PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16996, 1 November 1918, Page 6

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. CABINET'S WORK IN ARREARS. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY DEBATE. [lit TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. The House of Representatives met at 2.30 p.m. At the close of the formal business, tho Prime Minister announced that as the work of the Cabinet had fallen greatly into arrears, owing to the number of deputations waiting on Ministers, he proposed to ask Mr. Speaker to leave the chair till 7.30 p.m., to enable Ministers to attend a Cabinet meeting during the afternoon This course was approved, and the House rose at 3.5 p.m. When the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. the debate on the Address-in-Reply was continued by Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), who devoUd himself to criticism of the Labour Farty's ideals, claiming they represented deserters, shirkers and " coldfooters," who refused to fight for their country. Their opposition to the Military Service Act could not be_ endorsed by the people of this Dominion now or in 60 years' time. > Discussing post-war problems, he asked if the Government had formed any comprehensive scheme of repatriation, and would that scheme be submitted to Parliament. The Prime Minister : Yes. Mr. J. Y. Brown (Napier) i When ? Mr. Massey : This session. ■ Mr. Wilkinson, continuing, eaid he hoped that no attempt would be made to keep the soldiers under military control a day longer than was necessary, and that tho business firms whose jmployaes had gone to the front would be compelled to take every one of those employees back into'their employ on their return. On the subject of the liquor question, he favoured a referendum, but thought that great caution was necessary to safeguard against licenses being restored in _ the event of prohibition, with compensation being carried. s ' . . , I The Hon. D. Buddo (Kaiajoi) expressed the opinion"that the education system re-, quired remodelling. More direct control | was needed, and to gain this object he did not care what was abolished. With ( reference to railways, he criticised details of the. administration, and said that someone acquainted with local conditions should bo appointed to manage the railways. He defended producers against charges of demanding excessive prices. He advocated a vigorous scheme of afforestation as part of the Dominion's after-war policy. In the same connection he expressed the hope that nothing in the | nature of a commercial system would be adopted in settling soldiers. They should i •'be distributed among the general public a3 muoh as possible, and for this purpose local committees should be set up. A grateful country should see that every man who came back received some permanent benefit for the sacrifices he had made. Mr. J. Anstey, (Waitaki) regretted the absence of the leaders of the country from the Dominion for so long. He attributed much of the present unpopularity of the National Government _to the fact that there was no leadership to check the exploitation which was going on everywhere. Huge profits were being made, p.nd these profits were being put into war loans which were going free of taxation. On the other hand industries were being subjected to imposts wliioh they were unable to bear. He deplored the abolition of the mortgage tax because it freed from taxation thousands of people who previously had paid. In the same way shareholders of big companies were being exempted. He contended that much 01 ( tho land taxation tended to increase aggro- ' gation, and that was also the case with j nearly all legislation that had been | iimea against aggregation. Every j graduated .land tax toas futile as J a weapon against aggregation. On the subject of the liquor question, he favoured a referendum but was emphatically opposed to the payment of compensation. Now that tne war was drawing to * close he doubted the wisdom of holding a general election but he did want to see a reconstruction of the Ministry, even if that meant going back to party government. There were some members of the Government who would serve their country better in less < responsible positions. What the Dominion needed at this juncture was a statesman with a policy which would repair the ravagos of the war. Mr. T. W. Rhodes (Thames) advocated a public works policy which would develop the resources and increase production. This was the only way to recoup the cost of the war. The debate was then adjourned and the House rose at 11.35 p.m. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. REPATRIATION PROBLEMS. [by telegraph.—press association.]

WELLINGTON, Thursday. . The Legislative Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Hon. J. B. Gow (Opotiki) continued 'the debate on the Address-in-Reply. He said he did not anticipate the difficulties seen by some people in connection with repatriation. The soldiers would bo absorbed without difficulty. . The Hon. W. H. Triggs (Chvistchurch) emphasised the need for maintaining the Defence system after the war. The settlement of soldiers on the land should be part of a comprehensive administration scheme, with a view to increasing production by the settlement of new land?, and not segregating soldiers from the rest of the community. He suggested settlement on ready-made farms, as in Canada. The Hon. G. J. Garland Auckland) advocated increased pay to school teachers and the abolition of the overlapping in secondary education. The Hon. H. L. Michel (Hokitika) said 'ho hoped th'ere would be a coalition of the best men of all parties for the settlement of post-war problems. The debate was adjourned at 5 p.m.