LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13931, 13 July 1917, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

. ! %wekday's sitting, "■'■*'' ,• , (Per Press Assoc'ntion.)' , , r . i:Ju)y 12. y .. The Legislative Council resumed this afternoon. Tho Speaker (the Hon. C. J. Johnston), whose health.compelled-him to seek medical attention. outside of New Zealand, was granted leave of absence till;the end of the cession. The Hon. J. D. Ormond explained that he was not present during the debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply, and he desired to place his visws before the House. He expressed the view that the time had come'when New Zealand fliould consider whether it could keep up the present large reinforcements. If it became necessary to call up the Second Division, better provision should be made for the dependants of the members of that division. He stated there was a difference of opinion among members of the Cabinet on all the great_

questions, and this must make for inellicient government. He firmly believed we oould assist Britain to a greater extent by producing foodstuffs. After criticising the Government he said nn appeal should be made to the people of the country and a Government elected that would be responsible to tho people. The Hon. Sir Win. Hall-Jones supported the lion. Mr Ormond's views,

ami advocated that an election should be held. • . . The lion. W. Earnsliaw said an election was a secondary matter to that of winning the war. The Hon. J. Ba'rv advocated the purBiiaiii'e of the present policy of sending men, and pointed out that in many instances single men made equally as great sacrifices as some married men have made, Because America had come into the war was no reason why we should withdraw, "This is our scrap," iHid Mi" Barr, "and wc are in it to the end," The Council adjourned at 5 p.m. When the Council resumed at eight o'clock the Hon. Sir Francis Bell replied, quoting the resolutions passed by Parliament on the iirst and second anniversaries of the declaration of war, and declaring New Zealand's indexible de-

termination to prosecute the Avar to a finish. Was their resolution on the third anniversary going to declare that determination had now become flexible?" X r ew Zealanders were the iirst to land on German territory, and was New Zealand to be the iirst to quit? lie thought % uot.- We were in the war and were going to remain to the finish. The Council rose at 8.35 p.m.