GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16363, 7 November 1918, Page 8

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wedxesday, November 6. LEGISLATIVE COU-NCIL. (ajibuxjed fbess association befobt.) The Council met at 2.30 pf.m. LuGIaLAIIVE COtiiNLlL AMENDMENT BILL. Sir Francis iieil gave notice to introduce the Legislative Council Act Amendment Bill. v 'lhe Council adjourned at 3.30 p.m. until Friday. " I HOUSE OP RE. KESENTATIYES.' -MOTOR LORRIES. Mr Pearce gave notice to ask the Government if, after the war ? they would endeavour to purchase in England second-hand motor lorries and offer them to local bodies in New Zealand, wnere they were greatly required. WAR LEGISLATION BILL. The Prime Minister gave notice to move to-morrow for leave to introduce the War Legislation Bill. ANZACS TO GARRISON GALLIPOLI. The Prime Minister read the following telegram wliicii the Governor-Gene-ral had received that morning from the Secretary of State for the Colonies; " With reference to your telegram of November Ist, I beg to state that a, regiment of Australian and New Zealand dismounted troops will be included in the forces which will occupy the Dardanelles." "This," said Mr Massey. "is a compliment not only to the Australian and New Zealand troops, but also to tho whole Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand." MILITARY DECORATIONS BILL. Sir James Allen gave notice to introduce, the Military Decorations Bill. RAILWAY CARRIAGES. Replying to Mr Craigie, the Hon. W. H. Herries said as a precaution against the spread of influenza, all railway carriages were being disinfected where the Department deemed it advisable. NEW BILLS. The following Bill 3 were introduced and read a first time: Napier Harbour Board Loan Enabling (Sir John Findlay), Inglewood County (Mr Wilkinson), New Plymouth Borough and Har-1 bour Board Exchange (Mr S. G. Smith). ADDRESS-IN -REPLY. Mr L. M. Isitt congratulated the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance on the good work they had •been ablo to do at the Imperial Conference. To say that they should liot have gone was a parochial view, indeed, and personally, he read with great pleasure the strident and steadfast note they had struck against any suggestion 1 of Germany's re-occupation of Samoa. After reviewing Germany's historical record, lie declared that this war was not due to secret diplomacy in the efforts of capitalism, nor was this the time for sentiment or swift forgiveness. Such talk s was an outrage on that Divine justice imprinted in, every heart. We should leave Prussia nothing with which she could break the peace of the world for the next centurv. We should send our Ministers back to England, and whoever else weakened, he hoped they would insist that before Germany was received back into tho councils of the nations of the world, she must not only show mete repentance and full reparation for all the hurt done, not only in Belgium and France, but to all other parts of the world. Speaking or the National Government, he said that despite their sins of omission and: commission they had stuck doggedly to the work of winning the war. In face of its composino 6ane person could expect a heroic policy from a National Government. *

Mr Payne; And we asp not being disappointed. . Continuing, Mrlsitt said after allowing for all justifications for the raising of the prices on the people, by traders, the Government had not done all that they might iiare done. They had been terribly slow in tho uptake. They permitted waste to go on in all directions though both- the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister had stated that any waste was a crime.. Yet in face of this, picture palaces were going up in all our towns, and fire millions sterling was put through the totalisator, while some people would say that they wire having a poor time financially. As a result we had tramway men, railway men, and others pointing out that they were unable to live on their wage 3. How the Qovernment was going to find ihe money to meet this situation he did not know—that was the business of the National Government—but if there was no other w{iy of doing it, they must conscript wealth and givo a bonus to every head of a family who was trying to bring up his family on an insufficient wage. In concluding, Mr Isitt made an appeal for inculcation of the spirit! of p-itriotism amongst the children of the Dominion, and declared that no man who had been guilty of sedition should be eligible for election to the House or to any local body. The debato closed at 11.5 p.m. and the Hou&oe rose.