PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 201, 22 February 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1912. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. I HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. EAST COAST RAILWAY. Replying to a question, Hon, R. McKenzie stated that the Waihi-Tauranga-East Coast railway would probably be commenced within a fortnight, or certainly within a month. HON. J. A. MILLAR. " HITTING BELOW THE BELT." The House met at 7.30 p.m. Hon. Millar continued, the debate on the no-confidence motion. He-said the country would have been brought into a lovely state if the party in power in 1891 had been allowed to continue administering affairs. He recollected fights they had then to get any decent legislation passed. He asked what the Opposition mean wken they said they had clean hands. When the Leader of the Opposition went to Oamaru he gave utterance to statements which could not be substantiated. The Government had been charged with being corrupt, but the charges were nebulous. There was -nothing specific about them. The Hine charges had not been proved, despite the fact that those formulating them had had access to all the files. Mr. Massey: We had not! Mr. Millar: You did. Mr. Massey: They were not all there. . Mr. Millar: "Do you imply that departmental officers had removed documents from the files submitted?" That sort of thing, he continued, was hitting below the belt. Why had not a definite charge been made against the Government? If the present policy of the Op= position was pursued, no decent, man would remain in public life. Continuing, he cited figures of voting of the various members of the Opposition in regard to the Advances to Settlers, Old Age Pensions and other Liberal measures, pointing out the occasion on which they had voted against measures or refrained from voting. The position showed that the men then in power had better discrimination as to what was for the benefit of the country than the lion, gentleman on the other side. He wanted the House to judge the men by their actions and not by their words. The Minister then proceeded to explain and defend the cause of the- increased borrowing and expenditure, which the Opposition, he I said, put in their bill of indictment as "reckless expenditure." Figures were quoted to show that a large percentage of the borrowed money was reproductive, and he complained of the unfair attitude of the Opposition in its methods of criticising loans without taking into account how the money was utilised. He asked if that was unduly borrowing and squandering. Referring to the charge of overtaxation, he asked what could the Government do without the sanction of Parliament? Referring to the Dreadnought, he said not one penny had been expended until it was sanctioned by Parliament. The original offer was sent Home with a statement that nothing would be done' until it was sanctioned : by Parliament. He proceeded to defend the civilseryice from the charges alleged against : it, and declared that taxation had bees taken off the workers. He concluded that the Liberal Party had an unequalled ret'ord since it "took office in 1891. He maintained that the party had to.be credited with the good work ■ tending to the prosperity of the country, despite the opposition of the other side. If his resignation would be of service to tfie party he was prepared to retire. He had no desire to retain office unless it were to the advantage of the party. MR. HERDMANIS CRITICISM. .

Mr. Herdman said it did not matter what the present Government had done in the past. The present was the time to judge. The Government had not grappled with their trusteeship as they should have done, and was not worthy of the confidence of the House. With regard to "backdowns," he would refer members to the Governor's Speech, which "was punctuated with "backdowns." People had declared that they did not want the present Government. The Local Government Bill had been included in. the Governor's Speech, but it had been dragged from the Government. He objected to the rapid borrowing policy pursued by the present Government. Civil service reform was necessary, as was reform in the management of the railways. Again, native matters had not been attended to as they should have been, and the expenditure of public money needed ventilation, and tbis was not forthcoming. Political influence in the public service was the curse of the country, and stamped out the better class in the service. The Government ,was responsible for the Arbitration Act, and it was useless. In fact, it had widened the gulf between employer and employee. The excessive borrowing of the present administration wafi teaching the people of the country to be extravagant. They should be taught to live on their own resources and not cultivate extravagance consequent upon excessive borrowing. ■ The Minister in charge of the railways was very able, but he could not be expected to efficiently manage the department, having had no railway training. Under the Liberal Government the country had gradually lost sight of the fundamental principles of democracy. There was an industrial unrest in New Zealand, and people were afraid to invest money in the country. Mr. Russell said Mr. Allen had been caught napping time and again, and if the Opposition came into power they would never appoint him Minister of Finance. Had the Liberal Party displayed one half the energy displayed by the Opposition it would have been returned with a substantial majority. He claimed that the party which occupied the Treasury Benches would have to go on with the progressive policy of reeent years, and he hoped the result ef the division would he a continuance of the Liberal Party. The House adjourned at 11.20 p.m.