LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10138, 28 November 1918, Page 5

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

ADDRESS-IN-BEPLY DEBATE -CONCLUDED. ,

The, Council' ffiet' at.'j£,3o, p.m."’yesterday..,,' The Hon. D. T. Fleming was granted leave df 'absence’"for 1 a Hveek on account of illness. apd Th° J 9-„ LMichel leave for ten days owing to the illnessof‘Ms f&tnilf ’’ The .Military, Deqprgtions and. Distinctive Badges Bill was read a first time. -■■- .Resuming the debate tm-theAddreßß- 1 in-Kcply, the Hon. J. T. Paul spoke at some’length on the problem of national reconstruction. He considered the Labour parties were the only bodies which were fully alive to the great importance of the changes that were taking place. Before the" -vvaf a* tremendous* mountain of poverty i had been created, and be asserted that if they went back to the former state of things the British people .would have to face a great revolution. : What the working classes of the wojld were trying to evolve was a now things. He considered, \v. Earnshaw. who had spoken.iilie. jreviflpg .day■ wag hopelessly ouCtfttftyoh w ith Labour sentiments. The ’speaker charged the Government with.rjiaKlcctmg domestic - legislation, and contended that every .class of people in the country was dissatisfied. ’The epidemic, had shown the housing problem to be most- unsatisfactory. The Labour. Party- was desirous of, taking upt the 1 kviirk- of reconstruction ina manner that would advance the Dominion as a -whole and to ensure an adequate means of living for the worker. •- -■ The Hon. G. M. Thomson spoke- on the necessity for pushing the hydroelectric -power -schcmc-and .afforestation, ■and regretted the fact that the Government had not made better financial provisiori^fer'Scientific research. He advocated the better development of the fishing industries and more attention to the fqunOT.'nW’jvl . The Hon. Jfttijuki put.^.S plea for the establishment of ja muttonbird industry in the south. Ho held that Sir ; , James Allem.had, ,done_ good -work in connection with: the Military jServifcfe T MtP iwa degeTred'.tbo- ,-jhffis.of Wddufiti-V: •» 1 ’"lf The leader of the Council (Sir Francis Belli said he felt that those-who had participated in the debate had had a right 50.,t0 1 'dop because they - were qualified ho. apeak on the subjects which they handled. 'Slucli'of interest had been enunciated. Much would have to be faced with regard to lishing of industries and the rqqrgfimsaition of social life as a consequence of Use war. . , , , i i The debate having concluded at 4.40 p.m, the Council adjourned , till J.oU p.m. to-day. ■■ 1