PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1842, 24 August 1906, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNOIL. VRKSS ASSOCIATION m Wellington, hat nights. The Council mo 6 as 2 30 pm. Replying to tho Hop. Mr Brohan, (bo Attorney-General said the Government had under consideration the question of appointing valuers to carry out the valuation of friendly societies. The following Bills were introduced by the Attorney. General: Training Ships Aot, Town Districts Aot, Firearms Aot. Sale of Explosives Aot, Fisheries Conservation Aots Amendment Act. Tho Hon. J Bigg resumed the debate I on tho Address-in Boply, dealing cxclti aivoly with the qucslioi s of an Imperial Connoil, reciprocal trade with Britain, and defence. Ho oompl lined tbnt uo:h ngbad been said during tha goners! oicodou

respeotiug tha constitution of on Imp: rial Connoil. Ho did not think anything would be gained by suoh an oigauisaticn; ho believed it would to better to continue tho practice of bedding conferences. \Vi:h regard to reciprocal trade, be hoped we should have no furthsr oxpeiiin nts in that direction. Ho asked why it should be considered necessary to bolster up British manufactures at tho expense of tho colony, and ho failed (o see why we should open our doors to Brilish sweated i idustries. Hi went on rodial with lh-. da”gor

to ibo colonies should British supremacy at sea bo ohecked, and urged !ho necessity for tho establishment of an Australian navy lo protect the colonics aud assist the Mother Country Mr B ! gg then entered into a lengthy oririoism of tho colony’s defences, slating, intor alia, th it wo had expended a million and a half on defences since 1897 88, and had little to show fjr it. Ho referred to the inadequacy of equipment of tho land forces, and said there should bo rifles for 100 OCO meniustead of for 16,000 ns at present. Ho thought it would be well to borrow a million for re

organbation of our defences, alleging that there would cover On a satisfactory soherno by mbiutainmg tho defence out of revenue. Hon. G. MoLean followed, approving in general terms of tbo soveral paragraphs in tiro Spcooh. He expressed the hope that the lime would come when our ships and land forocs would be commanded by our own rn9n. Oq tho subject of the land ter uro he expressed the opinion that tho

option of the freehold should bo given to tenants, and tho money thus received should be expended upon the further purchase of estates

Toe debate was adjjvrtnd at 5 p.m until to morrow, and the C-iuooi! rose.

