OPENING QF PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17251, 29 August 1919, Page 8

OPENING QF PARLIAMENT.

HIS EXCELLENCY'S SPEECH *vV'>"v ; * :■'»;'"■: ■■:''■,.'.. '*' : " ;S ' ''■•':' "V *•?;■■ ■':": ■'■•.s&.:■'4?<i'S';c ■•'■'<"■'A','•' "'J : r ' "' ''' '•'"" -■'-.■*''■ ' ; 'j!-'*' '?*! WORK OF THE SESSION.; LEGISLATION IN PROSPECT/ POST-WAR REQUIREMENTS. REPATRIATION EXPENDITURE^ XBY TEMaBAPK.—SPEOIAI. REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Thursday, ; The sixth session of the nineteenth Par* liament of New Zealand was opened' by the Governor-General, the Earl of ; Liverpool, at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The fine weather which had prevailed during the earlier part of the week broke to-day. The early morning saw a steady drizzle of rain falling, and this continued into the afternoon, so v that when the proceedings commenced the conditions outaide were thoroughly unpleasant. In consequence a covered way was placed at the main'entrance to the new building, through which the ViceRegal party entered. . The. ceremony was attended by Viscount Jellicoe, Lady Jellicoe, and the staff officers from the New Zealand. The naval party was placed on the dais to the left of the chair. The gleam of gold braid and epaulettes, and the bine of the uniforms throwing, into relief the";nuutP coloured medal ribbons, gave a novel touch to the gathering. It was noticeable that Lord Jellicoe, who was a pace in advance of the remainder of the party, etood motionless as a Btatue throughout the ceremony. Prior to the arrival of the Governor-General, and during the reading of the speech itself, there was the 'sporadic restlessness common to such gatherings. By this Lord Jellicoe was untouched. He stood immobile throughout. . , • The ceremony was conducted in the new Council Chamber, which, as has been previously esplahidd, was specially fitted tip for the occasion. Though most of the air of incompleteness was bidder by a lavish draping of flags, the galleries showed that the arrangements were only temporary, the seating accommodation consisting of plain chairs placed there for the occasion. The;, spectators fitted the galleries fairly completely, the strangers' gallery being crowded to capacity. The new chamber proved fairly satisfactory as regards acoustics, there being little of that echo which made conditions so difficult in the other new chamber last session. Ht3 Excellency read the speech clearly and deliberately, making himself heard even at,the. back of the galleries, where those in attendance were cut off from all view of ike proceedings, unless, as happened in-a number of cases, they climbed upon the chairs. His Excellency's speech was as follows —-. mtM-{Wii- to Peace. ■' Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Represent stives :— 'I last addressed you at the opening of your,fifth session of the present Parka* mhent on October $4, 1918. Though the victory of the Allies appeared to be assured, one only of our enemies, Bulgaria, had&then.laid iown its arias, and submitted; fo accept any terms which the Aihaa might dictate. From that date onward .until November 12, ; 1918, when the news was received of the signing of the Armistice with Germany, our enemies in gift's succession sued for The invitation of Imperial Government to" this Dominion .to. Readmits k j>resentatiy,es* to the Conference constituted to determine tie- t«arms of peace to be imposed met' With a ready response from both Bouses of this Parliament,!; and my Prime Mhmh tor and Minister for Finance left immedi4 ately: afterT'thte close of your last session to attend that conference, and to take a not unimportant part in the deliberations of that ereat'assemblage of statesman^.You'will bo able "to gather from papers which will be laid before you that j»ew ; Zealand, with the other 'great seWgoverning Dominions- bf the- British Em-; pire,*iwfi been., accorded a status by 'fee allied nations which marks the beginning of a new era our national history. " ■/■ TThe Pressat .Sariliawiit.'", .' • . ''Tour preeeHit 4 Parliameftt, the members of the House of Representatives' for which wore elected in the year 1914} a* few months after the beginning, of the great, war, would have in the ordinary course expired at the end of the year 1917. Its existence has been prolonged by statute until the end of this year, and therefore, -with tha exception' of the ; occupation of German Samoa and of the despatch of the first Expeditionary Force to Egypt and GallipoH, all the great events of the war specially'affecting New Zealand have taken place daring the existence of the piesent Parliament, whichhas been piled upon to deal with the affairs of; the Dominion under unexampled difficulties. / ; By the extension, at the; Wish of the Sovereign, of my own term of; office, I have had < the honour of being His Majesty's representative daring .the whale period of he war, and looking back: with you over those years of trial, I feel that I may join you in the proud memory that this Dominion has never faltered »V its determination to give and continue' it* support to the utmost of its power to the .cause of the Einpfeey-ihat no promise made by New Zealand to the" Imperial Government .remains unfulfilled by this. Parliament, and the Government of this Dominion, and