PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 80, 21 August 1912, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. In reply to Mr. Colvin as to whether the published statement that the retail coal depots for the disposal of State coal were to be closed was correct, the Minister said that the statement was absolutely without foundation in fact. Replying to Mr. Campbell, Mr. Massey said that before any increase could be made to members' honorariums legislation would have to be introduced, and he could say that the Government had no intention of introducing any such legislation. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr. Scott continued the debate on the Budget. lie said that what was contained in the Budget would convince them that the Government now in power was determined to bring down progressive legislation. The late Government did many good things, but they had made many mistakes, and it remained for the present Government to rectify them. They heard last week that the large land owners were throwing up their hats because the Massey Government was in power. He could inform the House that the small farmers, artisans, and working people generally were also throwing up their hats. Even civil servants threw up their hats when no one wa.-: iooking. He applauded the proposal to reform the Legislative Council and also the proposals for local government reform and extension of rural telephones. Referring to mining matters he said that he knew of good agricultural land worth £BO an acre which had been destroyed by sluicing. He thought the Government should moderate tlie terms of water supply for irrigation and .suggested that farmers should be given water free for the first two years. If this was not done the farmers could not carry on. In conclusion, he advocated a vigorous system of reafforestation.

Mr. Bradney .pleaded for better administration in the future of old age pensiqns than had been the case in the past. Pensions should not be doled out as a charity. He dealt with the manner in which prisoners were employed, and suggested putting them to forming roads in the baclcblocks and making them an allowance for the work, a portion of the allowance to go to their wives and children. Referring to the State mines, he held it unfair competition for the State mines to under-sell. He believed in the competitive system. He touched upon labor matters. Where all borrowed money was being circulated amongst working men there should be no labor unrest. The workers were getting better wages now and living in betterhouses than ever before. The fact that the Arbitration Act had failed was due entirely to the administration of it. He dwelt upon what he called the evils of the alien agitator. "We open our ports," he said., "and allowed the dregs of the continent to come in and upset the whole politics of the country." They should be made to produce three certificates of character before being nationalised. He would do away with the Upper House. He doubted whether the proposed reform of the Council would produce the advantages claimed for it. Party feeling would generate if an elective Council were adopted. He would like to see the land settled by selfrespecting and self-reliant people, who would not go cap in.hand to the Government the moment they met with a slight reverse. Mr. Craigie, having referred to the excess of imports over exports, and pointed to the danger to the country if this continued, said that he hoped that instead of limiting loans to local bodies to £SOOO the Government would allow the borrowing of even as much as £.10,000 for noeessarv public works. He believed in the abolition of the Upper House, as it was unnecessary. In its place he would have an Advisory Council. He favored the erection of workers' homes in the country with sufficient land to enable the tenant to provide produce for himself. He defended the New Zealand railways, which, he contended., were rim vcrv well. They should not be run as a dividend-earning concern, but should pay interest on working and depreciation, and be run for the people all the time. On the question of land settlement he said that no country in the world was better | adapted for the small farmer than New 1 Zealand. What they wanted was public ! works and immigration. He intended to divide the House on the land question, and moved the following amendment: That in the opinion of this House the time has arrived when the national estate of land should be rigidly conserved, and that hereafter no land of the Crown shall be alienated otherwise than by way of renewable lease, with periodical re-valuation of the land.

Mi - . Colvin seconded the motion. Mr. Massey asked whether lie was to understand that the amendment came from the leader of the Opposition, or whether it -had his approval. Mr. Craigie replied that he moved the amendment on Ills own initiative. He did not ask anyone in his party. Mr. Robertson said that he approved of the amendment. They had heard so much about the land question that they were justified in discussing it. He did not believe that the late Government had been responsible for the increase in values. The House adjourned at 5.30 and resumed at 7.30. Mr. Robertson, continuing, .urged that land nearest the cities should be settled more closely and made more productive. There could be no objection to the freebold tenure if the occupier made the best use of the land. Speaking of the dairying industry, he recognised the land had increased in value because the products had increased in value. High values were maintained by cheap labor. The Speaker interrupted Mr. Robertson, remarking that unless the Prime Minister accepted the amendment as one of no confidence speakers must confine themselves to the subject of the amendment of land tenure. Mr. Massey. replying to Mr. Robertson, said that be did not accept the amendment as one of no-confidence. Mr. Wilford welcomed the amendment. It would settle the question of leasehold and freehold and allow the House to get on with the more important, matter of settlement of the land. . Mr. Laurenson said be would stick to his leasehold principles even though it ,cost him his seat. Mr. Pearce held that the freehold was the best way to settle the laud and make it productive. Mr. Russell said that when Mr. Craigie moved to limit the tenure to leasehold he must expect to find .some of the Liberals against him. Had he attempted to affirm the principle of the reservation of on- half of the land he would have had =omn support. Mr. Davey was astonished at the speech of Mr. INssell. "I have heard a good deal of twisting and turning." he said, "but (ln;i takes the cake." He regretted thnt Mr. Russell had gone buck on bis lea--i-boM convictions. After Mr. I'll and Mr. R. Bollard bad referred to univ !- ; !r endowments, the amendment -,va- ;..,(■. and lost hv o2 to 14. The division li»i wai as follows: Ayes: Messrs. ' -v; in. Craigie. Dnvov, Ell. Forbes. T r :i ::■;,,. Tsitt, Laurenson. Par.-ua, i \ 'wrtson, Scddon, Sidev, Veitch.

Noes: Messrs. Allen, Anderson, Atmore, Bell, J, Bollard, R. Bollard, Bradney, Brown, Buchanan, Buddo, Buick, Buxton, Campbell, Clark, Coates, Escott, Fisher, Eraser, Glover, Guthrie, Harris, Herdman, Herries, Hina, Lang, Lee, McCallum, Mac Donald, E. MeKenzie, Mander, Massey, Newman, Ngata, Nosworthy, Okey, Pearce, Poland, Pomare, Reed, R. Rhodes, T. Rhodes, Russell, Scott, Sta'tham, Sykes, G. M. Thomson, Ward, Wilford, Wilson, Witty, Young. Mr. Isitt continued the general debate on the Budget. He said that it was only through those traitors who had turned from the Liberal side and supported Mr. Massey that the present Government occupied the Treasury Benches. The Government in opposition did nothing to further the interests of the country, but had held the country back. He proceeded to relate what the Liberal Government had done. Liberalism and Toryism, he said, would not mix. Mr. Massey's party would never give this country progressive Liberalism. He was convinced that the. large land-holders were represented by the Government of to-day. The breaking up of huge estates adjacent to railways and roads would do more good than settling the backblocks. As to the graduated land tax, he described that as a homeopathic pillule. The Government had not dared to bring down any practical proposal. On the subject of the defence system, he said that the compulsory clause was a relic of mediaeval times. It was as il-Liberal and narrow in character as it could be.

Mr. Buick said that the present was the first Budget he could not criticise. He urged the cheapening of telephone charges for country settlers at the earliest possible moment. The only way to find out the true value of land was to ascertain the true value of land for cash. The value of improvements could then be taken ofT. Noborlv knew where he was in regard to vMunticMis now. There was no such thing ;'.s unearned increment. He could not congratulate the Government on the appointment of the High Commissioner. He had not been rewarded for faithful services: he had thrown everyone he had ever been connected with overboard.

The debate was adjourned and the House rose at 11.20.