PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 July 1917, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES';! By Telegraph.--Press AwoeUtfon. -;\ Welltogton,U«tjr»jat /*'] The House wet at 2.30 p.m. ' - REPLIES TO QUESTION - ( * : Mr. Massey, in reply to Mr. S&tham, "* said there was no immediate intention \ on the part of the Government io stop , i building operations in the Dominion till i\* the end of the war. Replying to .Mr. Thomson, Sir James hi Allen said the arrangement was that', jj infii at the front should be periodically. ~»' relieved. He could not say how |nr this *'jj bad been done, but Jf\,we kept Tip the * reinforcements this relief should afwayt* f be possible. • 'sj The ■Premier laid on the table the an- '$ nual report of the Immigration Depart. ,■. ment. Thla raised a discussion «a the •■' admission of Indians to the DojbJnioiia, '. but the Premier expressed tho lope flnt'' ~* members would not discos* that phase .';| of the auestion, as it w surjtwnded f> with difficulties at the present nwtoent* "f He mentioned that the subject hadbeen' A fully discussed by him with tto. Im, \t perlal authorities,, who.reanested Oat $ he and Sir Jcaeph Ward should retire ';»,' to New Zealand via &di», where tfceS. ' f * «ould study the question of 'd labor for themselves. Ttey fajt how* M ever, they could not spare the tone 'to 1 •'- do as requested, their presence ttak& required in the Dominion. Immtoratiioi '* had generally been praetieally stopped K sinoe the war began, the total air Sab A I hut year being «3S. V J KEI'ORT OK mPFWaU WAR ? CONFERENCE. 4

The Premier kid on the table a r*. port 0/ the proceedings at the ImpAM War, Conference. " Sir. Wilford did not agree wftli Uyg vio-,v. Cm- representatives skoiiia. lm« a voice in foreign policy, as statesmen were supremely ignorant -ms." corning the Pacific Island?, yet tine <]»>< fence of the Pacific was the fiupreoe question for us. Wo must nevwpem* German dominance in the southern aeaa.' Dr. Thadccr and Mr. Poole deplored the, ignorance concerniug the Domiaiou* Mr. Hlndmarsli advocated an effort to bring about better relations with Ato* tralia.

Mr. Massey replied. He was quite determined thnt no islands contiguous to these parts should go back to Germany. Regarding, representation at the Imperial Conference which would be held to consider the reconstruction of tie Shapitt after the war, he agreed that the Iter minion must be represented by its beet men.. This should .not be a party question. He thought it highly desirable that the two great constitutional parties in the country should be represented. On the motion of the- Premier, the names of Messrs ©ickic, Reed, Wittv, and Field (Xelson) were added to the Moat Trust Committee.

The House adjourned at'6,3o. \ The House resumed at 7.80. I On the motion to go (into CbsnmUtee nf Supply., preparatory to introducing the Imprest Supply Bill, Mr. Ba&lo V«n« tiktcd a number of soldiers' griovermtß, particularly stressing the disparity ia the honors conferred on officers .anil on tho men.

Mr. Anderson urged that Ministers >' should revive the Defence Committee, ? wihch could take some responsibility in l '™' defence matters. After threo years at war nothing had been organised except ~ the military. Ho had been informed that' ; the members of the Efficiency ißoari were getting tired of moving 'recom- ''• meudations which were never carried out, and perhaps, never even considered ' Mr. flornsby defended the Son. W. IX T " S, Mac Donald against attacks on bis. administration by country members.. He ' also entered a protest against tho extravagance on the part of thc'pofclie and in Government deportments'wfcfcfc, so far, had not set an exsrapta to Vie rest of the community.

Mr. Wilford said the House 'expected A a bold policy. Members w«ntadtO"S»e ■ \ justice done to those accepting duties .'«, to the State, and in consequence thereof 4 the programme of this session was mo- § mentous, including such questions as the ,'■-* coat of living and pensions. The country ; ?r expected to. see 1 these problems tackled * in a practical way. In connection with '\ the calling up of the Second 'Division, Ai he insisted that «■ man was called up .• and developed trouble .which unfitted him for service, he should he pensioned, "i We should adopt with tile Second Dili- L sion the principle of "fit to fight, fit to. ,•! pension." He asked the Government to j? be brave, resolute, and forceful, and to Tgot taxation from thoeo able to afford it. .i If this were, done, the co-irperattan. of the House would be readily and generously given. 'J Sir Joseph Ward deprecated critidim * of the Government's financial proposals i beforo the budget was brought down. ' : Members tßlked lightly of (wring the .. .1; wealth of the rich without realising the •§ difficulties in the way of doing any mteh H thing. He had been asked to do as \j Canada had done, but Canada was not .'j taking the people's wealth. Canada tfiw "j only doing what we in Key Zealand were doing, taxing people according to inoome. Ho intimated we were not go- ••'. ing to havo an export tax, because it /* meant that the man who produced 'would ;/ be taxed, and the man who Waa not a ■'-;' producer escaped. The prolongation of /j the warMiad been far beyond anyone's '& original anticipation, and that fact ww A brought homo to its that wo would hav* f to do a great deal more in the interest* ' of the soldiers and their dependents UMta anyone at first supposed would bo needatary.\ Be could assure tho House tint' \ matters in this cdnnectioa *«re receiving every consideration, twth froirt in ludividual and national point of HMf. • • The House went into Committee o* ' ; Supply and passed ft resolution In favor of the .Bill for appropriating being Introduced. Wth regard to the suggestion for the employment of alien enemy Buojects. he ■pointed out that the Government had been advised that tt> weukl bo Illegal for these men to be compulsorlly flmfioyed if they were living quietly in the community. M not, the Govenuawt wmUo* bave the right to mate ttfl« ptieoncre 1 of war, and ware doing se; but then the Qoverwatint would havs to keep thorn. At 12..10 the Bill was rtmX a ■', time. The Home rose at \sJb %v. ;