EMPIRE UNITY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 7

EMPIRE UNITY

THE IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

MR, MASSEY SHOULD GO

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEBATE,

The Address-in-Reply debate in the Legislative Council opened yesterday afternoon, the mover being the Hon. E. Newman, one of the recently appointed members of the Council. The Hon. F. Mander, also a new member, was the seconder. Stress was laid by the various speakers on the need for Mr. Massey representing the Dominion at the Imperial Conference, and a plea for a better method of Empire consultation was asain made by the' Hon. Sir John Sinclair. Continuing; his speech after "The Post" went to press, the Hon. E. Newman dealt with the importance of the Imperial Conference 60 far as it tended to brino- about Empire, co-ordination and unity, and said that he did not think that New Zealand would ever take up the same attitude as Canada in regard to entry-.into future wars. "When the Empire is at war, New Zealand is at war," said Mr. Newman; "when the Empire is at peace we are at peate." (Hear, heaT.) The question of the best use of the mineral resources of the Empire demanded attention, and if Mr. Masssy went Home he could be depended upon to exert his influence, with the moneyed people in Britain to help develop the minerals of New Zealand. IN THE PACIFIC. Speaking of the naval base at Singapore, Mr. Newman said this was of tlia utmost importance, although it was meeting with opposition in the British Parliament. All naval authorities agreed that the Power which was to control the Pacific must have an impregnable base there. It had been said —although he did not know whether the statement was correct or not—that the nation having facilities for getting Westport coal would dominate the Pacific. He did not know whether or not too much was beintr made of the Eastern menace. The June might come when all European nations might have to fight for their existence against Eastern powers. At the same time the people in New Zealand and Australia must not depend for help on an alliance with any other Pacific naval power. We must rely always on the strength of the ■ British Navy alone. He did not desire to say anything against the Japanese, for who could forget .their services in convoying our soldiers during the war? I Sir Francis Bell: "Hear, hear." LAND VALUES The credit of the country stood good, as was testified -by the success of the last, London loan. There was an urgent need for a reduction in taxation, and he hoped the coming legislation on this subject would relate to the land tax. Sheep larmers had been suffering since the slump, and for two years they had been paying interest out of borrowed moneycapital. Good men were always worth good wages, and no one could' grumble about that, but the cost of materials had gone up so high that it was impossible to sell wool at less than a shilling a pound, and make a profit out of it. A good deal- ox nonsense had been written and spoken about high land values, and a good deal of the'attempts made to depreciate the value of sheep lands was launched merely for propaganda purposes. As a matter of fact, land that could cam- a cow an acre was worth £100. .Men who had; purchased the Highden Estate knew exactly what they were doing and what the land they were buying was worth. The new housing legislation should be operated so as to induce people to "O into the country to live. The Hon. Sir Thomas Mackenzie: 1 And give preference to families." ■Mr. Newman characterised the 4£ per cent, free of income-tax loan as a most unfortunate thing, as when mortgages became due men would throw the whole of their money into the Joan The Hon. Sir Francis Bell:' "It was ail compulsory, you know. We had to offer some inducement." . ' Mr. Newman: "I know that, and take my share of the blame, for I voted for ;t in another place, but I did not know as much then as I do now." GETTING BACK TO NORMAL. The Hon. F. Mander seconded the motion, and associated himself with the remarks of Mr, Newman. New Zealand was carrying a heavy interest charge of £14,000,000 per year on loans, or about £11 per head. It was gratifying to find that expenditure had been considerably curtailed and that taxation was to be reduced. This showed that the country had returned to a very sound position. It was not necessary that only soldiers' lands should be valued: all lands in the country should be valued for taxation purposes. Perhaps it was true that some land was worth £100 per acre, but he would not like to have to pay it. Price inflation during the war had led to high prices being asked for land; many people had come to grief, and the end was not yet. It was gratifying that there was little or uo labour troubles in the country, and that unemployment was not so acute as it had been at this time of the year. All this showed that the country was getting back to normal. The price of' money was too high, and facilities: should be created to enable the pro-' ducers to produce still more. Too much was being spent on luxuries. Before a national highway was created for the benefit of pleasure seekers and motorists, the farm should be considered and : "feeding" roads built to link up with the railways. If he had his way he would make the owners of heavy vehicles! pay for the cost of road upkeep, because it was they who were crying out for the best roads, or else he would limit still more the weights which vehicles might carry. Mr. Mander considered that Mr. MasBey was the only man in New Zealand with sufficient knowledge who could go to tlio Imperial Conference. He should have a free hand, and not I>e fettered in any way. It was a Premiers' con-k-rence, therefore Mr. Massey, who had done wonderful work before, should be allowed to go Home. EMPI It E CON S [JLTATIOX. Sir John Sinclair took it for granted that. New Zealand wuidd be represented at this imperial C>nlVi'.ence by the Prime Minister. Ours would be n disappointed community, a community with a grievance, if New Zealand was the only country not represented by its Prime Minister. In reorganising the resources of the Empire it seemed to him to be of first importance that our own people should have preference in the markets. It was -much .easier for the Dominion!) tv give, preference than the Mother Country, but it socmed to him that if Great Britain extended more preference to the Dominions food cost would bo lowered. lie regarded the, Imperial Conferences as a means of re-establishing the trade bat-is of iho nation which had been lost. Nuw Zonkiul had always beon proud of the part il, had taken* .&< buMfiK

