ADDRESS – IN – REPLY

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 31385, 14 February 1923, Page 5

ADDRESS - IN- REPLY

LABOUR AND LIBERAL. ' 4ft I'WO AMENDMENTS MOVED, E Telegraph—Press Association Wellington, February 13. The Ad'dress-in-Reply debate iras resumed in the House of Representatives this morning by Mr T. M. M ilford, Leader of the J.ibcral Labour Party. Mr Milford said he proposed to move a motion of no-confidence in tho Government. He proposed that there should be added to the present motion the words: “AVe feel it however, to be our doty to submit to your Excellency that your Excellency’s Goverament . docs not possess the confidence of the House or the country.” He could have gone into details as to the sins of the Government, but lie thought that a plain, simple motion of that kind would cover the whole gamut. If he had mentioned pensions for file blind, immigration, the cost of living and so on he would have got no further because these questions and manv others were included in the amendment he had read. Air Wilford referred to electoral reform, finances, railway and 1 a.xa~ tion. SHAM FIGHTING, the Hon. IV. Downie Stewart, Minister for Customs, said that if on© remembered that the House was called together for one purpose and one only, it would be agreed that the Leader of the Opposition should have demonstrated the position of the Government, instead of taking the lines he did, hut Air Wilford admitted that the Government was to carry on and if the House was of that opinion they might as well get to the vote right away. What this country Wanted settled now was whether the three-party ■system was to continue. In Australia they had been unable to get. down to business until tlic sham-fight was don© away with. The fact was* that there was sham-fighting in this

House. 1 .about- ATembers: Hear, hear. Mr Stewart : That is the attitude of the Liberals .and it showed that i hey were not warranted in maintaining the attitude they did. He had maintained all along that the real Opposition was on the Labour benches. In respect to this matter til., present Leader of the Opposition had departed from the views of one of 1 1 is predecessors. Air Milford: Whom are you reft .-ring to? Mr S r e\vart : Sir Joseph \\ u.ru. Ur Wilford: What are you quotU r Stewart: lon must remember ficrfectlv well the occasion on which lie put forward proposals for the realignment of parties. Mr Milford: In 1908? Mr* Stewart: "Sis. It was unpera. live in tho interests of reforms which were still urgently required in rhi- country —whether taxation reforms or others— imperative that tiny should he handled ivy a Government strong enough to carry op. H° a.-ked if it was Air Milford’s ltiea to form an Administration with tho licit* of the Labour Party. Mr Holland : He is not going to do t bar ! Mr Stewart: If the Leader of the f)i.position succeeds in winning tins 11.1 sion his only chance of forming .hi Administration is with tho assist,in e of the Labour Party. Mr Milford: You don’t know. Mr Stewart: I Want to know now wliat the honourable gentleman will d<- if he succeeds in the diiision. Mr Milford: 1 will make that statement if I succeed. Mr Ma.ssev: Are von going to uo without the help 'of the Labour Party? . , Mr Milford: Are you going to do without the help of the Liberal 1 ar-

\] r Stewart: Surely the country is .•niitled to know what ho is going to when lie gets 11s off the Treasury ~-lie.s! Ho does not suggest lia carrv on. Mr Sullivan : Will your party support him r . . . , ~ Mr Wilford: You will join with die ~:htrs to turn us out, will you .' Mr Stewart: 1 will not pursue that :,nv further because l think the point in this debate has been -i< 1 . -stepped. „ another election. Then there was the question ofan- , ;her election. Ho had asked various liberals whether they would like anchor election /and they had turned j , Jo at. the mention of it. (Derisive ait "liter). . Mr Wilford: I don’t mind anot-lior . ■!. f-tion. You can’t buff me.' Mr T. K. Si dev (Dunedin South) .~1 Mr' Massey had I men doing his }> avoid the people s verdict,, ,1 n,. had had experience at that lor hi*, secured his first workmajority t»y the votes- of those ♦ 1 ‘ bed to oppose him. hAllClill HELP. Ho,. \Y. Nosworthy, Minister tor \ / \ilturc. said the only hope Mr V.'ihord had of carrying his a monument was by tlm help (>*' Lalwur, and n onlv hope of carrying tho Troas;|ry beneh<'S was with t-lio aid of La•3’v titovoi i ATI V B SPEECH (?. Forbes (Hnriinui) said tin* Minister of Customs had made a. 1 , v provocative sjieneh that romind,.,l him of the provocative speeches formerly "lado hv another Minister ~f Customs (Mr F. M «■ I'lsher). Ho did not know whether provocaness was a characteristic that v.-nt vi'h the portfolio of Customs. \!| tin- s tie cellos made by the Reform cambers’ to-day had been angry and it was interesting to note he change in tone. East session they ! ; ,d been so arrogant I here had been cor»plaints made that the- Tab--1 1 -!s jus/] shut the door on the ixaiicl

of friendship that was extended to them. ■ He had to admit that the speeches made this afternoon were “very friendly.” Al "O. Haw ken, tho only other speaker before the dinner adjournment . favoured the present Government. LABOUR PARTY. All- Holland (leader of the Labour Part.v) said that the mover of tho address had declared he was an Independent, but that recalled the fact that several who entered the House jiijs Hdopandeut Reformer's had become Ministers in the Reform Cabint ■ . -Mr Massey had a knack of getting rid of inconvenient Independents, and making them as well as hims If responsible for the sins of the Government. He considered the sued ss of the Labour Party at the polls indicated that the drums of doom were beating for both the old parties. Tho outstanding features of the election were the heavy Government defeats and tho Labour gains. Th© term -‘revolutionary” was 'being hurled at some of the Labour support rs. but it was nevertheless a fact that some of -these men fought in the war. The Reform Party carried a resolution which bore the inference that the Labour party did not believe in constitutional action, hut when Uicv carried it they knew it, was false. The Government could not carry on unless it got the support of rnen who were elected to oppose it. He would be agreeable that the House should pass a bona fide Proportional Representation Bill, and then go to the country. Mr Holland horn sprung a surprise packet by moving an amendment to the amendment, Ins amendment proposing to draw the. Gover-nor-General’s attention to sonic reasons why his present* , advisers had hot the confidence ol r J>*‘ people ot N' wt Zealand. Mr Massey raised a point ot ordei hut AL- Holland quoted authorities in support of his action, and ho contended that hi amendment must t .,ko prowikuco Mr A\ lltord s nmemlriKAit. The Speaker rule I tha t Mr Hoiliind's amendment u*a.s m order, and Holland’s aiHiendmont. This is a < love,- sMaiegie move on i.art of Hie Labour loader, and it may hi ve an important, bearing on the course of events. , Th© last speaker of tho sitting was Mr R Masters (Stratford), who announced that lie had no confidence m tho Government, and the House rose till to-morrow morning.