PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 September 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night The Legislative Council met at 2.30. The Hon. 0. Samuel was re-elected chairman of committees. The Hon. W. Gow moved the Address-in-Rcply. He suid the admittance of the Dominion to the full nationhood had entailed burdens which New Zealand would not shirk. All that was possible should be done for those who had borne the brunt of the fight in the front line trenches. He advooated the return to regular Government methods in industrial reconstruction, with more attention to agricultural development, the speeding up of public works, and ft progressive immigration policy. Hon. Grimmond spoke in support, and advocated the nationalisation of the coal mining industry, aid to gold mining, expediting public works, payment of bigger naval subsidy, more funds for education and the prevention of land speculation. The House adjourned at 4.7 p.m. until to-morrow afternoon.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The House met at 2.30. NEW BILLS. Mr. McCombß gave notice of his intention to introduce a Popular Initiative and Referendum Bill and Legislature Act Amendment Bill.

Mr. McCallum gave notice of intention to' introduce a new Protection Bill On the motion of various Ministers, Sessional Committees were set up.

CHAOTIC RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. On the proposal to set up the Railways Committee, the Hon. Q. W. Russell suggested that the committee should be enlarged to 20, so that it might conduct ft rigorous inquiry ino the recent management of railways. He thought it unnecessary to emphasise that tne railway service was chaotic, because the Premier and the Minister of Finance had some experience of the fact -vyhen they arrived back in New Zealand and found it impossible to travel between the two main cities by rail, and bad to take a steamer to reach Wellington. The fact was that in the last few months the railways had gone back thirty years, and lie desired that an inquiry be held so that responsibility might be sheeted home to those who ought to bear it. He did not blame the Minister, who had to accept the advice of his responsible oilicers, one of whom, received the enormous salary of £3OOO per year. The member was proceeding to enlarge on those lines when Sir Joseph Ward rose to a point of order, and asked if on the question of the personnel of the committee, the pblicy of the committee could be discussed.

The Speaker ruled it could not, as that matter had already been disposed of L/ the order of reference of the committee.

The Premier, at this point, interposed with a statement that it was quite impossible for the Railway Committee to go into the large issues involved during the session. He thorefore proposed to ask his colleagues to agree to the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into them. There was no doubt things were not altogether satisfactory, and they should know whether any individual was responsible for the position. Replying to Sir Joseph Ward, he said he proposed to retain the portfolio of Railways permanently, and he hoped to fill it for the next six or seven years. PREFERENTIAL VOTITG.

' Sir Jogcph Ward asked the Premier if the Government proposed to bring down this session some amendment to the electoral laws in, the direction of proportional representation or preferential voting, so that the voice of the people may be effective in the coming electionThe present system of "first past the post" was not satisfactory. He asked the Government to take the matter into serious consideration.

Mr. Massey said it would be quite impossible to adopt proportional representation at the coming election, even if the House was unanimous on the point. He did not like preferential voting, because it was open to unlimited intrigue. He was most anxioiw that the people should ha.ve the opportunity of clearly expressing their opinion at the ballot bos, and he would ask Cabinet to take the matter into consideration.

COST OF LIVING. In asking leave to introduce the Board of Trade Bill, Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald said the Bill was introduced because of a letter which the Premier wrote to the •jceretary of the board, and which he (Mr. Mac Donald) considered reflected on the Board, and on himself, as its president. He was convinced no one worKed more assiduously to keep down the cost of living than the members of the Board, but they found they had insufficient power. He, personally, had given definite instructions that exploitation must bo put down, but the Depart- ' ment advised him' that ousting legislation was ineffective for the purpose. He then instructed the Department to prepare legslalion that would be effective. He, further, sent officers to Australia to make inquiry on the spot as to the working of the Act there, and the information they gathered had been embodied in the Bill he was introducing. Ho was aware he could not pass the measure this session. He, therefore, hoped the Premier would, at the proper time, take the Bill up and put it on the Statute Book, and bo check profiteering and exploitation. Mr, jMassey said that though the existing s Act was not perfect, he was advised the Act was workable, and if the Act were rigorously enforced ho thought a good deal could be done in. the direction of stopping profiteering. He had seen Mr. Mac Donald's Bill. It was a good Bill, but not stringent enough in pome respects under the. circumstances; but it was being improved, and he proposed to introduce it at an early date, and he hoped the House would help him to pass it into law. He had hoped that when the war was over prices would drop, but there was no sign of that so far. In fact, prices were still soaring. It would probably be disastrous to many if prices dropped suddenly, but they at least should see that no one made undue profits. Mr. Parr said that if the Board of Trade Act was impotent it was a pity its impoteney had only just been discovered, He also thought it a pity that so many recommendations of the Coat of Living Committee, particularly that regarding the appointment of a food controller, had been ignored. Mr. McCombs said it was a pretty spectacle to see two Ministers who had boon specially charged with the matter, after five years of war, being compelled to admit that no legislation had been passed to stop profiteering and reduce the cost of living. The National Governgus bad § tvm aaad, to £M| WfefiS lfjgfr

latlm it liked, and now they had to confess that practically .nothing had been done.

Mr. Veitch declared that the Premier had always excused himself on the ground that no specific cases of exploitation had been brought under his notice. Ho himself had brought specific cases under the Premier's notice, but they had been consistently ignored. There was no evidence anywhere that the Government had :been in the least active in tracking down profiteering. Sir J. Findlay said he-had seen the Bill before the House, and he believed it one of the most effective measures ever put before any Parliament in the world. The only way to deal with this '.question was to give wise and wide dis'cretion to a tribunal that can be trusted. He was glad to hear the Premier say he proposed to take the Bill up and pass it through Parliament if .possible. Mr. Mac Donald, in reply, defended the administration ; of the Board of Trade, which, he said, had in controlling prices of commodities saved the people of the Dominion millions of pounde. The motion was agreed to and the Bill was read a first time. JTRST READING. The following other Bills were introduced and read a first time: Proportional Representation (Mr. Veitoh), Temporary Employees ('Dr. Newman), Dominion ;State Bank (Mr. Veitch), Invercargill Borough Boundaries Extension' (Mr. ffanan),. Native Land Amendment (Mr, Wilford), 'Mining Amendment (Mr. Semple), Co»l Mines Amendment (Mr. ; Sempl«|. ; ' "•"! ■ 1