Parliament.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 35, 1 July 1914, Page 5

Parliament.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I'A

TUESDAY, Jlj'JfE 3ft. t

A 1 lUJß'N^NjsEfelu'N.

By Telegraph—Press Association. ■ Wellington, Last Night. Uhe Coupcfl 1 met at 2.30 p.m. MUST READINGS'.

Hon. H. D. Bell moved for leave to introduce the Land Agents £ilL The ir-st meading \\'as agreed to. .. The Legislative Council Bill -was read a first time, and l the second reading was '■fixed for Tuesday. > ° • The Master and Apprentices Bill was also read a first time. THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Hon Jias.''Ba-rr moved the Address-in-Iteply: -He claimed to represent his own personal opinions, and not the opinions of the Government which, elected Ihitu to office. While acknowf,edging] the prosperity of the Dominion., he iield that there was always at this season of y« ar . a recurring quantity of want fnd destitution, but no attempt wnk made to deal with this question. Even ii palliatives were employed, there was a tendency to wait until a revolutionary movement forced the liandis of the Government. He deprecated assisted immigration, except for those w'hoae relatives were well abla to provide, for them. He regretted that no attempt was to be made to deal with casual labor. All thait was needed was. to adopt a scheme suited to the particular requirements , of this', country. It was good and desirable for those who had land to acquire the freehold of their properties, but he thought that before long land would only bp obtainable through a land agent. Tilio Government had verv little land teft now available for men | without and in time it would , only .be the, man with capital who could I procure land. That would mean that the single taxer woutd come in with his proposals for if ml taxation. Complaints 1 J"™ latterl !V' of u 'e astern of balloting .for land. He claimed' tlhat some channel should be left open for the man with, small means, to. get upon the land for it was the producer who was t,ie fend. Dei ling with, tlw cost of living, be contended that the increase in the wages of worker* was not solely responsible for the intiVse in prices. i tt many CasejJl the WOJ . k tnougjh granted increases were worse oft. Governments' and industrial oriranMatrons would have to turn their attention to the purchasing power of wages. Thg extension of the workers' Homes scheme was most desirable, and would materially help to uolve the probiem_oi casual unemployment. If wort:ere had..suitable areas upon which to work they oould cultivate their holdings when otit 'of employment. He declared his. intention of doing hifc utmost to defeat the Bible-in-iSclioajs Bill. \ referendum on a social question was one filling, and! a .referendum en a moral question was another, lie was matters were mentionea, 'but t!he Masters and Apprentices Act would not do much good. He spoke strongly m favor of Dominion award®, and advocated the adoption of a Rational , Provide nt Fund to the needs of local bodies. I n this way there was an 'opening for a general social insurance scheme. The principle 0 f tlhe Bill was sound, and .reflected credit « those responsible for it. lion. Hardy seconded the motion pavng a compliment to the Hon. Mr Tia'rr upon the way in which he had moved the resolution. The Governor's Speed ™ dear but loft no opening tor criticism. The value of tins land Jn New ZKl , hlI1(1 fay^ and if anything happened; there wrold .be .weeping and wailing, file hn« 'Sponsible, for 1 cse inflations of values. In Taranaki, V ere land was at its highest price there was not a far,,, which was not' for sale. People should he encouraged to stay mi fche land. Dealing with the strike, he complimented the Government upon the way in which, it had dealt with the trouble. Ho wanted to know what She Government intended t«> do ih regard to the Cost of Living Commission. He was' firm-ly of opinion that the troublie was not the cost of living but the plane of living. People w&re all trying to go otac better than their neighbours. The cost of living would not have gone up if the plane of living had not risen. He complimented tho Government u.pon its adtainistration of the Defence Act, adding that with )iroper discipline, the youngi men of New Zealand would be one of "the finest soldiers in the world. He approved of tlhe establishment of the Agrieufltm-al Board. H&jdid not .approve l of dcnoimnationalfeni, and he l oped they would keep the clergy out of the present system in in-, structiion in school-v which were not. godless. He quoted from ■one of tlie tchoo! volumes to show that -frequent reference to scriptural .matters was made. He was sure the Government was sincere in bringing down its licencing proposals. Hon. Mr Rigg touched l on tho cost of living, opposed the Council Bill nnd the Bible-in-Sthoofe Referendum, and bade farewell to the Council ere the expiry- of his 'Olli'ce. Hon. Mr jenkins'on traced his twentyone years' connection with the Council. He was. proud of the Liberal policy which hadi made the country so prosperous. He thanked the Councillors for tib oil- kindness during his term. Hon. Mr J-'-nes also spoke, and the Council adjourned.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. AFTERNOON SESSION. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. FORESTRY COMMISSION.

