THE SESSION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 518, 27 May 1909, Page 5

THE SESSION.

, REPRESENTATION AT THE NAVAL .'.' CONFERENCE. PRIME MINISTER'S PROPOSALS CRITICISED. OPINIONS OF M.P.'S. Tho viows of tho Wellington members of Parliament and other who wero iu town wore sought yesterday in- connection with the method'by whioh the, Prime Minisher proposes to make it possible for himself to attend tho Naval Conference in London and also to ho present at tho sittings of the New Zealand Parliament. •': A considerably diversity of opinion was shown on all 'the points involved. There was no.approach to unanimity on tho question whether Sii Joseph Ward ..should or should not. go .to London, nor yet on tho question of holding -.-• tlio session as usual in his abseuce.. .;'.' "The Houso should not Adjourn." Mr. F. M. B. Fisher said: "I am emphatically of opinion that the Houso should not adjourn bu account of tho Naval Conference. We have in London a High Commissioner in the person of the Hon. W. Hall-Jones, who was a Cabinet Minister for 12 years and is an ox-Premier. He has only recently ■ gone Homo, and is in touch with colonial matters. Tho Chief Justico, Sir Robert Stout, has just gono to England, and ho,also is ar ■ ex-Premier. It seems,to mo that thoso two . could quite adequately represent the Domin-.'.' .-.-.' ion at tho Conference, and that our . Pallia-;...", mont would be hotter .service, to .'. the Empire if it remedied the almost crim- ; irial neglect of tho defences of'thiß country,'.' which has been going on for tho past 16'.' years. If, however, the Prime Minister goes Home, Parliament could go on quite well "" •< without him, as it did without Mr. Seddon'.oi a. similar occasion. It would surely be mort . to tho point for Parliament at tlio present • timo to consider the necessities of the dominion and tho.Empire as regards defence, ; .'■■■ and to ■ acquaint our representative at -Homo ; with its decisions. - Under the proposals that have been made, Sir Joseph Ward would go Homo without knowing tho mind of his own . 'Parliament on tho subject, for it is impossible to expect that Parliament, meeting in- . formally on Juno 7, can adopt or even indicate a scheme of defence that may deter-' _ mine the defence policy of the Dominion for tho next 20 or 2o years. Tlio question is a national oiio, mid comes well; within tho. '•■■' sphere, of Imporial politics, and: it is therefore not ono to be dealt with in a slapdash', manner.", ' ,-• "An Impeachment or Mr. Hall-Jones.'' Mr. T. E. Taylor said ho was'rather im- , pressed by tho fact that the power of the Exccutivo to act independently of Parliament .was largo enough to warrant it involving the Dominionin an expenditure of anything up tofour millions of money, and yet was no! ample enough, according to tho.Premier, tt " justify him in taking a three months' holiday'. ' without Parliamentary sanction. "Why the Hon. \V. Hall-Jones slmulil bd ignored in i connection with ■ the proposed. Naval Con.foronoo will probably be explained by tho" - Prime Minister when tho House meets," continned Mr. Taylor. "If the High Commissioner is worth tho salary of £2000 a'year, which -■:■ tho Dominion is paying him. ho ought to' hare brains enough—and I believe fie has 'ample—to-attend the Naval Conference and '.'' discharge' his- duty to tho' Dominion as its :: i-oprosehtative. The'proposal that tho Prime Minister must _go is a straight-out impeach-' nient of tho. Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones. I am ' inclined to tliink that Mr. Hail-Jonos's wellknown caution would, have tended to safeguard the Dominion's'interests in connection with any proposals that may como up foi ' , consideration in London. I hope that th« .affairs, of this country will Hot' bo subsor. vient to Imperial picnicking. 'I sincerely trust that this session will soo some accept -.'■' able sohemo for national 'training, adopted,'.-.'.-and that tho question of finding, employment for our.population, securing land'for the multitude of people suffering from earthJiungcr, .. I freeing old ago ponsioncrsifrom the disability which tho possession of a home constitutes to. . day, and various other domestio question* will bo effectively dealt with." ? : ',-: Mr. Lawry Approves. '■ Mr. F. Lawry, the.member for Parncll, I boing in town yesterday, was asked for Jbia \ ■ .opinion on the subject, '■'.■'■'■ ' "Ibelievo," ho said, "that every patriotic ! mombor of the House will.accept tho pro' \ posals of the Premier, and that every patriot iri tho country as well as the Homo will endorse what ho has donfi. I am strongly of opinion that Now Zealand .should bo roproi soutcd at the Naval Conference by her Prima • Minister, for thero is no precedent for the ' settlement of matters of great national qucs--1 tions: without the Premier being present to ', ' carry out'the policy of tho country. Now. j Zealand, will not suffer through the session ■ 3 postponed, because the financial posi- ■ I tion is sound, and there is nothing ••',' 3 that can maintain.the prestige of a country. 1 but its financial position. I bolievo tho coun--1 try is behind Sir Joseph Ward, and will uphold him in the position he has 1 taken up. 9 ; ' : :'-. .-.'-. ''■■' .'.''■■'■■'". ii -.-.:■■ No Roaspn,for Adjournment. |j "I certainly think," said Mr. A. L. Hordi man, "that it is thoduty of Sir Joseph Ward' U to.'attend tho Imperial Naval Conference, but I can see no reason why the business of Parliament, should not'be carried on in his ab- .-", " senco... Indeed, I consider that it is absolutely necessary that Parliament should sit as usual, in order that 'important matters of 'administration; should bo 'thoroughly investigated'and discussed. I supposo'that ours is , ' probably tho only Parliament in tho' ) British Dominions which Svill have to admit: that 'tho business: ; of. ,tho country, , cannot..bo without tho prer sence of the Premier,, but that this ad- ; t mission will bo made by.supporters of tho'Go- , vernment seems to me to bo quito certain." Mr.Herdman added : that the Hon. Mr. ■ Millar was in every way qualified to take th* lead during tho absence of his chief.

