LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1919, Page 4

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

HON GRIMMOND’S SPEECH

(Hansard.)

The Hon Mr Grimmond.—Sir, I appreciate the honour that has been done to me in asking me to second the motion so favourably spoken to by my honourable friend Mr Gow. I have pleasure in congratulating the Government on the policy set out in the Speech from the Throne. The result of such a policy, I feel sure, will be for the advancement of New Zealand and the betterment of the people generally. We heard something yesterday of the Peace Conference, and we realised that the two gentlemen who went Home on our behalf did their work well, and have earned the approval and the gratitude of the people of this Dominion. Certainly they have brought to us certain obligations : they have brought to us mandatory powers in the South Pacific and the control of Samoa, which are matters that call for the most careful consideration of the Parliament of New Zealand. Further, we must endeavour to conserve friendly relations with Australia, and . maintain our relations in the Pacific with California. New Zealand, occupying the position it does, will be called on in the future to take a much more iihportant part in the peace of the world than she has done in the past. There are also local .matters that call for consideration without delay—l refer specially to mining and mining affairs. The supply of that necessary article, coal, has been urged in every part of New Zealand, and most decidedly it would be in the best interests of the whole country if we nationalised the large coal-mines in order to produce coal at the least possible expense. By doing this and by giving attention to the homes of the workers we would obtain the services of men who would not leave the work, provided good wages were given to them. I believe there is no other country in the world that has more coal than New Zealand, or coal that is more easily worked. Much of it is on the surface or above sea-level. With regard to gold-mining, we have won a good deal of it, and sent away a large quantity of it. The cost of winning it, however, is twice as much as it was a few years ago, and even when we get it it is only half the Value it was five years ago. Something must be done in this matter. Probably the Government may subsidise the industry, or the supply of gold will run out. Our goldfields are certainly not worked out—indeed, I believe we shall produce more gold in the future than in the past, though at the present time the supply is diminishing. There is no other method of exchange so handy as is gold, and therefore 1 urge the Government to do the best it can for the industry, either by subsidy, or by raising the price, or by helping its development in some other way. The public works of the country also require our immediate attention. During war-time we allowed them to drop out of sight, and nothing was done. I am particularly interested in the work at the Otira Tunnel, which connects Westland and Canterbury. When completed it will allow coal to be taken across the Island, and it will not be necessary ,to depend on steamers, which are at times delayed by the bar harbour. The tunnel was to have been finished some time ago, but many tunnels twice its length have

been completed since it was started. The Government is now paying £50,000 per annum in interest, and it seems to me it would be an excellent thing for the Government if it were

:o offer half that amount as a bonus

for the speedy completion of the work. Mention has been made of Admiral Jeliicoe. lam sure that New Zea-

landers were happy to meet that gentleman, and nothing could have given them greater pleasure than to see that noble vessel, the “ New Zealand,” in our harbours. That vessel I* was engaged in the battles of Jutland, Dogger Bank and Heligoland, and it was she who accounted for the German warship “ Blucher.” I believe, Sir, that the Government would be justified in increasing its subsidy to the British Navy, for by so doing we should have still greater assurance that our defences by sea were being properly attended to. A good deal has been said about our defences. It is my opinion, Sir, that there are enough trained men in New Zealand for many a day, and we shall do well to carry on the work started in the Territorial system instead of keeping a standing army. We can secure local enthusiasm, and the people of New Zealand are loyal enough to come to the front if they are wanted for the defence of the Empire, and there is no need for the upkeep of a standing army. Another question in which I have always taken a great interest is that of education. A much larger sum ought to be devoted to the cause of education, technical as well as ordinary education. The Hon Sir Francis Bell —Capital or revenue ? The Hon Mr Grimmond.—l think it requires both. I am of opinion that, although Education Boards have done much good in past years, their time is gone. More power ought now to be "given to the School Committees, and the building of schools ought to be under the Department. If a railway-station or a post-office is required you do not get the patchedup work that you get in the -way of schools. Let the money be expended by the Department, and the buildings erected by the Department under proper officers, as in the case of other public buildings, and you will secure buildings that will be a credit to the country. The Hon Sir Francis Bell.—That means'the abolition of the Education ■ Boards. i

The Hon Mr Grimmond.—Well, what good are they p I think their time is gone. Either abolish or give them enough revenue to properly do their work. I have been a member of a Board from the very first, and I say good work has been done; bat the time has come when the Government

