ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 185, 5 July 1928, Page 4

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

COMMENCEMENT OF DEBATE. THE OPENING SPEECHES. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 4. Tlie debate on tlie Address-in-Eeply -was commenced in the. Legislative Council this afternoon when the speakers were Sir Bobert Stout, Hon. G. Witty and Sir John Sinclair, and in the House of Bepresentatives in the evening when the usual formal motion was moved by Mr Waite (Clutha) and seconded by Mr A. Bell (Bay of Islands). The debate-in the House was

adjourned on the motion of t LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SIR ROBERT STOUT’S SPEECH. In the Legislative Council Sir Robert Stout stressed tlie importance of the 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. He trusted that the investigation of the Royal Commission and by Hon. IV. Nosworthy would be a lesson to those who sought to stir up trouble in the islands. Sir Robert referred to the agitation for a State Bank and said that its 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 held practically half the interest in it. A State bank would give no relief cither to the farmers or to the people. The trouble was that peoplo in New Zealand were over extravagant as was evidenced b.y the consumption of liquor and the expenditure on cinemas. Farmers who said they wanted money should votd prohibition and then the money spent on liquor would be released for expenditure for more useful purposes. ADVOCACY OF THRIFT. In support,of his advocacy of thrift, the speaker showed that a weekly contribution of Is per week from birth would provide £BB3 18s at the ago of 60 at 5 per cent, interest. If thrift were practised in that way it would be unnecessary to borrow overseas while people would be provided for against a rainy day. SECONDER’S REMARKS. The motion was seconded by Hon. G. Witty who supported Sir Robert Stout’s remarks about Samoa and said that no military man should be set over such people as the Samoans who required to be governed with tact. Ho doubted whether the intermediate rural credits system would be successful, but lie congratulated the Government on the surplus for the past year, which ho said was in contrast with the Australian deficits. He defended the Government against criticism in respect to the public debt, pointing out what had been compiled in the creation of interest earning national assets. Touching on unemployment, lie said that he had seen far, worse conditions than existed to-day. If tlie 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 be allowed to starve. INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE. Sir John Sinclair commended the growing movement for industrial conferences and then emphasised the importtance of unity in the Empire. He considered that tlie new system of Imperial communications established at the last Imperial Conference tended to weaken the Empire. The Government could not bo held responsible for the recent depression in New Zealand as this was due to the decreased purchasing power of money at Home. In this connection, he advocated trade within the Empire. The recent Industrial Conference, lie said, could be productive of nothing but good. The debate was adjourned on tlie motion of Hon. W. W. Triggs. HOUSE. OF REPRESENTATIVES. PEACE TREATY COMMENDED. When the House of Representatives met at 7.30 Mr F. AYaite (Clutha) moved that a respectful address be presented to His Excellency the Gover-nor-General in reply to His Excellency’s speech. In doing so, he paid a tribute to the Governor-General and Lady Alice Fergusson in setting such a high example to the people of Zealand in their interest in public welfare. Proceeding, the speaker expressed the warmest approval of the Kellogg Peace Treaty which he said was particularly welcomed at'the present time. He also regretted that the United States had remained outside the League of Nations and said that the former’s hesitancy had hindered the process of disarmament. The foundation of the League of Nations w,36 the greatest of many peace movements designed to abolish war whicli all had such reason to deplore. The history of these movements was traced by the speaker, who claimed that out of all these negotiations one fact stood out,' namely, that the British nation above all others was in earnest in the .quest for peace, proof of which was the extent to which she was carried by the policy of disarmament. She also, more than any other, had consistently striven to abolish slavery in the parts of- the world where it still existed. The Americans’ naval building programme w.as next described, its re- 1 Auction by Congress and the sequel by i the invitation in Mr Kellogg’s peace i pact. He believed that war between J Britain and tho United tates was impossible in the future and so far .as these nations were concerned war was indeed outlawed. NEW ZEALAND’S INTEREST. So far as New Zealand was concerned. it was to our interest to fall into line with this tneaty because our country did not consist merely of tlie North and South Islands. Its confines were now far extended and our responsibilities were correspondingly extended. This involved the administration of Samoa where no one need be surprised to find trouble existing. To buy good copra cheaply and to sell bad liquor dearly had for many years been the purpose of certain people, and interfernce with this trade was naturally resented. Tho SkenrettMcCormick Commission had, however, vindicated the Administration and he believed that they could .await the result of the Mandates Commission with every confidence. The position in Samoa to-day might not he entirely f ■

