THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3673, 5 August 1924, Page 27

THE WEEK IN PARLIAMENT.

THE BUDGET DEBATE.

BY

EASY STAGES.

(Special Coehespondent Otago Witness.) WELLINGTON, August 1. During the week the House of Kepresentatives has been occupied mainly in debating the Fnaneial Statement by easy stages and without late hours, the most notable speeches in the debate, so far, have been those of Mr Wilford, Leader of the Opposition, who by virtue of his office took precedence, tne Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister of Education), the Hon. W. D. Stewart (Minister of Trade and Commerce and Customs), and, in the absence of the Prime Minister,- who has been indisposed during the last day of two, Leader of the House, a nd Mr F. J. Rolleston (the member for Timaru). Mr Wilford’s indictment of the Government was crisp and vigorous, if not always convincing, and the Minister’s replies were studously temperate and logical. Mr Itolleston, assuming the role of candid friend to the Government, spoke earnestly and effectively, winning warm approval from the Opposition benches, but betraying no inclination to cross to the other side of the House. Mr Sidey supported the Liberal leader very precisely and conscientiously, but most of the other speakers said the ordinary things in the ordinary way. The House closed the week without having made much progress with the work to which is is committed The Legislative Council has been waiting patiently for the other Chamber to give it employment. Local Authorities’ Superannuation. Parliament entered upon the sixth week of the session somewhat inauspieiously on Tuesday, the Labour Partv, with the assistance of Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North), adopting towards the Gaming Bill which the Hon. R, F. Bollard, the Minister of Internal Affairs, asked leave to introduce, the same attitude as it had taken Up towards the Prime Minister’s Legislative Amendment Bill, which had been twice talked out at the same stage during the preceding week. Before this old bone of contention was resurrected, however, Mr Bollard obtained leave, after some discussion, to introduce his Local Authorities Superannuation Bill. In this case members occupied time only in commending the measure and urging generous pensions. Mr J. O’Brien (Westland) hoped that adequate superannuation would be provided ; Mr L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North), Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon), and Mr M. J.’ Savage (Auckland West) did not want superannuation to deprive recipients of their right to the old age pension; Mr T. M. Wilford (Leader of the Opposition), the Hon. J. A. Hanan (Invercargill), and Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central) all expressed svmpathv with a universal pension scheme; Mr Holland (Chairman of the Labour Party) looked forward to the day when the whole of the invalidity and pensions schemes would be consolidated into one great scheme and made universal, and Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) dreamed the same dream. In reply the Minister stated that the Bill was one of only two clauses. The first of these gave power to local bodies to reduce the retiring allowances in order to increase the annuities to widows of contributors, and the second provided that no deduction should be made in the pensions on account of any compensation payable under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Leave was given the Minister to introduce the Bill, and it was read a first time. The Gaming Bill. On the Minister seeking leave to introduce the Gaming Bill, and Labour members, on the pretext of wanting information in regard to its contents, opened a general bombardment of the measure. Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) desired to know if the Bill made provision for the removal of oertain anomalies now found in the racing world. There had been a good deal of discussion last session, and one or two important suggestions were faiade with a

desire to overcome dangerous practices relating to the sport and to the jockeys. If members of Parliament were to be called upon to help in improving matters, it was essential that they should know something about how racing was being carried on, and until that was done nothing satisfactory would be achieved. The Racing Conference. Mr M. J. Savage (Auckland West) found fault with the government of racing. The Racing Conference, he said, was a ‘law unto itself” without any over-riding authority. He was not by any means in favour of a community of long faces. He wanted to see racing, but it must be carried on in a healthy manner. One serious phase of the question was the 6st 71b minimum, which, with gear, meant that tiie jockey had to get his weight down to 6st or less. While men like Dr Truby King and the Blanket Society were concentrating on building up a nation of sound physical manhood, the racing powers were dwarfing and stunting bodily development of its jockeys; and while such a thing was in the hands of private individuals there was no way of avoiding the trouble. The argument that good horses were- being bred and developed was a weak plea alongside the physical