THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10713, 6 September 1912, Page 6

THE MEMBER FOR MASTERTON

SPEECH OX ADI>RESS-IX-REPLY. | In the course of his speech on the Addross-in-llepiy. Mr G. 11. Sykes, member for Masterton, said:— Honourable members know that thousands of years ago woman's franchise was granted to tho people in China, and yet, I believe, we bad tho late Administration claiming that a was instrumental in bringing such a franchise into existence. It matters not, Sir, to whom the policy belongs. At present it is in tho keeping of the Government now in power, and I trust they will fulfil their pledges and carry tho policy into effect. Another remarkable feature of the statements made by the Opposition is that all those who are representative of the land-mono- ' poly soek shelter under the Govern- \ meat wing. I will admit, Sir, once and for all. that f believe the majority of, tlio landowners, both large ai;d small, do support the members of the Government side, because they feel they will get equity and justice meted outto them by tho Government. But lot me point out that there, is another monopoly, which seeks shelter under the wings of the Opposition. It has sought shelter there for very many years, and will v seek shelter for years to come: J refer to tho great monopoly which wo designate "the. trade" —that cursed 'monopoly wluch by its operations has tended to degrade the morals of many of the people of this country. I trust that tho time will soon arrive when all monopolies will bo crushed 'under foot. Tho land-monopoly must j cease to exist, and "the trade" monopoly and nil other jr.onopolirs must rsoon cease to exist. This,. I trust, is • tho. policy of the present. Government, 'iind; 1 hope it will bring that policy 4 into.■ effect. It is gratifying to note ; that the Government intend to p.mend j.;tnorOJcL-age ; ;lr > enHioiiii.. AH, •. providing for the payment of pensions lo women at the "age of sixty years, i- ;tead of ! sixty-five years as at prerxn;. The tuition of the Government in this connection completely refutes the statement made by the members of the OpposiI iion and by the Opposition Press, that if the present Government were placed in power their first step would be to remove from the statute-book the Old-age Pensions Act. I remember that on tho night of the second ballot in Masterton, when it was cleclar?:'! i that I was the member for the district. some old women came up to me and congratulated, me on my victory; but 'they said they were nervous of the 'result, because it had been, instilled into their brains for very many years that if the Eeform Party got into power tho Old-age Pensions Act would cease to exist. 'Therefore I am pleased to know that ono of the-first measures of the Government will be an amendment of that Act- so as to give womenwho reach the age of sixty years the opportunity of enjoying the old-ago .pension. I am also pleased to note (that tho war veterans are to come in . for some consideration. For years they (have clamoured for redress, ft is ne- • culiar to British history that the British people should forget their old war veterans. We know full well that the remnants of the Six Hundred —that gallant Six Hundred of Balaclava fame —after the cessation of the Crimean war were criminally neglected; and our war veterans, who are not very numerous, haVo also been entirely neglected.. The poet's lilies comes to my mind atthi.s juncture :'— • When war is looming and danger nigh, "God and the soldier" is tho nation's cry. IWhen war is over, and danger righted, God is forgotten and tho soldier slighted. ......... ...

". Tho Government'a re to he complimented out ho appointment of the Hon T. Mackenzie as High Commissioner. The Hon Mr Mackenzie is still in the prime'of life, and doubtless will bring all his energy, and ability, and business I experience to bear in safeguarding and" forwarding the interests of this Dominion. It is pleasant and reassuring to a young member -such as I to see that the Government on this occasion have risen above" party. My constituents, when the appointment of a High Commissioner hung in the balance, were very anxious to see what attitude the Government would take. They felt that the Hon Mr T. Mackenzie was the best man for the position, and it gave them great satisfaction to learn that the Government had risen above party and appointed-the man best qualified to fill that position. I trust he will do good work for tho Domiriion —better work than has been.' done by-the past High Commissioners. I am aware that these gentlemen have not Jiad the funds at their disposal to advertise Xew Zealand as it ought to have been advertised; Imt in my opinion they have missed many vital points in connection with the interests of this country. , You will remember that some two years ago Mr Lysuar, of Gisborne, .wont Home, and he was so struck with the inefficient manner jin which, our produce was handled by | the authorities at Home that, with the assistance of a committee of local gentlemen, he determined to go into this matter and make full disclosures in reference to it. This committee discovered that rotten barges, some of them half-filled with bilge-water, \ -o.reused to convey our produce from the docks to the, stores, and that the frozen mutton, of which wo take such great care at this end, was materially reduced in" price owing to bad handling at the other <>nd. This, I claim, really lay within the province of tho High Commissioner. H<> ehou.M have reported thc-so conditions to tho Government of thh country, and should not'leave it to'a private individual to go to London to ascertain tiiosr 1 facts. With reference to defences 1. a:n picas-

