ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 July 1922, Page 3

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

MR SRPDOX’S SPEECH

SI’ECIAJ. TO GUAttDIA.S. W BLUIN G TON, July 12. PR OPO UTIONAI. TIONIn the Mouse yesterday Mr Seddou (Westland) speaking to the Address-in-Reply debate expressed the hope that the Prime Minister would speak in tlie course of the dehate and inform the House whether his promise of 1911 in regard to substituting proportional representation for the second ballot was going to he carried out. The Liberal Party had accepted the promise when legislation abolishing th<. second ballot was brought down. Mr Massey: No. you didn’t. ymf stonewalled it for a week. Mr Seddott reminded that Prime Minister that ‘stonewalling’ was not a parliamentary term. “We held up the Government over that measure for a considerable term,” he said, “in the hope of getting some assurance from the Government that it would put something better in place of second ballot, and not' revert to the first past the post.”

REFORM VOTES. He hoped that the Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Affairs, would reply, to the figures quoted by the Leader of the Opposition, showing amongst other things, that though the Reform Party was in power, only 206.000 votes were registered in its favour, while 310,000 were east against it. He had heard no arguments from the •ther side of the House wliv proportional representation was not- introduced in this country as it had been ill many other countries. THE TAR IFF. He hoped'that the reciprocity tariff agreement with Australia would operate to the benefit of the snwmillers in this country by encouraging the export of timber. That was a matter of considerable importance to his district, where there was so much sawmilling, and the present position was seriously affected.

i,uy»\ i • i a i>iviw' i Every sawmiller in tin- Dominion lnul boon Rind to hear the speech of tbo sw-owlor oi tlie Addrcss-in-Roply. becnnsc it showed that though he was on the other side he held very ad enured and liberal views, hot be must protest against Air Mackenzie’s claim that the Reform Party was the Party that stood for Empire and was opposed to disloyalty. That bore an implication that the Liberal Party did not stand for "Empire and . was not opposed to disloyalty, which was entirely untrue. Me hoped Mr Mackenzie would soon be given an opportunity of correcting that implication. Mr McOalhnn : Tie’s sorry for it already. SOLDIER TENANTS. (hooting a speech by Sir Attdtew Russel! at » meeting of the I’.S A.. Mr Sodden strongly urged the Government to eotne to the assistance of soldier settlers suffering from the effects of the present slump. Matty lied been j placed on the land at much too high a price. Many had not had sufficient \ supervision and instruction to enable them to make good on the land. LICENSING OF BOOKMAKERS. 1 He was opposed to the licensing of bookmakers, expressing the opinion that if we could maintain racing at the ' present high standard and restrict, betting entirely to the totalisator it would 1 he much better. (Hear. hear). DAIRY EXPERT. He urged the necessity of having attached to the High Commissioners office i an expert in dairy matters who could i keep dairymen here advised as to the trend of prices and other matters affeeling their interests. Air .Tones The dairy people have get their own man there. Air Scdodii -Yes, at home, hut not ; connected with the High Commissioners’ | Office. The Prime Afinister has ndmit- : ted that the middlemen are getting ! the whole of the profits. ] IN CONCLUSION. j In conclusion, he declared that- the j fact that the Reform Party had not carried out its promise in regard to proportional representation was one of | the most serious charges that had been brought against the Government, hut no reply had yet been made to it. That system had worked well in other countries and it would work well here, i