PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 76, 16 August 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1912. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30 p.m. MILITARY DETENTION. Replying to Mr. Isitt, Mr. Allen said that the new form of penalty for breaking the defence law would be military detention instead of imprisonment. EXPENSES OP GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. On the motion of Mr. Campbell the House agreed to a. return being laid on the table showing the amounts expended upon Government Buildings and Government House. THE DEFENCE LAW.

A return was also ordered on the motion of Mr. Witty, showing the number of eases taken for breaches of the Defence Act, and the results of actions against persons charged. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. Hunter resumed the debate on the Budget. He said that he would I'B- - from personalities. Referring to Mr. Russell's speech he said that Mr. Russell's charge of inconsistency against Mr. Reed and Mr. Rhodes reminded him strongly of Satan reproving sin. He agreed that the Council needed reform, and that that body should be elective. If only half the. reforms outlined in the Budget were carried out the Government would be doing excellent work. Regarding the graduated land tax, he maintained that it would press very heavily on those holding large areas. Large owners should be given a fair opportunity to unload. The throwing on the market hastily of a large number of estates would make for unemployment, as the men on the estates would be thrown out of work. He favored the suggestion that a railway manager should be secured) in London. He advocated the investment of all monies received by natives for their lands, at interest to be payable to them, and thus prevent many Maoris becoming paupers. He was pleased to know that the Government intended making provision for roads and bridges in the baekblocks, and' praised the proposed! humanitarian measures. Mr. Wilford described the Budget as the greatest political illusion ever known.

Dr. Pomare: Yes ; we stole it. Mr. Wilford: I will accept the statement of the hon. gentleman. Proceeding, Mr. Wilford said that though the Government had only been in office a short time, they had blundered grievously. Mr. Allen had started his career by renewing a sum of £BOO,OOO of post office debentures at 3% instead of 3% per cent. The Minister of Finance knew that the Department could only pay 3'/. per cent. The Postmaster-General knew that 3% should be paid. He criticised the Government for suggesting that a Licensing Bill should be introduced by a private member, when the Prime Minister had previously said that a private member had not a fifty-to-one chance of getting such a measure through. The third blunder was connected with racing permits. The fourth blunder "was in the Government allowing a paper to publish articles to the effect that the Mt. Nessing and Sheridan estates had been acquired by the new Government, when the purchases were made by the Liberal Government before relinquishing office. The fifth blunder was deferring the tariff question. That was how the Government's heart was bleeding for the consumer. In criticising the finances, Mr. Wilford said that it was a wicked tiling that five banks should control the money market of this country. He declared that the graduated land tax did not ,posals of the Government and its lend proposals would raise the rate of interest to everyone. He criticised) the education proposals and .workers' : homes proposals, and said that the Government was going to endeavor to kill the Arbitration Act. He asked why the Hudget was silent re manufactures and industries. The proposals re a public service commissioner would develop the worst form of political patronage. The elective Upper House proposal was a move for the rich man against the poor. Mr. Nosworthy said that the country would not endorse Mr. Wilford's views. Did the Opposition expect the Government to bring down all the legislation referred to at once, when they had only been in office a short time? Interest hadl not been raised 'through the Government's proposals. Jt had been raised while the late Government was in power. It had been the- game of the Liberals to dump up land values to secure larger amounts in taxation. So far from the Government stealing the Liberals' proposals, the Liberals had silently and stealthily stolen their planks. They had fought seven elections on the platform they had to-day. He denied the statement that the graduated land tax would affect a few people' only. He approved of an\elective Council, and he believed that the Civil Service Reform Bill would commend itself to every civil servant in the country. It would end political patronage. He approved of the proposal to get a firstclass man to manage the railways, the management of which for twenty years had been horrible and extravagant. The whole tone of the Budget was elevating, Mr. Veitch expressed himself in favor ot the co-operative system for carrying out public works, though the system might possibly be reformed. He thought a change in the personnel of the Arbitration Court would l weaken, rather than strengthen, that body. What was wanted was to remove the cause that led to the grievances of workers. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Veitch continued his speech. He ivas convinced that no improvement in the work of the Arbitration Court could take place till its functions were extended. It abolished sweating, but there were new difficulties. The monopolist was sweating the people in other directions. He would abolish the Upper House altogether. Bills, after passing their third reading, should be sent to the Crown Law Office to sec if they contained legal defects. If they must have an Upper House, it should be elective and democratic. Referring to public works, he contended that' those who benefited by the works should be taxed to provide further works. He was pleased with the proposed increase- of the graduated land tax. The whole social problem was wrapped round the land question. The farmer and his wife and family were under the thumb of the monopolist. He was prepared to give the Government a fair run so long as they did the right thing. Mr. Wilson drew a picture of the condition of ailairs of the people in the backblocks, who had to pack their food and families th.rou<rh, first ridiii" from 20 to 30 miles and lowering themselves bv supplejacks. Some of these settlers had fourteen children, and that was the class of settler wanted, but they did not cater for him. lie advocated the cuttinir up of estates near railways, and putting poor men on the land there. He made

'i strong plea for roads in th e barkMocks, and stated that thousands of pounds had been wasted for years through inell'icient engineering. Re'gardnative lands, he contended that the vatives should be brought into line with lie Europeans, and help to bear the 'mrdens of the administration of the comtry. Mr. Anderson followed. Jleferrin" to the railways, he said that the objection

to the Commissioners inui no foundation, lit! agreed that there was plenty of material in the Railway Department to successfully manage the .railways, but it must be remembered that there was great dissatisfaction in the service with the heads of the department. On the land question he advocated compulsory clauses in connection with future sales of Crown lands. By increasing thie tax on estates over £20,000, instead of £30,000 as proposed, aggregation would be prevented to a large extent. He thought the freehold would do more for the man and the State than the leasehold. He advocated proportional representation for the Upper House. The debate was adjourned and the House rose at 10.40 p.m.