nf the Empire. If the Prime Minister did not go on this occasion it could be regarded as a breakdown of the work uf Empire building; it would bo a sorious mistake to ask High Commissioners to intervene in. matters of Empire policy. The High Commissioners did important work, and should continue those functions. There must be a change in regard to Imperial Conferences, but it would be impossible so far as the Dominions were concerned to have annual conferences. Much good could bo achieved if the peoples of the Empire could know one another better. The policy, of the Empire was largely shaped by those who had not been in all the Dominions. Few Secretaries of the Colonies had visited all tho Dominions. Must there not come a change? "What do they know of England, who only England know?" These lines of Kipling might well be recalled at this juncture. "MOVABLE FEASTS." He submitted that in the near future Imperial Conferences must be '"movable feasts." There must be the nexus between Conference and Conference, and there must be a medium through which Empire units could express their views in between the intervals at which Conferences were held. He favoured a consultative body to decide upon matters or Empire policy. Governments must, be kept in close and continuous touch,, but too much had been made of tho difficulties in keeping the Dominions and the Mother Country in touch. Representatives living in London would have the powerful help of the Press, which recorded all changes in thought, and was of a high standard. If an Empire consultative body could not be set up in England, then'farewell to the' ideal of an Imperial Parliament, for the same difficulties in regard to keeping in touch would arise there. ' He refused to believe in these difficulties, which could be overcome by the loyalty and cohesiveness of the people of the Empire. Sir Francis Bell: "What would the Imperial Parliament do ?" Sir John Sinclair: "Let me say in reply to that that the Ministers of the Mother Country have said in the plainest of terms when the time comes, when the Dominions desire an Imperial Parliament to be set up, that they would bo ready." An Imperial consultative body would serve tho purpose of keeping all parts of the Empire in better touch than was possible under the present system. "A NATIONAL CALAMITY." "I think it would be a national and Imperial calamity if the Jlight Hon. the Prime Minister were prevented by obstruction or by pressure of business from, going to the Imperial Conference and the Economic Conference,"' declared tho ITon. J. 11.I 1. Campbell, who afterwards devoted the greater portion of his speech to advocating the introduction of a system of co-partnership and co-operation in industrial undertakings. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act had been a comparative failure, as shown by the frequency with which it had been amended. No Act had been amended so frequently and so hopelessly. So far as the third party —the general public—was concerned, the Act had. not been a success. The debate was adjourned, on tho motion. of Sir Francis Bell, at 4.50 p.m., until 2.30 p.m. .to-day.