Parliament

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 36, 2 July 1914, Page 5

Parliament

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WEDNESDAY, JULY 1. ADDIUuSS-LN-REPLY. " By Telegraph— Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Tiie Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. T. Earnshaw congratulated the Government upon the Governor's bpecch. There were things in it with winch he might disagree', but it was worthy of a Government wliica had made good its promises. j The Hon. Mr VVigram expressed Hug' approval of (lie defence scheme, but did not approve of the local navy. He suggested an s Iteration in the death duties to encourage men to cut up their ((states amongst a larger number of their relatives.

The Hon. J. Duthie endorsed the Governors Spc2C.ii. 'Hie people were never so prosperous and happy. The cost of' living was regulated by supply and ds-l

The Hon. J„mes Barr briefly replied. l lie Address-m-Reply was agreed to. j Xhe Hon. Mr Bell proposed to contrreue the business on Thursday, possiblv' on Friday, ,wh e n taey coufldf decide if a lengthy adjournment was necessary. I the Council adjourned at 4.20

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House net at 2.30 <p.tu. BIBLE-IN-SCH.OOL& . Mr Hanan .asked the Hon. Jos. Allen K he would refer the Religious Instruction in Schools Bill to the Education Committee in order that evidence migfiit be taken on the petitions presented against the Bib. Mr. Allen ie P licd that he would be prepared to send the Bill to any par-' ticular committee to which the petitions were referred. OTHER BILLS READ FISTLY. The Gaming Act Amendment Bill (Mr Hunter), the Victoria College Amendment Bill (Hon. J. Allen), and tine Licensing Amendment Bill (Hon. W F Massey) were introduced and read a first time. THE ADDRESS-IN-EEPLY DEBATE. Mr Wilier! continuing the debate on the Address-in-l<eply, admitted that the Dominion was prosperous, and (tracing the probable ,efl'ecfc of the opening of the Panama &nal, predicted an era of even greater prosperity than we had : ever experienced. A notabfe omission from the speeA of the Minister fo r Dc- '. fence was a s:raight-out dclaration that . he was not in favor of a local navv. ' Personally, he regarded the local navy '' scheme as one of the maddest ever promulgated. Ovr danger lay in the direction of Japan. So long 'as the agreement between Britain and Japan held good we need not fear invasion, but the! moment that agreement lapsed we were at the mercy of the yellow nice. A local! navy was no solution to the danger, but there could be no doubt that i tin's was the policy of the Government, and tflie people should clearly rebogn&ie t'luat fact. Ui.i&ss this was so, what was the use of importing at a high salary , f, naval adviser who otherwise woml'l have nothing to advise upon? He defended the finance of the AVaa-d Govern- ' memt, contending thai ample funds re- . maincd in the State Advances Depart- ' ruent to meet all claims by simply trans- 1 ferring the surpluses from one branch' to another. Mr Wilfordi Strongly Condemned the methods cimiploTed .by the| Public Service Commissioners in dealing with public servants. He advocated the' abolition of the Legislative Council.!: The proposed appointments were being made to block future (Liberal, legislation.! There was nothing in the Governor's, Speech fo r the poor man, who was nsver wanted by tihe Government pa>rty except at election time. The big. mail was the man for the Government), and. tttiiat fact was declared by the class of' candidates they were nominating for the coming election. He made a plea for a! buirsting-up tax, and claimed that tic! use now being_miade 'by the Government of Liberal legislation tlo aid their land] settlement policy was one of the finest; testimonies io its sterling character and! was a complete answer to all their denunciation whei in opposition. | Mr Harris contended Wiat the Ward, Government had never given; any) thought to the needs of the masses of the people. The Massey Government had, during the three years, passed wore truly Liberal measures than the Ward party had done in twenty years. He proceeded to enumerate these measures, and branded the Opposition as comrades in arms with the Reds- Federation, by whose aid only eouiM tlhcy get tack into office. ! Mr Myers dealt at length with naival defence matters, and confessed a difference of opinion with the Joader of the Opposition, lie would not treat tho defence question as a party one. Tile trained porsoi.nel for the navy was tihe most valuable contribution l we could make. He Itclievwl the forming of a local navy was sound. He wanted to see each component part a. source of strength to the Empire. Touching on financial matters, lile tra.vcrsed much ground previously covered by Sir Jobeph Ward, and Mr Allen. He objected to members of the 'Government going about the country churning that- they were responsible for all the prosperity and good legislation of the past twenty years.. ' The Government had not reduced the expenditure or borrowing as: they ted promised. TO QUESTIONS.. Repaying to que-.tionsi, Ministcß' said that strong representations on the subject of coloring margarine had been made to the Home Government, but up to the present no notification of its intention to stop the practice had been received. The matter was being watched Ivy the ITigii Commissioner, .but owing to tlie great influence of the margarine interests on the butter market; the subject requires careful handling. The danger of introduction of foot and mouth disease per medium of the cMlhdng and effects of immigrants from European countries, was extremely remote, but tli3 High Commissioner's attention wmild be directed to it with a view to t.'.ki.ij any steps that an; practicable to obviate it. The question of having Senior Cadet parades in t.ie country in the day-time in form of cor.f-cntrations, instead of evening drill** Mas now engaging Mis at tention of ihc Department. The report of the new General Manager of Railways would be laid on tihe table early as practicable. .According t<» tlic decision of the Supreme Court civil servants had a clear and unquestioned! right of appeal under the Public Service Act.

THE TCYEMNG SESSION. The TTouse. resumed at 7.30 p.m. : Mr «tralh:im continued the debate on': the Address-in-Rcply, contending that; Sir ,l<wppli Ward was in error when lie: said lliiit tlis people -had not coiitnibut-| ed a peunv tt wards flu- k'o*t of the Dreadnought, claiming that they haa; done so tliroiiKli the railways and Customs House. The Government had fulfilled as many of their plcdfees as tifficj permitted. He w <to.t through the plat-,