ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1921, Page 3

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

. Mr K. S. Williams (Bay of Plenty) moved the Address-in-Reply. He congratulated the Dominion on having such a valuable officer as Lord Jellicoe in the position of Governor-General, whose long experience in intricate problems of naval defence would be of great benefit to New Zealand. He defended the Prime Minister’s determination to attend the Imperial Conference, the questions to be discussed there being of such importance as required the guidance of the most experienced minds. One of the questions which Mr Massey should impress upon the Conference was the necessity of a strong system of defence in the Pacific. This was necessary, not only for the safety of the outlying possessions of the Empire in these seas, but for the maintenance and security of trade routes. He hoped the

Conference would <levi.se some means of putting tlie man power of the Empire to the best use. We wanted men, and men in other parts of the Empire wanted work. To bring these two elements together should he one of the first duties of the Conference. There were many large questions agitating the public mind, hut one of the things the public and the Government should not lose sight of was the need for exercise of economy. To this end ho thought I

members should begin with their own salaries. If public expenditure was to be indulged in he asked the Minister of Public Works ilot to forget the East Coast district, which was one of the richest but most isolated in the Dominion. The steps taken hv the Government to relieve the difficulties of backblocks settlers by establishing district nurses and itinerant teachers met with his warmest commendation. Passing to soldier settlement, he congratulated the

i Government on what had been done, | but warned it against putting nren on 1 holdings top small. -Mr C'raigle seconding the motion, said that this perhaps was tlie first time in the history of Parliament when a man outside the dominant party had seconded the A ddress-in-lleply, but were not the whole circumstances unique? As an independent, he did ( not think that he had lost his self- , respect by doing as he was about to do. As a citizen of the Empire, he defended the Prime Minister going to the ImJ perial Conference, where great issues j must be decided. Imperial defence j problems were referred to in the light | of the expressed determination of the ! Pniied States to have the largest navy j in tike world, and the desire of Japan to 1 find room for her ever-increasing population. These two great national factors might in some future day develop difficulties for the Empire, which we would have to face. If so, he hoped all differences would be settled by arbitration and good sense. There were difficulties in India, too. All these questions would have to be discussed at the Conference table, and no must have ollr best man there to represent us. That was tlie Prime .Minister’s justification for going to the Conference. In conclusion, lie could only say that we bad a glorious country, and if those who

were spreading disloyalty and sedition diil not think it good enough for them, then his advice to them was tlial of the old soldier in the trench, “If they knew of a hotter 'ole, they should go x to it." .Mr Wilford said he proposed to inove the amendment of which he had given notice. This amendment was divided into two parts. The first part atlirmed that New Zealand should he adequately represented at the Conference. There was no need for him to heat the air by emphasising; that fact, because he expected it to fie agreed to almost unanimously. It was to the second part of the amendment he proposed to speak. In this connection he dwelt oii_ the .meat change which had taken place in the political position of the country since 1914. This was evidenced by the pieat increase in public and private indebtedness. He proceeded to charge the Prime Minister with not unde:-

standing the j)uhlie iinances, or even the phraseology of his own Acts. He likewise charged tile Prime Minister with buying land lor soldiers at exorbitant prices, which must result in loss lo the soldiers and the country. I Mr Massey: Wo will not lose a penny. j Continuing, Mr Wilford said the mistake was that no land had been taken for soldiers compulsorily. The Government passed an Act to do it, but never had the courage to entorce it. Big prices had been paid by the Government, with the result that the prices of land had been boosted up lo the permanent hurl of the country and Unpeople ot the country, lie blamed the Government for not cjiforcing the compulsory powers in connection with the lirst loan, with the result that one class of the community was being, squeezed, while others, who had not contributed to the loan, were going free. It. was absurd for the Prime Minister to claim that ho might he able to reduce taxation next year. , Mr’Massey: I say it now. Mr Wilford proceeded to argue that

j if tlu> value of our produce fell then i the Customs duties, land and income tax and estate and succession duties | must likewise fall, and so the revenue j i on which tlu> Premier depended would i j not exist, and taxation could not he re- J i duced. The profession of economy in i ! the l’uhlie Service was only so much j political eye-wash, because as fast as t I one set of officers retired another set ! was appointed. The administration , j of the Railway Department was severe- I i |y criticised, and the inequality of the ! ! scale of death duties was unfavourably | i commented upon. There was no need j 1 for retrenchment in the public service if ‘ I that service was properly organised, j What was wanted was greater co-ordin- : ation and simplicity of method. The Premier was responsible for the appoint ment of the Public Service Commissioners. Coming to his amendment iUr Willord reiterated his desire to see the Dominion represented at the Imperial Conference hv the Premier, hut he objected to the prorogation of Parliament for so long a period. There was much important legislation urgently needed in this country. Wo needed amendments dealing with pensions, customs, housing, rates of interest, hankoverdrafts. arbitration, land taxation, public health, education, publio service, railways and timber royalties. These matters called for immediate attention, nnd therefore bo moved hip amendment which mainly was directed against the delay which must ensure in effecting

j tlic.se reforms it' Parliament did not si at the usual time. The amendment wai as follows: —“This House if of opinior that the Dominion should he adequately represented at the approaching Imperial Conference, hut in view of the grave issues before the country-, affecting every department of State, and the important questions waiting to he dealt with, it records its emphatic protest against the holding up of the country’s business by the prorogation of Parliament beyond the usual time.” The Hon W. Downie Stewart reply-

■ ing, traversed tlio arguments of the leader of tlie Opposition. He contended that much of the legislation suggested by Mr Wilford could not be undertaken in the absence of the Prime Minister. Customs had been mentioned. That came under his Department but as a young Minister lie could not possibly un dertake if. and it must wait till the Premier came back. Tn all self-govern-ing countries the tendency wa(s) to plaee more and more power in the hands of the Premier, and though his absence might arouse some inconvenience it was better to suffer tliat brief inconvenience

than to attempt legislation which could not be successfully passed in his absence. The speaker then proceeded to discuss the constitution and function of the Imperial Conference. Tho Premier held the view that these conferences must servo to bind the Empire closer together and he felt sure the Premier could be relied on to act at the conference in such a way as to bring about that end. Tt was unwise to ask the Premier to declare himself upon large Imperial questions before he went to the Conference, because on arrival there he might find the complexion of questions changed by new circumstances or new arguments, and then discover himself seriously embarrassed by those declarations. He hoped the vote of the House would, be such that the Premier should go to the conference feeling he carried the unanimous support of the country with him.