THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 4

THE HOUSE.

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. - ; " FURTHER SPEECHES. ' the Voting on me. massey's amendment. [• The House resumed at 10.80 a,m. on Sat- | nrday, when tho debate on the Address-in-i Reply was resumed. 1 Mr. D. BUJCK (Pftlmoiston) said he approved' tho Dreadnought- ofFer, though ho thought it might have been made in a leas hasty and moro .dignified manner, , which Would not have jSrovoked the qhargos of bombast and hysteria. Ho was not sure, also, that it was .right to infringe the eonstitu- ' Honal position by not consulting members i of Parliament, It was a great pity that Parliament should bo adjourned during the I ' Prime Minister's absence, and he hpped that ■ • when he camo back proposals.for universal ■" ,■ training wouid be brought forward.

r;g; i ':;-: :^^--'';MR,;LUKE's-'::ViEWs,.;.;V;::/ .^^ 0f- -Mil;. J.;'; P, ; tTXKE-.siajd ; h(3:would ; voto : jfqr .. '■■ . the 'that'the"ejiprcsßJ6ij :! oi ap;.'i v }pioval. of■ tho wjournjnßiit'should-bo■ struck"! ";.%■'■:■>&'-of : *he 'Address,-;/. H<j..-had leßiphatically y.VVetatal-dnringi.'ihp' ebqtita,. thai;'he was- riot Government candidate,'."thgb -ho 'did not :/..;,;have, ;had fnoi asked for, 'and s would not ;:: r:havo: expeotedvtheir vote;-/:Hij said,'that ;.■:";■' \ he would vote ,for : the .Government ■ as'■.•Jong. :■:■.. as it ;progre33Gdgn;satio,; : progrpss"ive linos, .:-:. ; ibut v if they departed from those ■ Hnee, hie' P.-jT:. vote;would ■ b>;recorded against them. He ;that'.tho ;i i)olioy;:wl]ioh -the Gnvotii'- . ; .:: l jnent.had.taken up i(i regard.to'the'ftdioilrnj . ; .:inent of'Farliament'wa'a'npt a sano proposal, y^vor,one in the.tijne ihtprcsfa o"f • tho Dominion c v; He believed that the real object "pf the Prime - r :u Ministers \ visit to ..England' was to"', vary :;, ;iho terms '.of the Dreadnought .offer, so' that v ; ; .tho: otter ; shonld, take some • more : suitable ; v;v,form^ ■■, Wβ should ■ bo ;done•:■'.with 'oneWn ;;;; -government/ - -If •.Wβ- were:' threatened with f;;j : ono-man toyernmerit./.the ■s.qoner that roan v >: ;, was turned out 1 and another pnt in his place v^.ythe_better.•. The "Prinio Minister: s:^:S ln ß;the .interests:of; party before"the 'true v; ;; ; interests, of the Dominion. There '-were other 'Of -the .-Cabinet:, whocould .welPcbtf.: ;.-.: duct tho ■•.bnsmoss:; in the Prime fHV- absence, 7aml: 'ho , - beliovd ::thafr-'there &.;: ■.someth.ng. at ..the ..bottom > of. thfs brieinos.' j.-i; ; betweon..tho; l^riino,.Miniver and, his col, sticking up Ihe business $■>■ of the-Mousey Mv. ' Luke:made ;a plea for spinas; ■ ': ■: Hon. : A.VW. HoGG:Baiil:Ue figuroa in f; ;J h .e thoJndus;V,tries- of. tho Dominion veto .not failing. -Ho ■:;:: could, when therowasa grWdetil v> ■.; raoro unemployment ; in Now.Zijaland tlian at V?. : v.ihe. present time. ■ The' imoiabor' for' -liana:. topt v crying out -for• the;.■ freehold. ;v; i -.,inoro;.wero .ISlsmhoßs o{..aorca'availahl&— ■:;v : .,now much.moro did they..want'? . Too much :;,;■ money .was,:used purely for.speculative pur...vAposes instead of hcinguseclto holp tho indus;:/.wnes. ■ Too. much money'was'< invested ; in *„-national loan epiripaniop and ; other" corapanins : ! :v;ot-tho.kind, and in'■■.'tbo.Birer' Plate,*-.,' ':f t : Mephlstophoiesi - '■ ■';:"; J?"*, Wβ iandjioldore 'wore like,Mephi3- :; ..■■wphfllesJqllpwinE.Fftuat—as nicn who .wore ;■'■■••.'•delightod..tq/eee' the: ewaggor. and the Bun■;.::..downor. again going about the. opqutry,' be-'-v:.cause they: oould.'make their haty<i?t ont of :>■ ..them.:, Onoof tho cause3-of the present d'=- .