A STRONG IMPEACHMENT OF TEE GOVERNMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 34

A STRONG IMPEACHMENT OF TEE GOVERNMENT.

"WHOLESALE CONDEMNATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION.

A LIVELY NIGHT IN THE HOUSE.

:both sides take off the GhOVES.

(Fsom Our Own Coreespohdent.) WELIJNGTON, July 1. ~ It is a very long --time since there has -been suoh stirring .times in Parliament during :the- -opening -week as during flic .-reek just ended. The proceedings yesterflay- especially were remimsoent of the old -fighting days. As the day wore on the ' attack, -which was successfully developed --by €ha Opposition on the Imprest ' Supply ' "debate, -was continued with increasing vigour 'by^ the Taylor paxty. The speeches "delivered -earlier m .the day by Mr Massey, -Mr Herries, and Mr James Allen were very 'telling' ones'. Later <hi came Messrs Bedford, -Eisher, .Hawkins, Duthie, and Taylor, fh'e .most damaging speeches "being those 'delivered 'by jMessrs Bedford and Taylor. /The ;"{jAller.ies -were .crowded during the ffreater part of- the evening, and "the keenest' -interest, was ttaken in the proceedings. . S*Jm -political temperature tos« to { feyerheat, und the culminating point was the electrifying .speech delivered ,by Mr Taylors"he Government received little support from its lollowers in replying to the charges -made, und the.brun.t~of^tbe Teplyfe'll upon the Premier, Trho- was docking somewhat iM »t- ease .and very jßushed. It was evident, jjowevei'i that he • was not in such good form as usual. f lt is generally admitted mat the -Government has never in tbe whole -lourse of its existence beea so severely handled as it was last night, and there is >*Bvery indication iihat the attack will be Jrene'wei' -at 'intervals "throughout the session irith undiminished -vigour. CHARGES BY MR BEDPORD.

:Mr Bedford, who has joined the third -»ar±y,--.Btyling themselves the Progressives, littered a strong condemnation of the Sed-flon-Administration. He congratulated che "Government on ihe probability of a.n early reconstruction the Cabinet-, because, he Aiid, the Premier -must have realised for Fpme lame past that the country was now tirod— mtfeed, it was growing intolerant— of the inefficiency that -characterised the fcdminisfcration of many of the Government departments. The <»untry would rejoice at k change .in the personnel of the .Cabinet, mnd if -all the administrative abuses could be disclosed the country would still more rejoice -at the annihilation of fchij Ministry. Mr "Bedford contended that the inefficiency was not confined to the weaker members of the Government. 'I'here was just as deplorable inefficiency - b.i the part of "the chief members of -ihe Ministry as on the .part of the weaker tnombeis, and ' ha was one of those who that in November next the peqple would not be -quite satisfied with the re--inoval of one or two members -of "the Cabinet, „ but • they . would show — in a lirge number of .constituencies, at ttnyrate — that they desired a ©omplefce change. In re,gard to -the Premier's surplus, thoughtful people were beginning to realise- that, to a certain extent, it was manufactured by charging to loan account .items that should be charged to revenue. •Mr Bedford "briefly touched on the administration of the Education Department, which, he said, showed a more lamentable lack of direction and control than any other. It was in a state of chaos, and the . teaching profession was in a state bordering on revolt. An 'Hon. Member : Who is the Minister in charge of it? Mr Bedford: The Minister is the Premier. -He is Colonial Treasurer, he is Minister of Education, and he is Minister of Labour. Mr Bedford <went on to say that this was a • *"Labotir Government, but many labourers •in the Government Departments were net treated as w6ll as labourers employed by individuals. In the Railway De(bartment -there were men receiving not more 'than 6s a day, and * great number receiving •only 7s, when, if they had access to the Arbitration Court, they would be getting at - least Bs a day. And yet we had & boasted surphis and a Premier perambulating.the .country and saying he did not know to do'with the money he had got. ifle-had such a redundance oT money that he ,w*& -going to increase the old-age pension, -reduce the duty on tobacco — (laughter), — %«nd do a hundred more equally foolish -things in the effort to find an outlet for ' <the -expenditure of his surplus. He was in -despair of finding means of diminishing his surplus, and so he .proposed to r-eduoe the duty on tobacco. — (Laughter.) Mr Bedford -failed the attention of th-e Premier to the 'Standard of living to which many men in the Railway Department were reduced as the result of very low wages. He had in his hand an account of expenditvire by a man in- tho Railway Department in Dunedm getting 6s a day. The man got in wages For the month £7 4s. He was » teetotal!^

