PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1918, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,

iWm yi&xnADAY'S SITTING, %

By Telegrapu.—Press Association.

Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30. The debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply was resumed, the Address adopted, and the Council adjourned at 4.45 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, Not. 27,

The House met at 11.30.

Replying to Mr C. H. Poole, the Hon. G. W. Russell said that there wa3 no information that influenza prevailed on board tho Makura, which was shortly expected in Auckland. If on arrival this epidemic is prevailing the vessel would be quarantined for such iime as the district health officer thought necessary

Replying to Mr Poole, Sir James Allen said it would bo difficult to remove the German prisoners of war from Motuihi Island, but if tho island was required for quarantine purposes he would have them removed to Eeatherston Camp.

Replying to Dr A. K. Newman, Mr Russell said that it was the wish of the Government t'hat no one should be in distress as a result of the epidemic, and if application were made to a hospital and charitable aid board relief would be immediately given, and on generous lines. Cabinet had yet to consider the Government's attitude to the whole question of relief. Tho Hon. A. M. Myers said that he had given instructions to the department that every facility must be given to widows who 'had lost their husbands as tho result of the epidemic to obtain widows' pensions.

AFTERNOON SITTING.

When the House resumed at 2.30,- Sir W. Eraser, continuing, said a Bill would be introduced next session to give effect to the main proposals contained in Mr. Parry's report. When the time came to givo effect to the proposals, sufficient money should be borrowed to carry it out in its entirety. The work should not be carried out piecemeal. He emphasised that these hydro-electric schemes should not be regarded as ordinary Government undertakings, but must be looked upon as a great commercial andertaking.

Mr. Poole commended the national character of the scheme.

Mr. Young urged that the Horohoro electric scheme on the Waikato river should be takes over by the Government and blended rrith the national scheme.

Mr. Stat'mm asked thai a report on tho additicns.l South Island schemes be placed before tho public at'the earliest possible moment. Mr. Andersos said he had been informed tliat the Government war, selling electrical power to Ohriutchurch at a lower rate tier, the cost of production. He contended that the cost of electrical power should be the Mine to all centres. Mr. Craigie stated that Lake Coleridge placed Ckristchurcb ten years a'head of any other city, ana he wanted other schemes embrasinw the whole of the South island.

Mr. Brown thought the money provided on the estimates for t'he preliminary work was too little. Wow that the war was over wc should bo bold and talcs these schemes up vigorously. Sir Joseph Ward said many members were talking wildly about these schemes. It was impossible to put them all in hand at once. The most that could be done was to put the prelimirary work in hand, and the most that could be spent in that connectioa wa3 the £150,000 provided on the estimates, owing to the scarcity of labor. He had always favored tho nationalisation of t'he water-power of the Dominion, but he was not going to stand in the way of th® people in the smaller centres getting power when tl-oy were inable to take advantage of the main schemes. Therefore, lie favored giving authority to local bodies to carry out local schemes. To establish national schemes in all parts of the Dominion would cost not less than seventeen mu'ions, and, when all tho other claims of the Dominion were taken into consideration, it was utterly impossible to face such an expenditure for hydro-electric power alone. The limited scheme proposed by the Government was the only one at the present time, and t'he money provided was sufficient for the purpose. Local bodies could safely be entrusted with minor schemes, so long as the State retained the power of resumption. He advised members to reserve their Witicism until the Biil came down, and jipt 3fek to tickle the ears of the people, by advocating impossible proposals. Dr. Newman accused members of the Government of lieing hostile to the prosecution of these schemes. He a9ked the Premier to tell his colleagues to drop this attitude and get to work on the preliminaries, so as to #ive the people cheap power. Mr. Massey denied that there was any attitude of hostility on the part of the Government, but he declared it was impossible for the Government to do its share in the war and carry out a, great public policy at the same time. It was impossible for the country to send away 100,000 of the best of our manhood and

not create a shortage of labor, font, when we get back to normal, it will be yone of the first duties of the then Government to initiate a vigorous policy of development. Tlie House rose at 5.30 p.m. Sir Wm. Fraser, in the course of his reply to the discussion on Mr. Parry's report, said, in answer to the allegation that power was sold at less than cost to Christchurch, that the position was that last year's revenue paid the working expenses and 4 per cent, on the whole capital cost. For the first year or so such a business was necessarily run at a loss. The paper was laid on the table.

The Aviation Bill was read a second ;ime.

EVENING SITTING.

When the House resumed at 7.30 it went into committee on the War Legislation Bill.

ENEMY ALIENS.

Mr. Massey moved an amendment to the definition of a "person of enemy origin," the effect of which is to exclude New Zealand iborn children of enemy subjects from the definition. This was agreed to.

Mr. Stewart moved an amendment to exclude from the definition of enemy alien anyone who has been on active service with any of "the Allied forces since the outbreak of war, or any member of his family. The Premier refused to accept this, and the amendment was rejected on the voices.

Mr. Payne moved to include amongst enemy aliens any Briton who was married to a German woman, and so place tho husband on the same footing as a German wife. This was rejected by 34 to 7.

Clause 2, as amended, was carried by 40 to 3. Mr. Veitcli moved an amendment to clause 14, making it mandatory that the Arbitration Court should increase wages proportionately to the increased cost of living, lie pointing out that when the cost of living rose 39 per cent, wages only rose 10 per cent. Mr. Massey opposed the amendment, contending that discretionary power must he left with the court, and the Bill as it stood gave tliat. The amendment was lost on the voices.

A somewhat similar amendment, moved by Mr. Walker, was also lost on the voices.

A number of new clauses, mainly for the relief of soldiers, were" moved by the Premier and agreed to on the voices. Mr. Veitcftl moved a new clause repealing clauses 28 and 29 of the War Legislation Act, 1917, providing for the non-payment of superannuation to civil servants retained in the public service after due date of retirement. Mr. Massey said the conditions under which the provision was enacted had almost passed away, and he promised to bring the matter before Cabinet at an early date, when t/he repeal would be considered. On a division the amendment was lost by 20 to IS. The Bill was reported with amendments, which were agreed to.

PEACE CONFERENCE REPRESENTA

Mr. Massey stated thai a communication had been received from the Imperial authorities urging that New Zealand Should be represented at the peace conference, and expressing a hope that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward would leave for England almost immediately. Mr. Massey added that he hoped to make a more complete statement tomorrow, or at least within a day or two, on the subject of the Dominion's representation at the. peace conference. The House rose at 8.30 tiil 2.30 tomorrow.