PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | — — ( By Telegraph.—Press Association. j Wellington, Last Night. 1 The Council resumed this afternoon, i Tho Address-in-Reply was moved by t the Hon. J. Barr and seconded by the : Hon. Major Harris. i In speaking to the motion, the leader of the council (Hon. Sir J. Bell) referred ■, to the title of GovernoivGcneral conferred on his Excellency, and said the Imperial Government desired to recognise what had been done by New Zealanders. He further stated that his 'Excellency, at the outset of the war, hVld the only cvpher which made it possible for -New Zealand to communicate with the UnderSecretary of Colonial Affairs, and he had been at his desk night and day. His Excellency was also a soldier, and at that time, when military afi'airs were practically in their infancy, he held definite views, and had expressed them. ■ The Imperial Government desired 'to recognise the services he had rendered. The Address-in-Reply was agreed to, and the council adjourned at 4.55 p.m. till Wednesday. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30. Mr. Anstev gave notice of lit intention to ask the Government if they will introduce legislation exempting Bmall estates of soldiers who have lost their lives in the cause of the Empire, from death duties. FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Replying to Mr. Brown, Mr. Massey said it was intended to bring down ait amendment of the War Regulations Act this session, when the whole question of freedom of speech under the regulations could come up for review. POLITICAL CORRUPTION. On the motion for leave to introduce the Political Corruption Bill, Mr. Payne explained his measure aimed at: (1) Preventing any member of the House appointing himself-to the Supreme Court bench; ('2) to prevent a member convicted of corrupt practices ever again occupying a seat in the House;' (3) to prevent public lands being granted to "certain friends of certain members'* without public tender. The Bill was read a first time. ABOLITION OF TITLES. v In introducing the Suppression of Titles and Abolition of Pomp and Cere-

mony Bill, Mr. Payne said the Bill was designed to suppress the gingerbread gentry which was springing up in the Dominion. The second part sought -.o put a stop to the "flummery that went on in connection with our public ceremonials, where certain persons waltzed round in scarlet robes." He deprecated conferring titles during the currency of a great war as such proceedings were, positively indecent. Mr, Hindmarsh did not object to titles in the abstract, but thought, if eonfeired. they should be for social service, not narty service by wealthy people tJ party funds. Sir Joseph Ward denied that any man ever received an honor from the King on the recommendation of any Government at which he was the head, becaul*

of contribution to party funds. Mr. Massey emphatically denied that any honors had ever been conferred because of contributions to the funds of any party with which he was connected. He enumerated the last list of honors conferred, and asked Mr. Hindmarsh if lie object'd to any of them. Mr. Ij'-iimarsh replied that he took no exception to any of them, but he did object to the honor conferred on Sir James Wilson. Mr. Massey warmly defended the knighthood of Sir Janies Wilson, whom he recommended for the honor on the ground of his great services to the agricultural industry of the Dominion. He absolutely repudiated the suggestion that pny honor conferred on the recommendation of his Government had been so conferred because of financial considerations, and he hoped that these spiteful suggestions would cease. Mr. Brown said the time had arrived when- titles should bo conferred 011 women.

Mr. Massoy said that subject was under the consideration of the Imperial authorities, at the present moment. Dr. Thacker complained of the indiscriminate manner in which- titles of colonels and lieutenant-colonels had been scattered over the country. This was a pure concession to military pomp and panoply. He particularly objected to the general manager of railways being a colonel. Hon. Sir Jas. Allen defended the military appointments, and said the service rendered by Colonel Hiley in connection with the camps was simply invaluable. Mr. Wilford referred in complimentary terms to the work done by Colonel Hiley at Trentham. Colonel Hiley waa always at Trentham, and that was the reason why the railways were so badly managed. After Mr. Payne had replied, a division was called for on the question that leave be granted to introduce the Bill, the voting being; For, 4; against, -IS. The House rose at 5.45.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. Wellington, Last.Night Tlio House resumed at 7.30 Mr. SraiUi (%hiatua) moved the Ad-<lress-in-Keply, and on rising to make his maiden speech, was received with applause. He referred to the new dignity conferred on his Excellency, and justified the prolonged absence of the Premier and Minister of Finance. He also justified the National Ministry. The effect of the war was to make people more thoughtful, and one direction of this seriousness of thought was towards more temporate habits of the people, typifying itself in the movement to close'hotel bars at si.v o'clock. He criticised the excess profits tax. which he thought required amendment if -it was not repealed altogether. The Land and Income Tax also required amendment, especially the clause which prevented a fanner from deducting from his income the interest paid on a mortgage. Without any delay that section should be repealed. The butterfat levy found no favor from the speaker, and, while agreeing that the levy was made with the best possible intention, he contended that it was made in the worst possible way. am! I lie imW remedy for the blunder w;v- '■■ '' t,ll! people thalr money back, 'r " " ls > class tax, :\s one section '' "'iiw-ity was undoubtedly pn "■ "Vvhieh no cauivalent was ' oin.. on any other section of, the Tn v'teyr of the shortage of shining, be regarded,

the future of the butter industry asi grave, so grave that it called for the, in*-1 mediate attention of the GovernmentJ and, if necessary, butter makers- abmUm be asked to make cheese, for which, however, ample cold-storage must be provided. For the purpose of settling »- turned soldiers, he favored cutting Dp large estates. He regretted that insufficient attention had so far been given to this increasing problem. The whole system of pensions and allowances to soldiers should be revised for the Second Division, the present provision being quite inadequate. The measure of what we should give should be the measure of what we can afford, and in that light the existing allowances would be found insufficient. He thought the Government should take the House into its confidence and let the House say to what strength lour reinforcements should be kept np after the Minister had told the House what the House did not know. / Mr. Buddo seconded the motion, and congratulated Mr. Smith on his practical speech. He welcomed him to the House as a farmers' advocate.' He thought that as soon as the submarine menace wa? overcome all cause for anxiety would be removed on the subject of the traapprt of our produce to overseas markets, but the fact that such large quantities 'ot butter were in store in the. Dominion was undoubtedly a serious matter. Ha criticised the constitution of the Effujienj* ■ cy Board, which, he thought, wonW bi more effective if presided over by a peri manent chairman, with a board madt up of residents of the provinces. To adjust our taxation luxuries most bear tf heavier share of the burden, for it must be remembered that while our men in the% trenches were earning 35s a week, many' who wore not at tho war were making huge profits. How the war burdens which were now being piled up were to be apportioned was a matter for futnre, con- i sideration, but he hoped no attempt Would bo made to pile it all upon l tSs : present generation, for surely posterity ; was going to derive some benefit frOmi; our sacrifices. He thought that in view of the recent shipping developments the remedy wa3 a State steamship serviee. He favored the continuance of our reinforcements to the last possible man. He deprecated attempts to forco readyschemes upon the "Empire. The right system of Imperial federation could only be evolved in the course of time, and we could rest content that British mains and British patriotism would, in due course, define whether preferential tariffs were or were not the right tscrst. to pursue, He advocated siting up local committees to advise the Government against'concluding'that largo numbers would be ready I'j go on the land, and other employments must be f ound. The debate was adjourned till 2,30 tomorrow.