PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 September 1917, Page 4

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The council resumed to-day. The Parliamentary Representation Adjustment Bill was considered in committee.

Hon. J. T. Paul moved an amendment, tho object of which was to bring about a general election. He urged that the public of 'New Zealand were living in extraordinary times, and this emphasised the need for a general election.

Hon. Sir W. Hall-Jones referred to the fact that men. were being getaway. many thousands of miles, while; German prisoners were living in idleness on Somes Island. He supported the idea of iin election before the war was over.

Hon. W. Jfernshaw deprecated the idea of a general election, ,and said it would be far better for the National Government to carry on until the end of the war. . ..',.'

The Bill was put through all stages without amendment and passed. The Registration of Aliens Bill wa3 read a second time pro forma, and referred to the Statutes Revision Com. mittee.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. WAR BONDS. Mr. J. C. Thomson asked the Minister of Finance whether war loan bonds woulA be obtainable at the end of October. He also asked if a person put all his savings into war bonds would the State redeem them in tho event of his getting into pecuniary difficulties.

Replying, Sir Joseph Ward said war loan Loads would be available to the public up to the end of October, and probably after that date. The Government was keeping the whole matter open for the convenience of people who wished to invest in the war loan. In tho case of a bond holder getting into monetary difficulties, he was not quite sure whether the post office woujd purchase the bonds, but he would see if he could make some provision for people in trouble by wny of a resale to the Treasury at a small bonus.

An hon. member: The bf.nks will take bonds.

Sir Joseph Ward: Yes, but the hon. member is asking if the Treasury will repurchase borids.

BONUSES FOR TECHNICAL TEACHERS.

In reply to a question by Mr. Fletcher regarding bonuses for teachers engaged at technical schools, Sir 1 Joseph Ward snid he would consider the matter. It was not certain whether the bonus of £400,000 voted for public servants was big. enough to provide for "outside services." KAURI

The Prime Minister laid on tfce table ,the report of tho commission on the kauri gum industry. In the discussion that followed, Mr. Payne described the action of the Government as "another Masseyite bungle," due to entire lack of knowledge of the business undertaken, but the majority of the speakers considered the Government had saved the industry, by appointing a commissioner to purchase * gum till the market .revived. Several members advocated the sub-di-vision of the Auckland district, which •was considered too large to be effectively administered by one land board, which 'others recommended the appointment of a board of development, whose functions would be to bring the poor lands of the far north in profit. Mr. Massey said it was intended to use the north of Auckland lands very largely in settling the problem of returned soldiers. If the so-called "Austrian" gum-diggers could not be sent to the front, their services should be freel> used in carrying on farms in the Dominion, and so keeping up the production of the country. He favored the subdivision of the Auckland land District. The House adjourned at 5.30 p.m. | The House resumed at 7.30 p.m.

Mr. Massey moved, in tbe presence of crowded galleries, the second reading of the Sale of Liquor Restriction Bill. He said the Bill was introduced in compliance with p. promise made by the finance Minister and himself soon after their return from Britain. The Bill was strictly a non-party one. He made that clear so aa to impress upon the members, that they, and they,alone, were responsible for the rote they gave. He noticed a good deal of feeling being imported into the question, but he trusted members would respect each other's feelings and opinions during the debate. He believed there was a general feeling throughout the Dominion that there should be a reduction in the hours during which hotels should bo open. That was the sentiment underlying the Bill and the pro-, posals made; therein. He knew the Bill would not satisfy everybody, but he and the Cabinet had to face things as. they are, and they could not get away from the facjfc that at the last election the people of the Dominion had decided on continuance. Supposing the position had been otherwise, and the people had decided on prohibition, would Parliament be justified in now opening public houses? He thought not. As men of the world they must recognise there was a large number of people who, after business hours, qnjoyed resorting to hotels for the purpose of social intercourse. He had received a great deal of correspondence stressing this point, much of which came from organised labor, 28 unions having declared against early closing, while 18 decided to take no action, one favored a referendum, and one favored six o'clock closing. He also quoted from a ciroular from chartered clubs, all of which went to show thei'e was a wide difference of opinion upqn the proposals in the Bill. Then, there was the antishouting Act of last sesslpn. Were any supporters of early closing prepared to strike that Act off the Statute Book! He thought not, and quoted letters and statistics to show that its effect had been to greatly decrease drunkenness in the Dominion. It might not have been properly administered in some places, but the general effwet was that a serious attempt was being made by the authorities to give effect to the wishes of iFar«, liament. At all events, the Government was just as anxious as anyone to secure the sobriety of the people of New Zealand, in support of which he referred to the amendments made in the law by the Government to prevent liquor being served to women and young persons, to say nothing of the stringent war regulations for the protection of soldiers. It had been said that New Zealand was the only belligerent country that had done nothing to reduce the liquor traffic. This he denied, and quoted the position in Australia; contending that even if the Mi pasas fe it» mmi km Oki^