that our soldiers have by, their splendid courage, discipline, and conduct won a name for themselves arid a place for New Zealand in the annals of the greatest of Wars. '' I am sure that you will join with me in ths deepst sympathy with those whose sons and relatives have fallen, and with t£e many who -have returned maimed and wounded,to their,, homes. My Ministers recognise the first duty of the Governrtient and of parliament in the new era of peace is to the men who have fought for us and to the relatives of the men who have , fallen in our service. Peace Treaty and Mandate. You will be invited at as early a date as . possible by resolution of both Houses to ratify the treaty with Germany and to accept the mandate of the League of Nations for the government and administration by New Zealand of that part of the Saraoan Group which was formerly under German rule. My Ministers are confident that you will not fail to undertake the responsibilities which those provisions of the Treaty of Peace impose upon a mandatory Government, and they hope to be able to submit during your present session in statutory form the methods proposed for the establishment of a new scheme of government for those islands under the control of New Zealand. During the past three years your legislation has been confined to urgent matters | arising from the war and to minor j amendments of existing general and local statutes. My Ministers recognise that, as there remain only four months of the life of the present Parliament, and as your session must therefore be of short duration, the legislation to be submitted for your consideration should be limited to matters of urgency which cannot be postponed for th consideration of the new Parliament. Amending Existing Laws. Although the work of repatriation and training ° f returned 6old ' has proceeded smoothly and satisfactorily, the measures which you have passed in previous sessions providing for repatriation and for assistant to soldiers in various ?? n C n^/T'/ n f d *% ft* the acquis! tion of land for their settlement, have m some respects proved to be insufficient and amendments of the existing laws on these subjects have been prepared, and will be submitted to you. The Mortgages Extension Act and its amendments expire on the 31st of the present month, and require immediate attention .and you will be aeked to pass with as little delay as possible an Expir-

—- ■ , 'i, i -—... .' i . '', i,,; ,;. '•'.' '. '~ L -, .-. ing Laws Continuance Act, which will < extend the operation -of those Acts for a further"". period. You: will later be re- > quested to., - consider; -an:. Amending and Consolidating Act continuing for a certain ; period the existing limitations upon the : powers of mortgagees' and defining a time ; ..when theseVlimifations ina-y?be .safely'-. removed. • -: Bills amending the Government Railway* Act, the Labour laws, the Workers : Dwellings Act, ' 'the- :■■ Discharged Soldiers r. > Settlement - 'Act, the Land.-..'Laws, the Mining Act,- the,-Coal Mines Act, the .Chattels' Transfer > ■■ Act, the Post .and j -.Telegraph Act, and others have been prepared for your consideration. ■■,""• You will doubtless -.be pleased to learn that » the Lake Coleridge: hydro-e!ectrio scheme-continues to be a* success. * Steps , are being taken to complete those works to enable the extension of the benefits throughout Gaiiterburyi initiatory; steps are being taken in regard, to the Mangahao and Arapuni schemes. The purchase: of, the .Hprahbra plant and 'transmission, lines from the Waihi- Gold Mining' Gompany ; ha« been satisfactorily «'cdK*pletd. The acouisition' of the Horahora installation will enable the farmers of the wai- • kato and surrounding districts and, the boroughs and : factories to be supplied with electric power as soon as reticulation lines can be erected. Labour Unrest and Coal Supply. New Zealand has not entirely escaped the unrest which is prevalent in manj4 other ,countries of the world, and which is the aftermath of the Great War, nut I am confident that the. good sense and industry of the citizens of the Dominion will more than counteract any attempt* to spread the pernicious doctrines which! have proved so raischievioUs in certain Euroneari countries. The failure of the supply of coal has caused my Government - much anxiety during the recess, and .my" Ministers trust that you will find time sufficient to enable you to consider fully -the position. The shortage has been due to two' causes: Firstly, the reduction of the output from New Zealand min-as, and. secondly, the difficulty of supplementing that supply by cargoes'from Australia. There is now good ground for hope that one of the reasons which has prevented inmporfc from Australia may be shortly removed, t»ut a deficiency of shipping) exist©, and to a certain extent must for the present continue. .