PARLIAMENT OPENS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4845, 26 June 1925, Page 2

PARLIAMENT OPENS.

ASSEMBLY YESTERDAY.

GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S SPEECH.

Yesterday members of the Legislative Council and members of Parliament of New Zealand assembled at the House of Parliament to commence the fourth session.

The Governor-General (Sir Charles Fcrgusson) made his opening speech before crowded gall.aries as follows "Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: "It is in a spirit of thankfulness that in the opening paragraph of my speech I am able to record the complete recovery of the King from the effects of the serious illness which His Majesty suffered during the earlier part of the present year.

THE LATE PRIME MINISTER.

“The great pleasure 1 have in meeting you for the Hr.oL time in the General Assembly, of -which, under the Constitution, 1 am part, - would be greater for me—as I kno.w it wou’d be for you—had there been still present with • us the distinguished man who was my Prime Minister wnen I assumed office as Governor-General. For more than 21 years Mr Massey had been the leader in the House of Representative's of one c-f the great parties, and for nearly 13 consecutive years had been Prime Minister of this Dominion. In time of war —as in times of peace—he proved himself to be a true servant of the Empire. It is not only among the people of this Dominion that tire loss sustained by his death is realised : the messages of sympathy during his illness and or condolence after'his death received by me’ from Their. Majesties the King and Queen ; from the leading statesmen of Great Britain ; from the Gov-ernors-General, Governors, and Ministers of the other Dominions and Colonies, and from the Governments of the Allies of Great Britain and of the United St,ates of America have testified to the worldwide sense of, the value of’ his public (service This is not the time or the place to record his life’s work, or to attempt adequate expression of the public sorrow with my Ministers. I adopt the concluding words of the message from the Prime Minister of Great Britain : ‘Mr Massey’s death will not be a loss to New Zealand only. The whole Empire will mourn him h oth as a man and a statesman, and many of us will long cherish the memory of a mast genuine and lovable personality.’

"Acting on the advice of my Ministers I proclaimed a portion of the Crown reserve at Point Halswell, in the harbour of Wellington, to be a burial place for Mr Massey and his widow. Included in the legislation to be submitted to you will be an Act specifically appropriating to that purpose so defined. CONFIRMATION OF MINISTERS. “On May 14 last I appointed my Attorney-General, the Hon. Sir Francis Bell, to be Prime Minister, arid on liis advice I confirmed the (serving Ministers in their several ministerial offices and in their membership of the Executive Council, and also appointed the Hon. William Nosworthy to be Minister of Finance and Minister of Stamp Duties, these offices having become vacant by Mr Massey’s death, "On May 30 Sir Francis Bell tendered to me the resignation of himself and hits colleagues, and on his advice I sent for the Hon. Joseph Gordon Coates, M.C., and appointed him to be Prime Minister. On Mr Coates’ advice I appointed the members of the Government who had resigned .to hold their respective offices and their membership of the Executive Council, except that in the case of the office of Postmaster-General the Hob. Sir C. J. Parr was appointed in lieu of’ Mr Coates.

ACQUAINTANCE WITH DOMINION.

“It has been my intention before by first meeting with you to have visited many parts of the Dominion, and also the Cook Islands and pur mandatory territory of Samoa. But the recent severe epidemic of infantile paralysis which caused so much sorrow and anxiety throughout the country, combined with the circumstances of’Mr Massey’s illness and death, rendered such visits' inadvisable. I hope to be able, later, to make myself more fully acquainted with every part . f New Zealand and its dependencies, and with every section of its people. “It has been my happiness eo far to find everywhere loyalty to our Sovereign and his Empire, general prosperity and contentment, and an absence of that, unemployment which has caused and is causing so much iuixiety in the Mother Country. “I take this opportunity of thanking tire people of N.ew Zealand most warmly for the kindness and consideration extended by one and all to Her Excellency and myself since our arrival in the Dominion. The kind.ly references to our parents which have been so frequently made have touched us greatly. The extreme courtesy and goodwill of the welcome which we have received have added much to the pleasure of to 'the (scenes of our childhood, and given us great encouragement in undertaking the duties which fall .to us. “It is with pleasure that I have received evidence of the increasing -well-being of the Cook Islands dependencies, and of the prosperity arid welfare c-f the people of Western Samoa. RAILWAY OPERATIONS. “A complete reorganisation and control -of the public railways has been brought into operation, and has provided improved facilities and service to the people. Important works and improvements have been put in hand which, when completed, will greatly increase the efficiency of the department and service to the public. SOLDIER SETTLERS. "The board created under recent legislation to inquire into and make upon the finance of discharged soldiers settled on the land has nearly completed its work,

and there is reason to believe that action taken under your authority in pursuance of- those recommendations has enabled many deserving soldier settlers to realise that they have opportunity in the present and hope for the future in tneir enterprise.

