HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 12 July 1917, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REPLIES TO QUESTIONS

Replying to questions, Ministers said

That the provisions of the existing pensions law in New Zealand are for the most part well in advance of similar proposals in Great Britain. Any direction, however, in which the New Zealand scheme can be benefited on lines of the British scheme was being carefully considered, it being the desire of the Government to make the best provisions possible for our soldiers and their dependents. That the question of assisting returned soldiers to purchase farms privately is now under consideration, and a measure on similar lines to the Land Settlement Finance Act, 1909, is in contemplation.

That the suggestion to bring home on leave to New Zealand members of the Main Body now on active service is not practicable. Such action would undoubtedly result in the deterioration of the efficiency of our forces in the field.

That in view of the heavy financial obligations of the Government at the present time the question of making further concessions in the direction of exempting from death duties the 6mall estates of soldiers whose lives have boen sacrificed in the cause of the Empire cannot be entertained.

That it is not considered at present to be an opportune tim.e to establish State steamers as a connecting link between the North and South Islands.

CURTAILMENT OF PRINTING. Mr Wright brought down a report from the Printing and Reporting Debates Committee which recommended a drastic curtailment of the reports of the proceedings of the House in Hansard, on account of the shortage of paper.

feir Joseph Ward deprecated any infringement of the privileges of members ; he thought the people had a right to know how their representatives were discharging their responsibilities. A motion by Mr Payne to shelve the report was nega/fcived, but there seemed to be considerable misapprehension amongst members as to the proposals of the committee, and the debate was on the motion of Hon. G. W. Russell adjourned foa- a week.

The chairman of the same committee also brought down a report recommending that the number of copies of Hansard supplied to members be reduced to twenty-five each, and to members of the Legislative Council five.

The Hon. G. W. Russell said if the House insisted on printing the full number of Hansards as before, the paper was available, but if so, such publications as the School Journal, must lie discontinued. He left the responsibility with the House. The debate was continued till 5.30, when the motion was talked out. THE ADDBESS-IN-REPLY. The debate was continued by Mr McCombs, who said the debate last night was lifted out of the common by the statement of the Minister of the part New Zealand was playing in the great war from his (Sir James Allen's) point of view. Sneaking of the financial aspect, he said that New Zealand was the most selfish of all the overseas Dominions, and he deplored the fact that our Ministers had boasted when they returned that they had bled the Old Country of the last shilling in the increased prices for meat and butter. The part our men played in the great struggle was a less sordid ' theme. He defended the voluntary system, claiming it had fulfilled all requirements until an ambitious scheme was conceived by giving Sir Alexander | Godley command of a division composed entirely of New Zealanders. He denounced the methods by which the national register was prepared, every promise connected therewith being shamelessly broken. Having got conscription passed, promises were made to give financial aid ,to conscripted men, but what was the result. Out of 86,000 men who had enlisted only 1089 had been granted aid. And yet there | was even «i greatr claim for assistance ;to the men who had no property obI ligations to fulfil, the men whose' only stake was their life. The claims of these men to better pay and higher pensions was slowly being recognised, but the recognition was being wrung from the Government only by the force of public opinion. If the voluntary system failed it was becaues adequate provision had not been made for soldiers' dependents. The men held back, not for fear of death or wounds, but because the pay and penisons were insufficient. He" defended his action in endeavoring to force Parliament to increase the pay of the men, and declared that the floor of the House was the place where voluntaryism could have been saved. Canada had not done as well as New Zealand, nor did it propose to do much even with conscription. The question for us to consider was whether we had sent men enough, and whether we should concentrate attention upon the production of food. To his mind the Government had gone mad on this question of our reinforcements. Ho thought the time had arrived when the country should know where Parliament stood on this question. To determine that point he moved an amendment, which declared that the people viewed with alarm the policy of creating new brigades out of accumulated reinforcements.

During the debate Mr Payne argued that we had sent reinforcements enough. The Minister of Defence had declared that we must keep up our obligations, but, he asked, who made those obligations ?• Not the people; not Parliament; but simply one autocrat by whom the Dominion is governed. AVith Russia back in the firing line and America in the war there was no need to bleed this country wL'ite. He favored an increase in the income tax as the fairest means of raising revenue. He. did not press for the retention of the excess profits tax, which he knew in many cases operated most inequitably.