ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 139, 14 June 1909, Page 3

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

ADOPTED BY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A LONG SITTING. The Address-in-Reply debate in the Houhe of Representalivss was continued after we went to press on Saturday afternoon, and concluded at a late hour at night. NEW MEMBERS. Mr. G. M. Thomas (Dunedin North) said that the Dreadnought offer was made at a critical time, and the Premier had shown gr^at statesmanship by tensing the psychological moment in making it. He was, however, still unconvinced by the arguments advanced for the prorogation. It was a most ex- ! traucdinary comment aiy on the way j business had been conducted for supI porters of pi-oiogatiou to argue that tol wards the end of the year business would be practically as far advanced as had hitherto been the case under ordinary circumstances. He did not think that the Prime Minister had disclosed the real reason for his anxiety that Parliament should be prorogued \vhile he was away. It had been rumoured that there was a possibility that Sir Joseph Ward would return a peer of the realm, in which case he would suggest the title "Lord Bluff of Awarua." Mr. Guthrie (Oroua) hoped that the sense of the House would prevent prorogation. He believed that this winter we would experience the severest pirich we had over gone through. It looked as if Sir Joseph Ward was afraid to leave his team to look after themselves. The Go\ernment should receive out and out support for having undertaken the task of retrenchment. Some attempt had been made to discredit the retrenchment carried out by Sir Harry Atkinson, but ii» that case retrenchment had been applied lo Ministerial salaries as well as to the Civil Service, whereas in the present instance the number of Ministers had been increased. Mr. Clark (Chalmers) said that at Monday's meeting it had been practically unanimously resolved that the Premier should represent New Zealand at the conference. The Premier had definitely stated that he would not go unless Parliament prorogued. For that reason he would vote against the amendment. He advocated every schoolmaster being required to be qualified to teach our cadets — a much underestimated asset in defence matters — the use of the rifle, and the meaning of the word discipline. Mr. Anderson (Mataura) devoted some attention to political patronage, and said that seeking to obtain Gqvernment billets for supporters should be made to constitute bribery and corruption. He | stated that his election for Mataura was I a protest against tlie land legislation of j the last Parliament. Mr. Laurenson ; No ; yon got m on the Meikle grant. I Mr. Anderson said that he had tod I the electors that he would stand or fal r on the land question. Mr. Pearce (Patea) denied that there I were only unemployed in the cities, for, as a country member, he knew that unemployment existed in the country. This j was due to the administration of the j Government. He was chairman of a | county, and recently 200 men had been dismissed from the' co-operative works there. j Hon. R. M'Kenzie : Not 100 men. The greatest consideration had been shown them. WELLINGTON'S LABOUR MEMBER. Mr. M'Lfiren (Wellington East) &aid that as a boy he had seen hundieds j swept out into other lands beyond the seas because of land monopoly. The Old Land was at present full of unemployed, and the same thing was happening to-day. We in New Zealand should take care noL to allow the same thing to happen hers. The burden of militarism was a heavy one, and had to be borne by the mass of the people. He did not think it was a wise step to donate a Dreadnought — possibly two. ' It seemed to be a consideration that we were running this country on behalf of the British bondholder, and the wealthier classes in England did not pay their fair share towards the upkeep or the Navy. Mr. M'Laren dealt exhaustively with the subject of unemployment ; his references to the subject are published in another column. He did not think, he also said, that the immigration policy of the Government had been carried out on pioper hues. Before the policy was put into operation, they should have made arrangements for putting the immigrants on the land. He did not think that the demand for farm labourers had been so genuine as was made out to be the case. On the land question, he challenged the Opposition members and those who wanted the freehold to use their influence with the large landed proprietors, to part with their freehold to the workers at the original value, plus 5 per cent. MR. MALCOLM. Mr. Malcolm (Clutha) said that Mr. M'Laren's chief characteristic was his sympathy with the working classes in towns, but he was ignorant of the state of the working classes in the country. Mr. M'Laren was apt to assume that he was singular in his desire to improve the conditions of the working classes, but ho would soon learn that others were actuated by tne same desire, though they sought to bring it about by other mean.*. OTHER SPEAKERS. Mr. R. Scotfc (Tuapeka) supported the amendment, and approved of the offer of the. Dreadnought. Mr. Hine (Stratford) and Mr. Mander (Marsden) spoke on similar lines. , Mr. R. A. Wright spoke strongly against the proposal that the business ot the country sjiould be suspended, while the Prime Minister went Home. He also suggested that the retrenchment scheme might include Ministers' and members' salaries. ADDRESS AGREED TO. The debate ended at 10.30 p.m., and a division was taken on Mr. Massey's amendment to strike out from the Address the words '"and that an early prorogation of Parliament should take place>." The division resulted in the amendment being defeated, the voting being 45 to 29, in favour of the words being retained. The Address was then agreed to. . The House rose at 11.10 p.m.