IN PARLIAMENT.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 31384, 13 February 1923, Page 5

IN PARLIAMENT.

ADDRESS - fH - REPLY.

ELECTOR AH REFORM' WA NTED

Electric TeiegrapJC —Press Association Wellington, Febnja-ry 12. Before crowded galleries, the Ad-di-ess-indeeply debase, at the end of j which will come the lost division, : was opened in the Hou&e to-night. The motion was moved by Mr W. • dir ling, the new member for Wairau, J who said lie supposed it wafl- rare that tjhe House had listened to a. I speech of such brevity as that deliv- j ered by the (ioverixw-Gejieral tie j opening of Parliament. Id was J doubtful it the Govemnaient liad s-uf-,ficieiit supporters behind it to carry ci> 7 - but lie beneved it, would have a • majority and that the House would ;be able to adj-oum to meet again in June to transact ordinary business. The Reform party liad a representation in the House of 38, as well - as* Independents, pledged, to no particular party, and h e believed that these J ndependents and otlier members of the House recognised that tlie present was not a time when they shou Icl bring about a dissolution. SYSTEM OF ERECTION.. It was time the House took into consideration the question of altering the system of election.. He had hoard mention of Proportional re- , presentation, but ;he was satis&ed I • hat the New South Wales system vould not lie a success in New Zea-

-.and. However, the tilne was rif*e tfc>r an alteration. so that they would, not liave the present three-party system. lie had examined tiie party platforms, and had found the K-eforni and .Liberal [wdicies almost- identircal. In support of this-statement,, he mentioned the name of Sir John Findlay. (Liberal laughter); lie thought those who thought as lie did would agree that there should be a National Liberal Farty. The party system as they found it to-day, was a curse. One could not enter the House an Indej>endent. He stood as an I ndo pendent, but was told that would not do, . and that lie must s-ay liow he would vote on a no-confidence motion. Hxcept for motions of no-con fide nee, lie was free to gr> over and vote with the Liberals—-(laughter)—-or oven v*itli Labour. ( Laughter.) CLOSER SETTLEMENT WANTED. Asj to tin* reason why our exports were so little greater than our imports, he. thought it was for want of closer settlement. There were thousands of acres ut land waiting t|o he I openc'd up, and we sliou’d tackle f some of the better land. As to the telephone system, lie believed the time hail arrived when the Government should recognise that, the t»wo islands should not be separated. There should be telephone communication at all «tiines of the day. He declared that lie was against any third wages cut and Would have voted against it had an attempt boon made to bring it into operation. The seconder was Mr A. D. McLeod (Wairarapa), who said that de- | spite all else that might be men- s tioned in the speeches, the question , was whether the Government should ' continue to occupy the Treasury j benches. He congratulated the Gov- j eminent on what it had done for the j

primary producers of the country. Ho tjioiiiiht tve were relying far too much on our primary industries.. We had adl our eggs in one basket and on© of causes tjhe speaker thought, was the continuous difficulty between Labmir and Capital. Industry after industry had died, and capital was afraid to invest. He believed the pastoral industry was just about the last for Labour to attack in New Zealand. They had just about settled a-1 the others. Mr AVilford’s move to-day w.is to get- hold of tlic small farmer. As t»o electoral Reform), proportional representation had all the vices of the second ballot. The time would soon come when the people must decide whether the country was going to be governed' by constitutional means or by those on the Labour benches. At 9.25 p.m. Mr YTllford moved th© adjournment of ihe debate.