deterioration of the jockeys who rode them. Police and Sport. Mr F. Langstone (Waimarino) predicted trouble in getting the Bill through the House unless the Minister really was seeking to remove existing anomalies and abuses. The Racing Conference, he said, was able to employ detectives at salaries ranging from £BOO to £IOOO a year for doing nothing, and at the same time, he believed, the police, were paid bonuses for “running in” anyone the Racing Conference might thing undesirable. And yet the clubs, in face of all this waste and extravagance were going to tho Government, cap in hand, asking for a reduction in expenditure. “If Parliament is wise,” declared Mr Langstone, “it will go into this racing business very closely. There is a great lot of information required.” Talked Out. After half a dozen other Labour members had spoken, Mr L. AI. Isitt (Christchurch North) rose within a few minutes of the to add his quota to the obstruction. The Government, he said, was playing with the question. If it Were in earnest it would stop the publication of tout’s forecasts and would prevent the telegraph and the telephone being used as a means of gambling. He wanted to see jockeys better treated and racing generally better supervised. In renly to an interjection deprecating his attempt to “talk out” the Bill, Air Isitt retorted that he did not cave. He would get yet more of the evidence against the tct’alisator and gambling that was pouring in upon him ficin every side. Amidst an exchange of further interjection, Mr Isitt remained on his feet, and when the hour of adjournment arrived the Bill still was unpresented. Inaccuracies and Misrepresentations. When members reassembled in the evening the preliminaries occupied only a few minutes before the Leader of the Opposit’On led off in the debate on the Financial Statement. Air Wilford spoke with his accustomed vigour and precision, but he confined himself mainly to the smaller features of the Budget and left himself open to the retort of his opponents that he Md quibbled over its arithmetic and left its facts and conclusions unscathed. The Budget, Air Wilford stated, was crowded and overflowing with inaccuracies and misrepresentations. He would show that it was quite impossible to rely upon the statements it made in regard to the country’s finances. It not only was contradicted flatly by the public accounts certified by the Auditor-General, but actually was contradicted by itself. It was a colourless Statement, due, no doubt, to the fact that the Government had no policy of its own and no definite programme forthe future. Government by Commissioners. The country was being governed. Air Wilford went on to say, not by the Government, nor by the Reform Party, but by commissions, which had been appointed to find a way of escape for a weak Government from the declaration of a strong and straight policy. Formerly it was the custom for a Government to declare what was the right thing and carry it through. But times had changed, and to-day the Government had put forward a colourless Budget in the hope that during the financial debate it might find in the speeches made some policy to meet the problems of the day. He did not propose to deal that night with the report of the Taxation Commission, but would deal with the actual financial proposals of the Government when they were brought down “Tucked Away.” Proceeding in the same strain Mr Wilford said that in the 1923 Budget Air Alassey had said, under the heading of the 5 per cent. British War Loan Stock, that the profit under that investment had come to no less than £131.540. But that was inaccurate, and he chalianged the Government to show in any part of the public accounts a verification of the statement. It did not exist. It could not be found. The Minister never made such a profit. The Auditor-General’s statement showed that the Minister was utterly and absolutely inaccurate in that statement. Under “ unauthorised ” Mr Wilford found a statement by the Controller and Auditor-General that not only had we not made any profit, but that the loss on realisation w’as £6758! That was tucked away, far away, from the Budget under the heading “ unauthorised” at the end of the accounts. After referring to the various debts of the Dominion and their pending, Air Wilford, having occupied his full hour, concluded bv expressing the opinion that when the Prime Alinister last went Home he was found to be “an easy victim to the financiers of the Old Country.” Minister of Education Replies. The task of replying to the Leader of the Opposition on the spur of the moment was entrusted to the Hon. C. J. Parr and, on the whole, he performed it very well, admitting that there might be trifling discrepancies in the figures of the Budget but maintaining that, as a whole, it proved that the country was in a sound and prosperous condition, and that the Government fairly might take credit for having contributed largely to this happy condition of affairs. He was not going to follow the example of hia friend on the other side of the House In spendng threequarters of an hour in searching for trifling discrepancies, but he was going to correct some of his friend's blunders, and leave the House to judge between them.