Tho Dreadnought Offer. Mr'. J. P. Luke, while recognising thai many people- thought tho Hon. ; XV. HallJones should represent New Zealand at tho Conference, considered that after the Primo Minister's . action in connection' with tho Dreadnought olFcr it would bo tho best thing for New Zealand that he should'represent us at tho Conference. . Mr. D. M'Larcn said that if the matter of tho Imperial Confereneo was of sufficient importance to warrant tho informal assembling of Parliament, thcro was much more reason why Parliament should have boon consulted before Cabinet committed tho country to tho expenditure involved in the Dreadnought offer. Moro'lnformation Wanted. Mr. F. Mandor. M.P. for Whangaroi, preferred to reservo in's opinion until Sir Joseph Ward had mado a full-explanation. ' "At present," ho'continued, "I cannot seo any reason why Parliament should -not go on with its business in the' absence of Sir Joseph Ward." ■' '■'■: Mr. J. Stallworthy, the member for Kaipara, thought the Prime Minister should cer. ; tainly attend the first session ; of tho new Parliament, but as to tho necessity for tih« Prime Minister's presence at tho.Naval Con ferenco bo would like before expressing an opinion his statement as to the acutoness d tho crisis. ' /; ■ Alternative Arrangements. Mr.' R. A. Wright said that if tho Promiei was the only man'we cculJ smid, we should lot him go, but tho session should bo belli' as usuni, with somebody olso in command If, on the otlor hnnd, the Premier wished t< remain for the session, someone else, say, tin High Commissioner, could bo appoints to ro present Now Zealand at tho Conference. ■ ;■' Premier Wanted in Botli Places. : ; Mr. W. H.. Field said: "The occasion is, in "my opinion,", such a momentous'oiw in 1-h< history of tho Empire, that wo' should certainly bo represented by bur Primo Minister) and I should judgo 'that is tho feeling ol the authorities at Home. With respect to the question as to whbther the business ol Parliament should wait until his return, I am of opinion that the Premier's presence ii needed, particularly in view of the'fact that it is a new Parliament, and that financial

proposals of groat interest will doubtless bo discussed. At the samo timo,' I think it is a pity—though unfortunately unavoidable— that Parliament should not get to work at once."

