PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 77, 17 August 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. • By Telegraph— Press Ansocktien. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30. THE OTIRA TUNNEL. In connection with the petition presented by McLean Bros., praying to be relieved from the Otira tunnel contract, the chairman of the committee reported (hat in view of the urgency of the matter a special select committee should be set up to deal with the petition. This was done on the motion of the Prime Minister. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. Sidey continued the debate on the Budget. He referred to the .prosperity •f the Dominion and said that the Budget had ignored all that had been done of a most .remarkable and unprecedented kind during the last twenty years. He suggested that any immediate curtailment of expenditure

might react very unpleasantly. He also pointed out that the Government had made no statement in regard to carrying on the construction of railways on the co-operative system, which he urged would be very useful if the unemployment difficulty "arose. The Government had a great opportunity to show whether it-'deserved its title of progressive. Not only land monopolies but other monopolies had to be deaJc with. Every reasonable oppor!unity should he given to the Government to show what it could do. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr. Harris, continuing the Budget debate, claimed that the Government Party was more Liberal than the other side. He quoted figures to show that the graduated land tax proposals were not as alleged by some opponents of the Government, but showed that an estate of 34,099 acres under the old system would pay £lO9 7s sd. Under the present proposals it would pay £l5B 7s Id, an increase of 43 per cent.'; 39,999 acres unimproved value under the old system would pay £135 8s 3d, and under the new system £212 4s sd, an increase of

!rj per cent. In reference to defence matters he congratulated the Government on the manner in which they had dealt with the subject. Speaking on labor matters he advocated a secret ballot before a strike, and would like to see the wives of the men voice their opinions in the matter. He contended that native land affairs were a standing monument lo the maladministration of the late Government. The Maori should be treated as* a man, not as an imbecile. He should be compelled'to work his land and pay his rates and taxes. He condemned the railway management and favored securing an up-to-date manager from England. The Government had to direct its attention to the crushing of huge commercial monopolies. Mr. Forbes said that the Government side must be very optimistic if they could come to the'conclusion that they represented a majority of the country. The present Government was a piebald

sort of mixture. The Budget had no substance, but only shadow. He contended that the men with broad acres were behind tire Government. If the men behind the Government were as broad-minded as those behind the Liberals the country would know exactly where it stood. He criticised the Bill for the reform of the Legislative Council. He believed that the chamber should be abolished, and a saving effected of £12,000 to £lo,ooo a year. Legislation could be cheeked by a board of experts. He was satisfied that the Bill brought down would be thrown out, and then the Government would All the Upper House with its own nominees. He was sorry to hear from the Minister of Public Works that the co-operative works system was to cease. No system could be fairer to both employer and employee. Referring to the graduated land tax, he said that it was not what it seemed. It was no good trying to hoodwink his side of the House. They saw right through those proposals. He condemned the idea to import a railway manager, and advocated the appointment of a man who understood 'local conditions. Mr. Bell said that the Budget which had been so much criticised was what they won the election on. On the subject of fthc Arbitration -Act he said that the Act could never do more than surface work. The cause of labor mi-

rest was simply that employer and cmploveo had i-onflictinfr interests. He, criticised the efforts of the Opposition to discredit the Government for not bringing down licensing legislation, and asked whv the late Government had not introduced a Bill. Dealing with Legislative Council reform, he said tlittt

t was a right principle that those who

legislated should be elected by the people, and not be nominees of the Crown. The appointment of a Civil Service Commissioner would simply mean the avoidance of praft. So for a,s the revenue was

concerned the graduated tax was high enough, but something had to be done towards the bursting up of large estates. It would be necessary to have some system of automatic differentation. The House rose at 11.10.