HOUSE OP REPEE3EINTATIVES,

The House sat at 2,80 p ro. Mr Hornsby raised a question of privilege. He referred to the seating in tbo ladies’ gallery, and the privilege of front seats enjoyed by the wives of acme men;* bers. Ho complained that last night many wives of hon. members not only cou'd not get a front seat, bat wete unable to eut?r the gallery at all. Ho a motion dealing with the subj ct. /Mr Speaker, who refused to accept the motion, explained that the matter bad been already brought under bis nodes, and that he had taken moasuros to oonfin9 the issue of tickets to the number of seats available, and to enforce the rule 03 to ths front seats. Mr Hornsby was very much obliged to Mr Speaker for bis promptitude and would not press the motion, whioh was no longer required. Mr Arnold took this opportunity to -complain of the lack of accommodation for members within the Parliamentary precincts. Mr Hall-Jones told tho Houso that he 'had plans before him to romody this dcfeot,and promised shortly to have them in the hands of hon. members. The following Bills were read a first time: Havelook Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute Corporation Aot, 1577, Amendment Bill, Marriages Validation Act Extension Bill, Saturday Universal Half-holiday Bill, Farriers’ Bill, Sandy Point and Grassmere Domains VfsSiDg Bill, Lights on Vehicles Bill, EHbam Gonnty Bill, City of Dunedin Lands Vesting Bill, Dunedin District D/ainago and • Sewerage Act, 1900, Amendment Bill, Coromandel and Thames Counties Boundaries Alteration Bill, Maori Land Claim* . Adjustment and Laws Amendment Bill, Maori Land Settlement Act, 1905, Amendment Bill, Fire Brigades Bill, Native Townships Act Amendment Bill, Horowhenna Blook Act Amendment Bill, Poukawa Native Reserve Bill, Friendly Societies Bill, Products Export Aot Amendment Bill, Tourist and Health Resorts Bill, Registration of Births B 0, Lotteries ; Act Bill, Adoption of Children Aot Amend meat Bill, Habitual Criminals and Offenders Bill, Juvenile Offsnders Bdl, Juries Aot Amendment Bill. In the Address-in R- ply debate Mr Hogg complimented the Premier on the wiso Beleotion of bis Cabinet-, but was sorry he could not equally oempliment the Leader of the Opposition on his following- Ha would not say they were the lag-rag and bobtail of a once formidable party, he preferred to call them a skeleton army. Tho attenuation cf Ihe party reminded him of a wreck and a few desperate men clinging 1 to a raft, threatened every moment with S' destruction. The giants of the party were gone—those who made the party respected in tho days when there were tugs cf war from morning to night—and great reforms were effected. They were ecattercd everywhere, in the Civil Service, on the B:ncb of Jus.ice, in the beef and butler trade, everywhere in fact. The result wa3 the isolation of Me Massey, who reminded him of a tr-p-door spido: fighting with a straw that has stroDg hands behind it, always shrieking for a policy, but th'-y had never one of any kind from him. Ha railed it the Legislative Council, but that body had been considerably renewod since the old Tory dayp. It was no longer the refuge for poli-ioal barnac'os. Io these old days lands were roooopolifed, when labor was deluded with the title 0! ’* landowner ” This bod stats of things has been changed. For himself be was a firm believer in the leasehold principle, but if the land is settled and tbo selt'er given a fair chanoo no one need care much. Noveitheliss he opposed freeho’d beoau’o that tenure favors monopoly and landlordism. Monopoly still existed largely on lands acquired at a very low value, and was being extinguished by payment of publio money for tho resumption on values made by public expenditure. All further aggregation must be prevented. Another imporativo requirement was the diminution of gtnoral taxation, and tbo iDcreaso of tbo graduated land tax. Developing this subject ho advocated the abolition of tbo duty on flour, which feeds a big t ust with £120,000 a year more than should come out of tho pockets of the people. He oommended this abolition and similar ones to tho Government. Mr W. Siallworthy (Kaipara) oempli monied the Government on tho selection I of the mover and icoondor of the address The member fop Wesijand had proved himself a worthy son of a groat siro. Ho was a orodit to his upbringing, for ho was brought up not on porridge but politics Thrre had been much mystery about tho member for Auckland West, bub ho bad now been disclosed as a strong political personality. He cou'd not agree with the Loader oi the Opposition’s criticism of the Ministerial personnel, and particularly dofended tho appointment of Mr Fov/lds. Mr Massey insisted on the privets purohosrof native lands, but for his part ho preferred the Maori owner lo the Bpoeu'-ator that has in places succeeded b'm Ho advcoited aid to the mining industry. Ho preferred im>i n. Government which had spent over two millions on roads in five years to tho Opposition which only taUcrd about roads, Tbo lands of tho oountry ho would like to see properly and widely settled, and the Tourist Department onconrnged with more fuoda ‘especially fop ibe development of tbo trellis in tho North, to Helecsville for inetanoe, whioh might be made tho Margate of &u k and. Ho approved of the ' provision for railways, and thought the exten-ion of the Kaihu railway ought to bo added to the lie*. From personal ox perienoe of the Arbitration Court, ho endorsed all that had been said in th,. Speech about it, and would help to remove the anomalies he was familiar wiih. Mr Eil oomplimonted tho mover and seconder. He agreed with tbe policy of large endowment reserves, but dissented from Mr Massey’s proposition to apply