■■'■) -tress was;tho lack of money. -The raon ■■; .about whom ho had .faoen talking belonged ,';.-: to the class' who. sent thoir' money put of y>,::, the country—thus making capita? scarce, und ■,:.•..bringing about a rise m tho rate of interest. ;; ■; Ifthose peoplo;cou)d got a } poroent. moro' '■:■:, •.,;(or: tboir..money in: Queensland, thoy would r> Bend their;money thqro,"./These men acted ?}■■!'. tho part of rbo poor dispiaed ■Chinese—they. ;'-v took the mpney. which they mado horo, to another country. hated Now Zealand; :"::. they, hated it? Qoyernment.; Tho r'casoii why V they were.taking their tnoney to.Queensland !r p\ ixA Soutli .America■ w,as simply that..a.stop v'V. hadbeenput to" this •land 'monopbly bußineas. ■■r: '-.'Lard:;monopoly.was, in his opinion, theenrse ;.■:■/:'■;of KevrZoajaJid';. 'There:wero in-consequence ■fe of ■ ihe:. aatjoa of. .the barge. ■;land-iwlders

families in'misery, who were deprived of Ibe' comforts 'Vof life,, so that,'if at continued, instead of having to find domestic servants, they would hdve. domestic murderers prowling round trying to-steal tho homes of tie people and drivo-theih'-intp- the cities. ■ .-•' •. -.> •Land Question to,bo'Rgylvedi-' ,'JIr, -Hogg .wcfffr-onito.fsay -that- tbe> time .was rapidly : approaching when the land would be redistributed. ' .The land ' question' was going to bo brought up'again , 'in' a more formidable form than it had ever previously' assumed., Why was. he a land nationaliscr (as the Leader of tho Oppositipii'-tcrmed him) ? He regarded land monopoly as,a crime. ;'.Mr.vLaurenson: Hear,' hear.!;'■ ■ ■The man who added aero to aero, section to's'eotionf starved the peopleihind was essentially'a criminal. There must be further land taxation, and ovefy''effort should bo made I fe'got ; tho.workers on : :the. land:' Jf ''thoGovernment- worodeposed, the resilt would I •Dβ {hat thoso- wh'o-.held• Opposf%i views woiild carve up.: the : ftatiye:. lands : among themselves; , ,TBe Government mustnot allow Native lands'to' be'grabbed as had been done !.m" tho past.'. Why the Opposition were growlI!JJg -W* that- the : piorernmenti..would .not, lot. tllem: have the Treasury , Benches. "'■ Those who; were advocating the"universal freehold -were going to have a tax : imposed that would -make them ...work-their.:, properties, speculate i.lcssj and help labour,more. : ■;-.-.-: .-' ' . ■: , , ! Noto-tssuo.-;. '-'-X':- : x. .: " . , ■'-■ Mr. Hogg then defended bis recent state-' , menta ontbe qrastioivpf State issue of banknotes. Hosatd lie.did not-believe-in an inconvertible paper issoa. - What ho wpuld like to see was that the State insteadof a few. bank i.'dvreotqrs.should have tho.powerto issue bank notes; The State already issued postal notes ,awl wi»t;he proposed.,.was.:only. an estenaion ■of tlip'principle. ':V T.v,...,*;,',;,.-.' <; "■'^'l ;;'■■•; :/ ' v ■"' "■■''''%■'.■■' ■ ■ :'■■•■. ■■-, ■"-.: MR. BUCHANAfJ, (N. REPLY. r. toMINISTIIiTION .CRITICISED. ;• .Mr: BUCHANAN "(Wairarapa): said be re.toWw,* .Minister for Agriciilturo l had left the Chamber, because he was unable to countenance tho .opinions .of his colleague ; He .quoted a statement published betqre Mr.-Mackenzie's- appointment to the Ministry-; that- -he.; : Mackenzie): was .one-, pf-' the. , most . strenuous advocates .'of -; the ■ freehold: am} optional tenure. -He remembered;thaf Mr. Hogg had once applied .for a holding 1 in the Forty Mile Bush, but afterwards: he did hot care to face the hardships of. a-back-rblocks settler's life,' and went into:- the'town;. ,Mr.. Hogg's work for the settlers hadibeon "talk, talk, speech, speech,?'- and he had dqno; nothing towards l t"-he''pTeached; : - '".';'■ '■; ' . ■' ' : - New Departments Appointments/ .