he Leader of the Opposition

satisfactory, but they could have full faith in the new Administrator, who was .a man of few words, but one who knew liow to act finnily when required. EMPIRE MARKETING. The Empire market problems were next discussed, trado within the Empire being urged because British goods could always bo relied on for quality, while British workers were more likely to consume .New 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 m other ways, notably the Empire marketing scheme on which she was spending a round million per year on the Empire Marketing Board and the Imperial Scientific Research Board, both of which had been established to further Empire marketing. It was now for New Zealand to follow up the effects of the Empire Marketing Board by giving our meat and other products full publicity and, above all, the regulation of shipments to London. Tlie speaker next expressed approval of the recent National Industrial Conference called by the Prime Minister though it was too much to expect that a solution of all the conflicting problems could bo found as a result of the negotiations of such conference. RURAL FINANCE. Rural finance was progressing favourably ; the bonds were being taken up rapidly, the security being generally considered good. That part of the Intermediate Credit Act which ' provided for the formation of associations was a success, especially in tlie North Island, thus falsifying the predictions of tho critics of the Act. Unemployment was a problem which depended upon many causes and was a difficulty which came no matter which Government was in power. The first gang of unemployed in New Zealand were employed on Shortland Crescent in Auckland in 1842 and ever since unemployed had been with us. There was no cure at all for the complaint; the only way to cope with it was to find suitable work for those able to undertake it. Other countries were not so well off as we were, and wliat we wanted was to get back to a better sense of proportion. MONEY FOR EDUCATION. This brought him to speak of the large sum of money spent on education. Our primary schools were probably giving us full value, but he did think that too much was being spent on high schools, colleges and universities. If farming could be made to pay, boys would stay on the farms, but so long as they found they could make more money distributing goods than by producing them they would want to stay in the towns. For this reason he was glad to see that agricultural education was coming into its envn. AVe wanted trained farmers rather than doctors and lawyers of whom we already had more than enough. He predicted a jieriod of prosperity for the people, and to those who saw difficulties for the country he would point to the crowds of well fed, well dressed people who were to be seen in every part of the Dominion. Our country must progress ; to do that we must spend money, but we must avoid making tbo State machinery top heavy. He was pleased to see that the Government was endeavouring to preserve a fair balance between ail sections of the people by legislating for all alike and not for one section of the community more than another. MILITARY TRAINING. Mr A. Bell (Bay of Islands) in seconding the motion, after paying a felicitous tribute to His Excellency and Lady Alice Fergusson, gave his approval to the peace proposals mentioned in His Excellency’s Speech. At the same time he urged that people should not be lulled in a sense of false security as we were beforo 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 official Opposition towards Samoan affairs. He knew and admired General Richardson and knew how he had strived to be fair all round. So far as later developments were concerned,-he entirely approved of the firm stand by the Government to counteract the intrigues of those whose methods had been! strongly condemned by the Mandates Commission. He had every confidence! in tho new Administrator who he believed would leave behind him a high record of efficient government. INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES. Regarding industrial troubles, lie advocated the free labour movement without which 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 responsibility for unemployment on to the Government. In America, England and Australia the position was worse than it was here. Indeed, in New Zealand it was seven times better than it- was in America. Immigration was in a sense responsible for unemployment, but it was useless to suppose that this country could ever reach the pitch of greatness nature intended on one and a-quarter millionpeople. Under the circumstances, the Government did wisely to restrict their immigration policy, but lie looked forward to tho day when we could renew that policy. He hoped that then we would bring out boys and girls from Britain since they would make just as good settlers here as they had made in the sister Dominion of Canada. * CHANGES ADVOCATED. Much could be done to improve the position of tho country by the remodelling of the ArbitAition Court, lower Customs duties on tho necessities of life, and the abolition of trusts and combines, which undoubtedly wore hindering tlie welfare of tho people. .He advocated payment by the Government of freight on all fertilisers -brought into the country so as to give -an lm-

petus' to the cultivation of the poorer classes of land. The conditions of land settlement were quite different from those of 30 years ago; prices all round had increased and lie hoped that in the new land settlement scheme of tho Minister there would be some provision for overcoming the new difficulties which had arisen in the passing of the years. LAND POLICY. The land policy of the old Liberal Party was very well, but it did not go far enough and no land settlement scheme which did not give the settlers good roads within a reasonable time would meet modern requirements. Never had such progress been made in this respect as had been made since the present Government came into power. Only recently he had witnessed the opening of a metalled road for which people had waited 40 years. Much' as roads were required he deprecated employing large bodies of men on that class of work in the rainy season since it must result in a great waste of effort and national loss. In preference, we should inaugurate some great tree planting scheme upon which in the depth of winter men could be more profitably employed than oh road making. He advocated the extension of the life of Parliament which, in view of complicated questions like the licensing problem, was a necessity. He hoped that the Government would this session make some pronouncement on this subject. He referred with pleasure to a visit he recently paid to the South Island, speaking in glowing terms of its magnificent scenery, urging the Government to utilise every opportunity to bring to the notice of prospective tourists. The beauties of the South Island were second only to those of the winterless north where settlement was progressing in a marvellous wav but which still had wonderful potentialities in production and sport. The speaker concluded by pronouncing a eulogism upon tho Prime Minister, who had guided the ship of State with ability and sagacity in the face of great difficulties, services which ho felt would entitle the Government to go to the electors confident in tho knowledge of work well done. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Opposition, and at 9.30 the House rose till 2.30 to-morrow.