was evident that the Home authorities wanted men more than they wanted food. AVo could not withhold our men on tho plea that they were necessary for food production. Sneaking of tbe case of tho member for Grey, he said that it was his ooinion that a blunder had been made ill dealing with his case. -Either he should havo ?ot the full eleven months' sentence, or ho should have got no sen»cnee at all. If he were guilty he should have been punished even more severely than other offenders, and if he were not guilty he should have been liberated, no suggested that -the Government' might deal with t'he early closing question in much the same way as if had dealt with racing. Tlie Government should consult with the licensed victuallers' associations, and suggest to N'om that they should re''i!'"> hours. (Derisivo laughtev.) Mr. M'Oallum said that the prohibitionists made a mistake in siinposine that no licensed victuallers were decent men. He believed that SO per cent, of them were honest men. First—the War. Mr. K. SCOTT (Otngo Central) said that unless we could keep up our supplies of men to help the other countries of the Empire to win tho war, v;e would run the risk of losing in tho war, and our country would be lost to us. Our contribution was important in numbers, and it had a real moral effect as.well, and we must go on whatever the cost to ourselves. Ho did not fear that the productivity of tho country would decline very much as the result of sending away so many men to tlie war. We would run just as many sheep and cattle as before. It w:as possible that w© should not grow finite so much wheat, but if our farmers exerted themselves we should still grow a fair supply of wheat. He condemned the excess profits tax as inequitable in working. He declared that tho so-called levy on butter-fat was in fact a most iniquitous tax. He criticised adversely the Rovermnenfs methods of dealing with the wheat supply problem. Member for Napier. Mr. J. V. BKUWN (Napier) said that there was a Government in power which was callal a National Government, but it did not deserve the name.- What had it done of a national character? As a matter of fact, it was a farmers' Government, for the vholo Houso was ruled by farmers. The farmer always growled about every item of taxation affecting farmers. Mr. Pearce:'AVhat about tho brewers? Don't they do that? Mr. Browu: When did -you hear a brewer get up iu this House and complain about taxation? Mr. Pearce: What are you to do now? Mr. Brown said that there were parties in tho "National Government—''J ories and Liberals. The Tories in tho House never criticised the Tories in the Government, but directed all their criticism against tho Liberals -in the Government. He accused the Government, and particularly the Defence Minister, of harsh treatment of soldiers and their clependanbs. He insisted that the Government must make better provision for the families of men going on active service. Defence Administration. Mr. G. WITTY (Eiccarton) said that he did not iloubt the sincerity and ability of tho Minister of Defence, but the trouble was that Sir James Allen stood by his officers right or wrong. Some of tlieni were not worthy of his confidence. Additional information was needed concerning the distribution of New Zealand's troops abroad. The figures given by tlie Minister had suggested that a big surplus of men was idling about. Sir James Allen: That is not so. Mr. Witty said that he was not satisfied New Zealand need send so many men. Had the other Dominions been tsked to form extra brigades? Sir James Allen: Yes, every one of them. Mr. Witty: Did they do so? Sir James Allen: That is another question. Sir. Witty said there was one aspect of Defence administration he was not allowed to discuss. The hospital .ships, equipped at the expense of the people of New Zealand, had been handed over lo .someone who muist not be criticised by members. Sir James Allen: They are not handed over. / , -. Mr. Witty: AVe can criticise the Minister. but not the ships. Air. M'Calluui: The Minister 'says he takes all responsibility. A very brave man he is.
Mr. Witty: "He says he bikes responsibility, but lm is not responsible.' Mr. "Wifely proceeded to the Defence administration with laxity in connpehou -with recruiting and medical exa.nunatioii. Ho quoted a case where a partially incapacitated soldier had been a pension until ho Hlr. Witty) brought the matter Worn the Minister. 'J' l ?." claiivt was admitted. Officers who d l '' not do their du,tv until the Minister intervened o"-rht to fie dismi.wil. fH'-nr. hear.) Manv men wore ljoin-r reta-ncd. i,i fl,(, T!ofeni'p service nn ununnortiint work who would lie better employed at thp front or nn the land. A. farm worker with thirteen years' r-jnerieiiee had enlisted. and thmirh he was fit he had been put to clerical work in jS'cw Zealand. Opposition Needed. Mr. C. E. STATITAM (Dunedin Central) said that the National Government hod suffered from the hick of a strong and solid opposition. Much legislation had been passed that would not have been accepted by the House under -normal conditions. Tie hoped that during the present session war pensions and allowances wore going to be imttcased.
He suggested that when recruits were being examined they should sign a statement regarding any physical disabilities they possessed. If the men concealed the truth, the responsibility would be theirs, but if a .man told the truth and subsequently broko down in camp the Government should take full responsibility. The position of the soldiers' dependants demanded the very careful attention of the House. Tlie financial assistance schemo intended to cover such charges as rent and insurance, was of great benefit to the married men, but it appeared that the ullowance would cease immediately on the death of the soldier at the front.
Sir James Allen: There is provision for continuing it for six months.