the optional system to them, as such reOOfVOS (U'o undo 0.-ser.tinlly “ to hold on.” lie thought iho ordinary iocreuro in value would in timo improve tho revomio ahoio the £25 000 of Me Massey's calculation The Opposition opposed the Bints Fno Insurance, bn! that now ikpaituro had bent filed the e unitin', and t'nit bmefit accounted with other Liberal measures for the dwindling forees of the Opposition. Another ease was the estalilislimeiil of (lie coal depots, and another the buildings of workers' homes, lie advocated cheaper railway rates, at same lime acknowledging the great advance made in this condition. Fire-wood and coal lie particularly mentioned, declaring it would be better than carrying polo ponies for nothing at a cost of i'l(U)lH) a year to the Colony. Ho advocated further reductions of taxations, and fell lie would get it, not from the other side, who had done nothing, lint from the Government, which had already reduced taxation by hundreds of thousands a year lie advocated the principle of State hanking and denounced the ring of I banker's in New Zealand lie demanded the withdrawal of the Hank of New Zealand from the ring and asked that it be ordered to advance monies at cheaper I rates for the development of the country. He read a report showing over four millions as the reserve profits of the live banks doing business in the Colony. lie thought it time for the hanking ring to get the same attention from the Government as the insurance ring obtained. At the evening sitting Mr Hornsby f added his congratulations to those already r offered to the mover and seconder of the , address, lie complimented the Premier , on the construction of his Cabinet, particularly defending Mr Fou Ids from tho attack made. He read in answer to last night's criticism of the patchwork of views from a report of Mr Mitclielson’s speech at the banquet given to Mr Fowlds in Auckland, in which a list was given of Ministries which had lived in spite of differences of personal opinion—Atkinson, "Vogel, Stout and other Ministers. Mr Mitehclson, he reminded the Opposition, was defending the appointment of Mr Fowlds on tho ground of his extreme views. “Mr Fowlds," he concluded, “is a straight and honorable gentleman in every way worthy of Cabinet rank, and the respect of the party.” He referred to tho great personality of the late Premier, ! without which the great Liberal measures would never have got on to the Statute Look, and he declared that so long as the Government followed the lines laid down by the late Mr Scddon lie would follow them. After eulogising the Hon. Hall.l ones’ conduct of liis administration, ho declared himself oil the land question. He was a freeholder, but with a strongly defined limit of area to prevent aggregation. Until limitation of area is passed he would tight against the freehold History

ivas with him In France the freeholders ire to-day fewer than they were before

the French Revolution, which was largely brought about by excessive land monopoly. With regard to Native binds hs denounced the iniquity of the free trade demanded by the Opposition, Ha declared for guaranteeing the natives of the fruits of their lauds. Ho insisted on rigorous measures being token to restrict shiic wastefulness, and so tnsko the young natives work instead of turning themselv33 by dissipation. For tar fi reform he suggested a Royal Commission to report next session, and hop'd it would report favor’ ably to local industry. Iu this connection be advocated the indenture system, to which the Swiss bad returned, and wbioh is iu force in Germany—fo-esa with vvbieh our people mast be placed on the best footing to compete. He would like to see millions more people iu this couutry, but ha would im'o thrm all white, and that was the only way to hold the country against the brown man in the future. Abolition of the Council and a policy of “tapering rff” in fiaance engaged the Speaker until ho concluded with a hope that the Goyernment would follow iu the footsteps of the late Piemier. Mr Massey, in a personal explanation, denied that he had doolaved last night for free trade in lands,

Mr Hornsby said ho had observed in Mr Massey’s speech a re icho ol the old free trade cry.

Mr Massey road from the report of his speech that ho had advocated individualising of the titles c-nl every cate after to do justice to the natives. Mr Major, carrying on the debate, paid bis tribute to the mover and seconder. Ha praised the Speech for it 3 optimism, and declared the farmer was uneasy lest tbe microbe of single tax may prove infectious. The Premier : Nonsense. Mr Major hoped it might be so, bus ho would say that iu bis electorate 90 per cent of the farmers were for tho freehold, and would bo saiisfi jd ou that point. The extension of roads in the out-districts waa another question of vital importance tn them, and it was high time for local government to bo pat on -a baiter footing Mr T, Mackenzie, after the customary oomplimeots, was sorry that Mr Hornsby bad insulted iho Asiatic people. He ridi* ouled a 3 antiquated Mr Hogg’s reference to tbe antiquated etato of things represented by tho awugger. He declared as absurd the attempt of the member for Hurunui to form a country party without inviting all the country members, For his own part ho always spoke out without any fear of being carpeted by any member of the Bouse. In the Premier they had a geotleman conversant with all tho details of oomraerco —tho very man to push the trade of tho colony—and he promised biro his support, provided he did not give way io any hare-brained achomee, such as was propounded lately by the eolony’s Commissioner in Loudon. He had been Biruck by the reference made by the member for Westland about tho ego limit for free places in secondary education. Reviewing tho history cf this subjmt ho said that ho himself came to the conclusion from the last regulation, which ritclared there is no age limit, that there !■] nor-e, hut then lha O.ago Daily Time?, always judicial in tour, had callid that dtduration of tbe regulation a Bubterfuge. Ha would like a p-onounoe-ment fiono tbe Minister of Eluca-ion, who, ho regretted, not to see in his place. He wens on to object to the centra is ng tendencies of tbe Education Department, aud gave an iustanca iu wh'eh an important report concerning tbe Otago Board of Education was kept from that body by the Depart meat for ten mtnths. Tnough a fiee hclder, ho would not discuss (he matter till tbo Mini-tarial propisils camo down. Ho preaobod tha gospel of work to all young p ople cs tbe best start in Iff. H& advocated tho classification of schools and of tr aebers at 9 30,

