TEE ADDRESS-IN REPLY DEBATE

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1921, Page 4

TEE ADDRESS-IN REPLY DEBATE

HON. MICHEL’S SPEECH. (N.Z. Times.) The Hon. 11. L. Michel, said he " supported the motion moved by the Hon. Sir Win. Hall-Jones. The sug- h gestion that the Dominion could be - adequately supported by sonic person other than the Prime .Minister seemed to him to he quite a mistake. It ' seined to he imperative that the I rime Minister should attend the conference, J imperative not only from the Imperial standpoint, but from the Dominion's standpoint. In the past "<■ had held these islands in peace, and the protection we had received from the BVitish Navy had. cost us very little. In the future we might he called on to pay more towards the Nav\ . UU I whatever the Prime Alinistcr I iicreed to not only Parliament hut nine-tenths of the people, would endorse. There were important <!<“»- : tions to he decided respecting the Pacific. He was not going to forget Japan, who was our friendly ally U>- ( p lv Japan was developing and improving the Marshall Islands and maki i„g great coal depots there, and al- » ready there was a second Japan ■» lh ' , i>. u .i'|ic. These islands were wonderfulf ly well situated. He honed we would remain friendly with Julian, hut v.7 had to look at things as we loam them. The coal supply was an importr ant think. AVe had been told that th 1 Government was importing IoO.OUI Uons of coal from Wales. Some criticism had been aimed at the Government because of this, hut he was sure the majority of the people would mill dorse the action of the Government. 1C PRODUCE OUR OWN COAL. s . still, it was a serious thing that we d should not he able to produce enough K coal here for our own purpose. Either ie there would have to he drastic changes , e or the Government would have to make , some other arrangement for the work--19 ing of the mines. Coal-mining was not ic easy work hut the miners took up the ii ! work as a calling and should carry out g • their rcsponsibiltics. In tuture Id j must, have drastic changes respecting ! the working of the mines or wo would ,s have to continue to import coal. The r . miners must realise that il they would not produce coal they must sec others produce it for them. Speaking uf (ilinnet*, he said lie thought that the visit to England of the Prime Alinistcr ;d tlie present time would he oi great u , valiq. to us. There were t25.000.00C j e of loans maturing soon, and he had ~t no doubt we would get them renewed s ;on comparatively favourable tm ms. j 4 ]\lr .Mas\cy mij'lit also *d on account of the war indemnity. I: t() for no other reason it would be ad as visa hie for Air Alassey to go to Engoi land to-day. because of the shipping d- position. He believed that if thf Prime Alinistcr remained in New Zea land and Parliament remained it session for the next 36-> days the* would not remove some of the diffi culties which had to he faced. Th 1;0 words of the President of Fntiiee wer .|,. j worth remembering. He said the Go as vernment could not remove the difficul ~ ties; the people must, do it they mus produce more and consume less, be everyone realise that tlq, sun had nc

gone out oi business