ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 July 1928, Page 3

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

DEBATE COMMENCED.

MANY TOPICS DEALT WITH HOUSE! OF REPRESENTATIVES. (By Telegraph— Press Association.) WELLINGTON, J inly 4. 'Vilien the House <34 Representatives met at 7.30 to-night. Apr E. Waite (Uurtha) moved that a respectful address he presented xo iiis Excellency's speech. Air Wiaxtie pamtl a tribute to t.ie Governor-General and Lady Alice fergusson. in setting sucJi a high example to the people of New Zealand m their interest ni public welfare. ■Mr YV aite expressed the warmest approval of Air F. 13. Kellogg’s peace treaty which, he said, was particularly welcomed at th© present time. Out of all these negotiations one. 1 act stood out, namely, tnat the Britisli nation above all others was m earnest request for peace, proof of which was the extent to which she wais carried by iber policy of 'disarmament, fcjllie also more chan any other had consistently striven to abolish slavery an parts of the world wheie it isiti'l/l existed. He believed tha t as between Britain and the United states war was impossible in future, and SO' far as these nations were concerned war was indeed outlawed. •So far as New Zealand was concerned it was to- our interest to fail into line with the treaty to.- outlaw war, because our country did not consist merely of the North and South Islands ; its coniines Were now rar extended and our responsibilities were correspondingly extended. Tills involved the adminisj tration of Samoa, where no one need be surprised t 0 find trouble existing. The commission 'had, however, vindicated the administration, and he believed they could await the finding of the -Mandates Commission with every confidence. Trade within the Empire was urged, because British goods could* always be relied on lor quality, while British workers Wore more likely to 1 consume Now Zealand products than were their foreign competitors. Britain could not give us preference in the same way as we could give it to her, but she was meeting us in other ways, notably in

the Empire marketing scheme. She was spending a round million pounds a year on the Empire Market Board and the, Imperial Scientific Research Board, i Unemployment was a problem wliioh j depended upon many causes' and was a •' difficulty which, came no matter what f Government was in power, continued Mr Waite. The first gang of unemployed was employed on Shortland Crescent in Auckland, and was employed in 1842. Ever since the unemployed had been with us. There was no cause at all for complaint; the only way to cope with it was to find suitable work for those able to undertake it. Mr Waite was glad to see agricultural education was coming into its own. We wanted trained fanners rather than doctors and lawyers, of whom we already had more than enough. He predicted a period of prosperity for the people. He was pleased to see that the Government was en-

deavouring to preserve' a fair balance between ah sections of the people by legislation for all alike. Air A. Bell (Bay of Islands), in seconefoag the motion, gave lias approval to the peace proposals. At the same time he urged that the people should not he lulled into a sence of false security,

as we were before 1914. He therefore approved of the compulsory military training of our youth, from which nothing but good could come. He regretted the attitude of the Opposition to- ( wards Samoan affairs. !

Regarding the industrial troubles, Mr Bell .advocated a free labour movement, without wliioh we could never progress. He was emphatically against the preference clause embodied in so many of our Arbitration Court awards. He deprecated, the attempts made to saddle the roK/pons-itbilaty for unemployment on the Government. In America, England and Australia the position was worse than here. Indeed, in New Zea-

land it was seven times better than it was in America. Much could be done to improve the position of the country by the remodelling of the Arbitration Court, 'lower Customs duties on the iL&oessaries of Mile, and the abolition of trusts .and ccmUinies which undoubtedly were hindering the welfare of the people. He advocated the payment by the Government of freight on all fertilisers brought into, the country s O , as to give an impetus to the cultivation of the poorer classes of land. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr H. H. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, and at 9.30 the House rose till 2.30 p.m. to-morrow. WELLINGTON, July 4. The Legislative Council met at 2-30 to-day. In moving the formal Address-in-Rcply motion Sir Robert Stout stressed the importance of the proposed multilateral treaty in the interests of peace put forward by the United States, and expressed the hope that it would result in the preservation of peace throughout the world.

He justified the action of the Government in Samoa and condemned statements made in Samoa against the interests of the natives with the object of creating disaffection. Sir Robert rei erred to the agitation for a State Bank, and said the advocates did not appear to realise the risks of such an undertaking, and that the Bank of New

Zealand was practically a State bank, as the Government had practically half the interest in it. A State bank would give no relief either to farmers or to the people. The trouble was that people in New Zealand were overextravagant, as was evidenced by the consumption of liquor and the expenditure on cinemas.

In support of liis advocacy of thrift the speaker showed that a contribution of Is per week from birth would provide .£'BB3 18s at the age of <3O at 5 per cent interest. If thrift were practised in that way it would he unnecessary to .borrow overseas, while the people would he provided for against a rainy day. The motion was seconded by the Hon. G. Witty, who supported Sir Robert •Stout’s remarks about Samoa and said that no military man should he set over such a people as the Samoans, who required to be governed with tact.

He doubted whether the Intermediate Rural Credits scheme would he successful, but congratulated the Government on having a surplus for the past year, which, lie said, was in. contrast with the Australian, deficits. Ho defended the Government against criticism in respect of the. public, debt, pointing out that it had been compiled in the creation of interest-earning national assets. Touching on unemployment he said he had seen far worse conditions than existed to-day. If men had more grit they would be able to find work, but they must, go out of the towns. The man who said lie would sooner starve than accept reduced wages should he allowed to starve. Sir John Sinclair commended the growing movement for industrial con-

por banco oi' unity in the Empire. The Government could not be hold responsible for the recent depression in New Zealand, as this was due to the decreased purchasing; power of money at Home. Tn this connection he advocated trade within the Empire. The debate was adjourned, on the motion of the Hon. W. H. Triggs, and the Council rose at 4.35 p.m. until 2.30 to-morrow.