PARLIAMENT.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 60, 2 July 1908, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1908. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, June 30 ; In the Legislative Council a motion was passed suspending the Standing Orders so far as to allow the Imprest Supply Bill being passed in all its stages at one sitting, which was done, without discussion. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In the House of Representatives ! eave of absence for a week on account of ill-health was granted to Mr F. Lawry (Parnell). The following bills were introduced and read a first time —Tapanui County (Mr Malcolm), Westport Harbor Board Loan (Mr Colvin), Public Works Act Amendment (Mr Izard), Duty on Flour Abolition (Mr Hogg), Oamaru Town Hall and Gas "Works Sites and Recreation Reserves (Mr Duncan), Quackery Prevention (Mr Hornsbj 7 ), New Plymouth Harbor Board Empowering (Mr Okey), Musicians (Mr Sidey), Municipal Corporations Act 1900 Amendment (Mr Sidey), Oamaru Harbor Board Loan (Mr Duncan), Licensing Polls Absolute Majorty (Mr Laurenson);*Christchureh City Sanitation Empowering (Mr Gray), Marriages Validation Act Amendment (Sir W. J. Steward), Auctioneers Amendment (Mr Witty).

The Imprest Supply Bill for £726,000 was inrtdouced by Governor's Message and put through all stages. The following are the schedules of the billsFirst schedule: Consolidated Fund, £450,000; Public Works Fund. £200,000 ; Loans to Local Bodies Account, £5000; Land for Settlements Account, £1000; State Forests Account, £2500; State Coal Mines Account, £30,000; Scenery Preservation Account, £1000; Hutt Railway an! Road Improvement A count, '£3o?:j; Railways Improvement Authorisation Act Account, £12,000; Maori Land Settlement Act Account, £500; Waikaka Branch Railway Account, x £4000; total, £712,000. Second schedule: Government Insurance Account, £7000; Government Accident Insuranco Account, £1000; State Fire Insuranco Account, £1500; Public Trust Office Account, £3500; Government Advances to Settlers Office Account, £800; Government Advances to Workers Account, £200; total, £14,000. At the evening sitting of the House of Representatives l)r Chappie (Tuapoka), in moving the Addrcss-in-Reply, said ho had listened with pleasure to the hopefulness which pervaded the Governor's Speech. Ho referred to the march of Liberalism since introduced in 1890, and to what it had sot itself to correct. Land monopoly meant land I idleness, and land idleness was a curso to any country. The Ballance policy of land taxation had been the causo of bringing tho land into the market, and of removing much of tho cause of the evil resulting from land idleness. The £SOO taxaion exemption to farmers, Leases in Perpetuity Act, the bush and swamp legislation, free carriage of manures, etc., on railways and tho concessions to school children travelling by rail had all boon concessions to farmers. Then at a later period, scientific methods of treating the soil, as the result of experimental farms, wero not only of bonefit to farmers, but to tho whole of tho country, and tho Liberal Government had never lost sight of that. Ho admitted there had been some criticism that experimental farms were not paying, but he declared that if they attempted to make these selfsupporting they would lose their value. After dealing with what was being done for the dairying industry, Dr Chappie contended that New Zealand had products equal to any other country in the world. He asked, did the farming community recognise that the Liberal Government were their best friends? He said no, and explained that the reason was that small farmers had been told that they would, under Liberalism, be subject to similar pressure as the land monopolists, and in many instarces the charmer hed been listened to. He wished to tell tho small farmer that tho policy of the Government was in their favor, and would bo more so in the future. Ho referred to the Arbitration Act as a humane measure, designed to abolish sweating and make for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Tho discontent which arose as to tho working of tho Act should not bo too condemnatory; it was impossible to at first make the measure perfect, but the Government had promised an amendment which would improve tho Act, and be the means best offering greater advantages to the workers. As to Socialism, lie said there was a Socialism which was commended by the community ; that was the Socialism which gave them their railways, Public Trust Office, State Fire Insurance, and other institutions, all of which had been of immense uso to the country. Mr H. J. Greenslade (Waikato) defended the peregrinations of Ministers, and claimed that the recent visit of the Prime Minister to the King Country had given ample evidence of the necessitv of roading the back blocks. He believed that half a million sterling would be little enough to spend annually for road-making. Though not seeing eyo to eye with the Government on their land nolicy (ho favoring the optional system) he gave the present Government credit for having done more to open up lands than any previous Administration. He also gave credit to tho Government for the forward movement, made in opening up Native lands. The Government, too, had done its best to assist the mining ;in fact, it had assisted eve— industry in the Dominion. Tn con,?™ tula ting the Government on the policy, he thought •H'fWent, attention had not been paid to tonchers' salaries, and he trusted tbe Minister would look into the matter.

