PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1916, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

SEfin.N.D SESSION OPENED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. The second session of the nineteenth Parliament opened this afternoon in beautiful weather. There was a large attendance of members and the public, three military bands forming a feature in the gathering. The Governor's Speech was read in the Legislative Council by Lord Liverpool, who was accompanied by Lady Liverpool and staff, a company of the' Thirteenth Reinforcements forming their escort. After formal business had been done, the House adjourned till to-morrow. MR. MASSEY'S STATEMENT. Lord Liverpool's speech occupied about five minutes in delivery, and on ,the retirement of the Governor, Sir Francis Bell moved the adjournment of the Council until the following day. On the House re-assembling, Mr. Massey stated that the Australian and New Zealand troops had been transferred to France. He said he was glad that the Anzaes were again associated, and' he was convinced that our boys would not be the last to get there. A letter was road from the Anglican Synod, appreciating the responsibility of the Government and giving assurance of the Synod's loyal support. the House adjourned till Wednesday.

GOVERNOR'S SPEECH. By Telegraph—Government Memo. Wellington, Yesterday. The second session of the nineteenth Parliament of New Zealand was this day opened by the Governor, when His Kxcellency was pleased to make the following speech:— Honorable gentlemen of the Legislative Council and gentlemen of the House of Representatives,— ' It has been found necessary to submit to you proposals for the extension of the powers of my Government in matters relating to the war, and I have therefore found it necessary to convene Parliament at a somewhat earlier date than usual. It was my privilege at the opening of the session of IMS to read a message from His Majesty the King, congratulating the people of this Dominion upon the splendid conduct and bravery displayed by the New Zealand troops at the Dardanelles. The landing of our soldiers with their comrades of the Australian troops and of the British and Indian forces at the Anzac beach and ai Hclles on April 25, 1015, waa the historic occasion of that message. - Though all the land forces of the Allies have since been withdrawn from the Dardanelles, history will record that our men throughout the occupation faced the dangers of battle, and disease and endured privation and suffering with unfailing courage, and that they with the governments and peoples of New Zealand and of the Commonwealth quietly, and without demur acquiesced in a~d accepted the necessity of retirement from j the battlefield where so much honor had been won. My ministers hope that when J terms of peace are considered it may be! possible to reserve for New Zealand and j Australia the ground where our mora I fought and so many fell in the scrvid? j of Empire. i Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the! House of representatives:— i

In the estimn'/■ prepared for your cr.:- ■ sideration you (.ill be asked to make full provision for the prosecution of the war in addition to tlie ordinary expenditure on the public services of the Dominion. Honorable gentlemen of the Legisla, tive Council and gentlemen of the House of Representatives:— Until the warfare in which New Zealand has claimed to take her full part with the Empire in terminated by a peace ensuring for the world freedom from the tyranny of German military methods., all political parties have agreed to abstain from controversy of a party character. You will therefore be invited to direct the whole of your energies to the settlement of some of the difficult problems which lu.ve arrived in consequence of the war, and to the consideration of measures which have direct relation to the existing exceptional conditions. I earnestly commend those matters to your consideration, and I pray that Divine Providence may guide you in your deliberations.

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 8. The opening o! Parliament is attracting less attention in Wellington, and probably in other parts of the Dominion also, than it would be doing under normal conditions. The meeting of the Legislature is an event in years of peace; it is little more than an incident when the Empire is involved in a struggle for existence, and the general public appears to be concerned about the session only so far as it affects New Zealand's share of the war. Members of the House of Representatives, who are plentiful in Wellington to-day, do not misunderstand the position. .Several of them told your correspondent to-day that they realised the community wished them to attend strictly to business and to confine their attention to matilcrs connected with the war. There is an exception to this general rule. Most of the members have received convincing proof that the country is interested in the cost of living question, and would like to see an immediate reduction of the prices of the necessaries of life. But the politicians do not profess to he optimistic on this po>.'. '•What can the Government do?" said our of the members to-day. "Prices are liit'l all over the world. Countries that ncr mally would be producing foodstuffs nn given over to war, and millions of mei. are fighting instead of producing. New Zealand is being asked by the Jmperi.r authorities to provide as much mcaj

clieese and butter, as possible for the armies and the civilian population, of the United Kingdom. If our National Government interferes with exports it will not be serving the interests of the Empire. If it does not interfere with exports it cannot prevent the local producers charging within New Zealand the prices that are ohtainable abroad." There seems to be no doubt that the cost of living problem will be discussed keenly during the session.. The Prime Minister stated this evening that the House would he asked to proceed with its work without loss of time. After the Governor has opened Parliament to-morrow afternoon, an adjournment will he made till Wednesday, when motions will be moved by Mr. Massey regarding the deaths of several ex-members of the Legislature, notably the Hon. J. A. Millar and the Hon. J. Duthie. The Address-in-Reply will not be moved until Thursday, Mr. Guthrie leading off and Mr. Forbes following. No time was spent in debating the Ad-dress-in-Reply last session, but there are indications that this excellent precedent will not be followed this year. Members who are burning to unburden themselves of views regarding the recruiting question, military pay and pensions, and the cost of living may not be able to let the opportunity pass. Directly the Address is out of the way, the Government will he ready to produce the Military Service Rill and the iPensions Amendment Bill. The political prophets are at variance on the subject of war taxation. Some of them say that with a substantial surplus in hand the Government will not wish to raise any large amount of extra revenue during the current financial year, while others are sure the Minister for Finance will yield, to the demand for drastic taxation on war profits. One thing is certain, that the feeling of Parliament will be in favor of extra taxation if the Government pleads inability to make more generous provision for the soldiers as regards both pay and pensions. There will be no strong demand for any addition to the present rate of as a day as far as the unmarried soldier u concerned. But your correspondent has yet to meet the member who believes that a separation allowance of 7s a week for the wife and 3s Cd a week for eaeh child up to five is a sufficient recognition of the responsibilities of the married man. The utterances of members suggest that feeling is running fairly high on the point in the electorates. The Recruiting Board has said that it is not, urging married men with families to .loin the forces if they cannot make adequate provision for their wives. But that statement, as members point out io scarcely fail in the light of the fact that the Board is announcing shortages ot recruits and appealing to the manjhood of New Zealand to come forward | The recruiting net has been'spread wide enough to catch majiy patriotic married men, and the Government has gladly accepted their services.