Mr G. M. Thwnslon asked the Premier, without notice, whether be would (sjvc the House the opportunity of discussing tlie Forestry ' Commission's report brought down in 1912. The Premier replied that if satisfactory progress were made with the Government measured 1111 oppoiUmit) would in alt probability 'be given. BILLS INTRODUCED. Tte Civil Service Officers guarantee Repeal, Crimes Amendment and lVlunifttion Restriction Amendment, Lo'cal Elections and Polls Amendment, nr.d Local (Proportional Representation) Bills were introduced by the Hon. Mr Fisher. The Factories Act Amendment \\aiintroduced by Mr Wilfonl, who detail™ its provisions', the main features ol which are that whereas in mi' faelot u»> but woollen mills women and only 45 hours per week. m woollen null they work 48 bourn. The wages meal ' unequal, ami these the. Bill sought t« 111 Mr wnforVako introduced tihe Hut

Park Bill. ■ The Fruit Preserving Industry -.ct Amendment and Magistrate Court Con solidatin#-' and Amending Bills weie in Produced 1)T Governor's Message. The last-mentioned Bill consolidate, and

i%ends enactments relating to the puto I ot magistrates ami justices of eijtoaoe. ' "ii i IloU f,® ,-<>9e at 3 - 25 > to enable i,!ie " 7Wpm m Ply debate to ' be at EVENING SESSION 1 . Mie House .resumed at 7.30 p.m. -ADJTtESS-jy-im'LY.