will be shorter than in any Australifttr State except Victoria. He (lid not gether favor a referendum on suoh si question. He preferred seeing member* having the courage to record their votes in Parliament. The effect of the refer' endum in Australia was not encourag- ' iug, as he believed it had more to dd with the great strike there than any other cause. The Efficiency Board/ha& never recommended a referendum oh'tbi issue involved in the Bill, but on total prohibition, subject to compensation. Ha did not agree in any sense with the hours suggested by the Efficiency Board, but, in any case, he was tired of the eternal agitation round this question, and, so far as he was personally concerned, hei was willing to face it at the first oppor< tunity. and settle it for good and all. He defended the soldiers against charges of drunkenness, and then proceeded to ' deal', witt tho' question ;of 'finance! / Cai ■binefr'had been considering during tho' last few days proposals that would mean! an additional £700,000 per annum, anci he had,to consider how the proposals in the Bill would affect the revenue. His opinion was that the Bill would reduce, the revenue by £300,000, and six o'oloeki closing by £500,000. Theee two factors] therefore, would mean a million logs ta go to the reserve. If members agree U this they do it with their eyes open. B4 quoted figures to show that the llquoi trade was contributing a fair share to) war taxation, and trusted when the Bill was passed on to the Statute Book alt sections of the House and communitji would resume their former cordial"reliU tiorie. •*>.

Mr. Hornsby.declared he was going tcj vote for six o'clock closing as'a contra bution to national economy. The lops* caused by reduction of hours however, be borne entirely by the licatw sees, and he blamed the Government iof not including in the Bill some clause* designed to protect the occupiers. Se> urged that some provision should bet made to check sly grogers, Mr. Harris said that upwards of 80 pel cent, of the people favored six o'clock closing, and he wanted to know why lie Government was not prepared to granl the people their wish. If six Jehck closing was not carried, the Governor General would receive a petition signed by 300,000 electors, asking for the di>4/ solution of Parliament and a general election.

Mr. Mossey: Bring me a memorial signed by 41 members of this House, and you can have a general election s<h morrow.

Mr, Harris said that was an easy boast, Because the Premier knew therd was not a majority in the.House in favof of a general election. Mr. Isitt contended that the National Government was not entitled to any credit for temperance reform They had not led the people, but simply gone as far as they had been shoved. If eight o'clock was carried the respond bility must rest with the Government, because if six o'clock had been put into the Bill it would have been carried with the greatest case. He contended that if] the revenue was reduced by half a mil* lion owing to reduction of, hours, (theft at least two millions would be saved My the non-consumption of liquor, and m the face of that fact he could not seS how anyone could vote agajnst reduction to six o'clock. On the subject of corn! pensation hu expressed the hope thai! there would be some readjustment hel tween the licensee and the owner of tha license. He was also favorable to .a slight reduction of the license 1 fee on £4O, if it was worth talking about, bufl beyond these two points he was not prel pared to go. 7 Mr. Isitt, continuing after the supped adjournment, argued that the State* claimed the right to interfere with alB sorts, of trades and businesses 1 , but neven dreamed of paying compensation. Whji then, should the liquor traffic be mad» an exception, when the interests of tfcf Empire demanded its lurtailment? {, Mr. Lee said there was little hope on securing any liquor reform by the NaT 1 tional Cabinet, if they were to .be judgecfi by previous performances. The only reaj son why they put eight o'clock in thd . Bill was because they had to do it undej ; pressure. While 200,000 people in thi Dominion demanded a referendum, ten men in the National Cabinet could say there should be no referendum, Thai ■Premier had told the House that six o'clock closing meant a reduction of revy enue by £500,000, therefore they wer< entitled to draw the deduction that thew would bo a saving of £2,000,000 on, the ; expenditure side. t Mr. iFayne said if we were going7to win the war by closing hotels atjsiX o'elock, the Germans would simply close theirs at five, and then they would win the war, not us. The only solution ofc the drink traffic was State contiolJl|a House rose at 11.40 p.m. /