-. , My Ministers view with anxiety the conditions which leave this Dominion dependent upon, sources of supply of coal from other countries. . ' X At the present moment the freeing chambers are full of meatus the. property of the ; Imperial Government, on account of which millions of money have,, been paid by that Government, and every obligation of honour and duty requires that, while such meat remains in store, coal shall be supplied for the efficient continuous working of the freesing machinery. It hasj-beenl found absolutely necessary to cut down the railway service to an extent- which has caused great inconvenience to the public and Toss to the industries of the Dominion. The loss of revenue consequent upon that reduction; has beep most serious, but that loss constitutes by ho means tee principal ground of the present anxiety of the Government The supply for every household. has been, necessarily .cm-tailed to a limit, wh}ch has caused general inconvenience and considerable suffering (firing the* winter months. My Ministers hope that some . jtatfcfac&ay •boats of arrangement may be arrived at under which, by increasing the production of existing mines, and opening new mines, .the Dominion may become self-reliant .in the provision of coal for its industries, and its homes. . Obligations to the Sqldlei.' Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives :—. . The sums granted by Parliament for the repatriation and land settlement' of our' ; soldiers have been found to be wholly * insufficient to meet the requirements. Mv i OSSKite m * that jt is impossible 4 to delay the process, and they have, there-toieV-lR anticipation of your support ex- ; fended moneys and entered into o>liga- : #°38 largely in. excess of the amountfi totaonsed. My Meters do not doubt that ■- you will coidirm that action and will grant ; the very large further supply which is ; necessary to enable the countrv to fulfil : its obligations to the men of th\i Expedi- . tionary•■.•"forces, and .to the' relative! of those who died inour service. The public i }. throughout the Dominion has united- in' the. endeavour by the cordiality of welcome to every transport, carrying retuifned soldiers, to emphasise the general sentiment that what our soldiers have done for ; M return from us the utmost that wean do for them. Such obligations cannot be met wholly, from revenue and \. my-Ministers do not doubt that you will \ cheerfully ; grant them the borrowing powers they will propose, and confer your authority to raise the necessary moneys. Eeveaue and Expenditure. { With regard to the ordinary revenue and expenditure, you will find that the authority granted m your last session has enabled my Government to carry on the . business of the country beyond the period when, in ordinary years, supply cea^-s. 1 Jfortunately, both the collection of revenue and the expenditure on public services, till a late day in the present month, have been i under the control of the Government formed in the year 1915 by the agreement * of the two principal political partieß, and my. Ministers, therefore, confidently antT" , cipate your confirmation in respect of that past period. V .The estimates for the remainng part of * the year ending o E March 31 next have I - been largely prepared under the supervision of the Ministers lately controlling the several Departments, and will be subr mitted to you by my. present Ministers, subject to such revision as is possible , within the very close limit of, time avail- . able to them for the purpose. Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative •1: Council: I congratulate you on the occasion of , your assembling for the first time in this chamber. Though you will not be able I to hold) your deliberations of the present session here, I trust that this place may before you? next session be so fitted and > equipped, as to be fit for the due per-1 formance of your important duties. Lord Jellicoe's Visit. Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives : _,The visit of Admiral of the Fleet Yiscount Jellicoe to New Zealand is an event of far more than ordinary importance. One part of the great trust imposed upon him by the Imperial Governl merit is that of considering the subject iof the naval defence of the Commonwealth and of this Dominion, and offering advice | to the respective Governments. The wider subject of the British interests in the Pacific and provision for their general defence and protection will also have his consideration. The appointment of one so distinguished for N the purpose marks the importance of the duties entrusted to him. My Ministers trust that hi* inquiries and reports will have the effect of removing many difficulties and of enabling both the Imperial Government and the Dominions concerned to more clearly appreciate the dangers of the present and the future and the best means of united preparation to meet them. Visit to the Islands. During the recess I paid an official visit, accompanied by the Hon. Dr. Pomare, Minister in Charge, to the Cook Islands,, including Nine. I was received every/ where with great cordiality, both by natives and Europeans, and was glad to note many improvements effected in the islands since my first visit in the year 1914, especially in the increase of facilities for the education of the 'natives. At the request of the Imperial Government I proceeded thence to Samoa, where I also met with a cordial reception, from the natives of those islands. I desire to record the gratitude of myself and my Government for the hospitality accorded to me and to . the Hon. Dr. Pom «» by the* Governor of American Samoa at Pago Pago and by His Excellency the Governor of Fiji at 'Suva .' iorZ t^" t<? caU at of those thfmf?, coaluag Purposes. I commend