PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1917, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL By Telegraph.—-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. ADDBESS-M-RHPLY. The Council resumed this afternoon. The Speaker, whoso health compelled him to seek medical attention outside' New Zealand, was granted leave of absence till the end of the. session. Hon. J. D. Ormond explained that he was not present during the debate on the Addresa-in-:Reply, and desired to placs liia views before the House. He considered the time had come when New Zealand should decide whether it could keep up the present large reinforcements. If it were necessary to call on the Second Division, better provision should be made for the dependents of members thereof. After criticising the, Government, he said an appeal should be made to the people of the country, and a Government elected that would be responsible to the people. Sir W.. Hall-Jones supported Hon. Ormond's views, and advocated that an election should be held. Hon. W. Earnshaw said an election was a secondary matter to that of winning the war. Hon. Barr pointed out that in many instances' single men made equally as great sacrifices as married men would have to make. Because America came into the war there was no reason why we should withdraw. Sir. K. H. iD. Bell replied, and the Council rose at 9.35 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NEW BILLS. The House met at 2.30. Sir J. Findlay gave notice of his intention to introduce the Napier Harbor Empowering Bill and the Hawke's Bay Rivers Amendment Bill. Mr. Statham gave notice to move the Dunedin Waterworks Extension Bill. The Manawatu County Loan Empowering 'Bill (Mr. E. Newman) was introduced and read a first time. REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Mr. Isitt asked the Government if, before the debate on the six o'clock closing and racing questions, reports of the .Efficiency Board on these subjects would be placed before the House, as they would he of use to members. Sir Joseph Ward replied that the reports of the Efficiency oißard mould he duly considered by Cabinet. He was not going to accept any recommendations of the Efficiency Board unless he agreed with them. The Government would govern, not the Efficiency Board. When Cabinet had formulated its proposals they would be placed before the 'House, and Cabinet would he responsible for them. Replying to Mr. Witty, Sir Joseph Ward said he had seen in the press certain accusations made against the .postal department by the Be v. Howard Elliott. So far as the department had 'been able to enquire, there seemed to he nothing in the charges. However, when the matter had heeii gone into fully, he intended to ask the law officers of the Croiwn to have the whole subject of the charges investigated in the most public manner. Replying to questions, the Minister of Mines said the State Coal Mines Department had been investigating the coal areas in the north, with a view to intending operations, but, so far, nothing practical had been done. The geological staff was reduced to one man owing to enlistments in the expeditionary forces. The work of the Department, therefore, had heen considerably delayed. There had now 'been an inquiry from a syndicate regarding the purchase of the State coal mine, hut he informed the syndicate that the State mine 'Was not for sale. Negotiations had gone no further! The supply of State coal to the public was considerably hampered by the lack of transport, and the mine had been idle for the past two days owing to the bins being full and no steamers to take the coal away..

THE AUSTRALIAN WHEAT DEAL. The Hon. W. D. IS. Mac Donald made a statement regarding the purchase of wheat in Australia. He said that in Outctber and November, WW, there was a sudden rise in the price of flour from £l2 to £ls a ton, and wheat rose from 4s 9d to 6s 4d per 'bushel. There was no apparent reason for the rises, and after the Board of Trade had gone into the matter the Government decided to remit the duty on flour. Later it was found necessary for the Government to get an option over wheat. Knowing the Imperial Government had purchased largely in Australia, an attempt was made to purchase some of this stock, "but this failed. The acting-Premier cabled the Australian Government to aßk if it would sell New Zealand a million bushels. As the result of the negotiations the Government decided that it would be better for him to go to Australia and negotiate on the spot. He mot the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Hughes, who said they had decided to raise the price of wheat, but would not do so until New Zealand hod completed her purchase of the when* required. Finally he found that the test arrangement he could make iwas 'to purchase a million bushels at 5s fld. The first lot was brought to Dunedin and sold at the ship's side at 6s 3d, and he received congratulations from all parts of Otago stating that both the pried and quality were highly satisfactory, and asking him not to yield to pressure from persons who demanded that the wheat should be sold at less than the Government gave for it. He further announced that the Government intended to pay 5s lOd f.Ojb. for nest season's wheat. Mr. Witty congratulated the Minister on the straightforward statement, but thought the Government had been over hasty in rushing to Australia to purchase wheat when there were ample stocks in New Zealand to carry us.over till next Beason. Wc had to pay a Jii&'lier price for, Australian wheat simply foecause the Premier would not come to the rescue of Australia in the previous year. Dr, Thacker and Mr. McCombs criticised the patriotism of the farmers in demanding 7s a 'bushel for wheat, and for refusing to grow the largest possible area of wheat. Messrs Anstoy, Buddo, and Forbes defended the farmers, the former declared that if the Government had not cut down the price offered to farmers to give it to the millers there would have been no difficulty, Mr. Mac Donald briefly replied, contending that the Government had aotod in all the transactions only after obtaining the best information poaalble at the time. tThe House rose at 5.3 f-