and an abstainer from tobacco. For a month his expenditure was — Grocer, £2 10s ; rent, £1 8s; coal, 8s 4d; meat, 20s; lodge contribution, ss; Superannuation Fund, 7s 2d; union contribution, Is; — a total of £5 19s 6d. That left a balance for the month of £1 4s 6d for boots and clothing. Yet the man had a wife and four children, and declared that he had to live in a two-roomed tenement unfit for habitation because his wages would not pemrit of his doing otherwise. A wage of £1 16s a week, said Mr Bedford, was nob sufficient to provide any labourer with the ordinary necessaries of life in this colony When he had a wife and four children to support. It was not a living wage when we considered the cost of living at the present time. The highsrpaid men had received increases, but these poorly-paid men had received no increases. Mr Bedford next proceeded to criticise the Colonial Secretary's Department. He drew attention to the case of a southern registrar who had been convicted of wilfully and knowingly violating his du<ty, and vet he had not been removed from office till after he had officiated at a general election and a licensing election. This led him to cite the case of a registrar on the West Coast, whom he named. In this oase the Government had been guilty of a gross breach of duty— and, indeed, of treachery-— lk> the interests of the colony." This man was .still in office. But | he must be removed. I£ not, th© country j ought to be roused to indignation at such I * oase. In 1890 the man, as was shown, in the Gazette notices, was dismissed from the offices of resident magistrate 1 , coroner, warden, judge of the Assessment Court, returning officer, and justice <of the peace. He was also removed from his position as a member of a. Harbour Board. With these • facts within his knowledge, Mr Saddon was J approached by deputations in 1696, and he I then declared -that the man was not exactly J dismissed. The man was mow again in office as returning officer, though -the Go- ; vernment lad repeatedly had their afcfcen- ' tion -<lrawn to the «asa. The Justice De- ; partnient was .aleo attacked by Mr Bedford, especially -in -regard to allowing a licensed hotel to remain at Dunollie in d*s- I fiance of the expressed wish of an over- ! whelming majority of 'the people there, and also against the recommendation of the mine .manager. In concluding a forcible Mr Bedford said: "Every department, more or less, is in a state of chaos, . and it is time the country Tealised that not only must it sacrifice -one or >two membersof the Ministry, but that it must prao- i tically -get rid of all of them. Ido not think there is any possible way of clearing up the country's affairs." ' DEFENCE OF THE RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION. Sir J. G: Ward replied to Mr Bedford's charges against the -administration of the railways, and defended the department against the aliegaiion -of paying the railway men inadequate wages. He enumerated a ammber , of concessions made to the men, • and referred to the classification of th« employees. The Government had done an enormous amount for the railway men of the colony, and 1 hoped to do more, and there was no-snperannuajaon scheme in. this wocd that could compare with that of New Zea- * land.

