LEGISLATURE IN SESSION

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12185, 9 July 1925, Page 9

LEGISLATURE IN SESSION

CONTINUATION OF ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

WESTLAND M.P. INDICTS GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARBITRATION ACT

On the resumption of the Address-in-Reply yesterday, Mr O’Brien, member for Westland, alleged that many labour troubles were caused by tactless mine managers and officials. He condemned the Government’s administration.

The Address-in-Replv debate was resumed yesterday afternoon by Mr J. CCBrien (Westland), and he was not long in indicating that he was up to indict the .Government. He released the first brick at the Hon. G. J. Anderson, because he considered more ought to be done for pensioners. Mr Anderson was the target again when Mr O’Brien turned his attention to the Arbitration Act. The Government’s administration was condemned, and Mr O’Brien added that Mr Anderson knew well that many labour troubles were caused lur tactless mine managers and officials. The Minister had talked of petty strikes, but he knew of one occasion when he was trying to settle a strike the president of the Employers’ Federation came along and told him:— “Look here. O’Brien, we are prepared to spend £50,000 to win this fight, and if that is not sufficient we j will put another £50,000 to it, and make a good job of it.” “1 just mentioned,” continued Mr O’Brieu. “that they meant to starve the men into submission.” “Oh, no,” said the president of the Employers’ Federation, “I don’t want to talk about that, but we are just going to win this fight.” MR WRIGHT'S GHOST AGAIN Turning his attention to Mr R. A. Wright, Mr O’Brien got in this bouquet, referring to Mr Wright’s recent speech confessing that he was once a Socialist. If Mr Wright talked in his Socialistic day as he had talked in the House he would soon leave the Socialist Party. “I know of respectable Socialist Party that wouldi stand for it.” A voice: He was chucked out. Mr O’Brien: Yes, the member for Dunedin North says he was chucked out. I dare say he was. “Winterless North Bell” next came under fire. Mr O’Brien remarking that “the erstwhile Republican” had treated the House to an advocacy of “thinking on broad Imperial lines.” Once Mr Bell •was a member of the Labour Party. Mr Parry: Of the executive. Mr O’Brien said Mr Bell had got up to give Labour a thorough slating, when he ©poke in the debate, and had collapsed after eighteen minutes. Mr O’Brien seemed to have a grievance against what he must regard as Mr Bell’s exceptional luck. “I don’t think any of us,” he said, “have had our Reform opponent, removed to the Upper House so that we would have a good run.” SOOO BLANKETS FOR THE POOR An appeal for a Government subsidy, of. money.being raised by commercial travellers for the poor of Auckland was made by Mr A. Harris (Waitemata). “Seeing that the country is in the position of begging in Parliament for blankets for it© people,” stated Mr W. J. Jordan (Manakau) in supporting Mr Harris’s appeal. The commercial travellers always had been very good in such works, and now they were out to co more good as 5000 blankets were needed for the poor of Auckland. It seemed disgraceful that there should be so much poverty in this young and ofttermed prosperous country. MR LYSNAR SPEAKS Mr W. B. Lysnax. (Gisborne) was not in favour of a State bank, but he did favour the establishment of an agricultural bank as recommended by a , committee of the House last session. He complained that it was the city people and not the country people that were now getting the Government money. The. banks could not meet the requirements of the Dominion, and they j should not object to the proposal. If ! the banks took a long view* of the j position they •would see that this plan would not cripple them. It would assist them. The Government could place to-day 20 millions on good securities at 31 per cent, as quick as they oould turn it out. Canada and America had had to do that. They had found millions to assist the settlers. There were fewer men in the country district* now than there had been previously, because was no money to keep thorn employed there, because the pendulum was swinging against mortgages and going in the direction of large companies and debentures. There was a lot of men in the country who had their backs to the wall because they could not got finance. He warned the j Government that such men would if I they continued to be disappointed go over to the disloyalists on the otlier side of the House. Mr Speaker: Order, order! Mr l/vsnar: Yes. I’m wrong, sir. (Laughter.) • 1 withdraw. The extreme members of the House I will say. Mr Lvsnar, in renlv to an interjection, added n.midst’further laughter: “I am not going- to deal with the Min ister for Agriculture. I’m going to give him a spell to-night.” Referring to the Gisborne-Napier railway, be said be did not feci very happv over that rnihvav. (Hon. mom-1-ors. Oil! Oil!) T-Te did not think the Government was fulfilling its promises. He kn*w that Mr Coates