cd that tho Defence Minister has decided that imprisonment For non-re- { gistration will, if possible, be avoided, and that military detention will bo sub- J stitutcd. Wo all felt that this was a \ weak point in the Act. We ail felt .' that it was degrading for any young j fellow to be branded as a gaol-bird—-to have liix linker-prints taken and be sent to saol. 1 note with satisfaction that military detention will bo m Instituted. lam also gratified to ' 'arn that it -has been decided that the training of those young fellows living in the country districts shall be put ■ in during the fifteen days' camp, and that the weekly parades will be done away with. Our dairy friends will hear of this with a degree of pleasure. h is a great hardship during the dairying season that the. young fellows should be called away from their work, which is always of an arduous nature. Owing to the short time at its disposal, J note that the Government has decided not to introduce this session any proposal to revise the Customs tariff. When 1. first noted this fact it was with a certain degree of disappointment, for I felt that the anomalies existing in connection with the Customs tariff should be removed, but when I learned of the immense amount of work that is entailed in a revision of, the tariff I was quite satisfied with the assurance that it would come up. for consideration at a later period. lam pleased to see that the Government has made, the land one of the most important planks of its platform. It is a truism that from the land springs all the wealth of the country, and•■dpropose to deal .-it some length with this important question. lam strongly of opinion that facilities should be given small capitalists to get on the land by means of the leasehold, as a stepping-tone to the freehold. It is an impossible thing .at the. present time, as you know, Sir, for a young fellow •to acquire a portion of land unless the,leasehold is graiitedto him,, but I feel, that when the time arrives when he is able to purchase that land | he should have an opportunity of doing so. 1 am also pleased to see that facilities are to bo given to workers of good character to obtain small giving the holdings. An amendment to the Loans to Local Bodies Act will bo introduced, giving the County Councils the right to borrow for the purpose of providing workers' homes. It has been stated by members on the Opposition side that the County Councils will not take advantage of this , Act. I feel otherwise. The members i of the County Councils are men who j are fully alive to the necessity of plac-. ing good workers on the land. In Mas.- J [terton district I know of many good workers who are anxious to obtain j smallholdings. They have regular employment, but still, in their leisure | hours," by working their little holdirigr. , they could do something to better their j present positions; and if tho Govern- [ ment will take this matter in hand , as speedily as possible, and give the j local bodies authority to borrow for', this purpose," they "will bo conferring .' si great benefit on our workers. Just as a proof, Sir, that'the- County Council;: arc likely—nay, wil! —take advantage of this Act I will quote an extract from the report of the Board 01 \ Agriculture of Great Britain. Small holdings arc acquired in Great Britain, by the various County Councils, :nd this,report will give honourable members an idea oi what tho County Councils there are doing in this respect. In 1911 thcro were acquired 29,931. acres of land, for which £778,000 'was expended, and the total holdings in that year were 3895 and twenty-six associations. The Board reports that tho rents were punctually paid, that the tenants were satisfied, but that the demand for land was unsatisfied. I feel that the strongest point of the Government platform is giving, the.J worker an opportunity of acquiring a ] small holding. Our approved good • workers —and I am pleased to say, judging by my experience, that most I ■(if the workers arc good workers — I should have an opportunity —nay, must have an opportunity—afforded them of sett in 2 a home of their own. I am glad to see that the Government propose to take in hand the settlement of the gum lands. I am told that then- are vast areas of this, land in tho North of Auckland, only awaiting cultivation, of an infertile natim-, truly, but which will respond tb. cultivation and to manuring. The gumdiggers, who are of a nature, I feel, will be satisfied to'settle down on these lands if they know,'-that the land they are settling on will ultimately be their own. lam pleased to sen that for the first five years no rent is to be demanded, and, with the I honourable member for Pahiatua, I am j 1 strongly convinced that if at the end I of five years these settlers cannot make r a living from tho land the Government j should come to thci" assistance. We j must make tho waste lands of the North, productive, and it is only by tlio close settlement- of these lands that we can make them so. I note that, according to the annual report in connection with land-settlement, tJjero is available for settlement.some 51515,208 acres, a quarter of a* million of which is first-class land. T.am pleased to know that the surveys of > this land are being pushed on. f |