Political Position

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 197, 17 February 1912, Page 4

Political Position

"■" —■ i OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. 1 A SURPRISED AUDIENCE. ■'. A PRELIMINARY BRUSH. ; PREMIER HITS OUT AT HIS P ■ DETRACTORS. , :

By Telegraph—Press Association! i ' Wellington, Last Nightf f The practical opening of Parliament. took place at 2.30 p.m. to-day, when the Governor delivered his speech, to' members of both branches of the Legislature in the Council Chamber. His was- attended by his aide de camp'and accompanied by the Commandant of the l'orces and staff officers. He was saluted by the guard of honor, as he arrived in Parliament Grounds, and immediately proceeded to the Council Chamber, which was thronged in-every available space With eager spectators, anxious to know the contents of'the speech. The whole ceremony was one of unusual interest As soon as members of the House headed by Mr. Speaker Guinnesß, were marshalled on the floor of the Council Chamber, His Excellency read in a clear tone the speech placed in his hand by Hon. McGowan (Leader of the Council? The reading occupied nearly 25 minutesj and was a surprise to many, who expected only a brief mention as to the causes which had necessitated an early assembly of the Legislature. ■;- After the speech members of the House returned to their own chamber and later the Council met, and Hon Carlan, having given notice 'to move the Address-in-Reply, it was adjourned until 2.30 on Tuesday. The members of the House assembled at 2.30, and returned to,their own chamber after listening to the speech in tbi Council. ™

Mr. Reed gave notice to move the Address-in-Reply. * ' Mr. Massey notified that he woulll make an amendment thereto. " Sir Joseph Ward read a communica' tion from the High Commissioner, show? ing details of the cost of raising M £6,000,000 loan. In doing so he sai«( that notwithstanding the fact that hi had informed the House last session that he was not in possession of figures, if had since been repeatedly asserted thai he was keeping details back. It .haf also been asserted in different parts, of the country that the cost of the loasl was in the region of £350,000, the state?' ment also implying the basest innuendoes; and insinuations. t Sir Joseph then read the letter m quesl tion, which he said reached Wellington on January 10 of this year. Tne figures' showed the expenses in connection with the raising of the loan to be £111,816 4s Od, and Sir Joseph stated that' the net return was £O6 fls 33/ 4 d per £IOO. Mr. Massey said he did not think the return contained the .whole of those charges which should be rightly debited against the loan and, in particular, he referred to the special provision govern* ing conversion. • .. ■

Mr. Herries said the original estimate of the net return of the loan' was very much greater than now given. Sir Joseph Ward said he wanted to see the gentlemen sitting opposite on the Treasury benches handling loans. They would make a holy mess of it if ever they got a chance to operate. It would make a bronze statue blush to hear of all the things they were going to do. Now that he had given all details in connection with the loan the Opposition were not satisfied. He would take the oppor« tunity later to disclose all the information in his pigeon-holes and show people • what a public man had to deal with. For attempting to pull down public life he had never seen anything like the tactics of the Opposition. He would make', a • prediction that the Opposition would not raise a loan so successfully as bejiad the five million one.

Sir Joseph Ward then moved that'the Clerk of the House, in the presence' of Messrs. Fraser and- Reed, be authorised to open a parcel of Grey Lynn electoral rolls, as the Returning Officer, had inadvertently enclosed his marked copy of the roll.—Carried.

Sir Joseph Ward moved the first readins of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill pro forma. He also moved that the House plafee on record its high appreciation of the services rendered' the country by the late Mr. Hugh Pollen, Under-Sec-, retary for Internal Acairs. Mr.' Masg-gy* seconded.

A letter was read from Colonel Porter,' expressing appreciation of the resolution passed by the House last session in connection with his volunteer-seMices.

'Mr. Fisher gave notice to Introduce a Sunday Labor Bill, Proportional Representation "Bill, and Legislature Amendment Bill. • ■** Sir Joseph Ward gave notice to introducb on Tuesday the Local Government Bill and the Legislature Amendment BilL The House adjourned at 3.45 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. '■.'':"/ .. [The, Governor's Speech appears on page 7 of this issue.]