NO-GONFIDENCE DEBATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14923, 22 February 1912, Page 8

NO-GONFIDENCE DEBATE.

MR. MILLAR/ READY TO RESIGN.

I IN THE HAND!) OF THE PARTY. AN UNPOPUL/tB GOVERNMENT. | CHARGES AND APOLOGIES. [BY; TELEGIJArH.— PRE§3 ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. The debato on the no-confidenco motion proposed b.y the Leader of the Opposition was' resumed in the House of Representatives this evening. The galleries were again crowded to the limit of their capacity, and "many people were unaUSe to. obtain admitesion to the chamber. Having moved the adjournment of the debate </n the previous evening,' Mr. J. Payne (Grey Lynn) had the first right to speak, but he did not respond when his name was called, and the first speech of the evening was delivered by the Hon. J. A. Miliar, Minister for Railways. Mr, Millar declared that the last election campaign was one of the dirtiest ever conducted in this country. He asked Mr. Massey to say what he meant to convey whrtn he told the people at Pukekohe that he had only clean hands and no roads or railways to offer ? Mr. Massey: Am I allowed to reply to this, Mr. Speaker ? because I am quite prepared to reply to it. Mr. Millar said the Opposition had not proved a charge against the Government. Its members had dealt in nothing but innuendo, and the position had come to this that no man with any self-respect would remain in public life. Mr. Hine: The public judged you. Mr. Millar: Yes. on lies. (Laughter.) The members of the Opposition, said Mr. Millar, had called themselves true Liberals, but it had been well said that if one took off the new horse cloth there would be the same old " national ass." Mr. Massey : One of your supporters called you gingerbread aristocrats (a phrase used by Mr. Payne). A Member : Elegant language. Mr. Massey :' It was used by one of yourselves. Dealing with the question of the debt, Mr. Millar challenged the Opposition to name any work on which monejj, had been wrongly spent. The Power of Parliament. Mr. Millar deprecated the Opposition criticism in regard to the Government taking away the powers of Parliament. Ho challenged the Opposition to name anything in which the Government • had usurped the power of Parliament. Mr. Maseey : There is the Customs tariff in which the Minister is allowed to make alterations. ' Mr. Millar said no tariff in the world could go into all details. Mr. Massey : No tariff in the British Dominions gives power to the Government to the extent that ours does. Strangers to the Truth. . Mr. Millar, proceeding with his speech, referred to the Dreadnought gift, on which, he said, not a penny had been spent till it had been authorised by Parliament. * Mr. Allen : Wo could not go back on what had been done by the Prime Minister. Mr. Miliar said the Opposition were such strangers to the truth that they did not know it when'they heard it. Mr. Massey asked if such languago was in order. The Speaker said he did not think there was any objection to the language in the general sens© in which it had been used. i The * Civil Service.. Mr. Millar went on to refer to an alleged statement by Mr. Massey that the Civil Service was corrupt. Mr. Massey : Not as a whole; what I say is that 'improper appointments have been made. : Mr. Millar : Well, why don't you tell us what they are. Mr. Massey : "You give us a list, and we'll eoon show you. j Mr. Millar (warmly) : You can get the whole, lock, stock, and barrel, from the Dominion office, for we know the men who go there. Mr. Allen : That's a serious, charge to mako against the Civil Service. Mr. Millar : I make that charge, and I can prove it, because I know the men who go there. In conclusion, Mr. Millar referred to the prosperity of New Zealand since the Liberal party came into power. There was an old saying that a corrupt tree could not bring" forth good fruit; If they could show, after 20 years of their administration., a colony unsurpassed by any other part of the world, workers and farmers more prosperous than ever they wgro before, they could show that they had' done absolutely good work, and. they had done it in spite of the opposition ol those who wished now to come on to the Treasury benches. , Ho could show were the Government had taken away the privileges of the few, but they had given them to the many till there was a greater equalisation of 'the wealth of the people than there was in any country except France. ...... , Prepared . to . Resign. During the course of his speech, Mr. Millar remarked that time was going on, and he could hot say all ho wished to, but he added, "I" may have a fuller opportunity and a wider .audience than 1 have at the'present time." Mr. Millar's enigmatic reference seemed to puzzle members a little, itK import may, perhaps, bo surmised from Mr. Millar's concluding remarks:. "If," ho said, "it is jn the interests of our party, I, like my chief, will hand in my resignation. If it will be of any service to the party they can have it at any time. I havo no desire to retain office unless I can do some good for the party, ' and can do it with their support. I have had a good spell of party life, and if, in the interests' of tho party my' clearing out will do any good, "1 am prepared to no quite the same' thing as my chief." (Applause.) • ~ Personal Explanations. Fifteen minutes were occupied in a discussion in the form 'of personal explanations between Mr. Millar and Mr. Massey regarding the manner in which the latter had voted on the settlers aiid upon the old ago pensions schemes. Mr. Massey said that most people understood his position in regard to the former matter, but the Minister for Railways had chosen to revive the old story. When he first stood for Parliament 'was pledged on every platform to oppose wholesale borrowing, and when a bill was introduced proposing a loan of £3.000,000 for advances to settlers ho felt it his duty to oppose that loan, lie explained his position then, and suggested that borrowing ■ would be avoided by utilising the Post Office Savings Bank". deposits... Massey said he supported every Advances'to'Settlers Bill introduced since that time. It could not be denied. (Ministeriala remained silent.) The charge that he had once opposed an Advances to Settlers Bill was the only point that could lie made against it. Mr. Massey explained the manner in which lie had proposed a system of enabling workers to build homes for themselves. That was in 1906, and it had been opposed by every member of the Government party except Hon. T. .Mackenzie,, who was then in opposition. Mr. Massey contradicted a statement by Mr. Millar thai he had voted against

the first Old Ago Pensions Bill, which was before Parliament in 1896. In 1901 he had opposed a Bill proposing a loan of £2,000,000 for advances to settlers, because at that time there were £750,000 available, and ho argued that there was no necessity for a further loan.