GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16364, 8 November 1918, Page 8

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Thubsday, November 7. (abridged fbess association rzpobt.) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The House met at 2.30 p.m. NEW BILLS. Mr McCallum asked for leave to introduce the new Protection Bill, which he said was designed to regulate the prices of locally-manufactured goods as directed by the Board of Trade. The iiill would help to solve the cost of living problem, and he hoped the Government would take the measure up and fjass it into law. The Bill was introduced and- read a first time. The Time Alteration Bill was introduced b}' Mr T. \V. .Rhodes and read a first time. The War Legislation Act Amendment Bill (the Prime Minister) and the Military Decorations and Distinctive Badges Bill (Sir Janies Allen) were also introduced and read a first time. DEFENCE MATTERS. Sir James Allen laid on the table the report of the Defence Expenditure Commission and the supplementary report of the Departmental officers, but not the evidence. Mr Veitch, in discussing the report, complained that the Minister of Defence had departed from Lord Kitchener's original scheme for the military organisation of the Dominion. The group system was definitely recommended' by Lord Kitchener, yet in carrying out recruiting for the war, the Minister for some reason of his owd had thought jit to depart from the group system while retaining all its expensive features. Local camps were an essential part of the group system, but there was now established, instead of one big camp at Trentham, another at Featherston. Why, he did not know, except that commercial interests in Wellington had had their effect on the Minister. He condemned the failure of the Government to purchase the steamer Limerick at a pre-war price, had had the option of doing, when they should have known that the value of the ship would go up at least 50 per cent. Instead, they refitted her and handed her back to the owners. This was an unpardonable waste of money, pne witness had stated before the Commission that if the reform's he advocated had been given effect to, he could have saved the Department £5000 per annum. What he wanted the Minister to tell the House was why Lord Kitchener's recommendations regarding camps were not carried out, and why, when the Commission reported against the concentration of men in large camps, Lord Kitchener's scheme of local camps was not adopted. He also wanted to know what were the recommendations of the conference or officers who sat and considered the Commission's report. He commented on the fact that the evidence taken before the Commission had not been placed before the House. „ . ~ In reply to Mr Harris, the Prime Minister said the Government could not undertake to print the evidence, owing to the great cost, but tlio evidence would be laid on the table and a proper opportunity given to members to discuss the report and evidence. Mr Payne said the country -would never get to the bottom of the -waste of public money in connexion with the Defence Department until the National Government -was put off the benches, and if for no other reason he strongly recommended the people of New Zea-

land to put them off. The Minister of Defence, in reply, said there was no desire on th.e part of himself or the Government to bulk discussion. ,Ho was anxious to hayo the fullest discussion of every item in the report. As to the evidence, that was taken in public, and the newspapers were at liberty to publish such parts as were not confidential, so that anyone following tho newspapers would have a fairly good idea of what went qn. With regard to the conference of officers, he did not preside, and took no part in the proceedings, except to meet those attending. As to local camps, the discussion of the battalion system by the officers' conference showed that, with one exception, the officers wore in favour of tho present system, and against the battalion system of training men, and he asked members to bear in mind the reputation the New Zealand division bore in the field. They had proved themselves almost the finest soldiers at the front. They could not have reached that position had their training bean carried out on any otliet basis than that of main camps, and, personally, he was prepared to let the results speak for themselves. The conference of officers was set up bocause the commission went beyond the order of reference, and discussed many military quostions, and he wanted to know what his officers thought of their recommendations on these points. Members could think what they liked regarding their findings, but personally he valued them very much. RELEASE OF SOLDIERS. Sir James Allen announced that in consequence of the departure of troops having been postponed", it bad been decided to release from camp soldiers • required for farming or industrial work. THE TRAGEDY OF THE FORTIETHS. The remainder of the sitting was taken up discussing Ministers' replies to questions. During the discussion, the Minister of Defence said he was satisfied that the disaster to the 40th Reinforcements was not due to the overcrowding of the ship. What did need enquiry into was whether there were sufficient drugs on board, and he was prepared to set up a Committee of the House to go into the whole incident.

EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. ■ IMPERIAL CONFERENCE. The Primo Minister made a statement, covering the proceedings at tho Imperial Conference, the greater part of which had already been summarised in. the Pross cable messages. Mr Massey also related the experiences of the Finance Minister and himself in England and on the West front, stating that everything possible for the comfort of our men was being provided by the Y.M.C.A. and similar organisations. Sir Joseph Ward emphasised tho great change which had taken place in Britain on the subject of the oversea Dominions since 1895, when he first visited England. That change could he attributed to the broad Imperial view adopted by Mr Chamberlain when ho was Secretary of State for the Colonies. He assured tho House that everv je-t discussed by the Imperial Conference vitally affe ?ted the Dominions-Ho nils certain that the time was com in rr when New Zealand must be fittirHy represented at the centre of the Eni pire. whore sooner or later, some form 1 of Federal Government for the Empire i must he adopted. If the Prim 0 Min* ! ister and himself had done noth : n<r e l«e ' tl.an impress upon the Britisn Wic 1 the importance oi the Pacific to the Em- ! pire, their visit would be well wrrth all the timo and money expended. ! : At the conclusion of Sir' TnconT, Ward's speech Mr Massey nromi'setfto give a day-for further discuss-on of tW subject. The House rcso at 9.40 p.m. At the Levin Magistrate's Court ves- : terday, Francis Robert Mathews pleaded guilty to the theft of £3,"5 from the Bank ot Australasia, m v , aich he was teller. He was committed to tho Supreme Court at Wellington for sin tence. j