Mr Speaker: Order, order! Mr Lvsnar: The Minister for Rad wavs, ho meant, had said that he was ooUiiicr pn observation survey made. Mr Lvsmr declared that lie believed in the inland route. It should ho up. and work should he coined on at the three ends of the line. (1/urghter.) In condusi'in. ho' referred to the Lyons rose. He thought legislation .should he passed so that, when Lvons nme out of gaol he should not have the political rights of this Dominion. Mr Holland: This man nover was convicted. Mr Lysnar: TTe has been disolieyiug the law, and he did not leave the country when he was told to. PENSIONS AND HOUSING Labour nnplausc greeted Mr F. N. Bertram (Grey LvnnV who delivered a i hmg speech on pensions and housing IHe "V.ug'/c-f rd that the Government thonltl t n ko char'y* of the small sav- ; ings of these peorde. and give them a 1 sioMdenv'nf'’rv allowance ivn r ,, +n. I Thrv ,v:Li)iiV] iin-.ifr the «sum to sir £4OO. t ic frf’tinent of okl-a.go pftnj si mors nrd Hhid pm-doum-s was what I ••cd. F'u* a solution of Il*o i housing - problem he advocated the fud

employment of the 1919 Housing Act, a good Act, he said, hut ruined by faulty administration. He conjured up the South Australian ideal. There workers could get a house for £25 and so much a week, and the only mistake which the Government had made was in letting out the work by contract. But they had sines altered that, and now were building for themselves as the contractors could not do the work quickly enpugh. The Government sSmld move against trusts, and they would wait the Government’s proposals with interest. But in the words of the member for Gisborne, “the goods would have to be delivered.” “DRIED SHARK” “The old case of crying stinking fish.” was how Sir Maui Pomare described Labour’s criticisms. The present Government more than doubled the old age pensions, and as to the spending of money on housing, Labour seemed to overlook the fact that there were other things for which finance was needed. Eight Labour members had invaded Viis electorate of late, and bad made love to his Maori constituents, and he devoted some time to criticising and ridiculing what Mr Holland had said. Sir Maui went on to deal with the promises of the Labour members to the Maori people. They had promised them representation, on education boards now (no answer from the Labour benches). There was to be provision for settlement on other lands. Are they not settled now ? asked Sir Maui. A Labour member: Well settled. Sir Maui .Pomare: Yeß. and they won’t have any land left at all if these gentlemen come in (laughter). Then the Labour Party had promised that-if "they got in. money wo.u!d he advanced to Maori settlers to help them with their lands. Did they not know that already a quarter of a million pounds had been advanced to young Maori settlers to help them on their lands? No, they forgot these things when they went a-wooing in a Maori constituency (laughter), Sir Maui cited one after another promise made in the wooing, raising general laughter ns he showed the apeciousness of these promises. A Labour member interjected: “Don’t get angry.” Sir Maui Pomare: I never get angry. The hon. gentleman will know when I get angry. (Laughter.) Dealing further with the iand policy of the Labour Party, he s aid it would mean absolute confiscation to the Maori. One Labour Party had extolled the virtues of the Labour Maori candidate for his (Sir Maui’s) district—-Haifangi Moffat, once a Liberal. A Labour member: No!

Sir Maui: Well a pseudo-Liberal. If he was elected all the Maori grievances would be cured (laughter)., “Well,” added Sir Maui, “if that was so, there was no need for the Labour Parly. Hairangi Moffat would do it (laiurhter). “Woe betide the Maori people,” concluded Sir Maui, “if ever tho Labour Party got into power.”

