LABOR’S VOICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1921, Page 5

LABOR’S VOICE.

OPPOSE PREMIER’S ABSENCE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE. LABOR PARTY’S AMENDMENT. By Telegraph.-Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The defeat of the Opposition amendment last night did not dispose of the Address-in-Reply, which was further debated in the House of Representatives to-day on a further amendment, this time from the Leader .of the Labor Party (Mr. H. E. Holland). Mr. Holland suggested that Sir James Allen should represent us, because there was no definite information before the House as to what the Conference should discuss, and he could represent us, without committing us, as well as anyone else. He had no personal objection to Sir Francis Bell, but he objected to his becoming Acting Premier, because he did not represent the people. He charged the Premier with having shown Mr. Lloyd George’s cablegram to Press men, but withholding it from members of Parliament. When it was published there proved to be nothing secret or confidential about it. There was nothing to justify the Premier’s contention that only Prime Ministers could attend the conference, as representatives of India were members of the conference. PLEDGES ASKED FOR.

Tracing the evolution of the Imperialistic idea and the consequent Imperial Conference, Mr. Holland denounced the secret treaties made before and since the war. It was generally understood that one of the subjects to be discussed was the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty. As both England and Japan were members of the League of Nations, there was no need for the renewal of ; that treaty, as all both nations desired 1 could be achieved through the League He wanted the delegate from New Zealand to oppose an increase in naval armaments. He wanted the Premier to give the (House a pledge that he would not consent to the pooling of the resources of the countries within the Empire in connection with war debts, and that he would not consent to any arrangement which would lead to war with America.

Mr. Holland said it was also rumored that there was a proposal to send men from New Zealand to India to suppress a revolution there. He wanted a definite assurance that this would not be done. Concluding, he referred again to the evils caused by secret diplomacy, and said he hoped in /future no mantle of darkness would be thrown over our international relations.

The amendment was seconded by Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Avon). Mr. Sullivan said care should be taken that the Premier was not allowed to go to the conference empowered to commit us to anything until Parliament and the people shall have an opportunity of endorsing or rejecting it. The policy of the Labor Party here as elsewhere was the federation of free peoples, when “the war drum throbs no longer. and the battle flags are furled.” LEGISLATION NOT WANTED. Mr. M. J. Savage (Auckland West) denied that the Premier truly represented the Dominion. He contended that no man could truly represent a country at the Imperial Conference until he first knew the views of the people upon the matters to be discussed there. Mr. McNicol (Pahiatua) justified the prorogation of Parliament until later in the year, because the social and industrial conditions were so unsettled that it jvas advisable to postpone legislation dealing with those matters until the last moment. Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) said that up to now no very satisfactory reason had been given for holding an Imperial Conference. If the Dominion was represented at the conference, then care should be taken that the representative should not go with a free hand. Mr. L. M. Isftt (Christchurch North) protested against a statement by the last speaker referring to the possibility of war between England and America, which he (Mr. Isitt) considered was an eventuality not conceivable by any ordinary person. When he credited Labor men with humanitarian ideals he could only deprecate most strongly Labor members’ continual sympathising with movements inimical to British interests.

Mr. D. Jones (Kaiapoi) asked that Labor should come out into the open and state their real views on Imperial matters. The Opposition had not yet shown any reason why Parliament should not* go into recess as proposed. Referring to soldier settlement Mr. Jones defended what the Government had done. EXTREMISTS ASSAILED. Mr. V. H. Potter (Roskill) assailed the extreme section of Labor, declaring they fomented industrial unrest, delaying the shipping of produce and thereby losing to the Dominion many thousands of pounds. He advocated abandonment of the preference clause in industrial agreements, since it had been grossly abused by Labor. Mr. R. W. Smith (Waimarino) warmly supported the proposal that the Premier should go to the conference. Mr. E. J. Howard (Christchurch South) considered Mr. Massey should not go to London at the present time, because of the financial, industrial and unemployed troubles looming up. The captain of the ship should not leave the bridge when there was danger ahead. There were other men in London, such as Sir James Allen and Sir William Herries, who were jjuite capable of representing the Dominion at the Imperial Conference. Continuing, Mr. Howard expressed the opinion that Mr. Massey was not going Home so much to discuss Imperial affairs as to get the uttermost farthing for farmers’ produce. Mr. F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn) and Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton) protested against the action of the Premier in forcing the debate to a conclusion that night; no such restrictive measure was taken when the Liberal amendment was before the House.

Continuing his remarks. Mr. McCombs declared, amidst interruption, that conscription was introduced in New Zealand, not to serve the Empire, but to compel the British Government to send ships to the Dominion to carry away the farmers’ produce. Thus the Premier was bartering the bodies of our young men for the benefit of the farmers. This statement, he claimed, was based on a reasonable interpretation of the Premier’s own words. AMENDMENT DEFEATED. ? After Mr. H. Atmore (Nelson) had

delivered an attack on Extreme Labor, a division was taken on Mr. Holland’s amendment, which was defeated by 58 votes to 8, only the Labor Party voting for it. The House rose at 1.58 till 1.30 p.m. to-morrow.