PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 322, 11 July 1912, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30. The Hon. W. F. Carncross, who was absent on urgent private business, was re-elected Chairman of Committees, and was congratulated by the Hon. 0. Samuel, leader of the Council, and the Hon. C. Mills.

Mr. Samuel then explained the situation that had arisen in connection with the Mackenzie Administration, and its retirement. He read the list of the members of the new Cabinet, including the Hon. Francis Henry Dillon Bell, who had been appointed as leader of the Council, with the portfolio of Minister of Internal Affairs.

Mr. Bell was then introduced, and took the oath and liis seat as Leader of the Council.

Mr. Samuel having retired from the leadership offered his heartiest congratulations to Mr. Bell, and in doing so said that he was not only voicing his own views, but he believed those of the Council generally. He referred to the new leader's high standing at the bar as a barrister, and his political associations, and expressed the belief that he would uphold in the worthiest manlier the dignity of the Council and its traditions.

Mr. Samuel was followed by Messrs. Jones, Loughnan, Cullan, Rigg, Luke, Jeukinson and Parata, all of whom offered congratulations. Mr. Bell, with manifest feeling, briefly replied to the congratulations. He expressed his gratitude to those lion, members who had said so many complimentary things regarding him, and said that he Would do his best to conduct the affairs of the Council in a way that would maintain its dignity. He incidentally mentioned that he was now occupying a position that was occupied by his father in the first Parliament after the adoption of the Constitution Act. He thanked the Council most sincerely for its congratulations, and moved that the Council at its rising adjourn till 7.30, when he would make a statement concerning the adjournment necessary to allow the new Government to arrange its business. The Council then rose. The Council resumed at 7.30 and then adjourned until July 31. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. the new Ministry occupying the Treasury benches. The Privilege Committee in connection with the Wairau ease was granted an extension to August 7, in order to allow of the presentation of a report. MR. MASSEY'S DEBUT.

Mr. Massey then rose, and said that lie would take the opportunity of saying that he had been occupied for the past few days in the formation of a new Ministry, and had been successful. He mentioned that the Cabinet was subject to alterations, as some portfolios had not yet been allotted. Mr. Herries, he said, had been offered the portfolios of Railways and Native Affairs, and he thought he would accept those portfolios. He desired to ask for an adjournment of the House Antil August 31, to allow him and his Ministers to get acquainted with their new duties and arrange their business.

MR. MACKENZIE'S CONGRATULATIONS. Mi'. Mackenzie said that he would offer 110 objection to the adjournment. He would' take the opportunity of congratulating Mr. Massey on the formation of his Cabinet, and would give all the reasonable assistance possible to enable the Prime Minister to carry on the business of the country. They should all be able to unite for the benefit of the country. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CRITICISM.

I Sir Joseph Ward offered his congratulations to the Prime Minister and the members of his Ministry on his attainment of the high office ho now occupied. As lie had crossed swords on many occasions with the lion, gentlemen he thought it was fitting that he should say a few words. He offered his congratulations with all sincerity. No one on the opposite side of the House was more entitled to the first position than Mr. Massey. He was a man who had fought battles, and was entitled to honor. He would like to say a few words on the adjustment of portfolios. It was entirely Mr. Massey's business, and he was impressed by the very important fact that Mr. Massey evidently did not believe in the spirit of provincialism. He regretted to find Southland. Westland, Marlborough, Nelson, Taranaki, the East Coast, the city of Auckland, the city of 1 Christchurch, and the city of Dunedin were not represented in the Ministry. He congratulated Wellington on the special honor of Laving three members in the Ministry. All the other districts ho had alluded to had no special representation. All the Ministers, he would say, -were well qualified for the important posts conferred upon them. He did not desire in his remarks to disparage them. He called attention to the fact that there was one leaseholder in the Cabinet—he referred to Mr. Fisher—and congratulated him and also congratulated the other Ministers. He referred to the Leader of the Upper House holding a portfolio, which would bring him into conflict in dealing with important matters with members of the House. He had learned from experience tliat such a course was not advisable. Another peculiar feature about the Cabinet was the fact that there was only one farmer in the new Ministry. Surely such a state of affairs was not in proportion, considering the great masses of farmers in the country. Then again there was no representation of labor in the Cabinet. He would congratulate the Premier on taking that portfolio. He was sure the new administration would do good .work, but he was entitled to draw attention to these matters. Speaking as a private member, and without personal ambitions, he said that it might be possible that ho would be of use to the House in finance. For instance, the Government wanted all the assistance it could get, not by way of adverse criticism, but by giving legitimate assistance, and he thought he could be of help in that direction. The new Minister of Finance would find that he could not control the money market, which was controlled bv those at the head of things in London. For his own part, he would not be a party to placing obstacles in the way of the administration, which had assumed and had to carry out heavy responsibilities.