Both "P'" Ohapnlo and Mr Greenslade v/pw well rprf-'vecl. Mr W. " M ;v!pev ("Lender of the Or>nf throughout. the country despite t'-" "f <-l»e T-iheral Govnrnment °r " ,f f ' x rlh hv the mover pnd seeo'-'l"-' *he He coml viff, 'l the vantages wore nlnJ'Tiod for tl'° legislation, and aske'l wli«t, was the nse of the /d----vano.es t~ while thev linrl the Trer>pnr o r «roins: to all the financial institutions in the colony for money? The Prime Minister: Natno some. Mr M"wov: The Auckland Bank, .A.M.P. Society. In fac*. ho continued, there was no financial instv i.-(. received attontion 4 .As to of experimental farms. ho

he was. Dealing with Socialism, Mr Massey declared that land nationalisation was Socialism, and those who supported it were Socialists. Referring to the Governor's Speech, he thought the Government should now throw the responsibility for the new Parliament House on Parliament. The House should have been erected on the old site and the work begun soon after the fire 'in December. He failed to see any reference in the Speech to local government, so long promised. The Opposition had been challenged to mention one Liberal Act that they would repeal, and he said they would go so far as to repeal the Arbitration Act, if not amended. A bill to amend it had been brought down last session, but because it was opposed in certain directions the Government hadn't the courage to force it through. He said the blot on land settlement was that the areas were too large. The small man was the man who should be assisted. He thought more might be done to improve 'the mail service with England, and he believed members would vote for an improved Vancouver service, thus avoiding sending the mails via Australia. He saw no mention of amending the Old-age Pensions Act. He thought more provision should be made to encourage thrift. The Gamblnig Act should be amended to remove the blot which compels racing clubs using the totalisator to license bookmakers. He would also like to see an amendment of the constitution of the Legislative Council so as to make it more representative of the people. The Prime Minister, dealing with Mr Massey's speech, said the latter, in referring to the £SOO exemption to farmers; had not mentioned the exempting of improvements that was made in land tax. He denied the allegation that he, as Colonial Treasurer, had gone to financial institutions, borrowing money. This was a statement made in and out of season by the detractors of the colony. He denied that he was a Singletaxer. "I have said so from every platform/' ho stated. 'There may be a member of the Government who holds Single-tax views, but these have never been advanced as if Minister." Dealing with the housing of Parliament, Sir Joseph stated that they could not have gone on with the re-erection of the new Parliament House without calling Parliament together. It was vhe only legal course open to the Government, and he thought they had done "the best possible under the circumstances. When the Address-in-Reply was out of the way he proposed to explain to the House the Government's proposals no the matter. The only other building in Wellington which was available was the Town Hall, and the rent for tliat would have oxceeded the whole cost of altering Government House and providing for the Governor's residence m Palmerston North. He ridiculed the statement made by Mr Massey that the reinstatement of Parliament House was to cost £250,000. In no instance had the Government had under considera-

lion a larger sum than £150,000. He claimed an undoubted right to visit various parts of the country "in the interests of the community, and would continue to do so if necessary, without consulting the Leader of the Opposition or anyone else. As to the Chinese, ho asked members to see the effect of the bill to which the Royal assent had recently been given. If the effect was not as desired, then they could consider the question of increasing the poll-tax. As to local government, lio thought it should be on a good basis, especially so as to the financial side. He Was prepared to leave tho important question of post-audit for further consideration of members and the community if the House thought necessary. When the Government amendments to the Arbitration Act were brought down they would be what they conscientiously thought would be the solution of defoots in the present measuro. Tho debtae was adjourned, and the House adjourned at 11.30 p.m.