END OF THE REFORM GOVERNMENT

Grey River Argus, 8 December 1928, Page 5

END OF THE REFORM GOVERNMENT

DEFEATED BY 50 VOTES, TO 28 UNITEDS TO FORM AN ADMINISTRATION. \ (Special to “Argus.”)

December 7. The crucial dividion sounding the death knell of the Reform Government was reached in the House soon after midday to-day. ‘There was little that was exciting in the final scenes, the result being a foregone conclusion. MR COATES’S SPEECH. The galleries were crowded when Mr Coates rose to speak, and he was listened to with close attention as he proceeded to give an account of his stewardship. Mr Coates intimated that he would give a measure of support to the United Party so far ns the sixty million loan was concerned, and he suggested that portion of the money should be devoted for the purpose of bringing into development land which at present remains unproductive. He also pleaded that consideration should be given to the needs of the Maoris. Mr Coates said that he did not feel any rancour over his defeat at the polls and his impending defeat in the House. His duty and the duty of every member was to the country first. He said: “I will place the country, and my duty to the country before my duty to my Party on each and every occasion. I honestly believe that that is the opinion of every honourable gentleman around me. New Zealand is my country. I have worked for it, and I will continue to work for it as long as the people want me to do so.” WAS THERE A GERRYMANDER? Sir Joseph Ward: “Did you tWhk of that when you transferred 300 men from one electorate to another electcrate just before the general election?” Mr Coates: “That never happened.” Sir Joseph Ward: “Ask Mr Hock ley! ’’ Mr Coates: “There was nothing of the kind. The late member for Roto rua will know that as well as I do. The Rotorua line was started, and, as far as I know, men have been kept regularly on that work since it has been started. I can assure the hon. gentleman that the matter was neve*’ given any consideration. We have never endeavoured to play false with people in that connection. We have never taken into consideration the question of votes.” The Leader of the Opposition: “But the late Minister of Agriculture said that he did. It was published in your own paper, the ‘Newsletter? the official organ of the Reform Party!” Mr Coates: “The honourable gentleman has referred to Rotorua. I can give him this suggestion: When he \ gets the opportunity, send for the file and look at it.” Sir Joseph Ward: “Oh, I don’t want any resurrection!” Mr Coates: “Well, I would welcome the keenest inquiry. Nothing of the kind has ever been considered.” Dealing with the administration of Western Samoa, Mr Coates declared that New Zealand would be well advised to leave the present administrator in Samoa. It was impossible to administer Samoa from New Zealand. They could direct the general policy, but from the moment that the Government started to interfere with the general administration in matters of detail, they would not have peace, order and prosperity. Mr H. E. Holland: “But the Administrator must administer in line with the laws of New Zealand.” Mr Coates: “And so he does.” Mr Holland: “That is the trouble.” Concluding the Address-in-Reply debat*?, prior to the division, Mr Coates, after referring to the record of the Ministry during his term as leader, referred to the railways, declaring it would take twenty-four and a half mii- *' lions to complete them, and that would take more than ten years, not to men tion four, as suggested by Sir Josepn Ward, who required to go in for an economic survey before ordering com pletion of lines. The electors, he said, had not a good conception of what the effect of competition would be eeon nominally. If the contract and tender «vatem were done away with, the cos.. O f construction could not be forecast j Hydro, railway and other public works would call for one hundred antwonty millions to complete them.

The loan scheme of Sir Joseph War? would make the Hate the only len i?r to settlers. He claimed his Government’s policy, even if not so recognised by the electors, had been that which any sensible man would have followed. He considered the future pro poets were good. His Administration were more satisfied with •he results, and believed the electors would yet see that good w?”k had been done. He had tried never to hit below the belt and had now no rancour nor resentment. The Finance Minister, speal ing earlier, said 435.822 votes had been recorded against the United Party, whose policy had not been approved by the countiy. but the leader had nov given reasons to justify his occupying the Treasury benches. He said Reform had pail back loans in a proper manner uid not by means of further loans. He said Sir Joseph Ward would need to borrow twelve to fifteen millions a year to give his policy effect. He would remind them Sir Joseph had pro mised to restore the civil servants thi cut in their salaries. Sir Joseph Ward said that "as noi< so; what he had promised was to in vestigate this matter. The Finance Minister asserted the coming change would be only tempor ary. and that the Uniteds were a Conservative Party, also claiming Reform had put the State finances on a sound footing. THE DIVISION LIST. The division resulted in the No-Con-fidence motion being carried by 50 votes to 28. The lift was as follows: — For (50):— Armstrong McDougall Atmore McKeen Barnard MacPherson Black Makitanara Bodkin Martin Broad foot Mason Carr Munns Chapman Munro Clinkard Murdoch Cobbe Ngata Perello O’Brien Donald Parry Fletcher Polson Forbes Ran.om Fraser Rush worth Hawke Savage Healy Semple Hogan Smith H. E.'Holland Stallworthy Howard Sullivan Jenkins Taverner Langstone Veitch Lye Ward McCombs Wilford McDonald Wilkinson Against (28):— Ansell Kyle Bitehener Linklater Burnett Lysnar Campbell MacMillan Coates Massey Dickie Nash Field Pomare Hall Samuel Hamilton Stewiirt Harris Sykes Hen a re Waite H. Holland Williams Hunter Wright Jones Young The Change Over. HOUSE ADJOURNS TILL TUESDAY. WARD PROMISES POLICY STATEMENT. (Special to Argus.) WELLINGTON, December 7. The House resumed this afternoon. The Speaker, Sir C. Statham, read a i communication from the GovernorGeneral, announcing that he would take steps to form a new administration. Sir Joseph Ward, Mr H. E. Holland, and Sir A. Ngata then paid tributes to the way in which Mr Coates had accepted his defeat. Mr Coates briefly replied. Sir Joseph Ward said that he would submit a statement to the House on Tuesday, setting forth the line of action that he would take. The House then adjourned until Tuesday.