Before the Division

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 206, 28 February 1912, Page 5

Before the Division

LABORITES AND INDEPENDENTS SPEAK. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In tlie House of Representatives this afternoon, Mr Glover (Auckland Central) continued the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He was, he said, in the House to preserve the interests of the masses. He would bow to no one, so far as his allegiance to the workers and the masses was concerned. He proceeded to review the Governor's Speech, and applauded the provisions contained therein. One matter which called for immediate attention was the high cost of living. A Commission should be set up at once to go into the matter. He urged the vigorous prosecution of the East Coast railway, where there was some of the most fertile country. The settlers there were handicapped in getting their produce away to the markets through the harbors having bar troubles. With regard to the charges of maladministration levelled against the Government, |ie considered that their opponents should bring forward those charges and have them tested. He commended members to review the humanitarian legislation invented and passed by the present administration. ME. RHODES VOTING GOVERNMENT. "MEASURES, NOT MEN." Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) declared that lie was an Independent. He had given a voluntary pledge to his electors to vote for the Ward administration. He had also given them to that he would vote for the freehold. He stood for principles, for measures not

men. He would give his support to any measure which was in the interest of the people, no matter from which side of the House it emanated. He had listened very attentively to all that had been said. He was sorry to see so much mud slinging. A lot had been said against the Government, but not one tittle of evidence had been adducqd in support of it. Innuendo and inference had been rampant, but there was nothing specific. He wanted to hear what the Government had done wrong, and how the Opposition could do better. He honored the member for Grey Lynn for having the courage of his convictions and breaking his pledge when he recognised that to keep it would be doing an injury to the people. The Government had passed legislation on progressive, democratic and humanitarian lines, and he hoped to assist in the furtherance of the programme of the Liberals.

MR. VEITCH. MAKES A GOOD IMPRESSION. A PLEA FOR LABOR. Interest was given to the debate by Mr. Veitch (Wanganui). On rising, he said that for the last 15 years he had had a great deal to do with trades union work. He had imagined that on coming to Parliament he would have to acquire a great deal of polish, but he had not been greatly impressed with Parliament. At the conference sitting in Wellington business was conducted in a way that would compare with Parliament. Personal reflections were not thrown across

the table, as they were across the Parliamentary chamber. He denied that the I workers were divided among themselves, j as was stated by the newspapers. There never was a time when labor realised •■ so much the need for unionism. Spme thought there should be an organisation to defend labor in Parliament, others that the organisation should be to defend the laborers' interests outside Parliament. He did not see why both organisations should not exist. It,had been said that the demands of Labor were unreasonable. It was only human nature to ask for as much as one could get. One thing was certain, and that was that the workers had never yet obtained anything out of reason. It was fair to deduce that their demands had never been out of reason. He stated that the Governor's Speech, far from heing an insult to the intelligence of Parliament, appealed to him very much. He d'ealt with several subjects contained in the speech, especially with the cost of living. He disagreed entirely with the cry that the increased cost of living was due to increased wages. In his opinion the chief causes were commercial monopoly, land monopoly and taxation to raise money for public works. He admitted the honesty of the Government's remission of duties on the necessaries of life, but the remission had been collared by commercial monopolists. There existed in New Zealand a system of monopoly 80 complete that it was practically impossible for any >small or financially weak firm to operate successfully in opposition to them. He regretted that the Monopolies Prevention Act had not yet been put into operation. Sir Joseph Ward: "It has."

Mr. Veitch, continuing, said that he had not heard of it, but was, glad to learn that it was so. He thought that there was a flaw in the Act in that there was no provision in.it for preliminary investigation prior to taking action. The cost of living, which was so immensely influenced by the commercial monopoly, was a subject which could be dealt with. Anything could be dealt with if courage and determination were brought to bear. He hoped that which ever party came into power it would promptly and sincerely take the matter up and deal with the commercial monopolies. As taxation for public works every year from £600,000 to £BOO.OOO was- transferred from the consolidated revenue to the public works fund. It seemed like good finance,.and looked at, purely as a matter of finance its sound-, ness might be good finance. 'What he objected to was that money which was contributed from-' the earnings of the rank and file was spent in developing the country to the immediate and considerable benefit of land owners.

