ADDRESS IN REPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1792, 3 July 1913, Page 8

ADDRESS IN REPLY.

LABOUR AND ITS LEADERS.

- COUNCILLORS' VIGOROUS SPEECHES.

STATE ADVANCES EXPLAINED.

Parliament embarked yesterday upon the ordinary; business of the session, but did not get through any great; amount of .work. The Address-iu-lleply' debate was .rbeguni in'both Houses, other items of business transacted being, for the most part, of minor, importance.. The Legislative Council sat. . for two hours in the afternoon, interest ; being lent to the occasion by tho fact that speeches were delivered by two' political veteians, both ot whom liavo rpturiied/to political life alter a lengthy absence. J Moving tlic Address-iii-Eeply the Hon.' john Dutiio delivered a speech'in which be reviewed a number of tne leading policy proposals of the Government and cnticiiea sonin pre-) vailing tendencies, notably; in the realm ot-'''industrial attain. Ho stressed • the need for a more conciliatory spirit in the relations, of, employers and employed .and condemned the institution of preference to unionists as an outrageous interference with the rights of a free people. Mr. Duthio was listened to with evident interest and attention 'by his feitovmembers. The Hon. W. Earnshaw, who seconded the Address-in-Keply,, was also accorded a most attentive The' outstanding features of his speech were a vehement denunciation of thejinen who dominate the Labour movement in .New Zealand to-day and a prophecy that when they came before the people at next election •these men would go down before the force af ah aruused public opinion. Tho only event outside of routine business in the House yesterday afternoon ivas the making/of a statement by tho Minister for Finance (the Hon. J. Allen) concerning tlic working cf the State Advances under the -board. The Minister' was able' to dispel many' misconfeptions in regard to the making of advances by the Government which have formed 1 tho 'basis of much recent adverse criticism, and - to reply also to a number of questions, The pther business was wholly of a routine character.. There wore number of party and other questions and notices submitted, and a number of Bills were read a first time. Afterwards the House proceeded to discuss Ministerial replies to questions, but as the budget for tho day was a small one, the reason being that there had teen only-one previous sittins day, the debate which usually goes on for two hours lasted only twenty minutes or thereabo/uts. This left the House with nothing' to <do at 4.10 p.m., before the Addreasi-in-Pteply debate, and, as it had been - arranged that this debate should not lie opened until 7.30 p.m., tho House agreed .to adjourn until that hour'. To 'Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Eginont), as tho most recently-electedimember 'of 'the Govfirnmcnt party, fell the privilege of moving the Addresa-in-Iteply; This ho did in an interesting, if not very force-: fnl, speech, ill the course of which he referred to ■ several items of poficy, ohiofly the possibilities of reform in tho -'.tariff and in>.lfatire .land legislation. Not until rMnv C. E. Statham had spoken for some minutes dad the Opposition -begin to show some, fight, ; for ■ Mr; , Statham spoke vigorously about,- various, -subjects which are accounted 1 valuable pieces in the party game. The Opposition counterattack at this'stage consisted of loud' and repeated intorjections, not always pertinent, -and well-simulated laughter in . the chorus of which Mr. Gi W. Russell is the leader. ■ Mr. Statham came out of the not very trying ordeal scathlesa, and the effectiveness of ■ liis attack and defence did not suffer because his speech was Ifess boisterous than his opponents' comments thereon. • __ The debate was oonrtinucd by Mr. ,W. D. S. Macdonald, who led off. on behalf of the' Opposition. He made some allegations about the Government land settlement policy which were warmly resentedi flow the treasury benches. •<••• • The debate was adjourned- at 10.55 p.m. on the motion of the Him. W. JVaser.