PARLIAMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1196, 3 August 1911, Page 7

PARLIAMENT.

THE COUNCIL, SPEECHES ON THE ADDRESS-IN- . REPLY. IMPERIAL QUESTIONS. THE NEW DEFENCE SCHEME. The Legislative Council met at 2.30 resterday afternoon, when tho debate on ihe Address-in-Kcply was continued. The Hon. W. W. M'CARDLE (Auckland) congratulated tho mover of the motion (Mr. Sinclair) on his able and exhaustive address. After listening to that speech, he thought reciprocity with tho colonies would be an advantage not only to the Old Country but to New Zealand. However, ho intended to confino himself to matters in the Dominion itself. Referring to land settlement, Mr. M'C'ardle referred to the great good done by the Advances to Settlers Act. Settlement had never-progressed moro satisfactorily than it had been during the past year, and a largo number of surveyors were at work now. He wan informed on good authority that there was 10 years' work ahead of tho Survey Department on what was in hand. Tho speaker proceeded to refer to tho good work done by the Land for Bottlements Act and the Land Settlement Financo Act. He had some experience of the latter Act, and ho knew that some amendments were necessary. For instance, the poorer class could not at present.take advantage Of tho Act, as no one with less than ,£3OO to ,£6OO could touch the Act at present, the first question being: How much are you'prepared to epend on a house? The salvation cf New Zealand, he believed, dopended on closer settlement, but there was one featuro to ba deplored, and that was tho running of small holdings into largo ones by successful settlers. The only way to effectively check aggregation was to amend the Land Transfer Act and limit tho amount of land any man could hold in fee simple. After dealing with Native land matters, the speaker proceeded to comment on the lomits of the Hon. S. T. George, in reference to tho railways. New Zealand, he was convinced, was too small for such a hnge scheme. The Hon. .1. BIGG (Wellington) expressed his views as to what he considered the discourtesy to the members of the Council in regard to invitations to tho Coronation. If the invitations were ; confined to one branch of the Legislature, he thought .they had a right to object. ' hear.) Discussing the suggested 'formation of an Imperial Council, ho said there were great: difficulties in tho way. A council sitting in London, or peripatetic, and having representation in proportion to papulation, would ■ bo impossible. He himself had never believed in preferential trade, within the Empire. This was a question of shopkeepers and shopkeeping, mid had nothing to do with drawing together the bonds of Empire. Preference meant that Great. Britain had so lost, her competitive standing in trado that she had to bo propped up by the children. What Great Britain wanted was a protective tariff for her industries. He could not understand how it was somo people took such strong exception to our military training. They could not, he thought, have Seriously considered tho position in the event of a European war or that we wonid.be in if wo were attacked by an oncmy. Some day, he believed, the young people who were now being trained would have to fight, for their liberty, and it might be sooner than some expected. The better wo wero equipped the better we would lie. able to defend our home, and country. Referring (q Mr. George s remarks on railways, Mr. Rigg thought the scheme would commend itself to any business man with the ca.pit.al but though it was to he desired, the Government could not get tho money to complete the railways at. once. He hoped that when the amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act was tinder consideration the Government would remove the power to imprison men for striking but at the same time he agreed that it was neces-iry that awards :made should respected. : .. The debate was adjourned' on the motion of the Hon. R. A. Loughnan, and the Council rose at i p.m.