At the close of last < session, continued Mr. Veitch, by way, of illustration, they had the proposal that the* Government should buy 2,000,000 acres of land adjacent to the Main Trunk line. If the laml had Been acquired before the railway was built we should have had the railway for nothing. (Hear, hear.) However, he believed in letting bygones be bygones. A bargain was a bargain, and should be respected. The Labor party never repudiated a bargain. In connection with the freehold question, he had a proposition to put forward, viz.; that the (State should be allowed to repudiate its bargain made with the freeholders. If the leaseholders were to be given the freehold at the original value why not allow the State to resume at the original value land which it had parted with? (Laughter.) He assured the members that the Labor party were not unreasonable, and expressed the hope that when they were called on to give an account of their works—he did not whether it would be three years or three months hence (laughter)—it would b« admitted that the Labor members had not borne themselves unworthily. Dealing with railway matters, he held that the railwaymen had receded concessions from time to time, but surely they had a grievance in that the matter they had placed before Parliament last session should have been side-tracked. It should have been referred to some tribunal, failing Parliament not having time to deal With it. In conclusion, he said that the workers were leaving the Arbitration Court because it failed to give them satisfaction. Arbitration was right in prinC ? v The Court had been established to abolish sweating, and had done that to thoroughly that it was not now called on to exercise that function. At present the Court's business should be to investigate the monopoly in which both employers and employees were being squeezed by monopolists. Mr. Veitch was warmly applauded by both sides on concluding.

MR. ROBERTSON'S SPEECH. OUT FOR LABOR. HATES MASSEYISM MORE THAN WARDISM. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Robertson held that the whole point of the Opposition criticism was directed against the administration, and if there was a change therein, as had been promised, there could, as far as he had been able to see from the Opposition's criticism, be no objection to the Liberal policy being pursued. He held that Labor was not receiving its due for services rendered. The.cost of production was never so low as at the present time. That was due partially to the introduction of labor-saving machinery. With regard to the unrest in the railway service, he was of opinion that the Government were to blame for giving into the constantly reiterated criticism of the Opposition. The railways should be considered the primary developers of the country, and should be safeguarded to the utmost. When compulsory military training had been allowed to pass without consulting the country, democracy existed only for party purposes. He desired to make his position clear in regard to his pledges. He denied giving a pledge to those simply opposed to the Government. He had said he would assist to overthrow the administration, but

had stated lie was just as strongly opposed to the Massey party. .The noconfidence motion was not simply to turn out the Ward Government, but to put Mr. Massey into power. He would never ass.st in doing this. He was in the position that he must'keep the spirit or break the letter of his pledge, or vice versa He chose to break the letter and keep the spirit of the pledge. After consideration of the various factors he had ?ome to the conclusion that he could not assist m giving a new lease of life to the Massey party. The country looked tor a lead from the party in power, and it this was given by the present administration they would lead the way in democratic reform.

MR. ATMORE'S POSITION.

"A FREE MAN."

GIVES XO IXKLTNG OF HOW HE WILL VOTE.

Mr. Atmore said he came into' the House a free man. He had refused nomination by both parties, and stood as an Independent. He stood as a protest against the American system of "spoils to the victors." He wa< prepared to give credit to the Government for nearly all its legislation, which h,J hem asked for by the people. Members' votes were too much influenced by party considerations. He supported compulsory military training, which was necessary, seeing that the volunteer system had broken down He dealt with'the Yellow peril, which was a real one, and said a man was a criminal who opposed the training of his children in the work of defence. Referring to the land problem, he criticised the leaseholders position, and said that unearned increment could always be obtained by means of, taxation. He believed in each man having a small freehold. Aggressive socialism was making headway in Europe and Britain. By granting the freehold they would stem aggressive socialism, which ultimately was bound to come. He asked the Opposition if it were prepared to take up the Government's land policy, and also apply its policy on native lands to ordinary lands. Mr. Massey: 'Treat them both alike." Mr. Atmore did not believe the people desired another election. The best brains of both parties should get together and solve the present problem,.leaving party considerations aside. He condemned the , party system, the Judicature Amend- i ment Act,' and also the gift of tha'Dreadnought. He asked for a definite pronouncement from Mr, Massey on the graduated land tax. Touching on 4 the Labor question, he said this,, was bound up with the cost of living. There would be no occupation for the agitator if they did away with the party system and got down to the root of the trouble. The Governor's Speech contained a fairly Radical programme, but it could not be carried for a number of years. They must increase the primary producers before this could be done. He opposed the. second ballot, which must be abolished. There was an uneasy feeling throughout the Dominion that the Oppositionists were lineal descendants of the old squatter party. If they succeeded to power the Opposition would have to introduce a Radical programme. Otherwise their reign would be short.