Mr. Statham: "What is six months to the widow? At the end of that timo the Government can say: 'Your husband is dead and we have done with you!' " The loading of the insurance premiums of soldiers proceeding to the front seemed inevitable. The companies would have been courting disaster if they had accepted soldiers at tho ordinary rates. Speaking as a member of the Second Division, ho felt some delicacy about discussing reinforcements. But the people of New Zealand wanted information on tho subject. New Zealand, must stand by the Empire to the last man, but he felt that it would lie wise for the Government to consider its position. If the present rate of reinforcement was maintained the Second Division would bo exhausted very quickly, and the Dominion would be-unable then to to send reinforcements. The Second Di :i----sion iren were not shirking. He could say as one of them that he would rather make the supreme sacrifice than see the Empire's effort fall short-of victory.
Exports and Cost of Living. He had always regretted that the Government had not from the beginning taken over the export business of this country. This would have solved purt of the cost of living problem, because our local markets would not then have been affected by the fact that the British Government were leady to pay such high prices for our products. The opportunity of the Government to take over this trade had. lie feared, been irretrievably lost. But if the Government had taken over the export business it could liave used tho profits for tbe c~o«t of the war. and would have obviated the necessity for the excess profits tax, a most inequitable tax. as lie had always maintained. Much of the money collected under it was levied upon income not due to the war. He would be glad to see an export tax imposed, and to see the Government abolish the excess proliN tax and increase the. graduated income tax lo any amount necessary,'even one luiindred or two hundred pel' ceni. lie honed Hie House would have some consideration for men with large moil who had already Von heavily taxed through the Customs. There was now a demand for economy, bnt be "'""r 1 ': there was a tendency on the pait ni =wie sections of the community to dictate to other section': Tf the ~-or" not se-ious 't would .be amusing. Monev was being lavishly spent m sue 1 •i..vvjps •»<! mot<"'-cnrs and costly raiment He would like to see a comprehensive selieni" nf taxation on id. luxuries. He would like to see a tax on all Mr Pa.vne: That is a tax Wore a man has made an income, remember. Tt'x Luxuries. Mr. Statham said he would like lo seo a restrictive tax on liquor, because lio regarded liquor as a luxurj, but it would be-idle to put a tax on one lu.\nr> and to leave all the other luxuuu untaxed. It was true that to some extent wealth had teen, conscripted by vaj of taxation on land- and income, but he thought tho time had arrived foi a direct levy on the capital wealth ot the country. This would obviate the nccessitv for taxing heavily the pio=pective wealth of the country m income tax. and there was a real danger that the maintenance of a high ratp ot lncmne tax would cause capital to be withdrawn from investment in this co » llt: . l >' or would cause investors to be umulliiio to invest money here. He would like to seo a levy of, say, -10 per cent, on capital: ~ ' . . Mr. Eeed: It would more than pay foi the whole war. . Mr. Statham said that the proposal he made was not new in principle. Jy the' law of general average when money was expended for the benefit ot the whole ship and cargo, the whole ship and cargo was asked to pav a stare. The parallel was exact in this ease.
Early Closing
deferring to the six o clock closing, lie said that lie was in favour of restriction of drink and restriction ot the temptation to drink. But he did not think that the proposal to close hotels fit six o'clock without compensation was cither equitable or efficacious. The propelling i'orco behind this agitation was tl:t' prohibition movement. Host improper motives were imputed by these people wrapping themselves in the cloak of patriotism against people who opposed them. It was, suggested that the men who were not in favour of six o'clock closing were in league with the trade, or, worse, that it was made w;orth their while to take the side of the trade. Some reverend gentlemen safe in the shelter of their churches had traduced men who were doing nothing worse than standing up for what they believed to be right. He was not in league with the trade, nor was it to his advantage to take up his present attitude. Oil the contraiy, lie was informed that it probablv meant political extinction for him, bift 'if he did nothing worse, than to say w;hat he believed to be riglit he did not care whether ho ever came back into the House again. It was nonsense to talk of drink causing lack of efficiency in Kew Zealand. This was an extremely efficient country, and the efficiency of Britain since the outbreak of war had been one of'the greatest wonders of the world in all time. . . If there was to be early closing there should, he contended, be compensation to the licensee. It was said th.it the trade was an iniquitous trade. He knew that there were bad hotelkeepers, and that all the trade was not good, but the State could not. shelter itself under that plea. It was responsible for the state of the trade. His own idea was that there should be a restrictive tax on liquor which would reduce the consumption ot it. If this were done, there would be 110 good claim for compensation. If six o'clock closing were the law, it would lead to great inconvenience, and the law would be a dead letter in the country. In the towns there would !* a great deal of illicit drinking, and men would go to evil haunts to get drink. It was very much better for men to get drink in hotels in the ordinary way than to have to go to bad places to get it in an irregular wav. The best method of restricting drinking would be to impose such taxation as would make drinking expensive and thereby lessen it. This would spread the sacrifice equally over all those who sold or used liquor. He was strongly in favour of some real restriction 011 tho use of liquor.
The (Wrote was adjourned oil the motion of Mr. G. 1?. Sykes, and the House rose at 10.50 p.m.
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Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 6
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2,508PARLIAMENT Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3141, 20 July 1917, Page 6
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