“ I admire the industry of the Leader of the Opposition in finding discrepancies of £IO,OOO out of a million and a-half,” Mr Parr proceeded, “ but he is obviously at sea. He has overlooked in the case of the railways the simple fact that nearly 200 miles of railway are operated by the Public Works Department entirely apart from the Railways Department, and the capital values could not therefore be expected to agree. Need for Economy. Having referred briefly to some of Air Wilford’s other statements with equal directness Air Parr turned to matters he thought of real importance. The keynote of tile Budget, he claimed, was the need for economy. Strict control over expenditure was absolutely necessary. The Dominion was not yet out of the wood. The need for anxious watchfulness was proved by an examination of the general debt position. The total national debt was £208,642,000, and the amount of local body loans was £44,589,972, of which £34,338,257 was for the city and £10,251,715 for the country. r llie mortgages under land transfer and deed registration totalled £242,591,933. In addition to those amounts there must be a large amount owing on chattel and stock securities. Further, the banks had employed nearly 40 millions of capital, most of which w*as out on overdraft with no mortgage. The total national debt, local body debt, and mortgage debt was almost £500,000,000, borne by only a million and a-quarter people. Therefore, the warning of the Alinister of Finance in the Budget against extravagance and excessive borrowing should be observed by the people. Alore particularly should local borrowing in the main be restrained within the limits of public health, for necessities such as water supply, drainage, and perhaps tramcar extension. Dependent Upon Prices. Another note of warning was sounded, Air Parr pointed out, in the fact that up to the present New Zealand had escaped the troubles which had beset other countries, through the extraordinary high prices ruling for its primary products. But the Dominion was threatened with keen competition from several sources. The fact that the increase of values had been out of all proportion to the increase in volume made the position additionally serious. Wool, for example, showed an increase since 1914 of 17 per cent, in volume and 35 per cent, in value; frozen meat, 18 per cent, in volume and 103 per cent, in value ; butter, 236 per cent in volume and 418 pel* cent, in value. He feared that it was not generally understood that it was the export values and not the quantity of exports that was the main contributing factor to the country’s prosperity. Another factor in the situation was the continued growth of the number of civil servants employed in the country. Already their number was somewliat portentious. There were no fewer than 36,955 permanent hands and 15,894 temporary hands, a total of 52.849. which probably meant that at least 200,000 people were dependent upon State employment for their living. This is a development the Alinister of Finance will have to watch very carefully. AJr Parr occupied the last few minutes of his hour in a review of the position of his own department. At the conclusion of his speech, the House, on the motion of Air T. K. Sidey, adjourned. The Elusive Surplus. On Wednesday afternoon tlie House, after agreeing to the. amendments made by the Council in the Rent Restriction Bill, resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. Air T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South), who had moved the adjournment on" the previous evening, was the first speaker. It had been the practice in recent years, he said, for the responsible Alinister to make a statement in regard to the financial position of the Dominion some time before the presentation of the Budget, but for some unexplained reason this practice had not been followed on the present occasion. London had been given more information this year than New Zealand had been given. In the beginning of Alay London had been told—in a loan prospectus, it was true —that the surplus for the year was over a million and a half. As a matter of fact the surplus was more than that, roughly two millions and a-half. but it had suited the purpose of the Alinister on second thoughts to represent it to the House at a much smaller amount. Too Big. Perhaps, Air Sidey continued, the Prime Minister’s reluctance to announce the amount of the surplus w*as due to his recognition that it was too big, and betrayed the fact that he was taking too much money out of the pockets of the people. Probably he had not forgotten the circumstances under which, two years ago, he told the House that a Finance Minister ought not to have 100 big a surplus. In Australia, in both the Commonwealth and the States, the yearly balance was announced within a few hours of the close of the year. Although the figures were approximate, he had it on the very best authority that in practice only minor adjustments were found to be necessary, and the interim statement issued might lie taken as reflecting the true financial position. Reduced Expenditure. A good deal of credit, Air Sidey went on to say, was being claimed by the Government on the score that its expenditure was less than that of last year; but the test of a Government’s economies was provided l>y its annual appropriations, not by its permanent appropriations, which were largely beyond the Minister’s control. Under the annual appropriations, the Government’s expenditure, as compared with that of the previous year, had increased by £408,000, so that the Government’s claim to have economised was all so much moonshine. The Minister also took credit for having estimated that revenue within £8630 : but as a matter of fact he gave the colour of justification of this boast by excluding a huge sum which should have been brought to account. What he really did was to underestimate his revenue by £659,370. In the same operation he made his surplus look smaller than it was. As for the claim that the Government had reduced the public debt during the past two years, there was the striking commentary that the Interest and sinking fund during that period increased *by £147,000. The Budget, Mr Sidey said in conclusion, contained the same pious warning against over-borrowing and extravagance that characterised the Prime Alinister’s utterances ever since his preoffice days, with just as little evidence of any intention of giving effect to them.

