HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Yesterday's Evening Sitting.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 150, 27 June 1895, Page 4

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Yesterday's Evening Sitting.

TEI ADDBESS-IN-EiPLY. On the House meeting at 7.30 p.m., the Addresa-in-Beply was resumed. Mr. Buchanan commented at length on the statement in the Speech that the depression waa diminishing. Industries were languishing, and the unemployed diffionlty was as great as ever it was. The colony was losing its population in large numbers. He quoted from a nnmber of the Premier's pre-ses-sional speeohes, which, he said, had misrepresented the position of the colony's affairs for the purpose of gaining a little capital. As a representative of the people of New Zealand, he said he felt very nmoh ashamed that a gentleman who represented the colony, and with the credit and honour of the colony in his keeping, should over have committed to paper such statements as were contained in the prospectus issned before the floating of tho loan. He denied that the credit of the colony had increased by leaps and bounds, and gave quotationß of New Zealand stocks in comparison with those of other colonies, to show that the ad vanoe in price of New Zealand securities, of whioh the Premier had boosted, was not singular, but was shared by all the colonies, and by many of much smaller resources than N ew Zealand. The misrepresentations of the Agent-General's oironlar re the loan were moat unfortunate for the colony. . Not only wa» it misleading as to the leasehold securities, but it overstated by .£736,000 the «nrplaeea. Mr. Flatman strongly commended the Government. Dr. Newman ridiculed the Speech and the Uriwera expedition. Befeiring to the loan, he pointed out that the interest concessions made on tho loan -hy the Treasurer amounted to a discount of il£ per centum, and instead of getting £1,500,000 the colony would, when the discounts, &c, were taken into ocnsideration, receive ■£1,380,000—^120.000 of a loss The Speech was remarkable for what it omitted. Last year it was full of the conquest of Samoa, but this year it was never mentioned. The dream of conquest of the Premier had evidently ended in a snubbing for the Premier. A new Minister waa proposed, jet the present Ministers were never in Wellington. The Gazettes were full of notices signed by one Minister for his absent colleagues. The business of the present Ministry seemed to be banqueting. The vaunted Shops and Shop Assistants Aot had proved a goldmine for the lawyers. Then there was the Consols Sill, which had resulted in the Treasury selling Consols for .£150,000 to the Bank of Now Zealand and putting the proceeds into another bank. Last year it was felt that fiey had had too much of legislation. Yet this year they were to have an enormons nnmber of little Bills. It would be muoh better if the majority of these Bills were put into comprehensive measures. Last year some 16 members were put on a Tariff Befonn Committee to quieten the clamour for reform. But they did nothing, and then six more members were appointed to tour round and make enquiries, and their report not pleasing the Government another committee of 16 members was set up to revise the Commissioners' work, and Bhouid it 9 report be again displeasing it would be again shunted. As to the unemployed, a good deal of trouble might be avoided if employers -would Bave up in the summer work that might be done in the winter. .. Mr. Hogg entirely disagreed with the proposal to nold back works to tbe winter, when they could be much better and more cheaply done in tbe summer. There were large increases in the colony's exports, in spita of the allegations as to depression. The Lending Board of the Advances to Settlers Aot was to be commended for the oaution shown, which had already made the scheme a vast success. £ven> thosa who bad been unable to get money from the Board had through tho Act been able to secure reductions of interest from "Wellington merchants. Mr. Karnsbaw denounced the proposals of the Tariff Committee of last year, led ou bj the J. G. Ward Company and the BanK of New Zealand, to put an import dnty on wheat, and coul, and fruit. And this was a working man's Government! The Government hod failed to carry out tbe works for which it obtained appropriations last gess-'on, and consequently there was want of employment. Instead of forcing roads through the Uriwera, where they were not wanted, the Government Bhould have made them through their own Crown lands. At every point Government was squandering money, which would not be profitab'e to the State. The Uriwera Bhould have been kept as a roserve for natives for all time. He condemned the action of the Government in taking over the Midland Bailway. He would support the completion of the line provided there was no loan, and that Otago received more-justice than it had of late years. The administration of harbours should be taken over by the colony. The Government wat bringing down the wages of the working men of the colony by reducing the labour employed 20 per oent., or giving ebort time. Under the cooperative Bystem, in many parts of the colony the men were only earning 3s 6d to 4s a week. The Government had absolutely failed in its dealing with the unemployed question, and the State Farm was an absolnte failure. He would oppose the increase in number or pay of Ministers. If Ministers properly administered, there were enongh to do the work, but if they insisted on interfering with even the charwomen, they could not cope with it. If they considered, as they were supposed to, that they could not trust the heads of the departments, why did they not boldly come to the Honse and say so? He would rather vote for a reduction all round, including the honorarium. Mr. Bnddo raid that the price at whioh the Advances to Settlers Loan was obtained would leave % margin. of 1} per centum instead of 1 per cent., which the Colonial Treasurer estimated would pay. He eon demned the reciprocal treaty with SontL Australia, the alternative system of en operative work, and other item.B of Government polioy. Mr _Pirani,inreply,qnotedMr Buchanan as Baying that the Lending Board under thr Advances to Settlers Act was uneuited 1o its work. Before the Premier went U Parihaka there wasagoneral desire amongf t the natives that he should go there, and hewent in consequence. Instead of exportp decreasing thiy had increased largely. After briefly touching on other parts he moved the Address in-Eeply, whioh wat carried. It wiis resolved, on the motion of the Premier, that the Honse go into Committee of Supply for Imprest to-day. Tbe Honse rote at 12 25 a m.