Mr Hawkins "renewed the attack. He eaid Mr Bedford »e»d not "worry about the reconstruction of the (MiniEtry. as the country | wouid reconstruct the Ministry in Nov«m- j feer next. *"Phe importance of the coming j election demanded that the best men should ; be .appointed -as registrars, of electors, and in this connection he made some strong comments on certain officials occupying 1 that position. Se did not helieve that the Colonial Seoretary was responsible for -the appointment of «uch men, but that they were the result of the Tammany methods pursued %y ishe head of -the Government, the arch high priest of Tammany in New j Zealand. There were sufficient men in j the Honse to say that those men should be removed, and if they were not removed I Isefore the end of the session, there would '• be trouble, whether the Governinejit liked it or not. MR TAYLOR ON MALADMINISTRATION. Mr 'Taylor, in his speech, dealt with the appointment of $he returning officer referred to by Mr Bedfotd, and went on to allude to the case ©if b police sergeant, who, h.i said, was -dismissed from the 'force as •a. result of the inquiry made into his -case by the PoHce Commissioner. "The Premier," he said, "kn«w T*rel'l enough that he dare not have granted that maa compensation for loss nf -office while I was in the House. But I was -not hare the following Parliament. Be then put a sum on *he 'Estimates— l think it; was £12&." After further references to the licensing i question and the -conduot <# the Tetm - nis£ , effioer in question, Mr 'Taylor went on to \ say:' "I wish the Ministry to -understand dearly from me that my gloves are off, -and that between now and tbo general election they will have to mend their -ways and keep deoent company, so far -as the public servants are concerned, or there will "be little pecoe for them up till the end. of the .■session " Dealing with "the question of Cabinet reconstruction, he said: "I tell th a Ministry now it is generally believed that the Cabinet is going to be reorganised, and that pretty speedily, not because the Right Hon. th& Premier particularly desires it, -but '-because he dreads the possibility of a large *ecfciou of his own pa<rty becoming so powerful at the general election as to reorganise him out of existence if he does not put his house in order." He alluded to the action of the Premier last year ia deleting the Teferenoes to the land question from the copies of his Newtown «peech, which were circulated in the Pahiatua electorate prior to the bye-election. There "his candidate,"' said Mr Taylor, '"was a freeholder, and c renegade freeholder; a roan who is a member pf this House had been a strong leaseholder, but lie had to be built- to order for Pahiatua requirements, because it was supposed to be a freehold constituency. So they had to make the policy fit the man after having made the man fit the constituency." Proceeding to speak of the Upper House appointments, Sir Taylor said: "He has practically, in its present form, corrupted the Legislative Council. He has -also corrupted it."

The Speaker: Tine hon. gentleman must withdraw that remark. I cannot allow any member to say that another member ha 3 corrupted the Laeislativo Council. Mr Taylor: "Then I withdraw it. sir. I will say that he has appointed a man to the Council whom the Trades and Labour Council declared that, if other men cf the saroo character were appointed, it would tend to the destruction of the Chamber,

