THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 4 November 1904, Page 5

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER.

WHO SHALL BE FIRST? THE BILL BEFORE THE HOUSE. The High Commissioner Bill occupied the attention of the House from 2.30 p.m. yesterday till 4.20 o'clock this morning. Continuing his remarks on the second reading of the Bill, the Premier pointed out what important duties have to be carried out by the Agent-General, and urged the necessity of keeping our produce before the public in the Old Country. Whoever held the position of High Commissioner must keep himself well posted on colonial and Imperial questions — it would be no sinecure. It had been suggested that the High Commissioner would represent tie colonj on the proposed Imperial Council. That was wrong. He thought ai> improvement could be made if we had in the heart of London New Zealand offices, apart altogether from the other colonies. At present our offices are far away from the heart of the city, and the time had come when they should be moved. There should be a place where people could see samples and get full particulars of all our produce, acquire information about our legislation, and everything relating to the colony. Other countries were encroaching on our trade, and 1 unless more was done than at present our producers would suffer severely. A great deal could be done, and Parliament would be asked this session to make provision for a New Zealand building in London such as he had suggested. At present our representative was working at a disadvantage as compared with other colonies, and he asked Parliament to remove that disadvantage. In conclusion, he said he believed he could da more good in the colony than in the subordinate position of High Commissioner. If a wise selection was made the appointment of a High Commissioner would be for the good of the colony. Any step they took to assert and maintain our position would ultimately be to our future good. The Leader of the Opposition thought the Bill had been delayed to the dying hours of the session, when members were anxious to get away. Who, he enquired, had asked for this Bill? No one was looking forward to it, or was in favour of it. As to the duties which the Premier said would have to be performed by the High Commissioner, he always understood that they were at present performed by the Agent-General. The High Commissioner of Canada received that title because he represented the Dominion, each State being represented by an AgentGeneral. There were no such reasons in our case. If any change was made it should be in bringing the Agent-General's Department thoroughly up to date, so that it could give information to the colony in the interests of the producers and more thoroughly advertise our country and producte. He objected to the proposal to appoint the ,High Commissioner for such a long term as five years, and went on to say that not a single reason had been given for making such an appointment. The impression prevailed that the position was meant for the Premier, as a reward for past services, and it had been put to him (Mr. Massey) that he should give it his support. He could not support it, thinking that it would rather tend to excite ridicule than result in any permanent benefit to tka colony. The Colonial Secretary pointed out that in view of the important legislation transacted this session, it was impossible to have brought down this Bill at an earlier stage. His visit to England recently had convinced him strongly that it was necessary to raise the status of our Agent-General. Why, he asked, should New Zealand be different from other countries in giving a high status to its representative in England? The appointment of a High Commissioner would place this colony in position of equality with the other large self-govern-ing colonies. Mr. Taylor said t the speeches made proved that the Agent-General's Department had been neglected and allowed to become obsolete. He was going to move that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. No harm would be done by holding it over for a year, and to postpone it would enable the House to discuss the employment &r Chinese slaves on the Rand, which was of far greater importance. If the Bill got into Committee he should move that the present Agent-General be the first High Commissioner appointed. He' had served the colony well, and was entitled to this reward. When the Premier was High Commissioner, continued Mr. Taylor, ho would commit the colony to all sorts of extraordinary things without consulting it, and without any warrant at all. He could see tremendous danger ahead unless the High Commissioner was made subject to the Ministry of the day. His power must be limited to commercial and financial matters, ne did not want an Ambassador. He moved that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr. Lewis seconded the amendment. He considered the Bill entirely unnecessary, and also urged -that the danger of appointing -the Commissioner for so long a term as five years should not be lost sight of. Mr. Buchanan said that if we allowed meddling in commercial matters by politicians who would fill the position it would be to the detriment of the colony. Mr. Herdman said he could not see why the present Agent-General should be disturbed. He possessed all the necessary qualifications, and had served the colony well in that capacity. The Minister for Justice denied that the Premier had cast any reflection on the Agent-General, who, in some respects, would, he said, fill the position of High Commissioner exceedingly well. In qther respects, however, he was satisfied that New Zealand required to have certain interests looked after with regard to which Mr. Reeves would not be so well qualified as others might be. Mr. Duthie said the Opposition did not object to the Premier leaving the country, but they objected to him leaving Jthe country to fill an office of this sort. The Premier would, he went on to urge, commit the colony in any direction, and could not fill the office with safety to the colony. He objected to the spirit of Jingoism and exaggeration which was contained in the Bill, and considered that the results would not be beneficial to the colony. It would not be conducive to the interests of the colony to have a man of the overbearing temperament of the Premier in charge of tne affairs of the colony in London. As to the proposal to change the locale of the offices 01 the Agent-General from Westminster to the City, he pointed out that the rent would be greatly increased, and he urged that the Government was not justified in inducing immigrants to come to the colony in view of the shortage of work and the fact that the area of Crown lands open for settlement was none too large even for the people now desirous of going on the land. Mr. Duthie went on to urge that the Produce Commissioner in London did not get the true inwardness of the position of the London produce market, that his reports could not be relied upon, and that the expenditure in that direction was a waste of money. Several other members took part in the debate. A division was taken at 10.20 p.m., when Mr. Taylor's motion to kill the Bill was negatived by 35 votes to 23. The < Premier, in replying to the debate, promised that members should have an opportunity of dealing with the question of the employment of Chinese on. the

