PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' —— T 93£* By Telegraph—Press 'Assooiatkjgc"'' | Wellington, Last Night, The House met at 2.30. " iBUTTERFAT LEVY. Replying to Mr. Anderson, Hon. W, D„ S. Macdonald said he understood some cheese had been exported without tho accessary license, and without paying , the butterfat levy. That did not'toean ] that these particular companies would ■; •■ escape, as the Government could enforce the payment of the levy by tho process of law. There were special Tea- . sons why this cheesa was permitted to ' . be exported. Altogether there were 217 ■ \" factories in arrear with the levy. £234,- ' 000 having been received in cash and .*' £17,344 in promissory notes. i KEEPING UP REINFORCEMENTS. Replying to Mr. Field (Otakiy, Mft Massey said the question of sending ■ more reinforcements was discussed with, : Sir Joseph Ward and himself by the Imperial authorities, and they gave them to understand, that while they would do everything possible to get produce of the Dominion, away, their first ■ . demand was for more men. He hoped tho House would understand that we could not cease reinforcements without - ■-., committing a breach of faith with; tho ' ' Mother Country, and with the men at. the front. We promised to keep tho. forces at the front up to full strength. \' Mr. Pay.ie: Who gave the undertaking? . \ :

am pne of them. We are prepared t» take the responsibility. Mr. Isitt: And we will back you lip.' Mr. Massey: Yes, and I am confident a vast majority of the country wffl do the same. He believed this and tho other dominions would be called o& to make even greateT sacrifices than had ' yet been made, and, if so, we must 'cheerfully meet them. There could bs

no question of going back on oor engagements. FIRST READINGS. "I The following bills were read a firljt ' time:—Thames Harbor Board' Amend- , ment Bill (Sir. Rhodes) j Welliiwtoa City Empowering Bill (Mr. Wrigst); ' Hnwke's Bay Rivers Amendment Bill (Sir J. Findlay); Donedin Waterworks Extension Bill (Mr. Statham); Napier Harbor Board Empowering and Vesting Bill (Sir J. Findlay).

SETTLING SOLDIERS ON TBS LAND. A lengthy debate took place on-tike *> subject of settling soldiers on the land, followed by the laying on the tab&B of a paper by the Premier. Mr. Massey, in reply, said he ap.-.. proved of the idea of settling soldiers \j( groups under some such system as w&'h ''] provided .by the Lands Settlement *i>'rt '" Finance Act. He oould practically pfotilft '• ise legislation for this purpose would 6?' ' introduced this session. Tbd fact was , the Government was receiving offers .of mere land for soldiers than it comA &U-\ pose of. As for this land there was nftV the demand that many people supposed) He referred to the criticism that it would'. cost nearly a hundred millions' to settle. soldiers at the present rate. It was ug-' fair to take one or two instances and "j calculate all cases on that basis. They. J must take the average, and that would'' be about £IOOO per man. This, how-', ever, would not be lost to the country' as the State still had the land as. sewir.-, ity. ' y The House rose at 6.30. •i HON. G. W. RUSSELL'S VIEWS* '' The House resumed at 7.30, when thi ' debate on the Address-in-Reply was COS*," tinued by the Hon. G. W. Russell, irfa, t! traced the evolution and history of thfe.-, Imperial Conference. He said in view , of the fact that the white population),

of the overseas dominions would SooD^ exceed that of Britain, it was not diffl-s ■ cult to foresee the time when there soufe; be home rule all round. This opened up the possibility either that tl»e High* Commissioner must represent us ill the ' 1 Imperial Cabinet, or there must he ■%' : resident Minister representing New Zea,-", land in London. Personally, he favored the latter idea, because it would not b« fitting that a paid officer should perform-?, such fateful duties.. He did not believe,'. we should ever permit an outside body to impose taxation on us, but we must', do our share towards the upkeep of the*. 'military and naval 'defence of' the Em-, ,pire, and lor the development of oiff ; resources. State Socialism must be utl« ' lised to enable us to faithfully fulfil the part destined for us in the Empire. | Wealth must be made to shoulder its: responsibilities as it had never done hi* :-fore. In view of the great 'increases in,, land value, and the rise in the price o£' products, there should be no difficulty in adjusting our fiscal and taxation po£ , icy, and We can look forward wMtt oon* fidence to any proposals brought 3ow|j , to meet our near expenditure as wefll as to -make provision for our K&Eierji and their dependents. In the course ojj[ . his criticism on Sir .T. Prnfflav'-s speech, Mr, Russell denounced the action of SKaJ. Findlay in going in his professional capacity to aid one of the men charged with seditious conduct. He -would -yef have to answer to his cwistituents fat Ms unsatisfactory conduct in this W& neclion. He criticised Sir J *■?««$;" ■declaration in favor of six o'clock clog? nng as inconsistent with his electro* •pledges, and was proceeding to deal witft ithis question when ho was "ma,dow|' by the'tinje limit. ■ ,'T J" Sir J Findlav, in a personal explanai . tion, denied that hi-, speech last •»«».. in any way varied &oin his eta»W|, SP Mr. Anstey followed, dealing with Mjf Question of reinforcements. J ' RAISING WAR REVENUE. , ],\ Mr. Hudson discussed the Iruit intlMv try and farmer*.' income tax. The Min« ister of Agriculture was justified in' keeping down the price of butter, tot'. the method of doing so was bad. .Itte • butterfat lew meant that the poor, man was taxed'in'order "to give the rich man cheap butter. He favored a pcwml increase, of the income tav as th? fa.roit* means of raisins; necessary war revennf. He advocated a loan for pulilu- work*. He considered 1 li.xt ions of aVcn* roifU be'put to some profitible v.oik '«r InState, which would not pt then- «t-»h an unfair -advantage over the \omig ra-u of British parentage. . The House rose at 10 42 I'll - *« <"<' Tuesday.