HOW WARMSM FELL. VIGOROUS CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT. HOW WARD FELL. . Mr. Fisher reviewed the history of vfche Ward administration, retailing blunders made by the Premier and the causes leading to the ill-feeling in the Liberal Party.; Sir Joseph jWard's hereditary title cost him thousands of votes. • The gambling legislation was responsible for the defeat of the Liberals. He quoted the opinions of many former-members of the Ministry on the causes leading to the downfall of the Liberal Party, which was divided against itself. He criticised the legislation passed by the Government, and the suggestions of legislationcontained in the Governor's Speech. He gave the Government credit for some of the legislation passed, but complained that some of the planks of the Opposition's programme had been appropriated. Why, he asked, had not the Government introduced last session some of the proposal contained in the Governor's Speech ? They had a majority of 24 then, but they had made no endeavor to carry out what was proposed. He objected to the lack of facilities afforded members for perusal of departmental papers and documents.

I "A SORDID DESIRE." MR. HANAN ON THE OPPOSITION. Mr. Hanan said the Opposition., weie possessed of a sordid desire lo gain the Treasury Benches and person aggrandisement at any cost. They were the offshoot of the old Tory Party, and held their views. LABOR'S DAY OUT. MR. VEITOTsTvAGUENESS. By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. In the afternoon, the debate belonged largely to Labor. Mr. Glover rambled into it somehow in the beginning and rambled out of it somehow at the end of his turn, and then 'we had' Mr. Rhodes, the Laborite, who out out the Rev. Taylor from the Thames seat without calling in the aid of the Opposition. His position is therefore easy enough to make him on the present occasion a negligible quantity as a speaker. He stood for the Government. He took his full hour.

Mr. Veiteh followed, and as he represents the illogical line as to Labor's place, and has been the subject of conjecture and other things during the last few days, the House very soon filled to hear what he had to say. He had much to say, but he did not say a single word on the subject the House expected most. A» he spobe he seemed to get further and further away from the subject of the coming .division and the paift he intends to play in the same. As the Sphinx he addresed himself to every question but that one. It was a complete confession of Liberal faith, a standing up hotly for the substance of the Governor's Speech, a great ehow of independence for Labor, with a palpable leaning to the Liberal side. Mr. Veiteh is a calm' speaker, accustomed to keep his head clear and his tongue in command, for he had expected to find himself very much out in his'l ways in Parliament, but that he was agreeably surprised to find that lie really had very little to learn and, indeed, much to impart, for he took leave to say that the labor conferences over which he had so often presided never threw mud at one another under any pretext after the manner <of the mudslinging that went on in the Ho«6e. But there was not a word in all this about his vote. However, his speech was out and out Liberal, and that seemed to comfort some of the Government men. 'At the samiei time, when talking of the land question, he made the uncompromising statement that the bargains entered into by the State must be kept whatever the consequences might be. This in allusion to drastic taxation and the resumption of lands. On that phrase the Opposition build up the same structure of hope as the Government, and thus the speech of the doubtful member ended as it had begun—in the doubtful key.