Rand. * Members could not blame him for the delay which had taken place in dealing with that question, seeing that important business had had to be given preference. As to the desire of the Opposition to "get rid of the Premier," he said it might be a very bad day for them if they got rid of him. The Bill, he declared, was introduced with the object o* improving the position of the colony, and he believed that would be the effect of its passage through Parliament. At 11.15 p.m. the second reading of the Bill was carried by 43 votes to 24, and the Bill wa6 then committed. Clause 2 provided that "the Governor may from time to time appoint some person to be the High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdom." The power of appointment was, with the Premier's consent, given to the Gov-ernor-in-Council (instead of the Governor alone), and the Leader of the Opposition moved another amendment giving the Governor-in-Council power to remove and re-appoint (as well as appoint), his contention being that in the event of the High Commissioaer proving unsuitable, some power should be given to the Governor-in-Council to remove him. During the discussion that ensued the Premier was urged to cay whether or not he intended to take the billet himself, but he refrained from giving a definite answer. However, he intimated that in the next clause he would move an amendment making the appointment subject to good behaviour. The amendment was lost on the voices, and a further amendment by Mr. Taylor making the present Agent-General the first High Commissioner was ruled out of order, on the ground that the appointment is by v the Bill vested in the Gov-ernor-in-Council. Mr. Taylor moved to report progress, in order that the ruling of Mr. Speaker on the point be obtained, but he was defeated by 40 to 23. ' An amendment by Mr. Harding providing that the High Commissioner may at any time be removed from office by a vote of the House of Representatives was lost by 48 votes to 11, and Clause 2 passed on the voices. In Clause 3, the term of appointment was, on the motion* of the Premier, altered from five to three years, and the appointment was made subject to good behaviour, a proposal by the Leader of the Opposition that it should also be subject to efficiency being negatived by 35 votes to 25. In Clause 4, the Premier moved an amendment to provide tnat the High Commissioner shall not be subject to the laws in force in New Zealand relating to the Civil Service. Mr. Herries moved a prior amendment providing that the High Commissioner shall act under the instructions of the Governor (instead of the Prime Minister, as in the Bill). This was agreed to on the voices. Mr. Taylor moved another amendment providing that the High Commissioner shall not join the directorate or advisory board of any public company or trading corporation. This was agreed to on the voices. ' Another amendment limiting the amount of travelling expenses and allowances of the Commissioner to £250 a year was lost by 32 votes to 26. The Premier then moved an amendment limiting the High Commissioner's travel' ling allowances to £250 a year, which was carried by 35 votes to 19. At 2.40 a.m. Mr. Harding moved to report ttrogress on the Bill, on the ground that members had been on duty for about eighteen hours and were entitled to a respite. At 3.15 a.m. this was lost by 35 votes to 13. t At 3.40 a.m. the Bill completed its pro- ; gress through Committee. Mr. Moss moved a new clause providing that no member of the House of Representatives shall be capable of being appointed High Commissioner until twelve months after he ceases to be a member. The Chairman of Committees ruHd the amendment out of order, and the Bill waa then reported with amendments, which were agreed to, and the third reading was carried by 32 votes to 12.