HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 48, 21 February 1912, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m

Miscellaneous.

The Sunday Labour Bill Legislatioi Amendment Bill and Proportional Re presentation Bill (Fisher) Avere reat for the first time. The Legislature Amendment and the Local Governmou Bill (Sir Joseph Ward) were brough doAA’n by Governor’s message, and rear a first time.

’■ Sir Joseph Ward gave a general out line of the provisions of the Loqn Government Bill] Avhich contains ovb 400 clauses.

Mr Y. H. Reed (Bay of Islands) in moving the Address-in-Reply, sat that the most important thing in th* Governor’s Speech Avas^,contained r -the first paragraph. The present Avai the first occasion for many years tha a no-confidence motion had been mov ed on the Address-in-Reply. He avoul* like to knoAV Avhether some members o the House had been sent to A r ot; against tho policy of the parties o against the administration. He con tended that the Opposition Part; avere not in the ascendency in th* House. If they Avere, they Avouh (have challenged the Government’,nomination of Speaker. The motioAvhich Mr Massey had given notice t* move in connection Avith the Addres Avas a direct attack on the advisors c the Governor, not on the Party. H Avanted it thoroughly understood thr if Mr Massey’s motion Avas carried i meant the exit of the Liberal Part' There AA r as nothing in the GoA r ernor’; Speech that Avas not in conformity AA'itli the policy of the Liberal Partand in conformity Avith tho past avoi-' of the Party. He praised the prr posals to include the benefits of th* old age pensions scheme. It ha* been said that the Liberals had take this plank from the Opposition plal form. He pointed out that the pre sent Government had initiated the oh age pensions scheme. The presen Government had made further provi sions for assisting those Avho could nr pay for nurses. The proposals (ouf lined in the Speech) in connection Avit' native lands Avere the best ever pn before the House. A full trade i native lands Avould spell disaster t the natives. He favoured national sation of the iron industry of tho Dr minion, and approved the Local Gr voniment Bill. The present Govern mont had introduced many beneficia humanitarian measures. With it gard to fostering tho farming industr the Government had instituted the ad vanoes to settlors, Avhich had prove* of immense value to farmers. ThGovernment had further fostered th dairying industry, had provided exper advice for farmers and assisted tlior in every conceivable manner. Th Government had extended the greatest assistance to small farmers. Th* Liberal Party must be judged by it: work, not by its professions. Ho desired to point out to the independen members, Avho at the present tim controlled the situation, that the car tying of Mr Massey’s amendmen meant the putting out of the G?>v eminent which had helped the poo pie. He moved the Address. Mr J. C. Thompson (Wall ace), ii seconding the motion, suggested os tahlishing a fund for aged legislator: avlio had spent their lives in helpinc the people. He maintained that tlu Progressive Liberal Party had no! boon defeated at tho last polls. Tlu Liberal votes, man for man, Avere more than those recorded for the Opposition side. Ho AA’as convinced that political Avnrfare in the Dominion Avas degenerating. Some' of the things AA’hich took place during the second ballots avo re disgraceful. (Hear, hoar.) There had been misrepresentation in connection Avith social unrest in Noav Zealand. It had boon stated that taxation Avas higher here than any-' where. This was misrepresentation,

