PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 293, 6 September 1919, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY LIBERAL MEMBERS NOT TAKING PART A LABOUR NO-CONFIDENCE r . MOTION HEAVILY DEFEATED .. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 yesi terday afternoon:— • Tho Juries Act Amendment Bill and : the Crimes Amendment Bill (aboliiioii of tho grand jury) were introduced by tho Hon. J. SlacGregor, and were raid a'first " time. Continuing tho dobate upon the Ad-dress-in-lfeply, tho Hon. J. T. PAUL claimed that Parliaments to-day did not enjoy the" Bame measure of confidence as Parliaments in past years had done. There were peoplo.who believed that in the future little was to he gained from Parliaments. Such peoplo wero to bo found, especially in tho older countries' --of-the world. Associated with the movement they represented was direct action— not industrial! "direct action"—but direct action for the purpose of superseding parliamentary. institutions. It seemed to him that Parliament and tho Government must be supreme. It was necessary to '• decide whether direct .action was to be ; used to set asido constitutional government or whether constitutional govcrnmont was to remain supreme. Ho - believed that no solution of problems arising between Capital and Labour could be reached except by conferring and con- • feiring again. He regretted that ■ the Government. bad not taken advantago of the offer of a conference between organised Capital and organised Labour throughout the Dominion. He thought that a good opportunity of a closer -understanding had been missed: Sir Francis Bell said that the'Govcrn- . ment had not < refused the conference. The absence of the leaders frorrl tlio Dominion was the reason for which the : conference was not summoned. Mr. Paul did not consider the reason sufficient. • It might he urged, he said, that Sir James AlEen had ably acquitted himself of. the duties imposed unon him ' during the absence of the Right Hon. Sir. Slassey and Sir Joseph Ward, and that Sir James Allen could have handled the conference. It was not sufficient'to condemn or deplore industrial unrest, Sir.-Paul proceeded. They must seek first to understand and then to rejnovo the causes of .unrest. Discontent was not in itself a had thing. It had always been asisociated with progress. It was-a mistake .; to blame agitators for it. With rifiing : prices and stationary wages thero -was no way at present open but an agitation for increased wages. The Government should have steadied prices of commodities within' the country. It was right for the Government to obtain for tho New Zealand producers the highest prices abroad, but it was wrong that the peoplo of this country '-'should have to pay the . prices ruling in the famino markets of the world. Ho did not bcilieve that the only problem of to-day was production, more produfction, and again more production. Before a great stimulation of production could be expected tho worker must have some feeling that 'he was secure. Over-production in the past had led to -unemployment. It was rightly urged that production was necessary, but wo were offering tlio worker no guarantee that ;if a glut occurred from any . cause his position would be protected. . There had to be increased production, but it. had to be admitted that tho number of workers to-day was not 60 great .as it was some years ago. Therefore it .was in the elimination of waste in tho matters of production and distribution that a great means of bettering tho present position was to be found. He believed that if we installed social justice and made life fair and free to all! tho. .maintenance of law and order would present no difficulty. \The Hon. J. BARR believed that there !;was- something to bo hoped for from the 'reconstruction of our present labour laws. Before the war overshadowed everything .else it had teen emphasised that the time had arrived when there should be an "amendment of .the Arbitration-Act, either in . the way of altering the constitution of .the Coiirt or of setting up another body. He did not agree with tho proposal 'to abolish jthe Court, At this stage the debate was adjourned till Tuesday, on the motion of the Hon. W. J. Geddis.. The Council roso at 4.45 p.m.