Evening Sitting. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 138, 13 June 1891, Page 4

Evening Sitting. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

On resuming at 7.30, Mr. M'GUIIIE (Egmont) roso amidat cheers to movo tho Address-in-Beply to the Governor's Speech. After some gracoful remarks in praise of Sir Harry Atkinson, his predocossor in tho Egmont seat, he exprossed tho opinion that the Speech would bo favorably received by tho country, and also havo a good effect upon its relations with other colonies and with the Empire. Ministers were to bo commended for the systematic and considorato way in which they had carried out the behests of tho taxpayers as to retrenchment, uul it was only the brvd bystem of overofficoring that had 1<»1 to the iicccfity for .•ctiritiff some of tho oldest of tho colony s tervants, all of whom had his heartiest sympathies. He honed tho promised change in taxation meant the removal of tho property tax, and tho substitution of a graduated land and income tax, in tho interests of the overburdened settlers who formed tho backbone of the country. Tho burden might also be lessened by taxing the totalisator. By that moans enough rovenue might bo raised to provide for all the charitable aid expenditure and tho maintenance of our orphan schools. A sixpenny stamp on overy totalisator tickot would raise about £200,000 a year. In tho past onr land lawß had not jjivon tho satisfaction that each Government intonded. Absolute perpetual lease wonld onable the State to keop its hold upon the nnearnod increment, but as this system and that of deferred payment stood heretofore land taken up under them had generally merged in tho already too largo estates. Government should not part With any more of the lands of tho colony, and should not forego its pre-emptive right to purchase native land and open it for settlement. It was to bo regretted that the Speech contained no allusion to the education system This ho would uphold in its entirety, but Education Boards ought to bo done away with, and tho Committees communicate direct with tho Department, while Inspectors should be liablo to be moved about in the Hamo way as other officials. Secondary edncation too onght to bo paid for by thoso who profited by it, and State education cease at tho sixth standard. Any further stagos, including university education, Bhould bo mado more selfsupporting, and the secondary education reaorves bo applied to the support of tho primary system. As to tho Federation Convention, ho could only hopo that as one of its results intercolonial reciprocity would be brongt about. Sir Goo. Groy was entitled to thanks for what ho had done to securo manhood suffrago, and he hoped yet to see that system made perfect. Our bankruptcy laws needod to be swept away altogether. Ho approved of tho proposed codification of tho oriminal law, and in conclusion asked members to drop party fooling, and work in nnison for tho benofit of tho colony in gonoral. Mr. BUICK (Wairau), who was heartily received by both sides of tho Houso, congratulated the Ministry on having omorgod from swaddling clothos sinoe last session, and improved as they had grown, until there was now not a man or woman in tho colony who could not confidently ontrnbt its affairs to thoir hands. Their works woro < their great recommendation, and ho anticipated that if they romained in offico a fow years tho wavo of prosperity wonld roll back to the shores of tho colony. To attain this end colonists mnst realise that tho days of borrowing woro over, and mnßt no longer think of living artificially on other people's money. Tho groat depression was dno to the raising of largo loans and spondingthem in all parts of tho colony on unproductive works.* In times of inflation people wero led to livo boyond thoir means. Upon tho stoppage of borrowing thoy had to reduce thoir expenditure ; the labour which had been attracted became idlo, whilo taxes had to be raised, and foil with especial severity upon the working olasses. We must for evor stamp our foot upon this eternal borrowing and squandering (cheers), and study how to extricato oursolvos from onr present difficulties. For his part, he could see no better means of doing it than leaving tho presont Ministry in offico. But Ministers could bo hampered by the solfishness of the people, and of which an example could bo found in the clamour raised by tho < papors and the publio of each district against the proposed removal of any local officor. Whilo ho did not look npon retrenchment as tho one panacea for tno evils tho Stato washoir to, ho still romomborod that each distriot must be propared to saorifico something for tho good of all. It would bo said by the Opposition that thoro had been no true retrenchment, Imt that tho reductions had boon made on the Amorican system. If ho thought so ho would bo^no of tho first to condemn it, but ho did not, and he hold that the one qualification for offico must bo fitness. Tho Stato should act upon commercial linos in this respect, and ho was plad to soo that tho Government proposod to mako a permanent classification of tho Civil Sorvice according to merit and industry, and especially that they intended to do away for ovor with tho pornicious system of paymont of compensation on rotiroment. This waa the first Governor's Speech for years that had clearly delineated the views and plans of the Government, but the omission of an indication of their opinions on tho subject of Fedoration was to bo regretted. Porhaps, however, they proposed to await events beforo declaring themselves. He failod to sco why this colony should sink its identity in a Parliament in which its own representatives would have a very small voice, and ho for one wonld nevor consent to