DETERIORATED LAND. “The conditions developed in certain areas of Crown lands in the North Island by deterioration of pastures which are gradually becoming replaced by native flora of various kinds have been investigated by a special committee, which has submitted a valuable report. It is proposed to establish methods of dealing with such lands and to assist settlers occupying them to carry out necessary improvements, and you will be asked to make the necessary financial provision for the purpose. PRIMARY INDUSTRIES. "My Ministers realise that the development of our primary industries demands an extension of the instructional services of the Department of Agriculture. It is proposed to increase the trained staff of 'the department in order that information and advice may. be provided directly to producers through tire medium of tra'ned instructors stationed at vaiiotis suitable centres throughout the Dominion. The existing services of the department have already been the means of- rending material aid to producers, and provide a basis upon which a wider and more comprehensive service can be established, PROPOSED LEGISLATION. .

"The measures prepared for your present session include provision for the amendment of Acts relating to chattels transfer, local bodies loans, stonequarries, property, law, land transfers, official appointments and documents, public works, nurses superannuation, destitute persons, forests, workers’ compensation for accident, and the kauri gum industry. Several important consolidation measures have been prepared, and will be submitted-to you. Among them you will find Bills consolidating and amending the Coal Mines Acts, Laud for Settlement Acts, Public Revenues Acts, Hauraki Plains Acts, and Fire Brigades Acts. If time allows, you will also be asked to consider and pass an Act consolidating the Industrial and Arbitration Acts. A Child Welfare Bill, providing for the establishment of children , 'si courts, for the care of indigent and delinquent children, and limiting the employment of children in various forms of employment, and for the better administration of child welfare institutions, has been prepared, and my Ministers hope that you may find it possible to this into law during the present session. FINANCIAL OPERATIONS. > "Mr Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: You will be gratified, to find that the financial operations of the Dominion in the year ended March 31 last resulted in a surplus in the Consolidated Fund of £1,243,800. The estimates of public expenditure for the present year have been prepared for your consideration with due regard to economy. The demand for money for the offices of advances to (settlers and advances to workers has been most urgent* and it has been found difficult to meet- the requirements in full. Under your authority a loan of seven millions has been recently raised in London on terms which compare favourably with similar loans raised about the same time by other dominions and public bodies. Such part of the proceeds ot that loan as are not urgently required for the continuation of public works, including the hydro-electric extension, Will be available for advances to settles and workers. In ■addition, the repayments of principal to the State Advances Department will provide approximately: £1,300,000 in each year for investment in further advances. My Ministers are aware of the difficulty that settlers and workers are experiencing in obtaining money for development and housing purposes. .Very careful attention has been given to ways and means to assist, and proposals will be (submitted in due course for your consideration. You will be askedspecially to consider a Bill dealing with the sinking funds of the public debt. It is not proposed to limit the provision made under the' existing Act for the ultimate extinction of the debt, but experience has shown that investment of sinking funds in permanent securities is not advantageous as compared with investment in the purchase of isuch of our securities as are at a discount on. the Landon market, and the main object of the Bill is to invest the annual payments from the Consolidated Fund in the form of liquid securities, so far as immediate opportunity does not occur for the purchase of our own public-debt debentures. At the same time provision is made for the continuance oi payment to the sinking fund of interest on the-part of the debt so extinguished. ARREARS OF LAND TAX. “During and after the war many holders of land found difficulty in paying their land tax, which, by the statute, is made a first charge upon the land itself. Time for payment was conceded in many cases, and transfers of property have taken place, the purchasers being ignorantof/ the existing encumbrance of tax, and this in a considerable number of cases is .thought to be unfair. The matter was dealt with in part by legislation of your last session, but you will be invited to consider further provisions for the relief of the charge of arrears of land tax in cases involving hardship to purchasers.

“Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Counn'eil and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives: I commend these several matters to your earnest consideration, and I trust that Divine Providence may guide your de-, liberations to the advantage of our Sovereign and his Empire and : the benefit of New Zealand and its dependencies.”