At 9 30 the Spof.kor took !he fcubo of fho House about p asi"g the supper and going on to the adjournment, and it was decided to go on with tho ei fcirg. Mr T. Macktnzio, continuing, rondo an appeal for tho roading of the back blocks for tho benefit of tho pcapio who had been called '‘bush exiles,” and of their child* eo, composed cow in odd and wet waatbor to pass over muddy roods, aod sit in ill-watmtd schools, without the opportunity of drying their clothe?. For this j purpose bo suggested ear marking tho lob-icco duty t> pay the interest of a three mi,lion loon, and ho associated with it tho oxtensipn cf telephones in tho hack blocks. Passing to tho lands for settlemen', ho complained that tho policy was not cvcd. Olsgo had been neglected, and tho result was that Otago wus losing population. Us called for justice to Oiago. Mr Thompson referred sympathically to the death of tho late Premier, eulogising his public spirit, high enterprise, and even handed courtesy to all the members of the House. lie aiso added to the compliments proper to the occasion. He gave tho speech a general approval. He said the Government would have to be judged by its works. He advocated increased aid to agriculture, and mining. He thought tho States School education ought to be less literary and more practical. lie urged the encouragement of volunteering by substantial payments to men who ilcvote tlieir time to the public service. He agreed with those who insist on a limit of freehold holding. He favored the optional system, and thought a graduated tax above a certain limit would prevent aggregation. On the whole lie believed in the sincerity and firmness of purpose behind the speech, but would 'ike to see private enterprise enabled by the legislature to engage in public works. He advocated the introduction of persons with means, and a proper proportion of labor, which lie held to be indispensable to tho progress of tho country. He urged a large introduction of agricultural labor, jhiidlog fault with the present restrictions,

lie look the opportunity of expressing hiss satisfaction at the reduction of ilrnnkeii ness, as shown in the r.'peri of the I’niuv 1 fepiirtmenl. Helen'ing turtlior to the report, he approved of the prineiple of f ix' illileternlinate sentence, amt 1 bought \\ t'il ot that h \ pilot ie sue,pest ion 1> V which the power of lefty liuiuuh thought is expressed over I In'inferior mind lie was di.saps pointed that the speech omitted to am 1 iiomioe the hettenueut of teachers' salaries. The hope of democracy lies in the education of the people At 10 oil Mr Scddon rose to reply, lie thanked the House for the compliment paid him. lie particularly thanked the Premier for the kindly appreciation he had expressed, and the header of the Opposition for the interest he had expressed in his career. He defended Iho speech from the “• no policy " criticism.' which seemed to apply to all Governors speeches, and urged that only the outlines . can in the nature of things lie given. It had boon said iko Premier had got a cant ot many colors, but ho had blooded tboso colors a harmonious wholo, which could bo depended on for doing excellently. Ho was euoonrogod to bidiovo this, as tho Hpoooh had botn well received on iho whole, and many spoakors had gonooutddo for their ivforonces with lectures of a po 1 itioo 1 student, which ho ns a polit’cal student had found mod interesting. It was a good amen for pennauent usefulness of tho j Government, and good work of tho aess : on begun by tho motion ho had had tho boner | to move, The House adjournod at 10 55 p.m.