THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 315, 3 July 1912, Page 5

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

THE PARLIAMENTARY KICK-OFF.

THE NO-CONFIDENCE AMENDMENT.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night.

The House resumed at 7.30,

Mr. McAllum, in moving the Address- 1 in-Reply, after making feeling reference to the death of Mrs. Herrics, wife of the member for Taurnnga, and to the Titanic disaster, defended the action of the Prime Minister in the matter of the Dreadnought New Zealand being located in the North .Sea. Jn connection with the defence system, he thought that, some- . thing in the way of co-ordination with , the education system to reduco the cost to the country should be done. He ex- ; pressed himself strongly in favor of land settlement, and advocated furthering the present system of agricultural colleges and experimental farms. He referred to what he considered the deficiency in the efficient carrying on of the university system, and complained of the impecunious condition of the colleges. The position, to his mind. w?.s not satisfactory. He opposed the granting of the freehold except in cases of bush and swamp lands. ' He thought that the Government was under a cloud, but had a right to be . enabled to show its worth. It could not be contended that Messrs. Millar, R. Mc-Ken-zie, Wilford and others would desert the party with which they had so , long been associated. Mr. Brown, in seconding the motion, regretted the absence of Mr. Millar. Dealing with the land question, he said that either the population of New Zealand would have to leave or facilities would have to be given for getting on the land. He cited various large estates in Hawke's Ray suitable for cutting up for settlement. He knew where one . hundred people were on one million acres. The accumulation of land must be at once stopped. He hoped that the Government would make provision to reduce taxes and the cost of living. If this was not done, some serious trouble would ensue. In this matter the Government wanted the assistance of the Opposition. They were educating the youth of the country in agricultural colleges, but the land was locked up and there was no land for them to settle on. He claimed that the present Government had done everything possible for the benefit of the people. Mr. Massey following, moved the following amendment to the Address-in-Reply. "We feel it, however, to be our duty to submit to your Excellency that it is essential that your Excellency's Government should possess the confidence of this House and the country, and to represent to your Excellency that such confidence is not reposed in the Government as at present constituted." The mover and seconder of the Address-in-Reply had -furnished, he said, the best argument in favor of the motion. He agreed with Mr. Brown that people were leaving the country because they could not get land, and said that the state of affairs must be set at the doors of the Government. He complained that in the Speech there wits no direct reference to representatives in the Legislative Conn-

cil and no reform provided in public auditing. He failed to see any reference in the Speech to a Land Bill, which should have been there. He knew of a case where 250,000 acres wore locked up. There was an entire absence of a vigorous land policy, nor was there any reference to new Parliamentary buildings or irritation matters. Several of the propositions in the Speech were the product of the Opposition. He held that no set of men should occupy the Treasury Benches without submitting themselves to the House. There were more strikes in New Zealand than in any other country. (Left Sitting.)