A Mass of Figures. Mr F. J. Rolleston (Timaru) described the Budget as a mass of figures and stressed the necessity for the continued functioning of the Public Accounts Committee, so that the House might get a far better grip of financial matters than was now possible. He commented on the fact that of fhe 26§ millions of accumulated surpluses there was now left only £4,950,000, of which a large amount was invested in State Advances securities, and therefore, he supposed, not immediately realisable. Next year, or the year after, probably these accumulated surpluses would have vanished altogether. He thought it was unfortunate that these balances had been carried forward as they had because it had obscured the ac tual position of the country's finances. Each year’s finances, he held, should stand by ltself. He contended that if they tested last year’s finance without the aid of the accumulated surpluses it would be found that instead of a surplus of £1,812.000 there was a surplus of some £350,000 only. That was an answer to the criticism that too much had been rung from the taxpayers: hut " as a^so an answer to the statement that last year’s surplus justified the proposed remissions of taxation to the extent or a million pounds this year. Debt and Taxation. The accumulated surpluses Mr Rolleston thought should have been applied, as they had been in Britain, to the reduction of the war debt. If that policy had been adopted trom the start, we would not have had the 13g millions to spend on soldiers’ settlement k j ’ I '“ rn the effects of which the country had not yet recovered, and would not recover for some time to come. There would have been no boom, and no estimated losses which the Government was now prepared to make in respect of soldier settlement. But it was no use crying over spilt milk, unless, as a well-known writer had put it, we were going to adopt some better method of carrying the pail. He urged, therefore, that the remainder of the accumulated surpluses should be spent on debt reduction. The country must come ultimately to the position of each year’s finance standing by itself; and it was probably in a better position to face that now than it would be in a year or two from now. He maintained that, on broad grounds, no remission of taxation was justified this year; just as he had stated that no remission of taxation was justifiable last year. He thought that there might, however, be some redistribution of the tax burdens, and that some concessions might be made in regard to Customs duties. But, if so, care should be taken to see that the gross revenue did not decrease, and that what was given up in Customs taxes should be made up bv increased direct taxation. Warnings and Compliments. Air 11. T. Armstrong (Christchurch East) warned Air Rolleston that if he continued to talk as he had been talking that evening, he would find himself ostracised by the Reform Party. Aleanwhile it was refreshing to hear so much robust common-sense spoken from the Government side of the House. Air P. de la Perrelle (Awarua) complimented Air Rolleston unon the high tone and admirable matter of hi.s speech, and paid a warm tribute to All* Wilford for the manner in which he had opened the debate. From these courtesies he turned to a denunciation of the trusts and combines that were over-running the country, and concluded by lauding Southland as an ideal place for settlement and ultimate achievement. Faith in the Prime Minister. Mr O. Hawken (Egniont) maintained that the Government had done well for the people in regard to housing and education, and had served the country faithfully and effectively. He was not quite satisfied with the policy of the Advances Department, but he had faith in the sagacity and ability of the Prime Alinister. He thought the Aleat. Board had done good work in regulating the market and reducing costs, and he hoped the Dairy Board would be equally successful. The Schools. Air J. A. Lee (Auckland East) devoted himself mainly to tho ouestion of education. He stressed the need for a well-considered forward-looking building policy and the need for ldoking ahead in order to provide ample playing areas for the children of the future. Owing to the lack of vision on the part of cur forefathers, the school playgrounds wgre the smallest in the slum areas, where the need for them was the greatest, while in the suburbs there were splendid large play-grounds. In one crowded area in Auckland, acres and acres were given over as a cemetery for the dead, but the children in the school nearby hafi the very smallest of playgrounds. Why were not better school and better playgrounds provided, he demanded. The reason could only be, he declared, that the Cabinet, in its desire to economise in money, was economising in health and many other vitally important matters. He was glad to see that the schools were ro be kept free, and he believed that they would he kept free for many years to come, from sectarian strife; but there were indications that, some teachers were endeavouring to introduce prayers and hymns and other religious exercises, without any sanction from the parents, from the department, or from the House. He had in mind especially the case of the new instructor at the Auckland Technical College. The House adjourned at 10.30 p.m. after another leisurely day. A Cloomy