iiw'' JnoV( i d , t ' hat a wspwtfui' ttd,tn v '~ ted to Hit Jixce)!eii,=V in 4>l\ to the Speech from the I'ii-iW « 'ongiatulatwl tilie Premier upon his ' ic'str X ?®^ ,v y- C ? w wM*r h His -\ia- ! l ise,. r S ' • then to j, lil:e **" mi ercial prosperity ot the 1 o.mn.on, for which he claimed a lar«e Thov miwhT i tbie Gov ' erm n«'it. I m l® ht f 0( b e a dominant factor m toinging about this result, but t'hev t-ould at least clailm a partnership j n it especially in view of the Isplendid way l: which they had rescued the shipping «; tL T? I®!- I™"? 011 frm thu h^\ o. the Red ledeiratwn of Labor. lie claimed that the Government was e.J H, i , Cr,e f ! foi V the ma nner in which tlicr had catered for the farmer. The hndmg of new markets and the establishment of an Agricultural Board were beneficial measures. Never I ad we had such liberal tajid laws as we now had. Tin- Government had also •confounded fcieir enemies by increasing, the graduated land-tax, benefiting the colony both in promoting settlement and increasing the reyonue, one million acres having been settled and £40,000 added to the revenue. He commented on the tactjcs' of the Opposition last session as contributing to the Mocking of .useful legislation The tost ' ot living was to 'be taiken into consideration .by the Government, but there were ' many things connected with the cost of living beyond the control of the Government, but isnch features as Came within their .jurisdiction the. Government would cu cfully watch, suefh. as the reduction of Customs tariff, workers' homes, Iwnd and similar rePensions had been increased by ' the Government, bringing needful help : to the aged, while the iSta.tt employees ' had been beneiited 'by an all-round in- < crease in wages and superannuation < schemes. Nop.; of these schemels were ' financial, but the Government lia<l come ' to their assistance, and kept them on 1 v sound basis. In all cases whore t'axa- . tion had been increased by the Govern- < nient tlie increases had fallen oni the ■' wealthy. ,He twitted the Opposition ( with now wanting toi amend the Pub- 1 lie Service AH ra.tJh.er than repeal it as • they formerly declared was theiir in- 1 ttntion. The findings of the Com mis- ' sion set Tip by the .Mackenzie Govern- ' nient justified the passing of the Act. f Its jumendme-it anight 'be desirable, but J its repeal never. .The Government had | passed good legislation. They tad .been i cureful administrators, and he was con- f lident that the electors, who were the ] real a'bitors would confirm that opin- ( ion at the m>v; general election- . f Mr Sykes, in seconding the motion, j said lihat ail for the future ( were hopeful. Our produce was of the highest quality, and the world would ( soon be waiting to receive it. The land j settlement l'eccrd of the Government r would compare favorably with that of B its predecessors, and was a complete re- _ futaition of iiraistations 1 that they were * doing little in the way of settlement. | He saw great future benefit to the Do- B n.'inion by the renewal of the 'Frisco mail servi'ee, as large trade was awaiting us on tfiii! western coast of America. g A vigorous road-making and railwaybuilding; policy was to be pursMed, and a reflected benefit would ihei derived in opening up t'u country and •■timmlating production l . Concluding, he said that the outlook ,wa* good, prices for produce were gobd, tttie administration was undoubtedly good, and with a due regard to thrift and economy by the people this should indeed be God's own country. THE OPPOSITION LEADER. Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, said he j proposed to move an amendment "that 1! the Home has no-confideiice in. tihie G'o-| -v vernment, because its policy and admin- V ijjtration are not in the interests of the 1 unaspes of the. community.' He twit- t ted Mr Lee . with knowing nothing about the effect of the Public Service Act, which' iud not resulted in a saving but in an increase of the expenditure from £741,000 to £744,000. It was equally idle for the member for Masterton to say tlh'at his .party .would approve of the increase if the graduated tax, when the Minister for Finance, -whom She followed, had pubiMy declared) that there was to be no further increase. The Go- ■ vernment w-i.v not entitled to the confidence 'of the people, because of their ■] method of dealing with the naval q«es- < tion. They hud withdrawn the subsidy - from the British Navy, and committed . themselves to y. local navy. The.v had been weii'k, vacillating, awl uncertain oa tlio'n qiiiestio-'i all through. He quoted an : interview given by Hon. Allen to sliow that lh:e had clearly declared in favor ' of a liocal navy. The appointment of a naval adviser was a step towards time end, otherwise what was .tlhe adviser to ad'vise upoirf He deniied that the Ad.li'.iralty was in flavor of a local ileet, and quoted a speeteli of the First Lord of the Admiralty in support of his view. The idea of New Zeiafamd looking alter the interests of tlhe Pacific with her one 'Bristol cruiser wM absurd, the Firi-st Lord of the Admiralty had declared that three Dreadlnouights would lw useless in defence of the Pacific. then, would be the position of a single British orniset? At present, we had only the Pliilomel raider our control. Was then, the naval adviser hemg brought to advise upon this -vessel, which could not live for five minutes wrtlhm miles of a modern battleship? Continuing, after the supper adjournment, SL r Ward, to£e Legislative Cornell, severely, the postponement of the reform, of Mu. Council' in face of the Government declaration that it must be deprecated tl.e manner m which acttiers, local bodies, and workers .be i„g treated, qriolting adv«M«® mide to show that tlie Liberal pa-rty had treat rCe braritihea of *e more generously, m spite of that the Government hud an abunt.anc. Pd tliiit. lie cm;ld ttiave proved that the i> iwl it- dlhe prospoctus m iigurcs e P oJvernment loan i,, V e bt en witting his own thro,it. That statement had to be explanieil.! ■ V le, theTsures were correct, and, I cv vele .a tribute to the liberal • «oiS»cnt,oi Vth^r^-^. I had, £ done f°«ndations 1 whew they wc.e lM o wulm ,a,tedly of that polity rwospcrity they had J cuiilributed to t'J V' Minht?r3 licuvd so UUl ' . x llo diiTiriig t , lild .been touimn* the wts . the fct few hi tof to P alkd this ofeiu oppo 'litioii. tl.e.. money. ii.2 People ' . Ward S:^4^^ ofcowage ' in

