THE HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3124, 30 June 1917, Page 8

THE HOUSE

Tho House sat at 2.30 p.m. llr. W. H. FIELD (Otaki) gave notice of tho Foxton Harbour Board Act, 1908, Amendment Bill.

Tho Hon. W. H. HEKEIES gave notice of the Tauranga- Harbour Amendment and Foreshore Vesting Bill. Tho Hon. A. L. HEKDMAN (Attorney; General) gavo notice of the Contractors' Belief Bill. QUESTIONS.

Mr. E. FLETCHEK (Wellington Central) asked the Prime Minister whether alter his visit to the Old Country he recognised the justice of recasting our pension scheme to mako it comparable with the British system. Tho Bight Hon. W. F. M.ASSEY said that as the question was one of policy ha would suggest that it bo put on the Order Paper in the usual way. SIR JOHN MNDLAY (Hawke's Bay) asked tho Minister of Defence whether the Government had received reports from the National Efficiency Board, and if so whether these reports would bo laid on the table of tho House before tho Address-in-Iteply debate. SIR. JAMES ALLEN eaid that the Government had received several reports from , the National Efficiency Board. Some of these wero in the printer's hands, but whether they would be laid before the House before the Address-in-Raply came on ho could not say. Indeed, Cabinet had not decided whether the reports would bo laid on the table of the ] Iloiisu nt all.. This question had been deferred by Cabinet until 'the return nf the two Ministers from England.

Leave of absence, was granted to several members. Leave was granted for ono week to tho member for Grey (Mr. P. C. Webb).

WELCOME HOME

MR. MASSEY AND SIR JOSEPH WARD A NOTABLE MISSION ' SIR JAMES ALLEN asked tho indulgence of the House to say a few words of welcome to Mr. Massoy and Sir .Toseph Ward. On behalf of the Houso and of the peoplo of Now Zealand ho offered them a veiy hearty .welcome. Only the members of the Cabinet who had been carrying on tho business of the country in their absence, ho said, really knew how valuable to this country had been Iho presence in Britain of our two Ministers during the past six or months. Tlw Government had had correspondence, with them on very important fjueetioins such ;is those afl'eclins Khi'Pnitrg and produce, and invariably tho fiovornmonfc here bad found that tho Ministers' presonco in London was of material assistance. Many .questions had been settled favourably to us in London which ctnild not so easily havo been settled but for tho fact that our Ministers were tihero on tho spot. It was a great source of satisfaction to tho Government to know that our Ministers wore in England, able to visit our men in hospitals, in enmps, and actually nt tho front. He trusted that the Ministers would bo able to tell tho Houso that tho 6oldiers were being well cared for everywhere, that 'they w.oro boing hospitably

received .by tho people of Britain, and ho know that tho Ministers would say that our soldiers were doing , tlioir duty well as lighting men, and that tho namo of Now Zealand was a, good namo in England to-day. Very material help had been given by tho I'manco Minister in England. Difficult questions had cropped up with regard to war loans, expenditure of war moneys, and the adjustment of nccoiints between the Mother Country and New Zealand, questions which could not havo been so satisfactorily settled had not tho Finance Minister been in London.

Mr. T. M. WILFOIJD (Hutt) said that ho wished to bo allowed to add a few words to welcome the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister back to a country which was probably one of tho luckiest countries in the world to-day. Eeferring io tho War Cabinet, he said that tho children of tho Empire had for the first . time in its history been given a seat at tlio parents' table, and it was .1 matter of gratification to Now Zenlanders to know that their representatives had had an opportunity not only of meeting the great men in tho Old Land, but had also been able to exchange ideas which might be of benefit to this country.

Mr. Massey's Acknowledgments. The Et. Hon. IV. I'. MASSEY was applauded when he rose to reply. He wished, he said, to thank his colleague the Defence Minister and the member ; for Hutt for their liearty words of welcome, and to thank his fellow-members for tho manner in which they had received theso remarks, and for tho reception which they had indicated was waitling for them from the people of this country. When Sir Joseph Ward and himself had left this country ten months ago ho had no idea that they would be asked to take part in tho War Cabinet or in the Imperial War Conference. In being able to take part in these meetings lie had !>eeu highly privileged. Ho believed that the information which his colleague and himself would be able to lay beforo members would be useful to them find to the people of this country. He did not know whether members realised that for the first time in tho history of the Empire representatives of tlio people of the overseas dominions wore placed in a position of equality with the .statesmen of tho United Kingdom. Not only tliis, but representatives of the Dominions, including the Finance Minister and himself, were for tlie time being advisers to the Crown on Imperial affnii-s. Ho felt that later the importance of what had been done would be fully realised by the peoplo of the Empire. Early next week the Finance Minister and himself intended to ask members of the House for an opportunity of telling the House something of what they had done in the Mother Country. The questions that would be raised were not in any sense party questions, and ho hoped that until the end of the war party interests would not obtrude themselves. He hoped the session would bo one in which useful work would be done for the country and the Empire.

Sir Joseph Ward, Silt JOSEPH WARD was also given a , hearty reception by the House. Hβ thanked Sir James Allen for his words of welcome, and also the member for Hutt. He said that ho proposed to follow the example of the Prime Ministor in deferring any reference to details connected with the trip. Referring to the occasion on which they had met soldiers from New Zealand, whether in hospital or at the front, he found them anxious only to maintain tho fair fame and name of New Zealand. It was a matter for congratulation to find widespread through the British Isles a very high esteem for our soldiers. At the front men who had got leave of absence only for a few hours came back direct from the trenches to meet Mr. Massoy and himself. In conversation.with, taeso men who had come right from tho firing line, one could not have known that they w,ero risking their lives. They were filled with courage, filled with anxiety to do their part. Tho eplendid traditions being created by this war would be handed down by these men to their tannine Bight Hon. W. F. MASSBY said he wished to endorse what had been said with regard to tho manner in which tlio public business of this country had been conducted in their absence. Ho was prepared to say that the busjncH 'had been done exceedingly wil.

BACK FROM THE WARS, Mr. Massey took tho opportunity also of welcoming to the Housb Captain Downio Stewart, who was the first of our legislators to return from the war. Members all 'hoped that thqy would all come hack safe and sound. He wished to 'tell his fellow-members that ho had heard si great deul nboiit Captain Downio Stewart, and what ho did at the front. Ho could assure tho House that Captain Stewart had dono his duty well, in. such a. way as was a credit to Now Zealand in every way. He had never heard a. singlo word about Captain Downie Stewart that was not creditablo tr> him and crcditablo to this country. On behalf of his fellowlnembers ho took 'the opportunity of welcoming Captaiu Downio Stewart back to the House, and back to Wβ own country. He hoped that soon. Captain Stewart would be fully restored to health and strength. Captain... DOWNIE STEWART, who still shows only too plainly the effects of campaigning, replied very briefly, thanking the Priino Minister for his welcome. Hβ hoped that tho time was not far distant when all the other members of the House—Captain Hine, Captain Coates, and lieutenant Seddon — would be back in this country. FIKST READINGS

The following Bills were read a first time:—Abolition of Toll-Gates (Mr. Wilkinson), Temporary Employees' Bill (Dr. A. K. Newman), Plumbers' Registration Act 3912 Amendment Bill (Mr. M'CalImn), Revocation of Naturalisation Bill (tlio Hon. G. W. Russell), Naturalised Subjects Franchise Bill (Mr. J. V. Brown). Mr. Sidey -irithdrew his Definition of Time Bill until July i..