PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1917, Page 1

PARLIAMENT

(Per Press Association.—Copyright.) „ THE COUNCIL. __ WELLINGTON, July 12. The Council resumed this afternoon (and the Speaker, whose health compelled him to seek medical attention outside New Zealand, was granted leave of absence until the end of the session. ; Hon Mr Ormond explained that he was n«t present during the debate oh. the Address-in-llcply. and he. desired to place his views before the House. He expressed a view that the time would come when New_Zeahiiid should consider whether it could keep up the present large reinforcements end if « • was nceeessary call up the Second Division. Better provision should he made, for dependents of members. Ho stated thorp was a difference of opinion among the members of the Cabinet on all great questions and this must make for inefficient government- Ho firmly believed we could assist Britain to a greater extent bv producing foodstuffs. ! After criticising ftlfe Government, lie" said that an appeal should be made to the people of tho country and a Government elected that wouldW responsible to the people. I Hon. Sir Hall Jones supported* the | Hon Mr Ormond’s view and advocated ‘ that an election should be held. The. Hon. Mr Enrnshaw said that an election was a secondary matter to that of winning the. /war. "The Hon. Mr Barr said that ho advocated a pursuance if the present policy of sending men and pointed out that in many instances single men had made equally‘as great sacrifices as married men will have to make. Bec<m.,y America cam 0 into the war it was no ! reason why we 'should withdraw. | “This is our scrap,” said Mr Barr, ■ “and we are in jt to the end.” / I At 5 p.m. the Council rose until 8 I p.m. i * THE HOUSE. I i ' The House met at 2.30. p.m.-. Sir John Findlay gave notice of his intention to intoduce the Napier 4 Harbour Empowering Bill and the TTawkes Bay River Amendment Bill. Mr Statham gave notice- of his intention to introduce the Dunedin Water Works Extension Bill. 'Hie Ma-nawati! County Loan Empowering Bill (Mr. Newman) was introduced and read n first time. Mr. Isitt asked the 'Govei muentif before t-he debate on the. six o’clock closing and racing question, reports of the Efficiency Board on these, subject s would ibe placed before the House as they would he of use to members. Sir Joseph- Ward replied that the reports of the Efficiency Board would be ‘duly considered by the Cabinet. Ho was not going to accept any re commendations' of Efficiency Boards unless ho agreed with them. Tho Government would govern, not, ’the Efficiency Boards. When Cabinet, Had formulated its proposals ,it would be placed before tho House, and Cabinet would be responsible for them'.' A POSTAL CHARGE. Replying to Mr. Witty Sir Joseph Ward said that lm had seen in the Press certain accusations made against the Postal Department by the Rev. Howard Elliot. So far as the Poparthad been able t° inquire there seemed t,o be nothing in the charges. However, when the matter was gone into fully he intended to ask the law officers of the Crown t-o take proceedings and have the whole subject and the charges investigated in the most- public manner. STATE COAL MINES. Replying to a question the Minister of -Mines said that the Stale Coal Bines Department had been investigating the coal areas in the north with a view to extending, operations, but so far noiliihg practicable bad been dope, the geological staff was rajuced to one man. owing to enlistments in the Expeditionary Forces npd the work ot the de.nprtmont, therefore, was considerably •delayed. There had been an inquiry from a syndicate regarding the purchases of the State Coal Mine, but lie had informed the syndicate" that the State Mine was not,for side. Negotiations to give a further supply of State coal to the public had been considerably hampered by the lack of transport-. The. mine had been idle for the past two days owing to the bins being hill and there being no steamers to take the coal away. THE WHEAT PURCHASE. Tlte Hon. . 1). N. MacDonald made a' statement regarding the purchase• of wheat in Australia. Finally he found that tho best arrangement- lie could make was to purchase 1,000,000 Itushels at os (id per bushel. The first lot brought to Dunedin sold at (is 3d, and he had received congratulations from all parts of Otago stating that both the price and quality were highly satisfactory and asking-him not to yield to pressure from persons who demanded that, the wheat ha sold at less than the Government gave for it. He further announced that the Government intended to pay os ID f.o.b for the next season's wheat. He, thought this statement was necessary, on account of the great amount of misrepresentation prompt gated in conjigptipn with this question. fhu statement wa# dobatad by MvWij Witty, McCqinbg, T)r. Thacker, Anstay, Buddo and Forbes. Mr. Mapppjtah! briefly replied eon-

. tending that the Government had acted in all its transactions, only after obtaining the- best information possible at the tune. The House rose at 5.50 p.m., On the House resuming at 7.30 p.m., the debate on the Address-in-reply was continued by Air J.McCOinbs, who congratulated Sir James Allen on the high honour conferred upon him by tho King. He defended the voluntary system and said to his mind the Government had .gone mad on the question of reinforcements. He thought the time had arrived when the country should know where Parliament, stood on this question. ( To determine that point- he moved an amendment which declared that the people viewed -pith alarm the policy of creating new brigades out of accumulated reinforcements. Mr. A. Walker seconded the amendment. Sir Joseph Ward asked the House to proceed with the debate as though the amendment had not been moved. Later (in tv division could be taken on it. ' Messrs Hind marsh and Payne followed criticising the Government.