; Mr. Buchanan criticised the appointment as SeorctaTj .for;Agrioulture of'a man' wW had had no; practical agricultural experience,-' and: could Vgiy©. no iriformatiqn,. to settlors. Tho placing of the ■■Chief.'- Veterinarian in obargeof the stock; inspectors ■ was . alio criticised. Selections had;been"made in connection, :.with the reorganisation of-Depart-ments, l.wbjcli ,wete: .without judgment ■ and ffl ■ anything. but "the 'best interests of the country.'...; ~,/;> '_.-■■ .:.;.-',.; , ";.' ■" ■ , ,■ The; Prime' Minister: Let'-me. have instances. ":•' ■•:'..' ,"y, '.' ■.'.•' '■■-.. ■'~•-.. . ..•jMr. ,- 7Buohwi'Mi;-!'.-'.Xh6ro'-.'iß.--;Mr. Clifton, kn6wn",all over the countvy for his capacity and good work.•'-■.-■■.'• ■■'-.-.■■■. : ... The Prime Minister: He's, been very well .treated.. , -\ ,: " : - .; ■~ : ' : ■'. ■ '.' ' ■ ' Mr.Buqhahau:;Efo is in charge of rabbits ■and noiious-.woeds.'r ' ■ ■-; '' ■' ■ . . •;The : - Prime Minister repeated 'that 'Mr. Glifton had been very well-' treated. The Department: was-mqre-efficient at all points to-day than' jt had:.eyer-beon,in :th© ooun- -■-'-, ■...,'. : : ■ ." "Then '.there .Je-'-.tae.- appointment; to- the Cook Islands," continued Mr. Buchanan, lie asked if that appointment could be justified. :}■■■>■-. :.i ■:.). ,<:(.. .-. ,-•:. ' ■•'.- ■. •;_■ ;- ■■' -Thp Prime Minister, suggested .that. Mr. Bucbttnan should wait' till he had.all the appointments before km. .'-,' ':. "'; .1- :■ ■. _ Jlr.' Buchanan:, There 13 enough information for us to copie to : a'"conclusionion the 'fitness of that ■particular appointment. ;, • Mr. Buchanan'referred io votes which had not been .expended,' Toads which the. Gov- ! ernment'had left unfinished, and other grievances of-settlors;:. Referring'to the proposed' prorogation, l)e ; deolared that the. absurdity of saying ii:was necessary must bo evident to eyory. sensibly .man.. ..Tho , notion of "the •Government: ■ which ■camo.frorn party motives, would-'be■:resented- throughout the ;cpuntry..- For his own part,'the Primo Minister would, ho thought; exonerate him from taking up, ft party- attitude : on tho -question. Hβ had i aupported : the Primp Minister's going :Hqme,'. but- he' thought', that, he, should giv<3 an assurenco that if the offer of a "Dreadnoiight ; was .not considered ;b'y- the : 'Horae authorities , -to :bo the-'most suitahje form of. .to.the. Mother Country, ho. would be'-open :to comply with- the decision'of the conference, as to: tho nature of 'New Zealand's.contribution.--:-' . . ' ■ ■ -

". /;The.Hen. k. ■'W: Hogg explained that he had neyor made a shilling from landi though he hsd had unlimited opportunities. He had been an applicant for land in a special settle-, mont,' becauso he was: associated'. at. (tho ;tii)ie with- a, special settlements associV ■tipn,. but- when tno .land was. surveyed ho stood-ftside ft-orn the ballpting in favour of Other candidates.:':-.:-:'.■:' ■ :; •■''-. •-..'■ At this' stnge the- House adjourned'till 2.3Q;p.nv -.- '■• .;..-.■•:' v :■,■■,-, : I .THE OPPOSITION ANP THE PUBLIC •V;.- -:.■■::'■- ; SERVICE. ; .■;. \ v -.'. .':.'.• ■'. X'Urion.'the:House/resuming,' , "'-'.'•'•"■ "'■ ' ' > Mr. G.'W.:RIJSSELP (Ayoii) Baid that the country iras;iioi,gQJrig-,fia i^ll.to pieces because, .lllifi..House iwoS;.to' be'-.adjournod for twelve; w.eeks..-- Ho ,i\ient on,to.:Say that during, tho past ten years tho public servico had overgjown, But whioh-member-of the Opposition had objected to the.growth of expenditure? ... . ■.''■': ,;Several members; on the .Opposition side protested that they hod in. the past raised bbject-ioiis..-.- :\-i. :':■■'.'■.■'.,'',. . • ..Mrs. It-usspjl .