should spend more money upon school buildings and upon education generally. Now, lam glad the Minister is here with us, bocause I want to say something with regard to timber. The Timber Regulations are cansing considerable commotion in Westland. I know the honourable gentleman is doing the best lie can for the country. 1 |admit that he is endeavouring to preserve the timber for the people of New Zealand, and endeavouring to prevent its being sent away to other countries, but why does he not take the sensible course and put an export duty upon timber and give the .revenue to local bodies ? Then the people outside will have to pay the price, and the Government will get the money. The Hon Sir Francis Bell.—Yes; but lose the trees. The Hon Mr Grimmond. —As it is you are sending the timber out and getting nothing for it. The Hon Sir Francis Bell. —No; we are stopping it. The Hon Mr Grimmond. —It seems to me you are sending it out to people in other countries, and are getting nothing for it. But the honourable gentleman was down in Westland the other day, and they told him there all about timber, and I do not want to tell him any more. The Hon Sir Francis Bell.—Did I not tell them something ? The Hon Mr Grimmond. —You did) 'aud I admired the position you took up. Ido uot want to take up much more of the time of the Council, but I do want to say that the development of hydro-electric power is going to revolutionise New Zealand. There will be no occasion to be cold, when the coal-miners jib, when yon have electricity all over the country. Aud there is no part of the world that I know of that is as well supplied with the means to develop hydro-electricity. On the east coast, on the west coast, and on every coast yon have millions of horse-power running to waste day and night, and when you harness it up it will work for you all the time. 1 have read with interest the report of the Industries Committee, aud i hope the Government will give great attention to it. In conclusion, I would say that since the war there is a changed condition of things in this country, aud we must be prepared to meet it. A new era is with us in the condition of all classes of the people, from the substratum to the superstructure, and our only safeguard is to have a happy and contented people. There has been a happy ending to the war, and, as far as I can gather, we have a stable and strong finance. I desire to add my ineed of praise to the splendid work done by our leaders and by our men who went to the front from New Zealand when the Empire called, I do not think anything better could have been done by any men, whether of British origin or any other origin, but I cannot help saying that I believe the women of New Zealand have done as good work as the men. The splendid work they have done is deserving of the very highest praise. Now, I just wish to say another word about the land. My honourable friend who moved the ' Address has spoken about land for the soldiers, and lie probably knows a great deal more about it than I do, but I would say that land in South Westland is not fit for use except by men in the best of health and strength. I notice that the Government are buying small blocks of land and are trying to cut it np. The result is

that the people who buy that land very soon sell it and go somewhere else and buy more laud, and so the price of land goes up and up. We hear a great deal at the present time about profiteering; and there is no

question it ought to be stopped, though I do not know how you are going to doit. To my mind, profiteering in land should be stopped as well as profiteering in anything else. If the Government would take everything over at about what the land is rated at we should soon see a very different state of things. That is the way to get at tfiem. My honourable friend

Mr Paul thinks 1 am worse than he

is, and he is bad enough. I would just allude to the fact that there is a certain amonnt of labour unrest in New Zealand. Well, there is a certain amount of labour unrest all over the world, and I do not think it obtains in New Zealand more tliau in any other country. The fact is that the people have now a broader outlook, and they are not satisfied. The artisan of to-day is as dissatisfied as the serf was a hundred or two hundred years ago. They want to rise—and rightly so, too. They are not going to be satisfied with low wages and beastly accommodation only fit for pigs to live in. They will not have it, and we must recognise that and do the best we cau to provide them with better housing, so that they may become good and loyal citizens of the country. Unless you do that you will not have peace in this world. 1 do not wish to say anything about the disorganisation of the railways. The railways have been carrying on until they have very nearly ruu out of coal. I do not know whether if the Department had gone on much longer , the Government would have run light out of coal altogether, so that there would have been a complete stoppage of the railways, but it does seem to me that they might have given some consideration to this matter long before such a state of affairs eventuated. The Government might have seen to it that a supply of coal was obtained from somewhere. They might even have secui'ed ships of their own. The Hon Sir Francis Bell.—There were no ships. The Hon Mr Grimmond.—Then, there is coal enough in New Zealand, and if you give the price for it you will get it. I think the Government is called upon to provide money to carry out the unfinished railways to completion ancl to construct the necessary roads and bridges. There is no part of any country in the world that is worse off for roads and bridges than Westland—the south part of it particularly.

An Hon. Member.-—There are no people there to travel over them.

The Hon. Mr Grimmond.—There is some of the finest land in the world

down there, and if yon once give access to it you will find plenty of people will go there. The delay in completing the Otira Tunnel accounts for some want of population. If proper housing 'and pay were given it would be done in half the time, and many thousands saved in interest. There- was ia 1911 money voted for railways in South Westland, and nothing spent. Private enterprise has to build bridges and make tramways.. Iu South Westland, below the Franz Josef Glacier, there is beautiful country and splendid rivers, but no bridges over them. I hope there wiil be a sum voted for their construction at an early date. The improvement of that district will well repay the Government, and I feel sure that a public convenience will be met by such expenditure. Of course, the people of that district have not much representation, because they have not the population there. They have no bridges over their rivers, and they therefore cannot grow anything unless jit can walk away on its own legs. 1 * hope that whatever Government comes into power will carry out a progressive policy in that district. I only hope that the resolution which has been moved will be conveyed to His Excellency, and that he will be advised that New Zealand is the finest country in the world, aud that the people are determined to develop it to the best of their ability and for the benefit of the great Empire to which we belong.