A PLEA FOR LABOR. Mr. Vcitch considered that the new Government Should have reasonable time to formulate a policy. If it went for reactionary measures its life would be very short. If it went for reasonably progressive measures it might exist for years. Tie hoped that the Government would not overlook the interests of labor, and would make an attempt to improve the conditions of the workers. m. PAYNE'S FIZZLE. Mr. Payne said that tlie Government occupied the Treasury Benches on a minority vote. The ''barges of reckless borrowing and expenditure had fizzled out with a very poor fizzle. He believed I

that at tlio next elections the Liberal Party would again come into its own. DEGRADING THE COUNTRY.

Mr. Hanan said that in "what had happened recently they had had an exhibition of the violation of political pledges that had degraded the political life of the country. i "WITHOUT ILL-FEELINGS."

Mr. Russell offered his~*congratulation& to the new Ministry, especially to Mr. Massey, who had fought a gallant light for bo many years. He could say that the Ministry left office without any illfeelings. He declared that every member of> the present Government, with but two exceptions, were members of the old Tory Party. There had been no inclusion of the younger members of the socalled altered party, with the exception of Mr. Fisher and Dr. Pomare. There were no representations of the new Reform Party in the Cabinet. Those who had imagined that they were going under the Hag of reform would find that they had been tripped up, and were now following the Conservatives. The Reform Party was represented by large landowners. MR. MASSEY IN REPLY.

Mr. Massey said that lie hoped that the friendship which had at ail times existed between him and his political opponents would continue till the end. He also hoped that they would drop all personal differences and do something that would be creditable to them as representatives' of the people and the country. He objected to Oie term Tory, and would point out that the old adage said! that "those in glass houses should not tlirow stones." He held that Mr. Russell had no more right to call them Tories than to call himself a Liberal. Mr. Russell's leader was one of the few remaining members of the old Conservative Party which went out of existence in 18!)1. Mention had been made of the small farmers' representation in the Cabinet. He was a small farmer, and had been so all his life. Their policy, which:, had been laid before the House three or more times, was more, liberal, progressive and democratic. He said that Sir Joseph Ward's remarks had been somewhat facetious. Though the eleven districts he had mentioned had no direct representation in the Cabinet, every district would have justice done to it sofar as lay in the power of the Ministry. Reverting again to the mention of farmers in the Cabinet, he said that he -was-a farmer, Mr. Herries was a farmer, and Messrs. Fraser and Rhodes and Dr. Pomare were farmers. Agriculture had never been so well represented in any Ministry as at present. In regard to Sir Joseph Ward's reference to a labor portfolio, he could mention that the present Minister for Labor had been a worker in the very best sense of the word all his life. He commenced life as a wage-earner, and he had eveVy sympathy with the general aspirations of labor. So long as lie was connected with the Labor portfolio they would have a square deal. As he mentioned earlier, the distribution of portfolios -was liafcle to alterations. He was quite prepared to face an election. He would not say what the result would be, but he was confident. He pointed to a pile of telegrams on his desk, and said that he liad received over three thousand of thorn since winning the division, and they were still pouring in at the rates of 100 an hour. That surely was an indication of the feeling of the country. He could not say whether their term of office would be long or sliort, but their highest ambition was that the people of the country would be able to say that they had done their best to live up to the highest traditions of the past, and when they did leave the people could say that they 'bad left the country in a better condition than they had found it.

The House adjourned at 4.25 until 2.30 on Julv 31.