»IMPERIALISTS TO A MAN."

THE OPPOSITION POINT OF VIEW. MR. MASSEY INTERVIEWED. CBI TEtCOUiPH—SrECIiD COBUESrOXDENT.) Auckland, May 26. Tho Loader of tho Opposition (Mr. Massoy), on being interviewed by tho "Herald" tonight, in regard to tho invitation to members to attend tho proposed informal gathering on Juno 7, said: "So far as this moeting is concerned, it must bo understood that it will not bo a mooting of Parliament, but moroly a meeting' of ■ thoso mombors who chose' to attend, and any decision arrived at by that meeting will not bo binding on Parliament as a whole. I tako it that Parliament will meet in tho ordinary way not later than Juno 10, and proceed to tho transaction of business.". What are your viows as to the representation of Now Zealand at the Imperial Dofonco Conference? Mr. Massoy was asked.

, ; , : :-'s.''l have,"'ho,said, ; ''already expressed myi.solf publicly -on this question.-.: I think, of. -course,; that' New-Zealand should be represented there, but, : having in view'the importance of the coming session,- with a large; proportion of new Ministers and members, and with a groat deal of very important busi,'ness to be transacted,'!think that the session; , should g6'oh-in :tho ordinary way, that Sir Joseph Ward should bo present, and that "other, arrangements 1 should be made for. the. of the oountry at the Imperial :Conference/; I am not aware of the terms of fche ; invitation: to our Ministry, but I have ; noticed that neither Mr. Fisher, as representing the Commonwealth, nor Sir Wilfrid. Laurior, as representing Canada, are ■ going te, tho Conference, and, therefore, I presume that it isnot necessary that Sir Joseph Ward should go as representing' New Zealand." >-Mr;, Massey. suggested: that: as Mr. HallJones was in England, and that as Sir Robert Stout and .Colonel, Davies will also-be there, it would not be difficult to have the Dominion suitably represented. ; ';,-■ . .; l I'-'-iOnri you; say :anything as. to .the general attitude iof the. Opposition on the subject of the Conference? ■;. ~..:

/■ "The Opposition members," "replied': Mr. Massey, "are -Imperialists to a man, and this •has been shown by their support of Imperial- 1 Ist .proposals in;the past. a majority of the members'of Parliament decide that Sir Joseph Ward should go Home, the Opposition will place no' difficulties in his way, but a'a/they ;are; willing and-anxious that Now, Zealand should contribute to the maintenance of the Imperial Navy in proportion vto/the other; countries .of; the .Empire , (taking our position into' consideration), and : also .that-'we •should make proper and ado- ■ quate provision for th©; defence of our own country, <they see no reason why, the serious matters that are: waiting to : be. dealt with Jshould be postponed."; K. «./;;•,. ;. .-••You regard the 'coming- session "as likely ■tobe an important one? 1 ■ //■:■''. ■' ■■:'- , ;:" Yes';; I,am very; strongly of that opinion. Tho prosperity or otherwise of this : country ; for. the next few years will depend to alarge extent on how; its public business is handled in the near future,'and I am/vory anxious that-the representatives of the'people shonld be given'every opportunity: to thoroughly and its position as scon, as. it is' ;p^iW^-fm;,tbom;;to''d.o;-Bo.". ! ''" ; '; , - ; .."i:.':.:: : -

On-being questioned in regard to the suggestion; that _he should attend the Imperial; Conference.with.Sir Joseph .Ward, Mr. Massey said:. ':'.-■ ':j ; s'' /.';/■'•'•-.:':''//:■:' ■-'."/•'.-

# ''I: have not thought, of the matter, and it is .useless expressing any opinion thereon."