for tlio surplus showed that New Zealand was making money. He advocated State enterprise, not to kill private enterprise, but to bring it to its proper level. There had been gross misrepresentation on the part of the gentlemen of the Opposition with regard to the national debt. The Opposition had endeavoured to scare the people when they spoke of a public debt of £80,000,000. New Zealand was more lightly taxed than any State in the Commonwealth. It was the lightest in the world. The Governor’s Speech contained reforms which would come to pass in the course of time. There could be no more Liberal or democratic policy than that contained in the Speech. He challenged Mr Massey to show how he was going to bring about limitation of areas. The Liberals could do it, but. not Mr Massey. He approved of the extension of the old age pension scheme. If the iron industry wore nationalised, sufficient material would bo provided to pay off the national debt. The speech was interrupted by the 5,30 adjournment. •The House resumed at 7.30. Mr Thompson, continuing his speech, reviewed the work of the Liberal Government, and hoped members on the cross benches would weigh well thenaction in exercising the important privilege entrusted to them. Mr. Massey moved to add to the motion: In conclusion we deem it our duty to represent to your Excellency that your Excellency’s advisors do not possess the confidence of the House. He did not intend, he said, to deal with the speech put into the mouth oi the Governor. It was a serious indig nity to the Governor and an insult to members and people. It was an attempt to bribe the people with the expenditure of their own money. He challenged the statement that the Opposition would allow free trade in native lands. They wanted to see the natives get a good price for their lands, and not to sell them to speculators, as the Government had allowed last year. With regard to borrowing, the Reform Party knew perfectly well there would have to be borrowing, but not more than was necessary. Borrowed money must be spent, but then in a proper manner. With regard to Mr Thomson’s statement re taxation he said he had stated that the country could not tax one section of the cpmmunity without taxing the whole, and concerning the iron industry the Government made a proposal last year to hand over the whole lot to speculators, and Mr Thompson supported it. Attempts hadjieen made that afternoon to show that the Got vernment had not lost the confidence of the people. Lately they were like a ship without a rudder or compass. He sincerely hoped the change in Government had not been too long delayed, and hoped the country would not suffer by the delay. The interests of the Government clashed with the 1 interests of the State, and when this condition of affairs obtained it was time to effect a change. In conncction with finance the Government seemed to have an idea that the ‘executive was paramount) to Parliament. The gift of the Dreadnought indicated that. Instead of one man giving the Dreadnought, Parliamenf should have been summoned, and Parliament should have given it. It had been stated in England that if had been the gift of one man. The Party had forgotten the fundamental principles of democracy. He entered a strong protest against the manner in which the Government had withheld information in connection with loans. Probably the solution of the present difficulty would be found in another appeal to the people. He did not want to force such a thing, but he was quite willing to face a general election. The people’s principal objection was to the Government’s administration, not their legislation. With regard to the surplus given out during the afternoon, it was part of the money of those who earned it. It was bad financing to extract more from the pockets of the people than was necessary for carrying on the work of the country. The Government had failed ignominiously in land settlement, and if this country was to be prosperous it was on the settlement of the land they depended. The Government had allowed large areas of land to lie idle, and had allowed intending settlers to go to other countries to find idle land. Cottage farming had not received the attention it should have had. He predicted that whether Government held the Treasury benches it would have to consider the rent problem. Continuing, Mr Massey, referring tr native lands, maintained that the fringe of the question had not been touched. Native lands must be settled. Ho referred to the method in which the Government dealt with the Mokau estate, and said that was enough to Wreck any Government. Dealing with the backblock settlers he said he had come to the conclusion that the Government’s policy was humbug. He said there was dissatisfaction with railway administration because of the abominable system of preferential rates in the carriage of goods. The Government had been borrowing, squandering and borrowing again to such an extent that the wonder was the country could stand it. There had been reckless expenditure. He referred to the system of grants, which, he said, were used for election purposes. No other country woxild tolerate such a system. Mr R. H. Rhodes seconded the motion. Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that at Taumarunui Mr Massey had told the people be would reduce the rate to local bodies to 3 per cent. Local bodies had bad over three millions in two years. When it was known there was n probability • f - change of Go-

