ADDRESS-IN-MEPLY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3136, 14 July 1917, Page 8

ADDRESS-IN-MEPLY

THE DEBATE CONTINUED

HON. G. W, RUSSELL SPEAKS. Tho Hon. G. W. RUSSELL resumed the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He said that the presont session would bo a historic one, partly because it would bo devoted to war business, but chiefly because tho Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance had returned from their epoch-making visit to the centre of tho Empire. Tho War Cabinet which had been attended by our representatives wag the beginning of tho recognition of tho Dominions as entitled to a voice in tho direction of the Empire. Great Britain would always remain the heart and brain of tho Empire. Ono of the proposals wan that there should always be in England representing New Zealand not only tho High Commissioner but a resident Minister, ready to take his place at the council table of the Empire. . lii the Empire organisation of the future important questions of finance would be raised. His own opinion wjie that thero never could bo any surrendering of tho autonomy of tho self-governing Dominions, and that they would bo especially insistent in their demands that they should keen solo control of their finances. After tho war he believed that it would bo proper for New Zealand to do more than to go on paying n- relatively small contribution towards the great Imperial Navy. There would be heavy burdens of taxation, and wealth would liavo to bear a much larger share of the load than it had ever borno before.

A Critic :ind His Criticism. Mr. Russell spoke of Sir John Fiiidlay's speech of tho previous evening, taxing Sir John Findlay with being scarcely a true supporter of tho National Government. After reading for some ten minutes extracts from Sir John Fiiidlay's election literature, ho declared that tho honourable member had not spoken the previous evening as he had at the hustings. Mr. J. A. Hanan: Ho got in, you seo. Mr. Kußsell: Sir, tho aouourablo

gentleman has had a somewhat rocky passage into this House.

An Jion. member: Ricketty! Mr. Russell replied to Sir John Findlay's strictures upon the opinions expressed by the member for Hawke's Bay on tho Government's administration, especially that part of it affecting the War Regulations. Ho was going to spiak of Sir John Findlay's action in appearing in fiis professional capacity fov one of the persons accused of sedition.

Mr. MX'ombs: Point of order, Mr. Speaker. Tho private affairs of an honourable member aro being referred to in this House.

Sir John Findlay: I would ask the honourable member not to intervene. The more the honourable Minister proceeds with this the better I like it.

Mr. jtussell continued. Ho said that Sir 7onn Findlay would be held to task not for appearing for Mα-. P. C. Webb but Tor the speech he mado on that occasion. A man could not slough his skin as a public man and a politician when ho chose to do it, and the "Maoriland Worker" had acclaimed tho honourable member for his speech on that occasion. Tho honourable, member raust not combine patriotism and business. Sir John Pindlay : Then why do you do it?

Jlr. Russell traversed Sir John Findlay's criticism of the legislation of the Government for settling soldiers on land. Tie quoted a few extracts from Sir, John Findlay's book "Humbugs and Komilies," but ho suggested that Sir John might alter tho titlo for his next edition, making it "Homilies, by a Humbug." The quotation of some cf tl'O aphorisms in this book about humbugs was received by the Houso with roars of laughter, but it did not appear that all tho laughter was against the member for Hawke's Bay.

Sir John Findlay, in the course of a personal explanation, said that he had in mind in framing those opinions a typo of political humbug well represented by a gentleman who ence represented tho constituency of Riccarton. (Laughter.). How Many Men? Mr. J. A. ANSTEY (Waitafci) spoko I of the visit of our two Ministers to the .Home Country, saying 'that New Zealand had been well and worthily represented. Olio point in the speeches of the two Ministers in tho House to which he took exception was a certain expression of satisfaction in the fact that they had succeeded in extortiug the maximum p.rico from the Home Country for our produce. He had noticed this especially in the speech of Mr. Massey, and he had been sorry to hear .an honourable member sitting behind Mr. Massey say that the price paid for beef was "not enough." He did .not believe that .this was the sentiment of tho whole country. Ho did not take any account of tho comparisons mado between New Zealand and other countries as to the numbers of men we had sent. The percentage basis was misleading. England was .1 big lending country, and wo were a borrowing producing country. England could afford to send twice as great a perccntago of her men as New Zealand could do. He would not say that New Zealand had sent too many men, becuuso wo could not send too many men until we had sent tho last one. His opinion was- that we were sending men too fo'st, making it certain that one day wo would , come to a stop, and this, he thought, would be very much to be deplored. It should be the duty of the Government to consider very carefully what we should do. He thought wo should send fewer men and direct our energies in another way. By so doing we would "help tho Moiher Country more effectively in Uii3 win-. Ho thought our first mistake had been in offering the Rilie Brigade. Tho next mistake had been the offer of tho fourth brigade. Sir James Allen: We didn't offer it.

Mr. Aiistey said that it was stipulated, that we should not reinforce this brigade, but in the end the fact would be that this brigade, as well as the others, would bo reinforced. He thought there would ho difficulties in calling up tho Second Division—difficulties so great that there would have to be serious hardships or wholesale exemptions.' National Efficiency. Tho Efficiency Board had not been appointed soon enough. Ho congratulated the Minister on having found such excellent men to serve on the board. The Canterbury representative, Mr. Frostick, was ii very fine business man, but it was rather unfortunate that Mr. Frostick, a shoemaker, should have to go out to talk to farmers about wheat-growing.

Mr. Austey expressed disapproval of tho work of the Military Service Boards. Ho condemned the excess profits tax, for a number of reasons. It was very unfair in its incidence. Some men whs had really made excess profits had escaped scot free and others who had niado no profit at all had been asked to pay considerable sums. He believed that we should tax the profits nearer their source. Ho did not approve of the idea of the member for Hawke's. Bay tliat there should be an export tax of 5 per cent. It would bo unfair, and it would not provide a sufficient revenue. He asked the Government to give more attention to our heavy importations of tobacco and drink last year. . These increased importations were indications of lack of thrift and evidenco of prodigality in this war time. He was glad to hear tho Prime Minister say that he hoped to settle 5000 soldiers on the land, but he

had serious doubts whether the Government would succeed in this. He hoped tho Government would take steps to provide work for returned soldiers as well as land. It would not be possible to put all tho men on land. Men and Money. Mr E. P. HUDSON (Jlotueka) said that up till a few days ago he had been of opinion that wo should devote our attention to the production of fopdstufta lather than that we should sacrifice all to sending men to the front. But within the last few days he had. heard cogent arguments which had convinced him that our first duty was to send men to the

trout. Hβ believed that the excess profits tax was fair in principle, but ho urged that the tax should be levied fairly on excess profits duo solely to the war His own opinion was that tlie fairest tax of all that could bo levied was the income tax. He advocated removal of anomalies from the Customs tariff, and he pointed 1o the duty on fniit-cannin? machinery as one of the worse anomalies in the tariff. It ivrs "rosslv unfair that this machinery should bo taxed when dairy machinery was admitted free. The injustice was the worse as the industry was one of tho few in New Zealand that had suffered because of the war. He disapproved strongly of a stato of affairs winch permitted tho son of an alien to stay at home to work his father's farm whilo tho son of ii Britisher had to go to tho war and leave the farm. Tho debate was adjourned on tho motion of Mr. J. Craigie. The House rose at 10.11 p.m.