PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1919, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Niglit. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Juries Act Amendment Bill and Crimes Amendment Bill, the latter providing for the abolition of the grand Jury, were introduced by the Hon. McGregor, and read a first time. The Address-in-Reply debate was continued by the Hon. J. T. Paul, who drew attention to the unfair advantage being taken of soldiers by some landholder?. Real statesman, he said, would not have allowed famine prices ruling in other lands to exist in New Zealand for goods produced locally. While agreeing that increased production was necessary at present, the workers must be given an undertaking that they would not suffer unfairly if a glut occurred.

Hon. Barr urged the need for preparedness in defence, the inauguration of State medical services, attention to the housing problem, nationalisation of coal mines, the giving of some of the powers of the Board of Trade to the Arbitration Court, which should have with it a representative of the consumers.

The Council adjourned at 4.45 p.m., until Tuesday.

HOUSE-OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, Last Night. The House met at 2.30 p.m. PROTECTION BILL. In asking leave to introduce a new Protection Bill, Mr. McCallum said his measure wag a replica of a similar Bill introduced by him at several previous Sessions, which was intended to proteei the consumer side by- side with the producer. As an example, lie said he would not allow a hotel-keeper to put a drop of water in whisky. The liquor traffic was a huge monopoly given by the State to a few people at a low price, and there were many other monopolies given in the same way, but there was no protection given to the consumers of the products of those monopolies. Dr. Newman defended the Industries Committee against the aspersion that they had not fully considered the question of new protection. The Committee was fully alive to the influence of the big monopolies, and had recommended that a strong Board of Trade be set up to effectively deal with the great question of tho protection of consumers. The Bill was read a first time. AMALGAMATION OF BOROUGHS. Mr- Luke, in moving the first reading of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Bill, said the measure was intended to amend the General Act in the direction of facilitating and cheapening the amalgamation of boroughs. He suggested that the Bill should be referred to the Statutes Revision Committee for consideration. i Mr. Poole thought it would be wise to first refer the Bill to the Municipal (Conference. Mr. Ell contended that the Bill was not general enough. There were many amendments to the general Act required that were not provided for in the measure.

Hon. G. W. Russell was of opinion that the time had arrived when special municipal legislation should bp passed dealing with the four cities, and giving them power to move, as to the extensions necessary for their progress. The B'U was read a first time. CRIMINAL APPEAL. The Crimes Amendment Bill, granting the right of appeal in criminal cases, was introduced by Mr. Wilford and read a first time. RAILWAY MANAGEMENT. Replying to questions regarding improved railway facilities, the Premier said the position was improving every day, and he hoped tho traffic would get back to normal in the not far distant fivture. He was making inquiries regarding suitable men to constitute the Commission he proposed to set up to examine into the recent administration of the Railway Department. In reply to Mr. Holland, the Premier said he could not at present promise to put some railway worker on the Commission, which might be a Royal Commission, but one appointed under the Commissions Act.

Replying to„ Mr. Russell, the Premier Baid the inquiry would embrace the condition of rolling stock, concerning which the public were being alarmed by reports that rolling stock was not equal to the requirements. He had been informed that it was capable of meeting all requirements , but he Wished the matter inquired into. If lie was enable to secure the services of suitable men to form the Commission he would consider the matter of asking a Committee of the House to conduct the investigation. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

The debate on the Address-in-Reply was resumed by Mr. Holland, who said the Labor Party had confidence in neither the Liberal nor the Reform Party.. There was no political crime of which one was guilty of which the other was not equally guilty, therefore, the Labor Party would do nothing to prolong the session. Their duty was to drive members of those parties before their constituents at the earliest possible moment. This was necessary because there was no branch of the public service which was not worked by muddle and ineptitude. The railway chaos was not a "cut" but a "gash." It was said to be due to shortage of coal, yet there was plenty of coal in the vicinity of the railway on the West Coast which remained undeveloped. They would be told that for the first seven months of this year, the production of coal had been many thousands of tons less than for the similar period of last year, but they had not been told how many men were working in the mines this year, nor had ' they been told the average hours worked, yet that was the only test by which production could be judged. Socialisation of the mines under which working miners were given a share in the management of the mines was the only solution of the coal difficulty. Sir Joseph Ward had said he did not agree to questions relating to soldiers being made party questions in the House. That was because he dare not do so. Whatever had been done for the soldiers there were many cases glaring of injustice. He proceeded to instance cases in which he claimed justice had not been done. They had been told that all cases could not be adequately dealt with because of the extreme cost to the Dominion, yet in the pame breath they were told the Dominion had a surplus of fifteen millions, Then there was the witness of many of the officers appointed. Some were mere boys who were allowed to domineer over the men, He referred to

