PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 30, 20 September 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, Septeunoi 19. >Sir Joseph Ward, Price Minister, st.-ttod that lio. had been in communication with the -Racing Cm , ur.i'M»n with a view to their sitting again to reconsider the question of country club permits. The Commission is ■agreeable to sit again, and tho necessary work connected therewith was now being done. Their report would be brought down as soon as available. On the motion of the Prime Minister it was decided that Jovornnicn.. business take precedence on Wednesdays. Pie pointed out a g eat deal of important work to be done I etween now and the first and second weeks of November, when, all wanted to be away to their constituents. BUDGET DEBATE. Mr Myers resumed he lobato on the Budget, which lie declared exhibited a very happy state of affairs. Humanitarian affairs would appeal to the country generally. Pie spoke at length on the satisfactory condition of the finances, upon which he hcar’Jly congratulated the Minister of J bianco. While taxation had increased from .43 18s 9d in 1909 to £5 8s 7cl in 1911, the increase had been placed upon those best able to bear it, being on the Land Tax, the Income Tax and the Death Duties. Were ho not convinced that the Government policy was a proper and honest one, he would immediately walk over to the other side of the House. Ho urged greater expedition in the settlement of native lands.

Sir W. Steward considered the Budget an excellent one, which would commend itself to the country. It was a record of prosperity, such as had never been submitted in any other part of the Empire. he disagreed with the proposal to reduce the longdistance railway faros by a farthing a mile at a cost of £60,000. Better to have reduced the short-distanced fares, as benefiting more people, lithe Department wanted to spend £60,000, it could better be done on the erection of loading sheds in country districts, and cheap market tickets foxfarmers, and reduction of the freight of fruit, He expressed reget that no reference was made in the Budget to the land question. He advocated a tax sufficiently disruptive to make it impossible to hold land in large quantities. Mr Luke regretted the absence of reference to education in the Budget. Ho hoped the Government would do all in its power in connection with higher education. He regretted also that the Government had not done more in the acquisition of surplus lands. He looked upon the farmers’ co-operative bank proposal as good, and if placed in good shape he would support the measure. Ho advocated the development of the iron ore of the Dominion. The House adjourned at 7 p.m. Upon the House resuming this evening Mr Bollard continued the Budget debate. He complained of the unsatisfactory condition, of land matters in the Dominion, said he kf.ew of no country in the world whore the leasehold system had been successful. It was the duty of the Government to settle the people on the land and 'Educate them how to work it. He asked what the Government had dene for farmers in this direction. Scientific knowledge was: essential to the satisfactory working of the land. - In Europe and elsewhere there were plenty of agricultural colleges, and if this country was to compete with tacso places it must ho up to date in its methods. Ho advocated the extension of the workers’ home's system for the benefit of small wages, men, The Rev. Isitt said the Government was'in a happy condition so far as the Opposition were concerned. The Government had been accused again and again of rash expenditure, and yet every Opposition member wanted money spent on colleges, experimental farms, etc. How could the Government meet these demands and yet escape the reproaches of the Opposition? Referring to military training, ho said the Government had made-two very grave mistakes, in omitting a conscience clause and in,carrying on the training age to 25. There must be, he "declared, a conscience clause, even at the risk of the claxiso being abused. Any other work than training the objectors wore willing to do—-road-making, gorss-cutting, anything. There were 6000 people combined to oppose the system. The age limit should l>e 21. He deprecated, and described as shameful, the charges of bribery, corruption and maladministration against the Government. There was nothing in the charges. THE PREMIER IN REPLY. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said everyone who had spoken on the Budget had supported all the measures forecasted there. For the past twenty years the Opposition had endeavoured to cast reflections on tbe financial position of New Zealand. They had repeatedly decided loans, and their utterances had found way into the Investors’ Guide, London, which stated that there was a possibility of some of the loans not being renewed or converted. He asked, was this done to help the country? The men at the back of this were large land proprietors, who would remove the tax from largo estates, and put it on someone else. Ho referred to the inconsistency of the Opposition crying out that too much money was being spent., and then all demanding railways and colleges. He charged Mr Allen with gross mis-, representation in the matter of Treasury bills, remarking that if the amount had boon paid off as Mr Allen had said they could not have paid their way at all. Members of the Opposition benches had been juggling with figures and juggling with the law. The Public

Revenues Act insisted on the course ho had taken. The object of the Opposition in going round the country saying the finance of the country is in a weak position and taxation being; increased, was to try to get on the* Treasury Benches and, in their desperate attempts to do this, they were seriously damaging the country and the people. Referring to Mr Allen’s statement of the discrepancies of four millions in the Budget figures of the public debt, Sir J. G. Ward said the table quoted by Mr/Allen dealt with borrowed money only and not revenue.. Sir J. G. Ward asked for an extrusion of time to complete his reply, but, as he intimated in response to a question by Mr Massey, ho intended to proceed with the first item of the Estimates. Objection was taken to his request. Ho averred there was not a mistake in the Budget. As to the statement regarding telephones and telegraphs, lie pointed out that the Telegraph Department had produced a sum over tend above its expenses for a number of years. Sir Joseph further traversed the financial criticisms to show the Government’s actions were justified in connection with the State issue of notes. He prepared in 1894 a measure for the purpose, but it was then censidci’od inexpedient to pursue the matter. Now he proposed to have a gold security behind the issue of notes, which the hanks were to buy. Sir Joseph Ward asked for extension of time to complete his reply, but this was objected to. THE ESTIMATES. • i ■,-■■/' . ■ ■ The House then went into committee on the Estimates. , Messrs Lang, Poole and Glover advocated the placing on the Estimates of a sum to compensate Mrs Claude, whose late husband stopped a runaway train near Auckland. The Hon. J. A. Millar reiterated his explanation of the position, and held that the late Mr Claude had been fully compensated for what he had done. On the first item Mr Massey moved 7 the reduction of the vote, “Legisla--tive Council,” by £5, as an indication that the Council should be elective. Sir Joseph Ward said he did not say the reform was not desirable, and advocated the adoption of the South 1 African system. Mr Massey contended that as the Opposition represented the minority, the minority should he represented in the Council. There had not been one Opposition member sent- to the Council for twenty years. Wellington, September 20. After midnight Messrs Lang and Anderson supported the proportional representation system in the Council. Mr Wilford sad if it wore possible to wipe out the Council altogether, he would vote for it. The representatives of the people should be sufficient for legislative purposes. The country could be run very well with one House and less members. Mr McLaren advocated the abolition of the Council rather than make it elective. The Hon D. Buddo said they had need of some more democratic proposals than had been put before them before moving in the matter. The Hon. J. A. Millar said he intended voting against the amendment. The House was asked to alter the constitution of the Upper House without having anything definite before it. An elective chamber would be a lion of the representative machinery. Mr Buxton moved to report progress, which was carried on the voices. The House rose at 1.45 a.m.