OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4433, 28 June 1922, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

GOVERNOR-GENERALY. SPEECH. His Excellency the Governor-Gen-eral of New Zealand gave the following speech at the opening of. Parliament at 2.30 this afternoon:— Honourable gentlemen of the Legislative Conucil and gentlemen of the House of Representatives : It is with sincere. pleasure that I again meet you in Parliament assembled. During the recess the marriage cf the only daughter of our most gracious Sovereign with Viscount Lascelles intensified the loyal sentiment which permeates the Empire, and provided an opportunity for an expression of Oho deep affection in which their Majesties are held. On behalf; of the people of this Dominion I sent suitable messages of congratulations, to which I received gracious replies r -rom His Majesty and Princess Mary. The unusual shortness of the recess and the need for paying constant. personal attention to the important affairs arising in this Dominion prevented my Prime Minister from accepting the invitation extended to him to attend the recent conference held in Genoa. My AttorneyGeneral, who is visiting Great Bri-, ain, was appointed to represent New Zealand, but was able to attend only the later stages of the conference. In his absence the members of the English delegation were asked to act for t.his Dominion. He has also been appointed to represent. New Zealand, at the conference now being held at The Hague.

A very important conference dealing with the subject of national disarmament was held last year at Washington, and as neither my Prime Minister nor any of my other Ministers could attend the Honourable Sir John Salmond, a Judge of the Supreme, Court, was appointed to represent this Dominion. The results of this conference excelled expectations and have laid a sound foundation for peace among those nations that participated in it. Papers relating o this conference will be laid before you for your information. A conference of delegates from those nations constituting the League of Nations was held last year at Geneva, at which the Commissioner for New Zealand represented tihis Dominion. Papers will be laid before yon relating to this conference, and you wilj be asked to pass resolutions confirming certain of its decisions for reasons already mentioned. It was found impossible for either myself or my Prime Minister to visit the islands o e . the Samoan Group during the recess, as had been proposed. Papers relating to the government of the mandated Island have been prepared and will be placed before you in due Course.

Since the closing of tihe last session of Parliament T have had an opportunity of visiting many parts of the Dominion. Everywhere I have been received with much, cordiality, and have heard expression given to tihe deep loyalty to the Throne which animates the people of New ZealandI nave noticed with pleasure the. prevalence of an optimistic feeling for the future and a conviction that the difficulties which were felt when I last, addressed you are-in a fair way to be overcome. Mr. Speaker and gentlemen of the House of Representatives: The Estimates have been prepared with a view to rigid economy. Much has been done in curtailing public expenditure since I last met you, but my advisers are of opinion that much more must be done in order to maintain the desired equilibrium in the finances of; the Dominion. I feel sure that you will give your earnest assistance towards such a desirable objective. The signal success of the 5 per. cent, five million Joan recently floated in London at par is a gratifying indication of the prestige and credit this Dominion enjoys in the financial centre of the world. It is essential that development must proceed vigorously by making more land available for settlers and by increasing'the facilities for internal transport. The greater part of tihe loan will be used for these purposes. Special provision is being made to cope with such unemployment as may occur during the winter months. The new Customs tariff of last session is working smoothly, and is giving general satisfaction. During the recess my Minister bf Customs visited the Commonwealth of Australia with tho object, of negotiating for a reciprocal tariff arrangement between this Dominion and the Commonwealth. The tentative agreement there entered into will in due course be submitted tc Parliament. The usual Bills relating to finance have been prepared for your consideration, including the Annual Taxing Bill, and also- certain amendments of the Lands and Income Tax Ac:, relating to the incidence of the taxation. There will also be submitted for your consideration a Bill relating to the management of the public debt. Honourable gentlemen of the Legislative Council and gentlemen of the House of Representatives : It is with great satisfaction that I note that there has been a material advance in the prices of our staple products, and at the same time a considerable saving in the cost of production. It is also a matter for congratulation that Manchester, Bristol, Hull, and other large centres in the United Kingdom are now asking for direct shipments of New Zealand products. The Meat Export Control Act, passed last session, is working satisfactorily. and has already been- the means of reducing the cost of marketing tne frozen meat products of. the Dominion. The confident anticipations of my advisers with reference to the commercial and financial recovery of the Dominion, as expressed to you in my speech when I last met you, are now being realised, but some time must elapse before this improvement can be reflected in the country’s finances. My advisers are satisfied that if continued vigilance is exercised over expenditure the grit and

determination so characteristic of pur people, combined with the many natural advantages of our Dominion, will enable it to emerge within a comparatively short time from financial difficulties, which are inseparab e from the aftermath of; a great war. Bills consolidating various Acts, especially those relating to harbours, the Public Trust Office, and stamp duties, will be subjects for your consideration. You will also be asked to consider, among other legislative measures, amendments of the Land Act, foe Mining Act, arid Co.aJ Mines Act, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the Public Works Act, and the Native Land Act. At the request of the Imperial Government legislation will be introduced making provision for the reciprocal enforcement of judgments obtained in superior courts within the Empire. Legislation will also be introduced making provision for the establishment of what are known as agricultural or people’s banks. Tlie.se institutions, which are principally for the benefit of. small agriculturists and artisans, are a system of co operative credit ,and have proved to oe highly successful in several European countries, and also in Canada and the United States. Tn view of the length of last session and the large amount of important legislation which was then passed, my advisors are of opinion that this session should not be of more than average duration, thus permitting members to have a proper opportunity of visiting their constituencies before the date of the general election. I commend all these matters to your earnest consideration, and pray that Divine Providence may so guide your deliberations that the result will be for the good o(J the Empire and of lasting benefit to the people Of this Dominion.