Parliament

Taranaki Daily News, 30 June 1915, Page 5

Parliament

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE ADDRES.S-iN-REI'LY. DOMINION AND Till-: WAR. By Telegraph.— I'less Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at. 2.:50 p.m. On iln: motion of the lion. Wigram, the Church Property Trust Amendment Act was read a lirst time. The lion. Carso.'i moved the Address-il:-hiply. lie declared the speech was a. mode! of Invwty and lucidity. Its language was marvellously restrained considering the conditions under which the country was labouring. The prevalent feeling in his own breast was one of pride and elation to remember that in these years of unexampled prosperity the spirit of the people was not impaired. We were slow to understand, but while Germany believed they could heat the world we were content with believing we could not be beaten. The landing of our boys at Gallipoli reminded him of the glorious charge of the Light iiri-. gade. The most magnificent thing about it whs that it showed our men were as ready to give their blood in the interests of the country as in those old days, but what most appealed to the speaker was the noble action of tins mounted men, who had been willing to giv'e up their beloved horses and go to join their comrades on foot, lie did not wajit to make reference to the pension proposals, but he was sure they would be on a generous scale. He had heard stories of laggards and there were many such. Many a young man ha(J suffered miserable moments when trying to decide wherein lay his duty. The Hon. R. Moore seconded the Ad-dress-in-Reply. He wished the world's politics were in a more peaceful, happy, and humane position, but the war was none of our seeking. It had been forced upon us. He trusted that not a ripple might ruffle the political surface until such time as the Empire struggle was brought to a .satisfactory conclusion. The people of the Dominion had responded nobly to the call for men, money, and material, and Parliamentarians should blush if they stirred up party strife. Their time would he fully taxed without importing anything in the shape of town I pump politics. There were bound to be moments of discouragement, and we should not be too optimistic, because that would tend to laxuess. He was sorry we. still had a few shirkers. He trusted wo would show the world and Germany that the British people were prepared to spend money to keep up the Army and the Navy in such a state that we could defy the world. Ho thought the country should have the right to compel every man to carry a rille to defend his home. Wis had a very good territorial system, but we wanted the same thing in the centre of the Empire. The Hon. Paul supported the motion.

He declared there was 110 division of opinion as to what should lie done in this great crisis. To him one of the most important matters in his Excellency's speech was that touching on war legislation, apart from taxation. Ho had a strong presentiment that the coming dilliculty in Britain and some extent here would be connected with food prices. It was remarkable that Germany, with her outside markets closed, was alile to reduce the prices pf food while we allowed ours to increase. He quoted prices to show that not since 1882 had prices heen so high as at present. It was to the eternal credit of the industrial classes of this country that since the war broke out there had been nothing in the way of industrial strife, but it was our duty to prevent the workers from being exploited. The Hon. Paul asked what justification there was for the Rank of New Zealand coming out in this year of war with a record profit. The Hon. MacGinnity considered no pension for a man who had fought to protect this country should be less than £2 a week. The Council adjourned till S o'clock. Til 10 EVENING SESSION. The Council resumed at S p.m. The Suspension of Disqualification During tlu' War Bill was received from the 'House of Representatives and passed all its stages with slight amendments . The Hon. Barr resumed the debate on the Address-iii-Ueplv. He said the war was opening some serious problems, Germany thought she had found an entirely unprepared Empire. She certainly had found an industrially disorganised Empire whose national fibre had been slackened but not entirely destroyed. That fibre was now stiffening. The Addrcss-in-Kcply was agreed to. The Council adjourned at S.4;> p.m. till Friday.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

EXPENDITURE FROM THE WAR. The House of Representatives mot at 2.M0 p.m. Messrs Forth' l -;, "b, Xewinau, and W. T. Jennings took the oath jmk! wile sworn in. The Definition of Time llill was introduced by Mr. Sidey and read a first time. The following Bills were introduced by the Hon. A L. Herduian si ml read a first, time:—Enemy's Contract Bill, Mortgages Intension Amendinent Bill, Reguincut. Hill, statutes Compilation Aniciulmoiit Hill, Stntiii.es Compilation Amend, mont Bill. Trading with tin- Enemy Amendment Bill, War Regulations Anicndnient Bill. The Speaker read a letter from the Audit Department stating tliat, owing to special circumstances arising out of Uic* war. (lie legal limit of iinaiithovisi d expenditure fund hud been e.xccc.ded. This excess bad been sanctioned by (lie Audit Department on the understanding that the Gov■eminent give an undertaking that validating legislation would he introducedo this session. In reply to Sir Joseph Ward, the. Minister of finance slated the excess in nnaut horsed expenditure was due entirely tn purchases of wheat and meat. With regard to the amoun! spent mi meat, tile British ailiiiorilics had civdiicd the Government wHU the sum speni itheir aei'iiiinf. The purchase of wheal, was a matter <if our own. He tried (•> charge, that in ihe war expense-.; i 11 sill. bat file Audit iieparl iiieuf. blocked ii. he had l»-en compelled to increase the unauthorised expenditure account beyond the legal limit. The validation legislation leferrnl to l,y the Audit J )< pui■: i,|, n| now before the House. WAR T.OAX 1311,1',. 'Hi" following Bills were in!rodiieed liv Governor'-. nie.-5;.n,,. Suspension of !)•«. pualilieaiioii During Ihe War I'ili. i'ubhc lievenues .Vet Amendment -;ill \';,!i<':t 1 ion Bill, Cook Island Bill. The Premier asked il:;- (louse i]it> PuMic, Krventu-s Act Anirii<]iii' i »it Hill as the matter was of urgency. The Bill was prael ieally a War l.oan it'll. Cleat i}!e.iiiveii» nee be caused if it was not passed. '■-r ■i.s'o;i \\,ird objeefed to pa- -.ir'* Hie most important Bill of the session y.iliiou' Inning seen it. Xo copies hail b •en circulate (1. j 't". 'Ma-;--ey said fhe Bill would !

