PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1916, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

!> ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE. STEONO SPEECH BY MR. WILFORD. .By Tilegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Rouse of Representatives met at 2 30 p.m. Mr. T. M. Wilford resumed the debtite on the Address-in-Reply. He held that the effectgof the war would be to consolidate the British Empire. He claimed that the only sacrifices made had been by those who had to face the increased cost of. living, and he held that for months past the voluntary system of enlistment had failed. Men who had enlisted under threats of the Ministers to bring in conscription could not be snid to have enrolled on the voluntary system, and.he hoped that the .Compulsory Service Bill would be a strong measure, emanating from a strong Government. He held that the compulsory system was the only democratic system possible in a country that earnestly desired a change. He condemned the ''business as usual*' policy. Business could > not possibly be as usual. He commented upon the extreme profits being made out of the war, and urged that woollen companies should be treated as munition works and taken over by the Government.

Mr. Wilford charged the Government with indifference in regard to the milk supply of Wellington, where people nad to pay 4s 3d for what could be obtained for lOd north of Featherston and Wanganui. He asked the Premier to give members full opportunity for discussing the increase in the cost of livin», so that something might be evolved which would assist the consumer.

Mr. Wilford urged that most generous treatment should be given to the, men who had gone to the front, and also for those \vlio had returned. He claimed that it was not desirable to have a colonel of volunteers as a Minister, as the civilian equation of mind was lost in the military spirit. He considered that national banking was necessary in financial matters. He asked the Government to take members into their confidence, and said that a very critical time would approach when peace terms were being discussed. That would be the time to have millions in reserve, so that the British terms could be enforced. "VIGOROUS" BROWX. Mr. J. V. Brown '(Xapier) claimed that the cost of war 'pensions should be paid .by the wealthy, not by the poor. He asserted that German influences were at work in the House, and even in the Ministry, and that the attitude of the Government in dealing with Germans was ■ not calculated to encourage recruiting. jße criticised the manner in which the Medical Board and the Defence Department ha<l dealt with returned soldiers who were not physically fit to resume the duties they were, performing prior to their enlistment. MR. VEITCH SPEAKS OUT. ,'~Mr. W. A. Veitch (Wangamii) complained that the National Government had not taken members into their confidence in the matter of domestic politics. As to military matters, he urged that the Minister of Defence had acted as a v, et blanket, and had been passed as a complete failure. He thought Parliament should encourage co-operative movement amongst the people of the Dominion, and remarked that producers were being exploited by the shipping combines. He attributed the increase in the cost of living to commercial combinations, and he complained that returned soldiers' in his district had been sadly neglected..' The Minister was out of touch with public opinion, and had not retained the confidence of the people. Mr. Veitch condemned the voluntary system of enlistment, as inequitable. Proceeding after the dinner adjournment, Mr. Veitch said that he could assure the Government that, any equitable system of compulsion would have his hearty support. He considered that Labor had less to fear from compulsion than any other section of the community. Ho favored conscription of wealth, and did not consider the rich men had done as much as they should have done. He strongly believed in taxation of war 'profits

CONSCRIPTION OP WEALTH. Mr. J. Anstey (Waitaki) held the view that .Parliament must begin to prepare for the soldiers who would return from the war. While he believed that conscription was wrong, circumstances seemed to make it necessary that compulsion should be adopted; but conscription of wealth, should go hand in hand with conscription of men, and a commencement should be made with the war profits. . Mr. Anstey referred at length to lands set apart for returned soldiers in the South Island, and asserted that an inferior class of lands was being reserved for that purpose, .while the 'best portions were open to ballot by those who stayed at home. TARAXAKI MEMBERS.' Mr. J. B. Hine (Stratford), who appeared in uniform, said that the country <had no reason to doubt the lovalty of any officer who was with the expeditionary forces, . He. believed that the very best efforts were jnade by the Defence Department to send men away well trained and equipped. He considered that the railway men had disgraeed themselves by demanding an increase of wages at the present time. They should "in loyalty have offered to take less. He thought the Government should provide institutions where the returned soldiers might he taught occupations suitable to them. Mr. W. T. Jennings thought that generous amendments of the Pensions Act were necessary. Dealing' with the allocation of Crown Lands, he asserted that considerable aggregation was being perpetrated.