(continuing) said that only tho previous day members of the Opposition had declared that ! their: constituents wore en-' ,titlcd'to considera/tion.. Witih 'regard to the necessity for rotrcnohmenthp-said that tho Government proposiilß : were infinitely better than •tjie'lO'per coat, reduction all round tba> took place previously. Ho looked upon tho prijpoisod Defejico Ooinferonco as ono of the' moi*! important that could be held in connection with tho British Empire, Parliament should most certainly adjourn and aHow it 3 Prim* Minister to a,btond. Ho was, however, not in favour of giving Sir Josopli carto blanohe. Compulsory training would, ho continued; kterfore with industrial conditions. Ho should like to sco'. jjn efficient volunteer systoml Now Zealaaid should luve one safo port in .which , warships could refit. It wns also his'opinion, that New Zealand tihouid tnain a body.of naval, volun'teojs which could ,bo drawn upon by tho Imperial •authorities in war-timo. - : . ■-... ■[ ■ . ■'■ ; . . REMARKABLE CLAIM CRITICISED. Mr.G. M. THOMSON (Duitedin North) sadd-ho was disappointed at the amount of irrelevant' matter had been introduced Into.the''debate. He agreed that tho Prime Minisbar was..tho right man , to go Home, and approved hie. offer of a Dreadnought, but lie had not yet heard'any satisfactory reason tie House shsujd adjoum. If too House

could prorogue for three months and no time be !lost as t3ie Primo Mtoister claimed, flhat was an, extraordinary commentary on tho proceedings of tho past, and showed how the tin)o and money of the. country had been waited. , . MR, OUTHRfE'S VIEWS. Mr. GTITHRIE (Oroua) oxprossed similar opinions with regard to the Prime Minister's departure and tho adjournment. Parliament should sit to deal with the unemployment question, and a Land Bill should also' bo. brought down. A majority of the people were in;favour of tho freehold, but even if tho preponderance was the other way, they should know what was going to be done. As regards retrenchment, the momberr for Avon had not stated that the 10 per cent, retrenchment of Sir Harry Atkinson commenced with his own' salary. (Hear, hear- It was moro than 10 per cent, in his ense.) Bat what had happened k the present case? There had been retrenchment in the Civil Service, tat thp Ministry had been increased. ' CHAFIOE OF INCONSISTENCY. , Mr. E. Hi CLARK (Chalmers) eaid that at: the informal meeting on Monday a majority of members had voted for the Prime Minister to go Home, after a c!en.r understanding had T>epn given by tho Prime Minister that he would only go if Parliament ; n"as ad-, jottrned. (A membpr: "That's his-bnsiness.") Irt view of that understanding, he fhpugnt it wpuld be inconsistent now to vote against the amendment. : MR. M'NAB'S CONQUEROR. Mr. ANDERSON (Matanra) spoke ia eupport of tho Prime : Minister's attendanco^at 1 tho conference, and against the adjournment. Referring to his election victory ■ over the' Hon. B. M'Nab, Mr. 'Anderson strongly denied that it was due to tho Meikle case. "I was ; elected purely and-simply," lie said, a protest against the legislation on tho land question jn'tho last" Parliament; 'In every speech I.delivered during the campaign I told the electors that I did not want to go to;Parija.ment unless they elected me on that question, and they .did elect me." MA«Y PEOPLE OUT OF WORK. Mr. PEAROE (Patea) spoke against thp adjournment.._ R«fc-Tring to tlie present, prpssion, ho said <he ,had seen'more men carrying a swag than he..had seen.for twenty years. ■ Two hundred co-operative warkera had been dismissed from, the Strafcfbrd-Onga-rue railway. ~ , The Hon. T. Mackenzie: Not on© hundred. Mr., Pearce said, that men were out of wprk all through the district.', . -. .":.'.. MFI. M'LAREN'S VIEWS, ..