& young lieutenant who minuted on a document; "I have no regrets when writing to these soldiers." Hdn. members: "That man ought to go." Mr. Holland: "Yes, and tliere is another mail who ought to go and that is Lieut. Crampton." DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION ATTACKED. When the House resumed at 7.30, Mr. Holland immediately plunged into the ramifications of the Crampton case, contending it was only after the most strenuous exertion had they been able to get an inquiry, as a result of which Mr. Hewitt, S.M., prepared a scathing report, yet in spite of this report tiie Government also immediately appointed the offender area officer at Wanganui. The conduct of the Defence Department in connection with Lieut. Crampton must sooner or later come under review, and sooner or later the House would have to deal with Crampton's position in the Defence Forces. He next proceeded to speak of what he called "the disgusting and demoralising conduct by tlie prison authorities towards conscientious objectors in New Zealand," and of the outrages said to have been committed upon the objectors in France. He read extracts from a letter in support of these latter charges. So far as he was personally concerned he was not going to rest until the fullest information regarding the punishment meted out to these objectors, and aIBO to the soldiers who went out to fight had been made public. Men were even shot for refusing to obey orders, and lie wanted to know from the Government how many men were shot, and why? He blamed the National Government for these crimes. He blamed them individually and collectively, acid he blamed every member who supported them. They had for two years prevented people from expressing their opinions on the conduct of the National Government, but from the floor of Parliament he challenged every supporter of the National Government to go before the people and explain the many misdeeds of that Government, THE MINERS' STANDPOINT. Mr. Semple said much had been said regarding tho miners "going slow." He denied this charge, but quoted figures to show that the miners during the war had produced more coal than ever, previously, and, in some crises, put up a world's record. When considering the conduct of tho miners it had always been necessary to remember the conditions under which they worked and lived. He was anxious to assist in arriving at a happy solution of the coal difficulty, because he knew when we relaxed our industrial effort many workers were thrown out of work. His opinion was that the real coal difficulty arose out of the fact that the mines were in the bands of a private monopoly, who were hunting for dividends. Many mines were being butchered, and vast quantities of coal lost because a mine had to be closed long before it was exhausted. The Board of Trade had reported that' half tho coal on the West Coast had been iost because of faulty methods of extraction. So long ns managers were expected to produce dividends from companies this must continue. STATE OWNERSHIP THE PANACEA. Therefore, he advocated State ownership, when a manager could bo entrusted to extract coal on scientific lines. He outlined the methods by which he considered the mines should' be w~rked, and then returned to the denunciation of private ownership of mines, asking, '"Why should a few men be allowed to gnfmblc with the fireside of the people?" He next dealt with the coat of production and the cost of coal to th" peole, contending that neither miners, sailors, nor wharf workers were getting anything like a cut out of coal that the Union Shipping Company, for instance, was getting Out, of tlie State coal mines: alone, tho Union Company had lmd 25 per cent, of the proceeds since the inception. Nothing was said about this class of profit gathering, but critics "rounded" on the miners and called them h&Td names- It lmd beeu said the miners earned big money, but let it be remembered that miners did not earn £1 per day all the year round, but he had to live all the year round. THE MINER'S EARNINGS. The speaker then proceeded to set out a balance-sheet of the miner for the purpose of proving that after allowing for days not worked, and for the cost of lieing, coal mining for the worker was not the lucrative business: generally sup< posed. He next described the living conditions of miners. It was these living conditions that compelled the secretary of the Miners' Federation to advise the Australian miners not to enme to New i Zealand. The Bishop of Christcliurch had told his congregation that tho shacks in which the miners had to live on the West Coast were "human pig styes," and he and Mr. Semple had appealed to member? of the House to go down to the West Coast, and see them for themselves, where in some places there had broken out every disease under the sun, from diphtheria to leprosy. This question of mining camps had been dealt with. Improvements in the social and material must bo made so as to attract good men to the business. Then there would be no need to send to Australia for miners. The State should take up the coal leases, and deal with the coal from the mine to the back door of the consumer. There never would be ;.!.ny serious coal shortage again. Under our commercial system it must be so, but broad-minded and liberal statesmanship could greatly minimise the difficulties. A WASTE IN DISTRIBUTION. There was a waste in the distribution of coal, and at every turn the cost of coal was increased to the consumer. He urged the Government to go into the details of the question. It was no use hurling hard names at ( Labor members of the House. They wanted to see the coaJ industry properly manned, and they wanted to see the miner properly protected and treated- Before the members abused the coal miner they should make themselves familiar with all the circumstances connecting with the business, for it was no use attempting to deal with great economic or social problems until they made themselves familiar with all the fundamental facts of the case. POSITION OF GOLD MINES. _ The speaker next dealt with the position of the gold miner in the Dominion. He drew a vivid picture of the miner dying from miners' phthisis, and asked how a family whose breadwinner was so stricken could live on a pension of £1 per week, when he died and found it reduced to 12s Cd. Such treatment was not calculated to move people to love tho State. It made them hate it. There was no need for a hovel in New Zealand, no need for low and degraded women, no need for an unloved child. There need be no unemployed. There was room for all, there was wealth for all, there w« n n&twe'a

