PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2526, 12 June 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THE ADDRESS-IN-REr ju a. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Juno 11. In the Legislative Council the Hon. Mr McGowan moved tho Address-in-Reply. He said he would refer to ono or two points only. The Imperial Defence Conference was the most important ever held. He lauded the action of the Premier in offoring a Dreadnought. New Zealand should be proud of the genius of the man who had done the right thing at tho right time. We should pay a fair share to the upkeep of the navy. The lion. Mr Mills seconded tho Address. New Zealand’s subsidy to the navy, lie said,- was insufficient. The Dominion was short of capital, and he advocated borrowing for legitimate purposes. The Hobs. Wigram and Sinclair supported the Dreadnought offer. The latter said the offer was worth more than its money value. The Hon. M-r Luke welcomed 1 ! and supported the Dreadnought offer. It was desirable that tlfe- Premier should go Home unhampered by the lear of what would happen in Parliament in his absence. 1 The Hon. Mr. Anstey endorsed the previous speaker’s remarks. He suggested the development of natural resources to find employment for the workless. The Government had done a noble work in land settlement, but more could bo done. The Hon. Mr. McCardle heartily approved of the Premier going Home and tlie adjournment of Parliament in the interval. He looked upon him as a great man, in whom ■ every confidence should be placed. The Hon. Dr. Findlay congratulated the mover and seconder on their appearance in the Council, Ho was pleased at the unanimity regarding the Government’s • proposals. The motion was then agreed to, and the Council rose till 2.30 p.m. The Council resumed at 2.30 p.m., and adjourned in order to present the Address-in-Re,ply to His Excellency the Governor. On resuming the Governor s' rep;y was read, and the Council adjourned until 10.30 to-morrow morning.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MORNING SITTING.

WELLINGTON, June 11

The House, met at 10,.30 a.m. Mr. Herdman, in introducing his Bill dealing with the Public Service, said that the object was to' remedy existing abuses. The service was stuffed with" officials totally unable to carry out the duties. A Public Scrvico Board should be instituted. The unsatisfactory state of the police in W ellington was due to political influence. The Premier denied the sincerity of the Opposition in proposing reforms. They had made demands on the Treasury amounting to several millions of pounds. He denied that the retrenchment scheme was an admission that there had been waste in the past. The Main Trunk line had necessitated an enormous number cf officers who were not needed now. If a non-political power was set up it would be like a Judge of the Supreme Court, and be superior to Parliament. The responsibility of the Government in the matter of retrenchment was great, but it would put the financial position of the country on a sound basis. He denounced the attempts made to create the impression ‘that New Zealand was on the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Massey denied that the Opposition had attempted to damage the credit- of the country. It was the action of members themselves. Mr. Hogg had advocated a paper money scheme. Mr. Massey defended Mr. Herdman’s action, and denounced the present system as vicious and corrupt. There was, he said, intense dissatisfaction with the railways. They were not paying, and it was political influence which interfered with them. He did not suggest going back to Commissioners. There should always be a Minister of Railways. Messrs Fisher, Wright, McLaren, and Duncan also spoke, and the Bill was then ordered to be read that day fortnight. The House rose at 1 p.m.

THE ADDR ESS-IN-REPLY. The House resumed at 2.30 p.m. Mr. 'Forbes moved tho Adcfress-in-Reply. He said, that the Speech from tho Throne outlined a Aviso and statesmanlike policy in connection with defence. The effect of Sir Joseph Ward’s presence at the Imperial Defence Conference would be very good. It would bo unfair to the Premier to continue the session in his absence, in view of the important legislation to be dealt with. Mr. Taylor (Thames) seconded the motion, and said that the time had come for a change in the British navy, and the coming Conference would be tho beginning of that change. Mr. Massey moved to strike out the line in the Address-in-Reply affirming the desirability of an early prorogation of Parliament. • He said that the country was waiting for social and land legislation. He was anixous, like, the member for Hurunui, to break up land monopoly; but the Government was the greatest land monopolist. He protested against the adjournment of the session till October, and pointed out that Australia and Canada were not sending their Prime Ministers to the Conference. Emphasis had been laid on tlio necessity of the. Premier being present in Parliament to explain tho Government’s policy. What was their policy? They had none. At the general election their policy was to retain office at any price. He criticised tho recent Ministerial appointments in a humorous style, and said that in connection with the construction of the Roxbiirgh-Lawronce railway line, t'-o Government had made a serious mistake. They should have known before asking for £30,000 whether the line would pay. People were leaving the colony in hundreds every week; 1600 had left last month in excess of arrivals. Mr. Massey, after touching on tlio Native land and other questions, referred to the Second Ballot Act, and asked what it had cost. The effect of the Gaming Act had been to make New Zealand a paradise for spielers. The gaming legislation was faulty, and ho hoped "it would be remedied. He did not intend his amendment as a- want-of-confidenco motion, but simply as a protest against the postponement of the session. Mr. C. A. C. Hardy seconded the amendment.