View. After (he disposal of preliminary business on Thursday afternoon, the debate on the Budget w*as resumed. Air J. R. Corrigan (Patea) drew a, rather gloomy picture of the stale of affairs in hi 3 constituency, for which he held the Government responsible. The primary producers of New Zealand, he said, never had been shorter of money than they were at the present time. The position was that the dairy farmers were working from daylight to dark on seven days a week, and were in the hands of the Philistines all the time. The farmers did the work, but did not handle the money. Rates of interest charged ranged from 11 per cent, down to 8. The district ho came from was one of <he most fertile in the land, yet the people had no money and there was no prosperity. The Prime Minister returned from Taranaki recently, and said there were many signs of prosperity there. As a matter of fact the only sign of prosperity in Hawera to-day was the erection of two new hanks. “A Policy Speech.” Air G. E. AlacMillan (Tauranga) claimed that the Budget was in itself a policy speech, and that there was no ground for the Opposition’s clamour for the Govern-

ment s policy. Discussing Customs duties, he said people were not compelled to import more than they required, and the increase in this direction proved the country was prosperous. Air W. E. Parry (Auckland Central), after criticising the Budget on his own account, confessed himself much impressed by the taxation speech of the member for Timaru. “I cannot understand, ” he said in concluding his compliment to Mi* Rolleston, “how a man able to deal with the subject as he did should remain on rhe Reform benches. In fact, it is one of the most extraordinary things I have seen in the House since I have been here.” Air W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) and Air S. G. Smith (Taranaki) also spoke, Air Smith declaring that Air Wilford's sweeping indictment of the Government remained unchallenged. Surpluses and Deficits. The Hon. W. D Stewart, Minister of Trade and Customs, rose to attempt the task the member for Taranaki declared unfulfilled. Referring to. surpluses and deficits, he said New Zealand was unique among tho Australasian States. ■ It had accumulated surpluses, while the Australian States had accumulated deficits. In New South Wales there was an accumulation of £3.500.060, in Victoria £1,250,000, in South Australia £1,500,000, in Western Australia £5,500,000. in Queensland £615,059, and in 'lasmania £349,000. “Not one of the Australian States,” Air Stewart pointed out, “had an accumulated surplus. During the latest year, however, some of the States have had a surplus; but there were deficits in Queensland (£184.000), Western Australia (£4*00,000), and Tasmania (£298,000). None of the Australian States is in the happy condition of New Zealand. I have always hold that, if one finds critics from Australia. Canada, and England expressing such enthusiasm over New Zealand's sound financial position, there cannot be anything very much wrong with our affairs. Let me read to you what the chairman of directors of the Bank of New South Wales thinks of us. ‘ In New Zealand,' he said recently, ’ they have had an abnormal amount of rain, and floods, which have caused some losses to agriculturists and pastoralists. but not sufficient to make such material difference to the State, which may be regarded as in a prosperous and satisfactory condition; and, furthermore, there is evidence of the New Zealand Government wrestling with and improving the country’s financial position.’ That does not look as if we were doing so badly.” An Unreliable Critic. Proceeding to a more particular analysis of Air Wilford's criticism of the Government, All* Stewart said that when the Leader of the Opposition accused the Prime Alinister of faking the tables the country simply would not believe him, and his words would carry no weight. Air Wilford had said that the Prime Minister’s statement in reference to the sale of British war loan stock profit being £137,540, was inaccurate, but there was no such statement in the Budget as the Leader of the Opposition had said there was. Mr Stewart quoted the figures to show that, so far from the loss which the Leader of the Opposition stated, there had been a handsome profit on the stock already dealt with, and that there was a balance still to be dealt with. It was the simplest thing in tho world for the Leader of the Opposition to have found that out for himself. Some Corrections. Then, contended Air Stewart, the Leader of the Opposition had stated that information had been withheld in regard to discharged soldiers’ loans. As a. matter of fact, the position had been clearly shown in the usual returns, and had been commented upon by the newspapers throughout the Dominion. There had been nothing held back or disguised in any way. Air Wilford hed also charged the Prime Alinister with haying made use of the Budget for a glaring piece of propaganda in regard to loans, but all the Alinister had done was to set out the usual figures in the usual way, accurately and concisely. for the information of Parliament and the country. Dealing with the allegation that propaganda figures had been put into the 1922-23 Budget, the Minister said that Mr Wilford found a discrepancy of over £3.000,000 between the Budget statement