•SIR J. JPDfDLAYOEEaNES■BUS *.„ ,. fa a On the Bouse resuming at 7.W,- "? Sir J. Tindlay continued the defctfte on the Address-in-Kpply. He sftid he had better define his position to the House by reviewing the change* wibidi had taken place in tie politic «f the country as the result of the formation of the National Government, To Ms mind the National Government r«« sembled not so much e legislative as on executive government, and that -we were governed less by Act of Parliament than by Order-inOouncil. When elected) he otated he would support the National Government. He eulogised the great work done by the Minister of Defence, but censured his blind and unreasoning support of his subordinates. The vuifc of the Premier and Minister of Finance ' to Britain was bound to widen the horizon of the country, and created an ideal which led us in the direction that New Zealand must not live and act for herself alone. Thereby it helped to prepare the way for the new British Empire, which was going to arise after the war. Though the faults of the 'Ministry were as thick as dust in an empty chamber, he was bound to refer to the magnificent service rendered by Sir Joseph Ward in placing the Dominion on a sound financial basis. He did not think the personnel of the National Cabinet represented the ablest men in the House. Tho principle of selecting Ministers in even numbers from both sides was bad. The ablest should he selected, even if outside the House. Calling the ablest men to the councils of the country would have avoided the necessity to set up all kinds of boards, the very existence of which proved the incapacity of the Government. Rumor wag loud and distinct that the members of the National Cabinet were not acting with the fine cooperation necessary to efficient iwork. He complained that the Government was not sufficiently candid with the Housed which Bhould not be left in the daric as to data on which the Government "was

acting There' was a vifal need of vigorous administration, and such we had not had. He quoted the operations of the Board of Trade to prevent the exploitation of the people, atid said it was ■ iiot until that Board came under the charge of Mr. MaclDonald that it'became a true force. The main fault of the Government was it 9 inability to grasp the nettle of its difficulties. Boldness was greater than prudence in a srisis such as we are passing thwugh. He considered the business of the Soveninient wis to promote (1) equality of sacrifice ; (2) national efficiency a,n& economy'; (3) that the heat pTovtoJiiii should be made for returned soldiers; (>4) ample provision for discharged joldiefs and dependents. Ho criticised iha tenderness of the Government towards wealth, which, if it had been, conscripted as the soldiers had been, would havo left no shortage of means with which to provide our men with adequate pay and pensions. The amendment of the law re taking land eompulsorily, made jn the Discharged Soldiers Settlement Act last year, was denounced as entirely in the interests of the land owners, while, though it was known that land valuations had increased enormously since the war commenced, no revision of valuations had taken place. (Scandalous reductions of rent had been

given to Crown tenants who applied, when they could get goodwill, for a further lease, the fruit of. which was that the capital value of land purchased- under the Land for Settlement Act had been written down by hundreds of IfcotiBands of pounds, this, showed either that the original price paid on the land was improperly high, or that the public . purse had heeu improperly relieved. He favored the six o'clock closing of hotel bare. The settlement of returned aoldiers was not satisfactory, as at the present rate of settling on the Porangaiiau estate it would cost to/ settle 15,000 soldiers, which was out of all reason. He understood the excess profits tax was framed hurriedly and did not meet present requirements. He honored the export tax as the hest means of getting at war .profits. Mr. Field (Nelson) expressed discontent regarding the promotions of our men at the front in France, and asked why the Government did not get rid of General Godley, whom he blamed for the discontent. Mr. E. Newman (iß&ngitikei) strenuously opposed the imposition of an export tax, the graduated, income tax being, in his opinion, the fairest method of taxation. After the supper Vr. Newman concluded his speech, and » debate was adjourned. The House rose at TO.'IS.