PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13423, 3 July 1914, Page 4

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

A MAIDEN, SPEECH

(From our ' Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day.

In a quiet, unostentatious way tho member for Lyttelton, >Mr ,. McCombs, made, his debut m Parliamentary speech yesterday' afternoon/ Enthusiasm for proportional representation drew him to his feet,, 'in-, advocacy of a private member's Bill embodying that principle. Ho eonf eased to paying coriie hurriedly into the chahiber. leaving ' his notes m another robm," but- tins', did -liot hamper him m making a well-reasoned speech on a somewhat obs.truse subject. The new lnember is happily' free from the Parliamentary' habit of rapidly gabbling as much as possible "for -.the Hansard record, regardless ok" effect upon bis uniesponsivc. audience.' He -spoke with deliberation, and was thus effective, but whether he will drop that rare good quality under stress .: of circumstances remains to be seen. - BUSINESS OF PARLLYMKNT. The lesser lights of oratory had their opportunity on the Address-in-Reply debate m the House yesterday. The speeches Were of: about the average interest, presenting nothing -new. until Ml* Payne appeared for the first time this session, and straightway held forth. ' 'The ! indications all over ! ' the ■ country very plainly announce that the Massey Government has notice to quit," declared the ' Grey* Lynn member. He was o. opinion that Toryism was not dead; it would* never be dead, he said, so long as there 'was the old arrogance of greed combined with newly -acquired wealth. . : The debate dragged along till 11.15 p.m., 'the last Speaker" being Mr '' Okey of Taranaki.

The adjournment was moved • by" Mr Glover. BOYS FOR THE FARMS. In the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon tlie Hon. Mr Bell moved the second reading of the Masters arid Apprentices Act -Amendment Bill, which refers only^ to farm apprentices whose passage to New Zealand is assisted by 'the Gbvei*ilment7' should become responsible for the' boys and take" the place of the! parent, m. making arrangements for the employment of the boys during the period of the indenture. He warmly repudiated' -the suggestion tliat ''the Government wished to-ilitroduce, a claSs: of child slavery. They wanted to give city bpys, f rom the pid Country an oppor- j to nity : to ...start a new life m a new DorttihioW. ; '' " "

'Mr Mills said he would do all he could to .assist, a system which would encourage the immigration of boys and lads of from fifteen or sixteen years of age. They needed some restraint. Mr Ban: .said Labor had watclied- 'the movement to see there was not behind; it any sinister attempt to' flood the country, with cheap labor. Mr Paul said he was prepared 'to help to put through the Bill, which was carefully drawn. Mr Jones said he found nothing iri the measure to take exception to. 'Sir William Hall Jones approved of the Bill and congratulated the Minister' m attempting to get boys. Mr Carneross said th'e Bill was a good one. They wanted boys for country work. -„.'■ ■ . ■ "" (Per Press Association.) bills'dealt WITH. In tlie Council yesterday a message from the Governor was. received to ihe effect that the Hpns. Messrs Rigg and Jenkinsoh had retired by effluxion of time. 'The -Land ' Agents' " Bill was read a. second time pro forma and referred to the Statutes Revision Committee.

, In, the House Mr Veitclv introduced tli& '"Proportional. Representation and Effectiye Voting Bill. He explained that the Government was committed, to the principle of proportional representation m the Legislative Council and if it was good enough for that body why did they" not apply it T to the ""popular' .ehaniber; unless they Avere afraid of it? ■

'Mr M -Coombs, member for Lyttelton, on rising to make his maiden speech, received a cordial reception. He Said he wanted to see all restrictions' removed from the just represent. ition of Labor He wanted to see the Houso elected on. tlie basis that w6u-ld secure not minority representation, but' majority rule. He quoted the figures of last election to show tliat the Massey Party had 367.0C0 voles polled againt them and Only 130,---000 m their favor. They were, therefore, m a! minority m the country. The House should be a true reflection of the mind of the people— a miniature of the people— and for .that reason the House should pass the Bill intrddnjeed by Mr yeitch..

' The Bill Avlvs read the first time.. The Napier Harbor Boai'd Empowering nnd Loan Bill (Mr Campbell) was read a first time. PflßLb DEBT EXTINCTION ACT. The Minister for Finance laid on, the table aj return showing the " operations of the -Public Debt Extinction' Act : of 1910. •'. - ' ) • Mi- Russell congratulated the House and the country on the satisfactory working of . the Act. " He said" tha. the Prime "Minister and the Minister for Firiancd had 1 ridiculed Vive A«t --when it was passed and described it' as a. farce. Mr Massey cQiitehded - that the, ' Act was not the magnificent thing the member for ' Avon made out. He proceeded to describe' the seizute of' 'sinking funds under the Act- ; and the best that"' could be said, for the Act ; was that. ---it was doing no harm. , Sir Joseph Ward defended the Act. and said lie believed * that when the people understood the many benefits of this legislation they. would never permit its repeal. Tlie financial position of the country' had never deserved the scathing criticism levelled against it by the party m power. ;" The real 'difficulty of the present Government m the matter of finance was a falling off m the- deposits m the Post Office Savings 'lJank. Mr Allen had £1 ,4000,000 i less tt* work on than he (Sir Joseph Ward) '.'had" and no financier could do-as well with; that amount to work on as one' who liad it to operate witb. Instead of honestly ••acknowledu*imt the real sourcfe of difficulty, Mr Allen sought to cast ! all blame on vh'im. i Mr ALllen said lie took full •responsibility for- >tlie issue of • the . prospe-tus issued m London. -He • did liot agree now that the surpluses enumerated m .that prosoectus ■■ Were -'"true-" surpluses, m as much as cash sale for lahd, were included m them and that was not sound finance.; •He'.'qutited "Hansard"' to show that Sii- Joseph Wki*di was^iot always m favor of sinking fundjsv^ He also argued that if, as Sir- Joseph Ward stated/ Inhad £1.400,Q00-lesßto work on that- was a complete e*_planatibn 'of why ' he was not able to -rend settlers all the money they wo'nt.d' and- on top of- tint /he l»'"d to' discharge 'Vommitm'.hts left by 'his predecessor"'*'. ■'•" "■ " : ' ' ".'""