The Hon. T. Mackenzie, in reply to Mr. Massey, referred to the questions of finance, unemployment, and naval defence, and said that the last was the greatest question before the Empire today. Tlio position was exceedingly serious. Britain had never been so de-

fenceless as now. In the event of Great Britain being involved in a struggle with Germany, nothing could hinder the Eastern nations from attempting to wrest New Zealand from lis. There were indications of a revival of industry in the Dominion, and he advocated greater attention to primary industries. IF the workers had the right to demand work, the Government shou'd have the light to instruct young people in industrial arts. Air. J. Allen drew a parallel between the financial cleaning up to-day and that of 1837, and said that the present position was duo to the Government creating billets and departments which wore, not required, and then easting out into the world the men appointed to the positions. German naval development was not so much aimed at Britain as intended to aid German influence in world po'itics. He charged the Premier with being unsound on the military defence of the Dominion, and hoped Sir Joseph Ward would come back with a well-thought-out scheme of military, defence. Mr. Wilford quoted British am! foreign papers in support of the contention that Germany’s naval scheme was solely directed against Britain, it was a diplomatic axiom that if a great national ideal could be fostered it wou’d have the effect of swamping small dissensions. In 1903 the socialists in Germany had swept the board at the elections. This and -other causes led the Kaiser to spread the idea that Britain was about to attack Germany. The Kaiser next engineered the Balkan crisis.

The House rose -at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr, Wilford, continuing his remarks, recalled the time when the Kaiser was the guest of King Edward, and the former made the famous speech in which the statement was made that blood is thicker than water. At the same time the Reichstag was voting 200 million sterling' for -a naval programme. If the British shipbuilding depended upon German assurances, Britain would be left behind. The German navy and .army were kept in a state of preparation ■ for war, while the British army and navy were maintained on a peace footing. Dr. Newman opposed the adjournment on the grounds of urgent business requiring attention. Air. Poole dealt at length with the naval crisis, and urged the need for compulsory training. Sir Joseph Ward said that they had had a very interesting debate. He recapitulated the arguments in support of his representation of the Dominion at the conference and the adjournment of Parliament-. The conference, he said, had been called by the Imperial Government after the Dominion had made the offer of a Dreadnought. A statement had been made that people were leaving the Dominion. The number of people who left in the past month was not above the average. In 1909 the arrivals till May amounted to 18,119, and the departures to 17,441. In 1908 the total arrivals were 18.500, and the 15,700. During the last ten years our gain in population from outside had been about 120,000. Regarding Mr. Allen’s statement re. the financial clearing up in ISB7, the 'Premier said that he was one of those who helped Sir Harry Atkinson’s Government in doing so. Mr. Allen had further said that the Government’s financial position was not sound. He (the Premier) denied that entirely. He then proceeded to say that the position of Mr. Ngata was perfectly constitutional, and one in accordance with precedent. He denied Air. Allen’s statement that lie (the Premier) had scoffed at Australia’s defence proposals. Sir Joseph Ward quoted his statements at the Imperial Conference in regard to the military defence of the Dominion, and advocated uniformity throughout the Empire in volunteer and other defence forces. Regarding Mr. Allen's suggestion that New Zealand and Australia should have navies of their own, the Premier quoted an authority as stating that it would be 50 years before the Australian navy would he of any use. Sir John Colomb had called it a squirt. It was our bounden duty to help the British Government t-o bring the navy to a state of efficiency. Sir Joseph Ward concluded with an appeal to parties to sink all differences on this question. Mr. Fisher continued the. debate at considerable length, after, which Mr. 'Buick moved the adjournment of the debate.

Sir Joseph Ward gave notice to move “That this House approve of the action of tlio Government in its offers of assistance to the. Imperial navy in the terms conveyed, to the Home Government in the despatch of 27tli March.” The -House rose at 11.30 p.m.