table, if only the country were managed on reasonable and democratic lines. The debate was taken up by Mr. Walker, who frankly admitted he was only filling in time til\ one of his colleagues arrived. He dealt briefly with repatriation, profiteering and education. REFORMERS AND LIBERALS SHOULD BE ONE. Just before the supper adjournment, Mr. McCombs took the floor. He declared the Reformers were largely representatives of the landed monopolists and the Liberals the champions of commercial monopolists and industrial sharks. The two parties should be one. On all great questions they stood united, and should cease their mock fights and come out and fight the Labor Party and the mass of the people. He denounced the National Government, for failing to reduce the cost of living and for helping the farmers to extract the last farthing out of the British taxpayer by demanding unjust prices for produce. Lloyd George had said the war would be won by the silver bullet, but, instead of providing bullets to kill the Germans, our farmers devoted their attention to extracting silver bullets out of the British consumers. He accused Sir Joseph Ward of vaccilation in imposing taxation, and of giving the war profiteers the opportunity of gambling in gilt-edge securities for investment in war bonds at 44 per cent, free of income tax, which was better than 6J per cent, on broad acres. What hope had the small men of getting money at reasonable interest when large sums could be absorbed on such terms on such security? Ho compared the achievements of the Labor Government in Queensland with those of the National Government in New Zealand, to the disadvantage of the latter, and aßked why that the Government had not followed out to its logical conclusion some of the Liberal legislation put on the Statute Book by tho 1p Mr. Seddon by establishing more State institutions. Because of Government action in Queensland, meat was cheaper than before the war and fish was more plentiful than ever before. In that State there was no coal difficulty because the Government had nationalised most of the mines, but here the Government had lacked the courage to adopt means to relieve the burdens of the people in these directions. Great dissatisfaction existed regarding Defence matters. Why was miserable treatment meted out to returned men? The Government had caviled at the demands of the Second Division, and said their granting would mean financial disaster to the country, yet those claims meant only a charg.' of lOd per head of population per annum to pay the interest charge and sinking fund. MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE. After dealing with electoral questions, during which he advocated proportional representation all round, he concluded by moving, as an addition to the motion before the House:—

"We feel, however, it to be our duty to submit to your Excellency that your Excellency's Government should possess the confidence of this House, and of the country, and to respectfully represent to your Excellency that such confidence is not reposed in the Government as at present constituted."

Mr. Massey asked the Speaker to rule whether the amendment was in order. Mr. MeCombs said his amendment was an exact copy of that moved by Mr. Massey against Sir Joseph Ward in 1912. Mr. Massey said his point was that he understood the previous Speaker had ruled that the mover of such a motion must give notice of it at the commencement of his Bpeeeh. The Speaker said the amendment was in order.

Mr. P. Fraser seconded the Amendment In doing so he commented in strong terms upon the representation of the Dominion at the Peace Conference by Mr. Massey mid Sir Joseph Ward, holding up the legislation of the country in consequence of the Premier's perspective of the importance of the business transacted at the* Peace Conference, for the only thing he grew eloquent about when he returned was Nauru and manure. He proceeded to denounce New Zealand's relations with Samoa, and said if Samoans had come to examine the housing problem in New Zeafand they would never have agreed to come under our control. Their experience of our administration in connection with the terrible epidemic, in which 8000 died, was not likely to establish confidence in our methods. He indicted both Reformers and Liberals with failure to meet tha problems of the day. The Liberals were trying to recover their wasted opportunities by certain planks in the manifesto just issued. But for that they would not have a rag to cover their nakedness, but that rag would not deceive the people. At the close of Mr. Fraser's speech Mr. Holland commenced again speaking to the amendment in terms hostile to the Government.

The debate was continued by Mr. Semple. At one o'clock Mr. Walker moyed the adjournment of the debate, but, finding no seconder, the motion lapsed. The Speaker put the amendment, which was lost on the voices. A division was called, for and the amendment was defeated by 38 votes to 5. Those voting for were: Messrs Holland, Fraser, Semple, Walker, MeCombs. The original motion was then put and earned. The House rose at 1.20,