^M'LAREN- (Wellington East) spoko of the Tory inferfiet m the Old Country and tho money-lending class, which he thought were largely implicated. in the recent alarm Npw Zealand's offer' of a Dreadnought" 7 was oquivalonf to about eighty warships from t)»e Mother Country. We were running this ™™*S, **>: a large' extent. for the British landholder, and the burden was not fairly distributed at Some. He said' that the number of,unemployed in tho various centres, was approximately a? follow:—Wellington, 1000; Aupldand, 500; Chrietchnrch, 400 • Dunedin, lOOjlnvercargill, 800; West Coast 4(K) ;Wanganui, 2QO; Timaru, 100; smaller S 3 i?- ■ sount5 ountr y districts, 1500; total, «00. ■ His_ informants might bo a little ovor the mark in some instan'oDs, but he- believed that they wero. in others under it. Bo went on to show that', even upon the figures quoted/by the Prime -Minieter' the departures from the Dominion greatly". exceeded the arrivals.. What wae.wanted was facilities .to .enable further settlement of tho Lwid Ho would ueyer vote wjth/tho Opposition dn-tKo' land question: -Would those who held Opnosition Views allow tho .lands, whioh they hold to bo competed for at the orginal.valuation plna 5 per cent,? If so, he would ,oall .a meotinfe of trades unionists' to consider. the matter No class;had,- iii'his;- :opinipn, : ' fought the ■workerß_with,irl6re'.bitterneß3 than the farmers; He considered:that the.land-question had never been properly put to the' farmers of fch.s country. Dealing with tho question, of -taxation, Mr.. M'Laren said ' Wat.-the' whoso earnings totalled only. 30s ' to' 40s. per week paid more.,in proportion in thp way of. taxation than the big landholder. - MR. MALCOI.M ON THE FREEHOUP. : - Mr.' JULCOLM (Clutha) -urged that- B ymP^ h ,y ..™* .*!»: working classes waj'not limited ■to their official, representativeis, but vae commop to,.a large.number of members, Mr Malcolm made.a strong plea.f or tho freehold tenure, in the-interests of country .sottKrs that the Opposition partT wSe lwd mcnppohstß.,. Tho>'wjshaj V-£e the agncnltural laods settled jn sAiall are-Vby people who owned the land. The cry for a many countnos the-extravagance that had been its xauso, would have led to the dismissal Of the Government, and it might yet lead to the, dismissal of this Government 'J B?%Z «**&££'s%■¥s* ■•»»«>mßht l bnt'did not tuink it had been made n a conßtitn tipiwl way. ..What ho kid w as f "Well d o™ again,"., With regard to the Lawrenoe-Ro*

WHAT TO DO WITH THE UNEMPLOYED was of opinion thai the Pnme Minister was .the. proper Dersnn represent Now -Zealand at Conference, but. the business of the oountrv should t not bo stopped in the ISS fe^'woulHe't^Ttr^m , ! system. The question s £ould, in his opinion bo settled as syljr w possible. Mr Hogg ever bocn'a fanner he would be the staunchest freeholder in the House Tho brat judge as £ to how- a farmer should hold tif a iL a "« f T, '*■ w fan " or him- 1 sell. . Upon the defence question ho said that ovory young mnn who wrts physically fit should be trained to defend the conntry Ob! W/1 ,, ] f elloU ,'f be obtoined.so that fjew Zealanders. could have an opportunitv of re&oiving-na.ra.l training. , ■ ■ : ■ i EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. Mr, mW (Egmont) thought tliat there ?