THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 20 June 1912, Page 5

THE SPEECH FROM THE THRONE.

BY CABLE—PEESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. MELBOURNE, June 19. Lord Den man opened the Federal Parliament. The Speech from the Throne referred to the prospects of a continuance of prosperity and the marked increase in immigration. Dealing with the proposed maternity grant, he was unabie to regard the natural increase of the Commonwealth with other than the deepest concern. The death-rate was too high. Nearly 9,000 children had died under the age of one year, many from preventable causes. Men and women were the best asset of a nation; hence the proposed grant. He proposed to again ask the people to approve of alterations of the Constitution enabling Parliament to legislate effectively against trusts, combines, and monopolies, and to extend the powers regarding industrial matters. He announced that the Government bad agreed to a request of the Admiralty to reduce the squadron by the return of the Challenger and two first-class cruisers. The Government Avas anxious to cheapen cable communication with the Old World, and was still urging the laying of a State-owned Atlantic cable, 'also co-operating with other parties in the Pacific cable agreement, introducing deferred and other cheaper forms of cablegrams. The Bills promised include the Navigation Act Amendment, Old Age Pensions, Trade Marks, and Customs Bills. The development of wireless tele-' graphy will be pushed on immediately. |