PARLIAMENT.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10505, 13 July 1910, Page 1

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REIMIESEXTATIYES - (Per Press Association.) ' - - ''•■■ Wellington, July 12. _ s.Tlip House met' at 2..'id. ■• . - -\ Stale/mini.— The Premier announced that he hoped to bring; down the Financial Statement on Tuesday evening nest. —E. ,\. Smith.— Referring to Hie E. A. iSmirh ease, Sir Joseph Ward said certain statements liad been made by a. section ol' .the press reflecting on. Air Keunaway, and the criticisms directed against: the Goyeriiment and. himself was a ni is representation and 'distortion to the extent of falsity. Sir Joseph Ward, in a lengthy statement, (pioiod numerous letters in reference to ihe ease. jsriofly, the correspondence showed that Air Smith had been originally appointed to a pnsii inn in ihe High C'cuumissionors oiiice as emigration officer under l)r Foathcrstniie. Subsofpiently, when 'ihe system of assisted immigration v>-;is discontinued, .Sir Smith was ' appointed as Government shipping agent under the signature of iho late Sir John Hall, who was liieu I'reniier, and during Sir Julius Voxel's term <;f office, as Agent-General thai, appointment and the , shipping rates then agreed on had been continued without interruption ami without alteration up to the date of the present Government, taking over the shipping business itself in October last on the recommendation of Sir Joseph Ward himself. Some few years ago Air Smith retired Iron,' the business, but before doing so he had taken Air Konnaway, jani., into partnership, wliile he himseif retained a live years' interest in the business. Sir Joseph Ward said that on his visit to England lie. had, in consequence of suggestions made to him by an expoiien.eed man in London that Veu Zealand should undertake its own shipr ping business, recommended that this he 'done. Xo fault, had l)eeu found with the High Commissioner's office in connection wji.li f!ie eo'uduoi of the slapping business, but it was iound that a saving .ooldd- be t Ifocted by the now arrangement. Smith was entitled to receive, in common with other shipping offices, by way of con-mission and bonus, Kis 'per oduit passenger booked for New Zealand, in addition to this.* Air Kennaway received -Is per adult from the Government in eonsidora! ion of the correspondence and work done in connection with arranging berths and assisting emigrants generally, 'ihe grants doting J!)t!ii received by Smith was t\uA 17s ,'jd, of wddoh :\oi:uavay paid l-i i.-ihei- agents who had introduced oass-iteeis. In !<;:)7 the amounts were V.tt ami C-iOI! nv poetivelv. In addition to fi'.e above, he .'■.-■eonod from the shipping romp-odes .i:.>!'!(';-7-8 to .ClMof). " A/gains!, ';:.-:-■;■■ and cm-ienss';:'! en passengers mi.rodneed bv other agents, who well' aliorvard-;' dorhimd ii'v the Commi-.-dnnrr. In regard to Ireights, Smi'.h received it: pet cent, primage, ■'> per cont. g,«:ng .Veseph' Ward Vioi-hired timi the "mini-' Waiter Konmtway and his son wore euagainst iiie Government. Ihe whale pases'. If had yet lo be found >h.\t mio'ed ''('hat' iho "onrrospnudeui o he <fn the iable. Air \iss:oy. replying i a ihe siaioimmt that, the Opposition press had worked up' the Smith ail'-.ir wiih the . ohieef of attacking the Govermuooi, sah! some of the iiidopeiidmii nar.ers had taken a.n interest in the /iiboov. rVen'i'ier' was 'beside l:he""nohu . and mmh of if ought to have been bodnv ihe House long age. liad tin's been done the unfortunate discussion on Smith might never have arisen. The whole trouble arouse over the fact that Smith. the Government's shipping agent, had ceased to exist, ami bis pl.ieo was taken by the son of the most moHirtant official in the High <\,mwhereby Smith acted as shipubig agon; for idle Government appeared lo him to be highly improne;-. It would be more -KiU.isl'actory to do away wiih shipping agents altogether, and the roundabout systems of commissions ami rebates should he abolished. All could not agree that there had been no secrecy regarding Smith. The information had been refused Air Alacdonald in the Upper House in 10! 17 raid li)0S. The debate v.as interrupted hy the 0.00 adjournment. The 'House resumed at 7d'o. Air Fisher, in continuing the debaie on the E. A. Smith correspondence, said no exception could be taken to Alt Kennavva.y's action, hut tit," Government was to be blamed for its reticence and prevarication in connection with the* matter. One letter hail not been laid on the table, and he n.?kei'l the Government to lay before the House a return shot, ing the 'prices obtained for iron. Air ilussoti declared ihai r, base insinuation underlay the Opposition press criticism of the E. A. Smith affair. The whole affair looked quite different after the Premier's explanation, from what it diif when dealt wiih bv the uress.

':•?!• iTerrie.s said the affair^ revealed an extraordinary ignorance partol' the .Minister in regard to matter: connected with his department. Tinstatement by the f'remier that'an important letter from the Agent-General had gone astray was most disquieting. He regarded the arrangement whereby ?,!r Kcmuiway, the sou el" the principal officer in the High Commissioner's office, took over Smith's business, as improper. Mr Ta-vlor congratulated the Brenner oi the complete reply 1o the charges of imnrom-ietv in regard to the Smith affair.' ' ' ~ Messrs Buchanan and Wright, also look part in the discussion. Sir'.Joseph Vvard, in replying, said lie ii"V"r for a moment believed there was anvt.hing improper in connection with the Smith affair. Regarding the letter despatched by Mr Reeves m September. 190(i, this was due a.l-_jhe time when he was absent from 'Wellington. The correspondence from the Hi'di Commissioner's office was opened by'the secretary to the Cabinet. The i'remier i\vc\v the seerel ary's attention to the fact that he had not seen the letter, and a. reply was received that it had not. come to hand. The motion was carried. , Exhibition 'Bill.- ■ Mr Millar moved the second reading of the Exhibition Bill, to enable exhibitions to be held in various centres. "It provided, lie said, for the appointment of commissioners to take charge of exhibitions, for the suspension of the Conciliation and Arbitration and other 'Acts, so far as wages were concerned., but provision would be made to extend the hours of labor. Mr Massoy, while approving of encouragement to exhibitions, look exception to the extensile (lowers given to'the Govermir-in-Conncil. Air M'Earen wished to refer the Bill to the Labor Bills Committee, so that the workers affected be allowed an op'poftumty of statin;?; their case. "- The Bi'l passed its second reading. The House rose at 11.30!