°xL ne? i & PaTbamenf tg ' prorogpe whilst the Pnme-Minister at Home bir Joaepli .Wa,rd bad done wrong in makine \ne question a pa-rty one. He had not heard ono solid reason why Parliament should prorogue, .The House should at once .remedy the ?tato of affairs created by the maladministratjon , of ; the Government, ".'dosj with the flnapcial position, consider the matter of reorganising .the. publio service, oto.' Hβ challenged tho Prime Minister to affirm that the railways had evor paid 2} per cent, muoh esa 3 per cent, Hβ' proceeded" to eny thiit. tho experimental farms were not properly fldmmistered. At Levin a hord of ono hundred and 6fty-six picked cows had only returned £3 14s. 6d. per head. Ho had a hard which gave him a return of ovoi i£9 per h?ftd. . . : ,■: ; CAUSES OF DEPRESSION. • Mr. MANDER (Marsdan> thought .that thoro was more than one of tho Prime Minister's colleagues who could lead tho House during hie absence. It woold havo been hotter if Sir Joseph had loft the matter in the hands of Parliament. Whilst ho was going round tho Dominion with the Tirabor Commission ho hnd aniple opportunity of confirming the statements of Mr. M'Larou ro tho number of unemployed. One of the principal causes of tno depression was tho legislation. Capital had boon.-drivon away from this country owing to its laws. -t/n. dor tho land legislation people would not como hero in largo numbors. Tho freehold system should bo adopted at once. Capital and labour should work hand in-hand. If tho'Native lands wero opened up it would give a .sufficient area for settlement. Thcro would then pot bo so much peed to burst up further estates. 4 Ho might explain that ho did. not holiqve in tho aggregation of land. No ono should hold more land than ho could work. ' .... ../ 1 Mr. Elli How long have you boliovcd that? Mr* Mantkm said he bad. held that view

all his life. He went on to say that instead of making an offer of a Dreadnought, the dependencies should coutrjbuto to-tho British Navy on a population basis, THE OUUS OF PROOF. 'Mr." WEIGHT (Wellington South) said ho Was sorry that most of tho Government members had' remained silent during the debato. The onus of showing that Parliament should adjourn was on the Government. He wished to ropeat that he was not a Little Englander. Some pcoplo were, however, magnifying the defence question, in order to oover up their retreat. Why was tho adjournment desired? A southern Ministerial paper had said that it would bo the height of political madness for the Primo Minister to leave tho ,Houso in sossion. A clever man. like Sir Joseph required to.bo watchod;" he had hoodwinked the innocent members of the Government party. It was very clover of him to hold a Government caucus prior to the informal meeting. With regard to the unemployed question, ho said tho .Government had been asked to! find wprlc, not for outsfders, but for residents of the country. Mr. Wright read an article in the Christehuroh "Spectator," of Juno 3, giving strong reasons why the session should not be-adjourned. Ho pointed out that tho "Spectator" bore the imprint of Mr, G, W. Eussell, member for Avon, and contrasted the views which Mr. Eussell. expressed in his own journal with the very , different views which ho expre6sod on the floor of the House. Ho wouH support the Prime Minister's retrenchment scheme, if : tho Prime Minister commenced at tho top, and' first reduced the salaries of Ministers .and members: He whs not altogether in favour of "retrenchment for the other fel-i-iir J? ome consideration should be given to Mr. Dawson's financial sehome. DON'T DO IT ACAIN, Mr. GRAHAM (Nelson) complimented tlie new members on the style and conciseness of their speeches as compi-red with those of previous sessions. Hβ prophesied that members .would be kept more awake than had been the oaaria the past. Ninety-nino out of every ■tanjdrea m New Zealand would be prepared to make every sacrifice if necessary to deftrnd flhe Empire. It would bo good for tie Empire thet it should bo aToused to a sense of its responsibilitiee. ' There was a bag difference between giving a Dreadnought