PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 479, 3 July 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT IN SESSION.

ADDRESSINREHLY. MR MASSEY'S AMENDMENT. [BT TKLEGHAPH. —I'RKSS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Tuesday. The House reamed at ,7.30. .Mr McCallum in moving the Ad* dress-in-Reply, laid in connection with thegdefence ayatem he thought something in the way of co ordination with the education system, to reduce the coßt to the country, ahould bo done. He expressed himself strongly in favour of land settlement, and advocated furthering the present system of agricultural colleges and experimental farms.* He opposed the granting of the freehold except in cases of hush and swnmp lands. Mr)Y*gor Brown, in seconding the motion, regretted the absence of Mr Millar. In dealing with the land quisstion he said either the poplation of New Zealand would have to leave or facilities would have to be given for getting on the land. He knew where there were 100 people on one million acres. He hoped the Government would make provisions to reduce taxes and the cost of living. .In this matter the Government wanted the assistance of the Opposition. Ha claimed the present Government had done everything possible for the benefit of the people. Mr Massey, following, moved the following amendment: "We feel it, however, to be our duty to submit to, your Excellency that it is essential that your Government should possess the confidence of this House, and of the country, and to represent to your ' Excellency that such confidence is not reposed in the Government as at pre- ■■ aent constituted." The mover and aeconder of the Address in-Reply had furnished, he said, the best argument' possible in favour of the motion. He agreed with Mr Brown that people were leaving the country because they could not get land, and said that atate of affairs must be set at the doors of the Government. He complained that in the Speech there had been no direct reference to representatives and the Legislative Council, and no reform promised in public auditing. These should be reform from audit to post audit. He failed to see any reference in the Speech to a Land Bill . which should have been there. He knew of a case where 250,000 acres were locked up on Coromandel Peninsula. There was an entire absence of a vigoroua land policy; nor was there any reference to the new Parliament buildings or to irrigation matters. Several of the proposition in the Speech were the product of the Opposition. He held no set of men should occupy the Treasury benches without submitting themselves to the House. There were more strikes in New Zealand than any other country. In connection with the labour unrest, he said many people were leaving New Zealand for Australia. He thought there ahould be a aecret ballot and the wives ahould have a hand before strikes were proposed. He protested ■gainst the manner of grants for roads and bridges,and said he never heard of ■uch heterogenous set of men sitting on the Treasury benches. He was certain Cabinet did not possess the confidence uf the country. His party stood for closer settlement, and security of tenure and he held the remedy for the Ishojr and financial differences was the settlement of the land. He declared the action of th«v Government in calling a conference of local bodies was unconstitutional, and he objected to Royal Commissions being appointed. MrG. W. Russell said th* leader of the Opposition was unable to take the place of statesmen in the country. To his mind such a thing was impossible. If the Opposition came in to power he had no doubt they would atbltsh the Old Age pension schema and institute the superannuation ■ scheme, which Mr Massey was so fond of advocating. Whatever the ftteling of the country it certainly did not want Mr Massey and his party. ' Ha waa prepared at any time tu go to the country with no fear of the result. Mr Newman moved the adjournment of the debate and the House rose at 12.6.