j r '7' ! I aamiucli ;c> it hod ttOit brought in 1 Jills- 1 I'ZnT *■*««*'•■ mwwurofii„L membere '^ &e P ut up to Im-W ill iegisiation which +h n n < ' to ha/e faced rL "> «u?y o u t the n, r l t acl ** Podges, ail d were part . *>* *)«■«■ »' ti.c of r « T 6 wortl '>' Jlon. Jew I])® W ' e P e °Pfe Jo-oph \Va.rd „r 7? c ?«W»ttdite<l SJf motion. i\o f^ZZ Pp t,c be *5 *«• : I 1 °f ■lthpiatforin trL™ J aJI l >ra ' lU > • /-'''ntletiien ai>n us it 0 l) '/ 0 f ,r ' 5 ' •P'® au.i 4 8 *«* twenty - I : w 1 " "'"-wploymeai? VWwL es6 8,1,1 S - hec h u f. oun . "'e came mtd 0 f- ' ■ the Lib 6m i nominees of t pointmente M * ' tion through. get I^B,: '- ; tion was goin i- cn f i„ & t 1!; a^® TC S».passcd by t'h?s f'm" f ; ford'« n£J:, Mr wa - b ut 4, eel wit ' h 1 county w ( -n ,?J he fin « nce s of the . in the wSVX b*" fore ),o took f.lic'tlufl B( " ten qiiiA a,. the dances were ro+ment wt ?> SettJ(a * Dq»rl'Wr Allen) sk™ J "' * n o ot ld tl Ctader 7?h" ob£ ' his De P a rtmeS S i and said "W7),„* . probaibie successor, it wm k> ,^ rmin z tllis '<>«' ? in i al *oJutely nefeesaaJv." it, Allen fui-tlher contended that thefre was no raoMcy to TO ,. t the commit™ 11 3jab.r,ti es wh,»n Sir Joseph Ward's suecffiee' After the pI UII L take his share and; he (Hon. Allen) had taken his, but he was proud to sav the position of t'he Department was 'never sounder than to-day,. Money ww l„»ng odviano«d in large amounts. TheAdftruma t S 'l t,firs , De P ; wtonent had f1,(>34,f10(> to its credit The Loans to Bodies Department was nilso in a sound position, and unpney was beini» advanced to the full s limit of the Jaw." Sir Joseph' Ward would try to make the country 'believe that the Government, was not in fsyvor of one Imperial' Navy. The present Government was more in favor of a One-Tmperial Navy than Sir Joseph Wa rd. He quoted from th« London Times to sliow that the local navy was approved by the Admiralty. .The Opposition rid'fculed the acquisition of one Bristol cruiser. The tftyvern"icnt liiad not committed tiile country to one penny «xpendifeure on ships. Those opposed to the Goverainent ipere "little New Zralnndeirs." The. beat \v&v to save 'the Empire wa/s to jli local independence and show their patriotism!. Hie Admiralty, broke the ajrreement entered into at the Imperial. Conference, attended by Siir Joseph Ward. Bad' Sir Jos?ph Ward taken PiaTlwment or fc 'people into his confidence with re- ' gnrd to the t'etStaration of London? Si/f Joseph Ward's proposal for tiro naval defence meant £500,000 a year. What the present Oovcrntroent proposed would cost only f100,,000 per annum. Sir Joseph Ward had accused the OJoveraraiient of not cutting down expenditure, and stopping borrowing. What they had •promised to do was to control the expenditure, and it could not be expeiytert that they couM cease borrowing in ffJW a young country. ■ The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr Wilford, and the Haute rose at 11.45 p.m.