ciliated shortly, when members could consider it. •Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill containcd many matters outside tin; war loan, lie suggested these clauses be deleted and the loan elausesc allowed to stain! by themselves. The J'reniier then anno,meed ho would not go on with the Bill that day. SIKMBRKS OX ACTIVE SERVICE. 'he Hon. .A. L Ucrdiiian movid the second railing of the Suspension ~f i'isijualiliealion During vlu- War lijjl. He explained [he me.i Mire was desi'Mied to protect the interests of Messrs T. K. V Kcddon and IWnie Stewart an:i t.'.e Hon. i)r. lol'iins, .M.L.C., who were J 1 "' 1 ""-"' il:< ' expeditionary' forces and Who, if the liill were not |iassed, would lorleit their seats the moment they enlisted. Nir .loseph Ward doubted the accuracy Willi which sub-clause -Z of clause 2 had been drafted. J| o thought that atter a la]ise of twelve months any member of the. Defence Department could stand in the House and still retain his position in the department if elected The lion. A. L. tlcrdmaii said' lie would have (he matter looked into, ami it necessary tin- clause could be amended at a later stage. The liill was passed in committee Si-ajic wiib. a minor amendment. The Minister moved the third reading. The Premier congratulated the members tor Westland and Dunedin Central oil the action they had taken in soil,to the Jr.,lit. No far as the interests of their constituents were concerned, ho elt sure both sidces would combine to look alter them. With regard to recruit"lK, lie was pleased to say it was goimon most satisfactorily. Mesrsrs Seddon and Stewart briefly pid then. ° f °' th ° Coln P lim,,,l ' t 'l'he third reading was passed without ini'ilier debate. Ihe House rose at 3.55 p.m. till 7,10 p.m. XATIOXATj fiOVERXMEXT QUESTION. The House resumed 7.30. The Prime .Minister stated that in order to prevent any misundcrstaiidiii" on the point he wished to say before he proceeded with the ordinary'business that he and his side of the House were prepared to consider any reasonable proposal m the direcetion of establishin" a

National cabinet in this countrv, as had been done m England. Such a proposal would only extend to the period of the w:u*. Ho wished members to <nvo this tneir most careful consideration during tho next lew days. Kir Joseph Ward said the Premier's statement had come somewhat as a surprise. Prior to entering the Chamber he was not aware such a matter would J"- mooted Under the circumstances I IK. could not give a definite reply on til.. N""' ot dm moment, but he eon id assure the House it would receive the most earnest consideration of his mrtv. part" 1,0 notlll "g wanting on their ADDRKSS-iN-liEPLY*. Mr. C. J. Parr moved that a respectful address be presented to the Governor "1 leply to his K.vecllency's speech. He T", t i"? Was I,nt V ,e timp tn devote a

great deal of attention to domestic Icis. a ion. A great war-the greatest the J.mpire bail known—dominated the position He welcomed the assurance of the Leader ot the 'Opposition, that he was prepared to assist by every means to abandon all party recrimination. He , b , o ™ toW hy phophets that the war would be over by Christmas, but that prophecy hM failed. Wo were now able to see what we were up against. That was. another reason for our best men coming together to form a strong governUT«■ to r.'"' lp 10 . 1,ri1, S at,o »t the dicam of Sir George i,W wIIO Raw in t] , e 1 aciflc a great British domain. New Zealand s share in connection with tho. war was excellent. Tt had been asked whether we were doing all we could. e thought we were. Our contribution ,n *s° war was as lunch as a small to"do y n° U « I,e , l : easollab 'y expected to do On the subject of taxation, ho inv'"buf i!° I "' OpIU WPre l ,re P arwl pa J, but the wage-earner must, in view of the increases in the cost of living pay ' nml wcalth must bc to

Mr. W. Downie Stewart, in seconding the motion, said it was hopeless for us in New Zealand to full i„to the habit ,f thinking wo can live in a state of isolajoii. there was this, however, nbont t ie war that it brought together more closely the parts of s „el, , m Empire as ouis, and there was such an identity of interests that' all piirt s 0 f the Empire had no hesitation in coming into thstruggle. He felt the result of this ivould be that after the war some form evalv"'! f government would be ' A "™" tux should first fall on viar profi,s._ In his opinion the war n Ms were being made in the countrv, !i'T 'I ' U t0 lln "'come ax on the farmers. An increase in the land tax would not be adequate in proportion to «he profits made, so he preterred to see an export tax imposed .Sir Joseph Ward desired to say the Opposition did not intend to debate the Address-m-Keply. the necessary resolutions were then r i™" l ,lt !U " the House ros:until 1.30 p.m. to-morrow: