PARLIAMENT.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 April 1918, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. INCREASED WAR EFFORT. ———— , . v . i WELLINGTON April 9. y Parliament was opened this after- ' noon. i His Excellency's speech was as f<Jlows:— ' v ,II "Honourable Gentlemen of the Legr^ lative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives— .. "The Imperial Government having informed the several Governments of the overseas dominions and depende'n- , cies of His Majesty's desire that an; Imperial Conference and a meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet should be: held in London during the present year, my Ministers have advised me.' to convene .the present session of Parliament. "You will be invited to consider the proposal that my Prime Minister and Minister of Finance should represent New Zealand at the Imperial Conference and War Cabinet, and to ■ make provision for the financial requirements of the Dominion during their absence during the.present session. ONLY MATTERS OF URGENCY. ' The legislation to be j by my Ministers will be limited to the financial exigencies of the Dominion, and such other matters as demand immediate attention consequent on war condition*. A SECOND SESSION. "A second session of Parliament will be convened later in the year for the transaction of general business, and for the consideration of such legislation as may then be considered necessary in the public interest. "The present moment probably marks the crisis of the war, in whicn the Empire has so long been engaged. The British Empire, with our Allies, is defending civilisation the liberties of the world against the tremen- - dous efforts of an enemy whose victory would mean the triumph of unscrupulous tyranny. CONFIDENT OF VICTORY. "Our own brave soldiers stand with, the men of the Mother Country and other portions of the Empire in the line which faces the enemy on the Western front, as well as on other battlefields. We are well assured : ' : that the courage and endurance of our ' armies now tried to the not fail in the present or the future. We have the record of the past thro : years to justify'tha't confidence. '■"•'

"I do not doubt that both branches of the Legislature, speaking and act*' ing for the whole people of the? Dowil join, with my Government' in their determination' that still fur-" ther effort on our part is necessary to'ensure that New Zealand .shall;continue to assist to the utmost limit of our resources of men and material, the Mother Country "in the righteouswar in which she is engaged. I pray that Divine Providence may guide your deliberations."