PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18325, 15 February 1923, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

. NO-CONFIDENCE DEBATE. MODERATES AND SOCIALISM. TRUE LINE OF CLEAVAGE. NO ROOM FOR THREE PARTIES. , '/IPX TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.) ; WELLINGTON. Wednesday. The debate on the Address-in-Reply, and the amendments of the Liberal and Labour Parties thereto, occupied tho House of Representatives at morning, afternoon, and evening sittings to-day. Coalition was the outstanding subject of discussion. It was raised by the Reform member for Waitemata, Mr. A. Harris, who urged a fusion of the Reform and Liberal Parties. The only alternative, Mr. Harris argued, was another election, which nobody wanted. It was clear that the moderate sections must unite in some form or other to combat extreme Socialism., He took pains to explain that he was not talking for the Government. Members of. other parties laughed. The new Labour member for Westland, Mr, J. O'Brien, who defeated Mr. T. E. Y. Beddon at the general election, followed with his first speech in Parliament. It was not impressive, though he had no lack of words. His whole politics J world was Y/estland, and he spoke well for his electorate, pointing out that. in Westland there were nothing but ends of railways and roads and no Government with courage enough to connect them. Discusst C the suggestion for a moderate party fusion, Mr. 0 Brien predicted that nothing could prevent Labour from sweeping the polls in six years' time. The career of Reform had been a long record of persecution of the worker. He was called to order by the Speaker. Another Labour member, Mr. A. L. Monteith (Wellington East), described the plea of Mr. A. Harris as "The S.O.S. call of the Government," and* charged the Reform Party with what he characterised aa every crime in the political calendar.

Liberals and Monopolies, A left-handed compliment to the Leader of the Opposition was paid by Mr. F. F. Hockly (Rotorua), who praised Mr. T. M. Wilford's oratorical effort, but. pointed out that it was destitute of any new thought. It was an important occasion, and the Opposition Leader might have made it historic. The ball had been at his feet and ho had attempted to kick it, but it had not risen from the ground. Referring to the resolutions of the Liberal Party caucus, Mr. Hockly ridiculed the reference to the Reform Party being the> /representatives of large landowners and vested interests. That particular resolution, he said, was absolutely untrue, and it was also stupid. He asked ■who represented ' Hawke's Bay in the present House? It was a gentleman who sat on the Liberal benches. The district had also returned Sir John Findlay, a Liberal, to the. House. Then one of the largest landowners who had ever sat in that House was the late Mr. Rutherford, who was at the back of Mr. Seddon. There was also that largo landowner, the Hon. G. W. Russell, who .was _a .strong supporter of the Liberal Party. "~ M It was' the same with monopolies. The liquor interests in that House had been supported for many years by Mr. Arthur Myers, a prominent member of the Liberal Party. The Reform Party, on the other hand, got its support from the small farmer, from the small shopkeeper, and the thrifty labourer.

State Shipping.

It was a curious fact, said the Hon. D. Buddo (KaiapoP, who followed, that while the sister Dominions had shown great enterprise in regard to State shipping, Now Zealand had done nothing at all. Yet there was no other Dominion that so much needed shipping facilities and assistance for the producers. Canada and Australia had inaugurated lucrative Stat© shipping businesses. The suggestion of a coalition between the Government and the Liberal Parties was discussed by Mr. D. G. Sullivan, Labour member for Avon, wEo discussed merrily several ways and means of overcoming certain ' difficulties. Was the Prime Minister prepared to put country before party and accept Mr. Wilford as leader of a new Government! '/ "Would you like to see me sitting behind Mr. Holland?" asked Mr. Massey gcod-humouredly. "I am sorry, sir," replied, Mr. Sullivan, "but I "am afraid you could not escape being 'black-balled' by the Labour Party, even if you went down on bended knees."

"I believe," he continued, "that bo far as the workers and the real democracy of this country are concerned, the Government under the control of the Prime Minister is undoubtedly the worst Government we'/ have had in New Zealand for 30 years. ■ If, unfortunately, this Government is able to remain in office as a result of securing the support of these men who were elected to oppose it, the time is not far distant when the workers of New Zealand will be the worst paid workers in the British Commonwealth of Nations. The wages standard in the Dominion has fallen by between 20 to 25 per cent., as. compared with the 1914 standard. Where is there another country in the Empire with s'ich a record of legislation?" Proportional Representation. The debate: was continued in the evening by Sir John Luke (Wellington North), who discussed the Labour Party's advocacy of proportional representation, and argued that such an electoral system would prove unsuitable in a small country like New Zealand. The Royal Commission set up by the Government of the United Kingdom had reported that the alternative vote might be tried, but that there was very little merit in the Qther system. Mr. S. G. Smith (Taranaki) complained that the Liberal Party had been misrepresented regarding its attitude on the "cut" in Public Service bonuses. The Liberals recognised that there must be a reduction in public expenditure, but what they objected to was the unfair allocation of the "cut." The reduction in salaries of the lower-paid men was not justified, while at the same time the Government was giving rebates to large landowners. It was unfairness of that kind which roused the indignation 'of the workers. After Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) had replied to Government charges of misrepresentation, the debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) until 11 a.m. tomorrow.