PARLIAMENT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17528, 11 July 1917, Page 9

PARLIAMENT.

(Abridged from Press Association.)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, Jtji,y 10.

AFTERNOON SITTING. 'Die House met at- 2.30 p.m. LYT'IEL'I'ON HARBOUR

Dr Tbaeker gave notice of his intention to introduce the Lytt?ltoa Harbour Act Amendment Bill.

SOLDIERS' TEETH

The Minister of Defence laid on the table a paper showing the operations of the dental department in the camps. Mr Payne complained that before the Military' Service Act enmc into force ho asked the Minister to assist hundreds of men who wero being turned down oh account of bad teeth, these men not being'able to afford £lO to havo their teeth put right. He was glad to see that the Minister since had, "'seen tho light." It was gratifying to see men now getting the assistance they ought to havo had from the fujst. ADDRE3S-IN-EEPLY. Dr Newman resumed the debate on the Address 7 in-Rcply. He contplained tliatl Parliament had been in recess for nearly eleven months when so many vital questions remained to be decided, buti when the House was called together no lead was given as to the policy of the Government. The Speech from the Throno was a miserable disappointment!, containing.little else than somo ■piffio about the appointment of Gover-nor-General. What tho people of this country wanted to know was whether the expenditure of the Dominion was going to be increased in consequence of that appointment. There was no guide, as to tho policy of the Government. He wanted to know what they were going to do about six o'clock closing. Were Ministers going again to flout tho need for reform by voting againsti this change .which was demanded by public opinion from ■■ ono end of tho , country to the other? On the question of reinforcements the Government 1 should make up" its minds and give the I House and country a definite lead on this important question. Ho complained that nothing was being done to deal with the alien question,' British professional men .and tradesmen were going to the front and aliens were're*. maining' behind, reaping a harvest from the businesses left by our ownpeople. Surely these aliens could bo made to do non-coihbatant work sauce they could not -sent to tho front. Nothing adequate had been done to cope with the cost of living, for while we had thousands of boxes of butter in storo people could not buy it for less than Is Bd. Cur meat was. being man-' ipulated by rings ,in tho. Old Country. Tho only way to check the operations of the meat' trust was for the Government to take a hand in the overseas, I trade. He made an appeal for more energetic efforts to stamp out cancer and other diseases. In concluding he asked the House to look forward to another throe year t -, of.war, for which wo must-organise. Ho begged of Ministers to give the House and country a lead before tho debate closed. Mr-J. 0. Thomson advocated Stateowned ships to counteract tho effects of the recent merger of tho Union Company. He condemned tho butterfat levy, which, ho declared, would have to bo repealed, and he contended that tho constitution of efficiency boards was far from satisfactory, while allowances for men of the Second' Dr-"' vision would have- to be in increased-if" any serious attempt was made to send to tho front men of that branch of the service. Dealing with tho question of the employment of returned soldiers ho strongly advocated attention being given to State forestry.

EVENING SITTING

,Tho House resumed at. 7-30 p.m.,

DOMINION'S PART

Sir James Allen made a statement, which is reported elsewhere, regarding New Zealand's part in the War. Mr Poole described tho Minister's speech as a strong, definite statement of policy, containing many concessions which had- boon asked for "from one c-nd of the Dominion to tho other. He hoped that it never would'be said of any Government .in .this - : country that it "failed to inake_ adequate provision for the men who risked their lives and limbs at the front. Discussing the title of Governor-General, referred to in the Speech, he said thp Minister had not taken tho House into his confidence, but it made the significant, suggestion to him tliab after tlio war there were to be certain annexations in the Pacific and Now Zea'land propably would find herself mistress amoiiy'st si,,. number ;of island such as Samoa, Fiji and others. Coming io local matters he declared that, tho National Cabinet had not faced its obligation:', in tho matter of the cost of living.. Strong measures must bo taken and the Government must take them. While the walls of our freezing works wcrs bursting with meat if the Government did not see- that the . people got chenp meat then' it ' was denying the means of chenp living to the people in this crisis, and while tho people were making great sacrifices they deserved something better than to ha-ve to pay 1.5 8d - for butter. He pictured the farmer looking on with bulging eyes at the way the price of butter was rising higher and higher, yet these people had the audacity to clamour for the.repeal of the butter-fat fcax, and actually demanded that it should bo repaid out of tho Consolidated Fund. Nothing but a reduction of tho cost of Jiving would quiet the discontent which he knew was rumbling through the social ranks." Tho producers were demanding the right to sell the product of their labour in the dearest market and complaining bitterly because they are not nllo-wed. to Uo so, but what about tihe. worker who wanted to go Home-and work in Britain and increase his income? The Government said " No. This is your place, and if tho country want:* iyou, you must go out anil light for us." If the workers were to . De taken and asked to sacrifice life and all that life is worth living for, on the altar of country surely the producers could remain patient under such small restrictions as now wero being placed upon them. Mr Harris made an appeal for more thorough .education of young people as tho surest way of restricting tho spread of venereal disease. He favoured careful inquiry before deciding upon Imperial preference. He advocated a nonGerman Pacific and urged tho annexation of Pleasant and Ocean Islands, where there wero most valuable ' deposits of phosphates, an acquisition which would pay us handsomely for war expenditare. The adjournment of tho debate was ■ moved by Mr M'Combs and the House j rose at 10.35 p.m.