and offering to pay tho interest on the cost-of one. England was not in such sore straits that she needed a Dreadnought from New Zealand. What was wrong was that tho detonce 'authorities at Home hod neglected their duties. Had it not beenfor the offers, the conference might not have been held. It was a most unusual proceeding—and should be adopted only in the wise of emergency—for a Government to saddle a country with a debt of two millions,. But all was well that ended well. It might be that as "a result of" the conforenco an entirely new system of maintaining the defences of tho Empire would bo evolved. At the time of the Boer war, if Germany bad had the fleet she was now building, would England,have been ablo to carry her troops unmolested to South Africa? He was of opinion that ttrat question must be answered m the negative. Upon the assnrance that tho'Prane Minister was tewing his.house ia order, he would vote against the Bmendment In regard to tie matter the Government had placed its; supporters in a somewhat difficult position. If he were a member of tie Opposition he, would have voted for tho amendment. ■.. . ■ THE DIVrSION. EEJECTION.. OF THE AIIENDMENT. r-Upon a vote being taken' Mr.' Massey's 1 amendment that Parlaiment- be not prorogced •was defeated, tho division list being as un- : lor ISw. _~,.;,■, .. Against:the. Amendment.,, ~■.•,-,. ■ Amendmeat. :.. (29) . "V •■ ' ■ .... ■ • (45) '~.. , Allon . \ 'Arnold. '■-> Anderson . Baumo - BoUard • Bronm ,'•• Buchanan . , Buddo Bui* Buxton . ? Carroll J.ptmcan =-•' ciirk •' .■Fisher,. , ■ ■ . Colvin -- ~' .■■■'l™«>r ■■.■',-:• /. ■ Craigie ■..,.•' '. Quthne., , ■ . . Davey •'gardy. .." , Klloo Hordman "., . ; T. Y. Duncan ..'■ Hemes Ell ' •; ■■ J-ang- '- - Forbes ' Luke . pwids ' . M.'Laren;. . .. Glover ' " : ■ Malcolm Graham Mander . Grcenslade -Massoy. . . Hanan ■ Newman ■■■•-" ■" Hogan ' " ' . : . .Noswortliy : Hogi» Okey.. ... ■■.••; . Janninga -. ." S??™> ;. Kaihau • PujHjPS . - ■ Lauranson ' ' .Rhodes . Lawry Scott;'■• : ■ Maodonald G, M. Thomson . E. M'Kerosie ■ S , - ■■' T - Mackenzio . . "Wnght..- .: ~ Millar . , ' -Ngaha ,-■■ Parata . ' ■ .■ "- Poland ■ Poolo ' ,'..' '....;' ' Ifce'd 'I ,' ' .. Eemington lloss Russell . , ', Seddoa .• Sulev • • . , Stallworthy ' E., H,. Taylor . . ,■'.'...■■• To Hangiharoa' J. .0. l-homson Ward Wilford

. Pairs: For amendment: Mr. Hine; against Mr. Field. . The Address-in-Roply was then agreed to on the voices. ■ CHAIRMANSHIP OF COMMI ITEES. MB. T. M., WUiFORD ELECTED. The PRIME MINISTER then moved that Mr, T. M. Wilford should be elected Chair, man of Committees. Ho hoped that 'tho election would be'as unanimous as that of Speaker.' It wa? a good thing for Parliament to realise that whoever filled this position did so with the goodwill of all tho membors even thoußh they might not a)l hare voted for him. fhe press had eulogised the strict impartiality of Mr. Wilfardon a former occasion when he was Acting-Chairman of Cojimijfcta, and,that qnality.wis'the great (requisite for the office.. Tier* were many members of the Houee well qualified for the position of whom a number fcad given place to Mr, ■ Wilford 45 an old memker of the , party, Mr, Wilford had been consistent to his pledges m the and had admitted qualifications fqr the office in a "very hleh degree. Ha bad'.been for three terms m Parliament, and had displayed marked ability He could. Fith very great oonfideaoo recommend Mr, Wilford , to tliQ, office. His kiu>wl«dgo of the Standing Orders was a very thorough knowledge, and in-view /of 'Ms general qualifications he should 'bo' elected unanimously. A suggestion had boon made— Jie did not know whether it had come from the Opposition—that tho position