ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13937, 21 July 1917, Page 2

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE.

YESTEBDAY '8 SPEECHES, -i •» (Per Press Association,); WELLINGTON, July 20. Mr 0. R, Sykeij (Masterton) resumed the'debate on the Address-in-Reply, He spoke' in admiration of..'the'manner in which the farmers and land-owners generally had responded to -the call' made, upon. them.by the war, both-in men and money. They had risen to the demands in the noblest fashion. Therefore he' deprecated the cry of the .town versus the country, which had been raised in the,debate. An excess profits tax 'was. right in principle, but .in practice it proved' inequitable and unjust. He quoted a number of anomalous eases that had come under his personal notice in support.of his 'contention, arid proceeded to ndvocate an extension of the graduated income tax as the fairest way of compelling wealth to contribute to the necessities of the State. Discussing the question of settling our soldiers when they return, he doubted the ability of. this country to borrow sufficient money to buy sufficient land and satisfy all the demands that were likely to be made. He therefore' endorsed the scheme framed by the conference of ■farmers at barton some weeks ago. Up opposed the butter-fattax, and favoured, the six o'clock closing; of hotel'bars, but considered the loss should be equally borne by the occupier of the hotel and the owner of the license, Concerning the question of further reinforcements, he considered it our/duty to hold on until we secured that victory which we alt so much desired, and our dead so much deserved.

The House adjonrned a; ."ISO p,m,

■ The House resumed at 7.H0 p.m. Mr W. A. Veiteh (Wnngaiiui), like the previous speaker, deprecated,, the raising of the cry of town ver.<iu '.''ollll- - but' if tlie country, members wanted tilings all their own way they wcie making a mistake, beeaus? the c.uintiy 'had more to lose in such .1 quarrel than the townspeople. ' He therefore could not understand the pppo.sii.io-4 to ':ho butter-fat tax,'which ought to have provoked the highest .idmiratbn tor I wards the Minister who did so noble 1 a work lii the tsand lie took to preserve the interests of the consumer;. 'lk> position was absolutely wrong that producers should charge famine 7,? lees just because they had the chance to do It V/hat was the National Government for if ir was not to prevent that sort of tiling, He considered '.he Minister only did his duty in prevent- •! ing the price of butter from soaring, and the public from being seriously exploited. He could not support Mr McCombs' amendment because it was calculated to give a wrong impression abroad, nor did lie approve cf the proposal to change the sv.stem of. rcc-vu't-ing and revert to the voluntary system. Rather would he abolish the voluntary part of the system altogether, for after all conscription was only giving the j people the answer they asked for, Many people of military age said they were willing to go when their turn came. Conscription told (hem when their turn would come. Concerning the question of the reinforcements, lie found a difficulty in making a pronouncement because jlie llonse did no.' have sufficient information, and they had reason to complain at t"h L i aiificulty of limliug out the facts of the ease. At the same time he felt we must win the war, and there could be no question of withdrawing, and we must play our part towards the Empire to the bitter end, lie, rcgrcitol the House had not seriously discussed-, 'after-war problems. Loyalty did not consist in waving (lags. There was a great deal of eoiisknetive work to prepare for the day when our soldiers would be flooding back to the Dominion. If we prepared to develop and encourage industries there need be no fear that wo would not be able to meet the cost of the war. As the agricultural industry was now thoroughly cslablishod, he- favoured an increase -in the land tax, which would make the industry bear the cost of its own future development. Cheap and abundant power was essential to the development of industries to this end, hydroelectrical power must be utilised, as it could be more cheaply generated in New Zealand than in Norway. All that /-was required was a Government courageous enough to .undertake the scheme.

Mr B. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) said he understood the National Government was unpopular throughout the Dominion, but that m ,s easily understood, because in the performance of their'duty to the co.mtrv they had been compelled to tread on'thc toes of almost every section of the co.nV im »'it?. Taxes had to be imposed in all directions, fares and freights had been raised, and restrictions piit on tho liberty of the subject, Consequently grievances of all kinds had arisen, and' the-wonder was, not that tho Govern. ment was unpopular,Jiut that it had not been swept away altogether. The excess profits tax must be repeated, .because of its unfair operation, : y]\e allowances to members of the Second Division must be increased, and tl'v pension scheme generally review] and those 'people who for nuy virion were unable to go to the front must, realise that, their share in tho great conflict was to find the money.. In view of the fact that the Second Division would soon be called up the question of reinforcements required careful consideration. The position might bo capable of explanation, but so far as he could /see our casualties for twenty-eight months had averaged under one thou-and per month, If that was so, : where was the necessity o( sending two thousand men every , month. If the nieti were necessary, by all 'meanslet them go-but by no mean's, should we send, more than we promised. He advocated ..six o,'clock closing, urg- • big the Government to ride boldly ctthe : hurdle and avoid compromise,- and :it least one party. ; '' - ■""' ■Mr C. J. Talbot'(Tcmuka) cQnsiired the shipping merger, and declared thai 1 the ; niamier in which:the sloping : enm-, ' ptuiiej treated;'! Miners justified ■ tbeJat-v.'v-':-';-v V;.'; ' v : 'v,':\ ■»'.;;,• i,v •

tor in' ostaliliflliiiig ilibir owu shipping 1 : facilities.' -Tito ''Opoirftious 'of meat trusts could not be circumvented by farmers alone. State action must be taken if both producers .'Aiid ■ consiuners were,not to be exploited, lie-complain-ed ■that-South Island farmers were not represented on'the Efficiency Board, The .reports of this board should be laid be-fore-Parliament without delay, Members were to a great extent being treated as cyphers.' They had the right-to know what the board thought of : essential industries, and he hoped Ministers would take the House more freely into their confidence, He denounced the ex t'ravagaiicc going oh in the Dominion in the purchase of motor ears and ' fur coats, aiui urged the Government to arrange taxation,™ such a way' as to check this expenditure on luxuries. At the outset of the war the Government was probably over-generous in making promises, to the Old Country, buf whatever were the promises made, they must be faithfully fulfilled, and.whatever reinforcements were- required niust be sent. As to the cost.of the war, he. did' not favour the view that we should pay by way of, a loan, but that we V should shoulder the responsibility ourselves by imposing adequate taxation rather than leave the burden to posterity. An export tax-Was unworkable, and he, was glad to know it was not going to be imposed. An increased income tax and graduated-land tax were the most equitable methods of raising revenue, as the time had not yet arrived for a direct levy on wealth. ']]<> felt eure all section? of the community would cheerfully pay the necessary demands, provided the .methods of collection were fair and equitable, ' The adjournment of the rlebato'was moved by Mr Keed, and the House rose at 10.-10 p.m.