vernment, banks and financial institutions warned customers to clear up their overdrafts. Sir Joseph outlined tiio procedure at Home after ait election, when the Liberals had not a majority and the then Premier had not resigned. Why had the Opposition called out all over the country that lie should resign? “Does the hon. gentleman say he had a majority after the elections?” Mr Massey; “Yes, I did.” Sir Joseph Ward: “Well, I say you have not.” Votes polled by the Opposition (not Labour and Independents) were 178,478, and for Liberals 235,918. Did that look as if the country had lost confidence in the Liberals? Since the elections the Leader of the Opposition had been moving heaven and earth to turn some members over to his side of the House. -Mr Massey: ‘That statement is incorrect.” ‘ Sir Joseph continued that the Leader of the Opposition and his friends had been making attempts to effect hfs Politics! Assassination outside the House, but they would never put him down. (Loud applause.) He said lie thought Mr Massey would have been ashamed to have • brought the matter up when he knew that ho and his Party could have voted against it before one penny was spent, except upon cables. The same thing occurred in connection with military training. The Opposition cried out against what they called “heavy borrowing," yet they had ‘ supported every loan for the past twenty years, with, the exception of one division to reduce an amount by £250,000, and then Mr Massey voted with the “Ayes.” He denied he had ever introduced the religious question into anything. He quoted figures to show that in the' Post and Telegraph Department there were 4800, of which 742 were Roman Catholics; of 234 telegraph boys, 20 were Roman Catholics; in the Railway Department there were 12,500 in the service, 15 per cent, being Roman Catholics. It had Been Freely Circulated that !he was a large shareholder in the Union Steam Ship Company, the Westport Coal Company, a large timber. company, and a largo building concern in Auckland. He . was not interested in any of these He had no financial interest-; in •■any business outside his b ( wn ',arid- qn©-br two newspapers. Hq had been 'accused of receiving £125,000 outdf-a loan which cost only £lll,OOO ; -to raise. He had receivedabout 250 letters about., receiving; 'mohhyy loan raising. Ho had never been in a land syndicate, and: chalienghd. anyone to, say he had speculated in.land since he had been a Cabinet Minister. He had not got as many * properjdqs now as he had ten years ago. ' „ With regard to Sir John Findlay, he wanted to state, in connection , with the statements made that Sir John ■had forced himself to go Home to the Imperial "Conference, that it was absolutely untrue. The cable he received from Home enquired whether he could “arrange for another member of Cabinet and a legal one.’ All other countries except New Zealand and New Foundland had three representatives. Continuing, Sir Joseph Ward, dealing with The Land Question, said the proposal of the Government was to take £13,000,000 of land from people who had never done anything for the country, and give the opportunity to settlers to get upon the land, and this was what the Opposition took exception to. Large land-owners were practically endeavouring to buy themselves into Parliament. He referred to the attitude of large landowners who brought electors to polls in motor-cars to enable rich men to get into Parliament as against poor men. They should do in New Zealand as they did in Australia,- where they stopped motor-cars running at elections for more than two miles. He asked was it not a fact that 14 millions had been ' expended to enable small farmers to obtain land for themselves? He denied a desire to cling to office, and had declined to retire Avhen he had been desired to do so, because he did not consider it fair to his party. But he would say he believed they were going to win. Ho was willing to go into the ranks of the Liberal Party. The policy he had outlined in the Governor’s speech was the ground work for future legislation and the development of the country. Mr Allen said, with regard to advances to local bodies, the Government had had to raise interest from 3} per cent, to 3J per cent. Sir J. Ward lhad referred to the Opposition being supported by large landowners, but he knew there were as many large landowners on his own side as on the side of the Opposition. With regard to the Dreadnought, the Premier knew members had not been communicated with in regard to the gift. He should have summoned Parliament instead of allowing the information to filter out through the newspapers. Dealing with the Premier’s statement re military training, Mr Allen said he had always taken his full share of responsibility in connection therewith. He had to say that he could not accept the information in connection with the five million loan with equanimity. . With regard to the Governor’s speech, he thought it an unfair thing to put such a speech into the Governor’s mouth. The charges made by the Opposition against the Government wore of extravagance, and that money was used for improper purposes. If a charge was made there would be a different state of affairs than had existed. He did not think the Premier had treated Parliament fairly with the Financial Statement lie had placed before it. It would be an extremely difficult thing for a man to come after him and carry on the public works of the country on the statement left by the Premier. Mr Payne moved the adjournment of the House at 11.55 p.m.