ought not to bo Tilled until next session. His opinion was that all the positions should bo filled prior to tho next session, so that tho House when it reassembled would be ready to go on with tho business. Tho only difference in cost to the country if the appointment were made during thissßSsion would bo £60 Ho hoped that no exception would be taken to his proposal. ■AN AMENDMENT. Mr. MASSEY moved as an amendment ™at tho election stand over till next session. In 1906, when the position was very much tho sarao as now, tho election of tho Chairman of Committees stood over till the second session of Parliament. Sir Joseph Ward' said that it was not so m 1902. ... Mr. Massov stated that there would be only one Bill, a Loam Bill, of one clause, brought forward this session, and on that Bill there could be no difference of opinion, For perhaps ono quarter of an hour of tho time of the Chairman of Committees it would bo necessary to pay him four months' salary. It was .1 small matter, but this was a timo of retrenchment, and it was not consistent with the policy which tho Prime Minifltor bad lately, advocated to sire airaj

thcro was absent from Parliament now a gentleman who had been called the Father of Parliament, who had boon for one Parliament Speaker, and in other Parliaments had acted creditably ae Chairman of Committees. Sir William Steward was not present, and if ho was ho did not know whether ho- would be willing to stand, or wonld be nominated by the Government, or would sccuro a majority if nominated. But the Primo Minister was not acting fairly to an honoured member of his own party in pro. posing to deal with this' matter in Sir William Steward's absence. Hγ. NEWMAN (Manawatu) seconded tho amendment. ■ Mr. WILFQRD said it was not neuj|l fqr a oandidato to make any remarks prior to tho election. Ho wanted to tell the Loader of the- however, that if tho salary was struck off ho would not mind. Ho was ipisious to obtain the . position—not tho salary. If ho were- appointed, ho would bo prepared to band tho difiercnco in tho salary to tho Consolidated Fund. ; THE VOTING. ■ Upon a division being taken,' tho amendment was lost, tho voting being as under , JTor the amendment (27).—A110u,, Anderson, Arnold, BoUard, Buchanan, '. Buick, Dive, J. Duncan, Ksher, Frasar, Guthrio, Hardy, Hcrdman Horries, Lang, Malcolm, Mander, Slassoy, Newman,. Nosworthy, Okev, Pearce, Phillips, Rhodes, Seott, G. M Thomson, and Wright. .Against the amendment (44).—Baumo, Brown, Buddo, Bnxton, Carroll, Clark. Colvin Craigie, Dillon, T. Duncan, Forbes. Fowids, Cjloyor, Graham, Groonslado, HallJ Hanan ILogan, Hogg, Jennings, Kaihau Leurensom Lawry, Luke, Macdonald, E. M'Kcnsrie, T Slepfcenzie, M'Laren, Miller, Ngata, Parato, 5011, Seddon, Sidey, Stallworthy, E. H. Tay. lor, Buck, J. C. Thomson, and Ward, i'airs: For the amendment—Mr. Hineagainst—Mr. Field. . The original motion wa,s then put, and on a division carried, the voting being tho same as oh the amendment, . Mr. Wilford, in returning .thanks for nis ejection, said, that, as Chairman, ho wonld endeavour to be fair and impartial yet firm Ho wonld havo no party feeling, the whole of what had occurred in "reference to the election wonld be banished from his mrnd, and he wonld go into the ohnir as a fair man, and deal impartially with both sides. Hβ would , allow latitude in debate, but not license, and as far as Balary- was concerned, hia salary would begin, on October 1, (Hear, hear.) FURTHER BUSINESS. The Prime Ministor moved that the House adjourn, and that 'the Standing Order bo suspended to allow the House to resume at 10.30 a.m. on Monday, for Government business only. The motion was adopted, and tho House rose at IJJ.S p.m.