PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 242, 18 November 1909, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph. --I'ren Association. Wellington, Tuesday. After midnight Sir. McLaren seconded Mr. T. E. Taylor's amendment:— "That the House affirms the uusatis factor; nature of the land clause in the Budget, and that the people entitled iave the opportunity by means of a referendum to say whether any more Crown lands should be sold or whether the remnant of lands be preserved and tM) annual revenue in future be available to reduce the burdens of taxation." Wellington, Last Night. ' In tne House this afternoon, the adjourned debate on the Financial Statement was resumed by Mr. Laurcnson, Who agreed with the principle embodied in Mr. Taylor's amendment but he considered the language in which it was pouched an insult Jo the Government. He believed the referendum was a natural corollary of our democratic Government, and it was only a matter of time •before the referendum and initiative ■were in the hands of the people. He contended that a large majoritv of the people in the country was against parting with the national estate, but at present there were 53 freeholders m the -House against 26 leaseholders. He could not vote fo r the amendment as phrased, but would vote for the principle contained in it if couched in unobjectionable phraseology.

AN IMPORTANT DIVISION. The Speaker, in answering Mr Forbes. ruled that the amendment was out of order as Mr. Taylor had given notice of I similar motion. Mr. Russell moved to the same effect Bs Mr. Taylor's amendment, viz.,— |That the leasehold tenure be maintained as an integral part of the land tenure of the Dominion, and that a referendum be taken before the Bud- ! get proposals, granting the right of • the freehold, are given effect to." He contended that the late Mr. Rolleston's leasehold system, which was destroyed by the clause moved by the late Mr. Scobie McKenzie in 1884, and which, gave the tenant the right of occupation for 30 years with re-valuation thereafter, and giving the tenant the Jight to lease from year to year as long as he lived, was the best system of land tenure ever put into operation In the Dominion. Mr. Russell advocated the restriction of areas of settlement lands to 200 acres of first-class and 640 lecond-class. The Government's proposal wasy unbusinesslike and would iatiefy neither leaseholders nor freeBblders.

' Mr. Craigie seconded the amendment, Which was lost by 50 to 17.

The Allowing is the division list:— f&gainsf the amendment: Allen, Anderton, Baume, Buddo, Buick, Buxton, Cartoll, Clark, Dillon, Dive, T. Duncan, J. Duncan, Field, Fowlds, Fraser, Glover, Graham, Guthrie, Hall, Harding, Herdnan, Herries, Hine, Jennings, Lang, Mac Donald, R. MeKenzie, T. MeKenzie, Malcolm, Mander, Massey, Miller, Ngata, Newman, Nosworthy, Okey, Parata, Phillip, Poland, Eeid, Rhodes,' Ross, Bcott, Smith, Stalworthv, Rangihiroa, '■ G. M. Thomson, J. C. Thomson; Ward, I Wilford. I

For the amendment: Arnold, Craigie, Davcy, Fisher, Forbes, JTannan, Hogan, Laurenson, Ltike, McLaren, Poole, Russell, Seddon, Sidey, T. Taylor, Whitty, Wright, Fisher. Pairs (for) Messrs Ell, Steward and Colvin; against, Messrs Buchanan, Brown and Greenslade. FINANCIAL DEBATE. In the House in the evening. Mr. Forbes continued the financial debate. Be advocated a referendum On the defence proposals, so as to have the goodwill of the people behind the movement. Every encouragement should be given to rifle clubs. k He expressed disappointment and regret that the freehold should be the dominant note in the land tenure. The demand for the freehold in the iiaekblocks was largely due to the Government's failure to provide good roads and do its share in the partnership between the State and the settler.

Mr. Herdman said the policy of the Government on the land question was one of begging for votes. He asked .•why, if the Government, when passing the legislation in 1007, believed it would be best for the country to ab'andbn it now! The duty df the Government was to resign. Sir Joseph Ward: The difficnltv is that no one on your side of the House is fit to govern the country. Mr. Herdman retorted that he believed if the country had experience of the Opposition regime for a few years it would lie a long time before the pre- ■ sent Ministry got back. It was an act of treachery for the Government to reverse its policv. In Britain the Government under such circumstances would resign and submit itself to the electors. The Government stuck to office like limpets to a rock. He believed it would ■be difficult to evict the Ministry, even if a vote of no-confidence were carried. Mr. Herdman then proceeded to criticise the general administration of the Government, which, he said, was not to its credit.

Mr. Ell, replying to Mr. Herdman, cited figures to prove that, the industries of the Dominion were on the up grade. He defended the Departments from the aspersions cast upon them by Mr. Herdman, whose charges of corruption and maladministration, he said, Were easily met.