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON EDUCATION

The Legislative Council had scarcely met yesterday when the galleries were { cleared. The Council proceeded to elect j the new Chairman Committees, and this over resumed the debate on the Add ress-i n-R epl y. Mr W. H. Mclntvre touched on a variety of topics. An amendment of the Local Bodies Finance Act insofar as , it governed riding lie] urged, and then, skating over his favourite subject of. mining with no more . than a reference expressive of pleasure at the Government’s intention to bring down a consolidated Coal Mines Act. he pounced upon the educational system. Education, as a lay man, be knew little about, he said, but he embarked upon a long criticism of details of the present educational methods. Education wa*s costing the country too j much for what they got, but he did not j say that the Dominion was spending 100 much on education. The teaching ! of the “three R’s” was not thorough j enough *, too many subjects were put before the pupils, and in some cases j children were under teachers who were themselves learning to teach. Technical I schools, too. had not given the respite for which they had hoped. Hon. W. Earnshaw: They’re absolute failures. WASTED TIME Too much time was spent in tho workshop at technical schools argued the Hon. Mclntyre, and the children should he taught principles nnon which they would have to work. They could j easily get the practice Inter on, and under commercial conditions. XTo | thought that the Government should see that preference was granted to I»ova who had had two years in a technical school. As for the universities some change in the method of entry was needed. A university was a niece which should take the cream of the intellect of the community, but today thev were making fourth-class doctors and lawyers of men who would make first-class ' carpenters. They worn training too many soft-handed workers and importing the skilled artisan* from overseas, which was a. very had thing. TTe gave close attention to the metric system which he-■ advocated, nnd which deserved to he considered by tlm next Imperial Conference. There was whole-hearted aerreoment with the previous speaker in the Hon. W. F.arnshnw. Too much time was wasted in education, and boys were being made amateurs in the city’s technical schools. NOT SORRY “T passed certain strictures when the Apprentices Act went through this House two years ago,” he said, “and I said then that if T was wrong I would anologi.se to the House. What is the position?” piv Francis Bell: Apologise? Hon. Knrn.‘ha.w: T wiv you have not rdrlf'l one apprentice to this country hy t br.i Vir Francis Bell: Oh. no! The Hen. Farndm.w wen* on to develop liib individualistic land policy. He

had no respect for freehold, he said, because those who advocated it did so because they knew that those who owned the land owned the people. He had oven less respect fo-r the “bastard leasehold” because it gave even greater opportunities for gambling in land. As for the Labour usehold policy it had been cradled in Moscow, and along with it they would have to take the capital levy and forced labour. What was tho use of talking about freehold? Where >vere the freeholds in this country P They were not 10 per cent. Sir Francis Bell: Well, what’s the use of making a fuss about it? (Laughter.) Hon. Earnsliaw: Why, the freeholds of this country are in the pawnshop 1 UNDER WHICH FLAG? With that he announced his intention of keeping to one subject, and tho balance of his speech dealt with the vital issue of for the flag or against it which he said was the political problem fronting the people. The Hon. M. Cohen desires an AngloAmerican alliance, or at least an understanding. There is no country in the world, he thinks, which would dare to defy Great Britain and the United States acting in a common cause. He was talking on the Eastern peoples and their preparations for war when five o’clock chimed, and the Speaker left the chair. TOO MUCH OVERLAPPING The Council sat for nearly two hours in the eveniug. but little was added to the debate. The Hon. M. Cohen, resuming his interrupted speech, .declared that there was too much overlapping in the educational system, and held that a complete overhaul should be made. There wore too many small schools established in out-of-the-way districts. An increased penalty clause was needed in the venereal disease regulations, he vaid, the essence of the regulations being that persons should not cease treatment when partially cured. The Railway Department should take over the Tourist Department and run it cs a branch. Finally, he denounced Bolshevism and disloyalist tendencies gen erally, When the Hon. E. Newman and Hon. Dr. Collins had concluded thtCouncil rose. The Address-in-Reply debate is now concluded, and the next Bitting will be held on July 16tli.