Mr. Robertson 'f olid wed Very, 'mtfs|l|P . ditto order and fotm, except thit I .^^^ , by no means so impressive a speaker'|ff| the man from Wanganui, He was vepli ', Liberal and very much inclined' to glve^i .' advice, and but for the fact that,!^ s«emed to scorn the claim of the Libera}*^ that their achievements are entitled,t%^ I be regarded as guarantees for of their legislation, bis speech was.whpllyj*| Liberal. In his eye the Labor ,pa'rtyt>!is has entered Parliament with a (fommis-;?! sioh to rule. They may not getthereinße!d; just yet awhile, but their aim, object ana'.?' certainty is'the dominion of the toua- 1 try. Such is Mr. Robertson so far his somewhat indistinct utterance ables the average hearer to make Jiini":' out. . ■',# Mr. Atmonei followed. He's a very if*; .good speaker—no notes, no nervousness, S no hesitation, no repetition, no ,'* *, fiery earnestness, one of the Inde-; i pendents. Everybody hunc; on his words.,-'■--But on the crucial point he was as clog* "f as the proverbial ovster, that.ivas clobb .'i| as Mr. Veitch. The backbone of b.js' 'f speech was the fierce condemnation of v the party system one expects from a fiery neophyte. He spoke of the greatest' •; good for. the greatest number and the •'"' best brains of both sides of the House to; " ■ bring it about. "Sweep away the'party /* rt system and you sweep in every reform." '"'' It is the wail of the neophyte. They all -y begin that Way, and they end well (if ■•\ they are ' good,' on the Ministerial "';< benches), if otherwise, in the Cave. of., r .V Adullam! For practical purposes, one'.'ftf. might conclude that Mr. Atmore, who 9 , declared himself unpledged to either '! side, will vote for the Opposition. At all ■'}. events, he told that party that if they ' jj won. they must go straight and very f/u/b' /'•'. on the Liberal path he had outlined., It' /! may mean the, promise of his vote.on '£j that condition, and then again it may ',\ not. In a party division you can't place ,'.' thiei non party Independent who wants to V sweep away the party system. Mr. W. ',. Atmore's speech was one of the best ever delivered on a first attempt in the House.; .;.'!> Mr, Fisher followed—ingenious, bitter. * and clever, pleading speeiallv with great V,. art, and losing the grip of his audience ..jj, before he was half through. He xaked '•.:, up everything ever said against the Gov-- .■; eminent by Government supporters j ihe ridiculed the proposal in the Budget w -■';' Impose extra graduation on 100,000 acres- ' - ■ unimproved value by men who knew , V there were no.BUch properties, and quot- » ~; ing from a return of 1011, he solemnly (\ Mr. Massey to g» ahead straight ■ " - and swift. -t',

RECKLESS STATEMENTS. '' ,* J A CHAUJENTGE TO MR. 331005. ', ;y Just before the supper adjournment ~/, on Monday night Mr. Laurenßon read ».' - '•* telegram which he had mentioned earlier 1 in the debate, and which had come to J» him, he said, that evening at eight' v £ o'clock. It ran as follows: .' ,** Pohokura. 'f. ' s Laurenson, M.P., Wellington. ■ln view of the statement made in, M; the House by leaders of the Opposi- . .;,", tion that they had nothing to do •*' with the wild and reckless state- . ; ments made against Sir Joseph Ward , '', during last election,'will-you please ask our member, Mr. J. B. Hine, in ' -;A the House why he told us in his -ty address at Thirty-three Mile Siding, ;','*; the night before the election, that ''' i", ; Sir Joseph Ward had not given par- , $ ticulars-of £120,000 out of the five •'','>* million loan, and how does he recon,- ..'t/£ cile the statement with his party '.s denial 1 If Mr. Hine believes this to > be true, he should ask for another J-i enquiry and prove it; otherwise he ,-,$ should resign his seat and retire '?'; from public life for making such ma-'' ■ ' ;» licious charges against s public men , where no press reporters are pres- I'l ent. . .'£

D. WJIiDERMOUTH. ■ £ This was a specimen of the sort Of thing IV /p that hrul to be dealt with—a statement *," framed to create feelings of suspicion..-'? Mr. Massey had made statements of this ~ sort for the same purpose. For instance, ',' he had declared that the Opposition- f' policy was one of honesty, and that of j the Government one of humbug, hvjjoc- •'# risy. Like the Pharisee' of old he '' r , stood up, thumped himself on the chest", \>% and told the World what a straight man • ! -'i he was. He had' 'also, by inference, ■" charged the Government with doing,"':? crooked things, though he had brought ? ', forward no proof of' any sort. , Such -?, continual insinuations must nauseate ,-,' any decent man. ' ;\

A CRUEL CAMPAIGN. , -Jj He did not suppose a more cruel cam- :v'*i paign was ever fought than that of last Lsf election. It was mutually agreed before >| the election that no members of the \*§ Liberal Party should go into the Marsden ' electorate, because tjie Opposition mem- ' S'jt ber.Mr. Mander, was in bad health. But m Mr. Hogg, whose earnestness and integ- ;*/? rity could not be questioned, was'fighting ■. .|Jj a desperate election at Masterton, he s| was 60 years of age and ill, but two or • ; . ; "* three members of the Opposition went ;*■/ to his electorate to fight him down. Only* : l's last session, when the daughter of a } f f§ Liberal member sat next the wife of a y/J man who was now supporting Mr. Mas 1 - ' ',?£& sey in Parliament, the woman said s'lieh "■ v| frightful things about the Liberals that '*>§> the girl burst into tears and left the House. ,v 3