of loans paid off and the statement certified to by the Auditor-Genera. The reason for this was that Air Wilford had used the term “paid off” instead of redeemed.” and took no cognisance of the issue of fresh debentures. The criticism thus had no foundation in fact. He hoped that Air Wilford would not repeat it, now that attention had been drawn to the error After tendering some homely advice t o the Labour Party, and touching upon other matters, the Minister resumeS his seat amidst applause. Air Wilford said the Alinister had replied to him, but had not. answered him. In his attempted answer lie had quoted from an inaccurate report which he ought to have known was wholly unreliable. The debate was adiomned on the motion of Air M Keen Wellington South), and after receiving .the \cd Interpretation Bill from the Legis.ative Council the House rose. Claim for Compensation. In the Legislative Council, oil the motion of Sir Francis Bell. a. Select Committee was appointed, with power to confer with nnv similar committee of tn© House, o consider the petition of the AA oolston Tanneries Limited, presented to Parliament in 1923 and to report, the question at Issue is whether the petitioners have suffered any injury by reason of any 1 wrongful or unauthorised action of the Government or of officials of the Government and whether the petitioners are consequently entitled to compensation and if so what compensation.. Sir Francis Bell said the Public Petitions Committee S he House of Representatives last year referred the matter to the £ ;c- *45! .I Th t and the act of the Government in jffiTIJo 1 Jon h e e s. P of C Mok«r had decided to recommendations. The committee would sit in a more or less judicial capacity the purpose of arriving at a decision On rising the Council adjourned till AA ednesday of next week. Marking Time. Friday’s sittings, like those of the other days of the week, were filled almost entirely with the continuance of the Budget Debate, the Prime Alinister’s enforced absence from (he House making the Government’s sup porter’s even more anxious than its oppon<

*uts to carry the somewhat purposeless talk over the week-end in order that Mr Massey might have an opportunity to reply to his critics. Mr R. M'Jxeen, after congratulating the Minister of Customs upon the easy and effective manner in which he had refuted the criticism of the Leader of the Opposition, essayed himself the task of demolishing the Budget, certainly with no more success that Mr Milford had achieved. Mr K. S. M illiams (Bay of Plenty) admitted that the Government’s scheme of soldier settlement had not proved so successful as everyone had hoped it would, but the majority of the failures he declared were due to circumstances over which the authorities had no control.. The duty of Parliament and of the country now was to repair, as well as might be, the mistakes that had been made. There still was much land in the Dominion calling out for settlement, and if the parties congpntrated upon this necessity and allowed some of their minor differences to rest for a while, it would be of enormous advantage to the country and its people. A Fighting Speech. Mr R. Masters (Stratford) was prepared to co-cpeiate with any party or any individual in promoting the best interests of the people, but he wanted assurances that the co-operation was sincere and likely to be helpful. The Minister of Education had spoken without preparation, and had shown himself totally unable to cope with the logic of the Leader of the Opposition. 'lhe Minister of Customs had shown all the Qualities of a five-eighths at Rugby football. He could dodge, side step, work the blind side, and bluff, but _ with all his skill he did not get the game in which the people were deeply interested any further ahead. He had misrepresented Australia in his comparisons between the financial positions of the Commonwealth and the Dominion, and had made only grudging amends to New' Zealand’s neighbour by admitting that his figures applied to a past period and not to the present time. Mr Masters elaborated his points with vigorous denunciation. When he sat down, Mr Downie Stewart protested tnar he had been misrepresented, and that the figures quoted against him were not those he had used. “Bounce of the House.” Mr A. D. M‘Leod, Minister of Lands, said the member for Stratford had made another of his characteristic speeches, and on this occasion had show'll himself the bounce of the House. His comparisons between Australia and New Zealand were not just, and had been made for the purpose of disparaging the Government and his own country. However, the electors could see this for themselves. Mr M'Leod then turned to the speeches of other members of the Opposition to show' their ignorance of facts, or. as he said, their disregard for them. He discussed the questions of soldiers’ settlement at considerable length, claiming that the Government had followed the mandate of the country in doing all that was possible for the men who fought the battles of the Empire. To an interjection from Mr Monteith. the Labour member for Wellington East, asking why the Government was bringing out immigrants, he retorted : ‘ To do the work you are not prepared to do.” Mr F. H. Bartram (Grey Lynn) and Mr Harris (Waitemata) having spoken, the debate was adjourned and the House rose.