Parliament

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 41, 9 July 1914, Page 5

Parliament

HOOSE 01" REPRESENTATIVES, WLUXiSSDAY, JULY 8, afieknwF session." By Toic.srajpli -I'rusa Association, Wellington, Last Night. J 'us House of Keprescntatives met i i.JO p.m. BILLS IXTiiODUCED. Mr. ilaium was granted leave to u troduti' tin; Election of Ministers an Party (Joveinment Bill, and Hon. Fiahu to introduce tile Harbors Amendmen Bill. ADDRESS -IX -iiEPLY DEBATE. The debate on the Address-in-Repli was resumed by Mr. G. M. Thomson who said tlie Opposition throughout thi lebate had presented no constructiv< Jriticism. Tlie Oppositon was a band o: unholy alliances, and if let loose would jreate chaos, lie advocated the ap> loiiitniciil oi a Director of Agriculture uid a Forestry Expert. Wasteful domestic methods were conducive to tlie aigh cost of living. Experiments should be made with timber now wasted. Mr. J. C. Thomson held that there wag not any constructive policy in the Govemor's Opeech. Mr. Massey was opposed to the closer settlement legieiation, and the provision of clieap money. It was useless to deny this, becaUße hi* utterances were recorded in Ihe Government 'liad preached economy, but the Governor's Speech showed a large increased expenditure. Neither hitf there been any reduction in taxation,. Instead of decreasing borrowing, Mr| Massey was borrowing more than ihw Liberals had borrowed in the past. Thl Government had backed down on lh« land question. The only freehold grantiS 5d was ofL.I.P. and renewable leases ofi acquired land. High land values werttf responsible for the increased rent, not the cost of houses. A conferenitm of land valuers should be called to pro4| vide a scientific system of valuation! Great care shpuld be taken with regara to the reform of the Legislative Couffil Mr.~. Hanan said that Ministers showing a remarkable reluctance <o defend their administration. Only theJ Minister of Public Works had and his speech was weak and colorless. ■lt had been claimed that' the Govern--ment had carried put its pledges, but no ? one could seriously make such a pretcnce. The repeal of the second ballot without providing a substitute was not electoral reform, and showed that on ' 1 the question of electoral reform the- Gk>-~: J vernment were not worthy of the confidence of the people. The Minister of i Finance was starving the Advances to : Settlers Department so that lie might j come down with great credit balances. ' The claims for great financial reforms' would not stand investigation. If cvi- . dences of "tamnianv" and "corruption" '■ had been found in the pigeon-holes, would not the Government papers have ? declaimed the fact from one end of the •' country to. the other? He defended the > •Liberal administration of the public service.

REPLIES TO QUESTION'S, ' In reply to questions, the Ministers 1 said > t ■ A Bill would be submitted this session dealing with the whole question oi' roads and bridges. A Town Planning Bill was now under consideration. If time permitted it ■ would be submitted to Parliament. It was not proposed to make provision for a special defence, tax. In view of the increased cost of oper-' ating the Railway Department, the Government connot see its way to reduce tho fares on children between five and fourteen, or to raise the ages of those . carried free. • A satisfactory automatic signalling <le- - vice has been designed for level croaa- - ings, and will be installed at busy railway crossings as opportunity offers. The question of controjling the sale of wine made by Austrians was rosciving consideration'. . ; It was ndt proposed to provide military pensions for Maori War veterans not under lire. ■ r ; •EVENING SESSION. x The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Hanan said he had continually warned the House against wasteful ex-> penditure on defence, and ne declared it was impossible to obtain information as to the expenditure now being indulg- i' ed in. He chided the Government Colt lowing with their slavish docility, and " traversed the decisions of some of the 1 committees set up byi the Government t to whitewash Ministers. Mr. Anderson commended the work * done 'by the Public Service Commission-' ers, claiming that they had done an im-, mense service to the Dominion. In their last report they 'had shown how £BO,OOO per year could be saved, besides develop-;j' ing a business system in connection with' ) the departments by which we could tell ! exactly the financial position of thoijoi? departments. On the question of land' settlement, lie urged that good as our * present system was, the State shou!4 V' ! still further assist experienced farmers ■ who were jvithout.capital. An exten-. - sion of (Jhe Advances Department was. necessary, largely on the lines along-' which the land and stock agents had assisted settlers to get stock and im» ,'i plements. He advocated insistence upon,' a living wage, and more being paid td - all workers, especially to young women ■£ in cities. He condemned the present • party system, which was conducive to s, nothing so much as to waste of time. _ As a remedy, he suggested proportional:? representation, and an elective executive. He would vote against tho , amendment, because the Government had been administrating the affairs of tho country in a way that reflected credit - on them and benefit to the Dominion. The division was then taken on fee,, amendment moved by Sir Joseph V 1, the voting being as follows: —Aye. It, Nioes 39. The amendment was Ids®. ■ The debate on the main question was:, resumed by Mr. Brown, who censured the Government for stopping the East Coast railway while at the same tirno starting another railway in the Premier's district. Ample provision whs ' not being made for teachers to attract the best men to the profession or to , keep them in it. Better pay was being'" given to the police than to teadhers, and J any increase given was forced upon th», Government by the Opposition. Mr. C. A, Wilkinson justified the extra: expenditure by the Government fay th»> growth of the demands upon the State which could not lie denied unless they, were going to check progress. He f&v-' 1 ored a local navy, considering the Japanese alliance a rotten reed to depond, upon for the defence of tho Pacific. , The debate was adjourned on the tion of Mr. McCoinbs. and the 'Housfc rose at 11.20 p.m. • *