The series of appointments he has made I ha-« become such a matter of notoriety that j public opinion has commenced to look with conteript upon his appointments to another place. And the Premier now ] admits that ho has brought the Chamber j to siich a level in public esteem that he will make no more appointments to it. Ho will let it die a natural deai/u." Touching oa the Premier's science of Cabinet- I making, he said that Mr Seddon had taken ! care, with one exception, that every man j who went to tho Cabinet should bo of such | a calibre there would be no danger of his challenging the right hon. gent 'email's personal power or defying his personal wish. There was one exception — that of the present capable Minister of Railways,— but declared Mr Taylor, it was well known that the late Sir John M'Kenzie appointed Sir Joseph Ward when the latter rejoined the Cabinet. The Premier by his lust for power had brought his executive anJ party into suc-h disrepute that there was more danger to it now than since 1893. Referring to the Police Foroe, Mr Taylor charged the Premier with back into seniority men who had been di& missed for "gross exhibitions of public drunkenness." In connection therewith he said that Commissioner Tunbridge had resigned because "he was too much of a man to be a pup " by such incidents as these. I The Premier was lowering the moral tone jof the whole Assembly. They had to thank I the Premier for nothing in regard to licensing legislation, as all that he had done in this connection had been forced from him. Mt Taylor went on Co say : "I am going to know before the end of the session by what authority the Premier's eeerefcar.es transmit telegrams running into 4000 or SDOO words of party 6peeoh.es to certain newspapers of the right colour. lam sroing -to Lave -an answer; and I want to know also why any member of the Minister's i family, apart from the Minister himself, should dare to prevent me getting access ■ to our telephone -system, and which. I am ' prepared to pay for at tariff rates, whilst ! it is being used by them without paying anything for it." *' I tell yon, gentlemen, sitting on the Government side of the j House," continued Mr Taylor, with great 1 •warmth, " that you may remain silent, and may crawl into favour under the governorship of that man — I say it is a disgrace to you and to the country, aiad that you are false to your democratic xluties if you j ' submit to this." Mr Taylor proceeded" in i a .similar strain, and his speech, which was generally regarded as one of the strongest ever delivered by him, was brought to a close by the passage-at-arnis with the 'Minister of Justice, as' already reported. STRONG LANGUAGE BY THE PREMIER. S The Premier, who had_ looked troubled j and careworn during the lengthy succession 'of attacks on his administration, rose to make his reply at 1.30 a.m. He soon made it evident that, so iar as lie, tea, was eonoeirned, "tho gloves were off." "Other , people," he hcily exclaimed, "can take off the gloves, and when I take off my gloves the people to whom I take them off must look out." He fiercely denounced ihose .speakers who had so warmly attacked ' liim as '* an excrescence on public existi once," and as a crowning epithet -aplied to i them the tarm of "the political scavengers of the House." He said, glaring across the House towards Mr Bedford, that certain ./ prohibition iste w-era endeavouring to get ' [ men out of their own party appointed as registrars and returning officer* with the view of controlling the ©lections. He de- '• nied that Sir John .M'Kenzie had anything to do with the return of Sir Joseph Ward to the Ministry. "The vaoancy was there," he said, " and it was understood at the time that Sir Joseph Ward left the Ministry thai when he was prepaned and -willing to come back the pinee was there for him." Referring to the menition made of the late ( registrar of electors at Auckland, he said ; the official had been exonerated from the j charges made against him, arid it was most unfair that a dead man's memory should be I brought up in this way. ' As to the West : Coast registrar, he said nothing had been i pi-oved ugainEt him in that position, and h© quoted from efficial records to frhow that that official had not been compelled' to resign from res-sons whioh reflected on his character as an official. Tiie official in question was indebted -to a suitor who came before him, and he declared that ihere .are very few magistrates who arc not indebted. Mr Alison : That's a scandal. Continuing, the Premioir said that as io the case referred to by Mr Hawkins, the man had taken out a prohibition order against himself., and the people in *he district knew him to be lair, just, and competent/. Regarding Mr Taylor'^ .remarks -on rae Education Department, he said no proof of inaladminietraton had been. -given, targe increases of <stilari.es had been granted to toachera, and the present salaries were -in j accordance with the recommendations of <ihe I Education Committee. "Sjnce he took charge of tli© department a larg-a increase 'had taken place in the expenditure on salaries, school buildings, manual -and technical instruction, scholaiships. and so on amounting to half a million starling. The Government had be^ea li years in offioe, and ii all that oc'Tild be said against it .it the end of that term was what had been said that night, then he -said they had the most progressive Administration I>hat there -ever was in this or any other colony. "We are not afraid of next November. The people of the colony have not lost confidence ,jn the Administration." said the Premier in conclusion. ME TAYLOR RETURNS TO THE CHARGE. Mr Taylor, in returning to the attack, pointed out that the ißer^ase in expenditure in the- Education Department was -the natural increase, and was justified and neoeesary, not -by way -oi generous treatment to school toaebers., but by virtue of the fact th&t the attendance ab the schools Lad bean gradually inoreasing, and the* increased expenditure was bound to go on. He referred to the Premier's bluff, and, pointing his finger fit Mr Seddon, vehemently declared, " Mark you, this has got to stop. The House has now got into such a temper that it will not tolerate any such thing. "We are 'his masters and he is our servant. 1 have bees bold that the Premier is going' to keep us here till tho end of October, so that we shall tiq<j have more than three weeks in whioh to do out electioneering. Of cmuse he ha 3 already i beem roxmd the colony, and rio doabt oonI sidesra that dn that refipoot he is up to date." " Let him drop the -game of foluff," continued Mr THylor. "His power in that direction is on the wane. I have had the gloves off wiih him once or twicß before, and I am not conscious that I STJ$t ty fe* helned out <?f the rinjj.'* ' ' [,

' THE PREMIEf- S FTNAIi REPLY. The I'remier, in his final reply, again referred to attache on certain officials, rebuked niembeis for lowering the tones of the- debate by such attacks, and asked whether it was to be iaid down that the fact of a man being a prohibited person was to debar him from public employment. These diabolicaJ attacks on returning officers bad had (his that gentlemen who had some regard for their reputation would not act in that capacity. In an impassioned peroration ha said let Ms critics take their place as the "scavengers of the colony.' Referring to what was understood to be MiTaylor's reference io the alleged misuse of the tele-graph service, he said that if he wap going to be assailed in this manner he would take .=aoh steps as were necessary to prefect himself and his family. Mr Taylor (dei-ibively) : i Oh. that is all , bounce. Members Rt this sta^e .ware fairly well, cxhauoted, arid the bill was passed through :ts remaining stages without further discussion. Tho House rose exactly at 4 o'clock, and thus ended a night that will long bo memorable in connection with the session of 1905. - j