handing ovor our rights to a Foderal Parliamont which ignored tho principlo of ono-man-one-voto, and in which property rather than tho people would be the basis of representation. To do that would be to place this colony in the same relation to Australia as the position of Iroland was in regard to England in that our destiny will not bo in our own hands. He could not see how, if Freetrade amongst tho Australian colonies was considered to be a good thing Freetrado with the rest of the world ought not to be equally good. The threat to shut out New Zealand from Freetrade if she did not join need cause no alarm. Australians must perforce look to New Zealand for a great part of its grain snpply, and if thoy were foolish enough to pnttaxos upon that supply the only injury ensuing wonld be that dono to themselves. Ho would nevor assont to the suicidal policy of shutting onr ports to products which could be brought horo cheaper than we could grow them. Nor did he anticipate that Federation would groatly improve our defence system. In any case was there no honour amongst nations to ensn.ro us protection without keeping up an ospensivo military system? Snrely wo wore too insignificant to bo attacked, and should be too great to attack others. If England .involved us in war, it wonld be her duty to defend us, and her interest in the monoy lent to the colony would compel her to do so. If she refused, thon that would bo an argument for New Zoaland severing the cord and taking up a position of neutrality to the world. As to the relations between labour and capital, he held that the Government should hold itself aloof from any disputes between them, bnt might do much to provide means for their peaceful settlement. By breaking down land monopoly the Legislature could assist tho labour market, through striking at the cause of its difficulties. Labour must go hand in hand with capital to promote prosperity, and therefore the State should look to labour's interests. Not that the Government must do anything to break down the spirit of self-reliance. There was no need for it to provide everybody with a living, but the Government should provide all with the means of getting a living, and uphold the dignity of labour. Ministers were entitled to credit for what they had done, and were doing, in this direction. Experience and political economy alike taught that labour and capital had no separate interests, but that both must be enabled to be applied to land in order to assist production. But throughout this colony land was given up to sheep, and men in towns were thrown into idleness through being shut out from land by monopolists. If our social system wero so ordered that no man could hold more land than he oould profitably occupy, much of the friction between labour and capital wonld bo for ever averted. While he did not undervalue tho proposed labour Bills, it was to tho oloser settlement of the land that ho looked for the real solution of the labour difficulty. Every townsman was not capable of making a living from land, but there were many who could do so if they had tho chance, and tho necessity for provision for tho future generation must sooner or later compel the conversion of largo ostates into smallor holdings. Taxation of land values such as was proposed by tho Government would do something towards causing such subdivision. As to tho Electoral Bill, he suggested as a further improvement that in polling booths at country sheepruns, the result of the looal poll should not bo declared, but tho papers should bo sent to the central booth and there mixed up with the general votes, so as to put intimidation of tho employes beyond the power of tho omployer. Mr. Buick roferrod in sympathetic terms to the death of the Hon. W. Boeves, who had always proved himself a staunch Liberal, and concluded by bospeaking support for the policy of tho Ministry as that of reasonablo and not revolutionary men. (General applause.) Tho Hon. W. EOLLESTON asked whether the Government would consent to an adjonrnmont of the debate till Tuesday. The PREMIER did not wish to be discourteous to the hon. gentlemen on the Opposition, but he believed it was the wish of the House to go on with the debate. (Ministerial cheers.) The Hon. J. BEYCE felt so strongly the discourteous conduct of the Government that he felt compelled to move tho adjournment of tho debate even at the risk of being defeated and losing his chance of speaking. The PREMIER donied that he had shown any discourtesy or breach of rule. Tho praotioo was for the leader of tho Opposition to follow tho mover and seconder of tho Address Mr. MACAETHUR—We haven't got one yot. (Laughter.) The PREMIER (continuing)—So tho departure from custom was being mado by the Opposition itsolf. There was no intention to be discourteous, and why should not tho Opposition go on as usual and let the dobato bo ndjourncd if necessary after thrco or four speeches had been made ? Mr. MACARTHUE said the Opposition Party had not yet been able to olect a leader, and so were not in a position to carry on regular Party warfare. But he had never >efore known tho request of a leading member of tho Opposition for tho adjournment of a debate on the Address to bo rofused. Even if their full strength were present tho Govormnent would bo able to crash thorn and carry its point. The MINISTEE for EDUCATION dof ended the attitude of the Government, and challenged the Opposition to take the present Constitutional opportunity of criticising the Administration of the Government in the recess. After further discussion, tho motion for adjournment was nogatdved on the voices. "^ka Address-in.Reply was thon agreed to, formally" flioAKn Up adopted, and ordered to be prosentecrto Excellency Tho House rose at y.io T m