BEGINNING OF FIGHT.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 98, 7 December 1928, Page 5

BEGINNING OF FIGHT.

Picks Association—Copyright.

The Address-in-Reply debate was commenced in the House of Representatives to-day, when Mr A. E. Ansell (Chalmers) moved that a respectful address be presented to His Excellency the Governor-General in reply to His Excellency’s speech. After paying tribute to the excellent services rendered by the Gov-ernor-General and Lady Alice Fergusson, Mr Ansell made sympathetic reference to the illness of the King. He approved of the efforts of the Government to bring together the representatives of capital and labour and to ipromcto , industrial peace. 'The solution of the reading problem ended! a matter of great interest to the people of New Zealand, said Mr Ansell. He congratulated the Government on introducing a fair system of motor taxation, based as it was on the use of car.

DIFFICULTIES OF GOVERNMENT. Mr A. W. Hall (fHauraki), in seconding tli e motion, said it was 16 years since the Govesnment came into power, and he thought all must admit no Government in the past had had ot contend with one-quarter of the difficulties that had faced this? Government.

For the two previous years New Zealand had had an adverse trade balance and the natural result had been trade stagnation and unemployment. Last year, however, there was a favourable trade balance and there were already indications of the beneficial effects of this circumstances. No Government had done more for the settlers than the present one. PIMCR OF FERTILISERS. Mr Hall paid a tribute to the work of the Agricultural Department in reducing the price of fertilisers and fostering exports of what might properly be called secondary products. In regard to Customs he said the policy, of the Government had been to giv e . a decided preference to goods of British manufacture and protection to goods which could be produced in New Zealand.

After paying a tribute to tire Government’s work in providing roads to the hackblocks, Mr (Hall said he considered in future read-making and land settlement must 1 go hand in hand. He praised the work of the Prime Minister in connection with the Main Highways Act. AMENDMENT MOVED. Sir Joseph Ward then ros e and moved: “In conclusion we deem it our duty to represent to Your Excellency that Your Excellency’s advisers do not possess th e confidence of this House.” On behalf of the United Party Sir Joseph expressed' regret at the illness which had overtaken the King, who was one of the greatest monarchs the British Empire had ever had, including his great predecessor, his father. UNITED S AT ELECTION. Sir Joseph congratulated the mover and seconder of the motion before

ADDRESS IN REPLY DEBATE OPENS. SIR J. G.WARD MOVES AN AMENDMENT. LABOUR SUPPORT INDICATED.

WELLINGTON, Last Night.

the House. As young members they had acquitted themselves exceedingly well. He then proceedd t'o twit his opponents with deprecating the prospects of the United Party at the election. Some of thos e .critics were not present, and he wondered what they thought of the United Party now. Sir Joseph complained that his election, financial policy had been unfairly misrepresented by the Prime Minister, who had repeated a newspaper mistake that he was proposing to borrow £70,000,000 in one year. That was not playing cricket, because only one paper made the mistake ,imi the Press Association report

which appeared in all the other papers was a good report and an accurate one, but was not quoted.

UNFITNESS FOR OFFICE. &ir Joseph had nothing personal against the members of the Government, but in various ways they had shown their unfitness in office. There pvas not sufficient money available for the farmers; there were hundreds and hundreds of men in need of money whose loans were long oveidue; men were being turned out of their properties because they could not get money. That was the position all over the country;

BORROWING POLICY. Every member was in his place and the galleries were crowded when the House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Sir Joseph Ward returned to the alleged misrepresentation of his borrowing policy by the Prime Minister, ami then said they did not know what the House was going to do as its subsequent action might he influence'! greatly by something that might happen in Europe, and the House might 1 have to adjourn for a i month with a Government on the | benches which did not hav e the confidence of the country. The, figures of the last election showed that in fact the Government had been a minority Ministry for sixteen years. Sir 'Joseph complained that the Press had favoured the Prime Minister by publishing reports of speeches on the morning of election when no one could reply to them. Sir Joseph sat down amidst applause. His amendment was seconded by Mr G. W. Forbes. HON. W. DOWNIE STEWART. The Hon. W. Downi e Stewart, after complimenting the mover and seconder of the motion on their sound enunciation of the Government’s performances and policy, said that while Sir Joseph had made out the, countiy was behind his party, it was by no means certain that the country was behind his borrowing policy. Sir Joseph’s speech was remarkable for th e fact that contaiueii no charges against the Government, either in administration or policy. Mr Sewart proceeded to defend the financial policy of th e Government, contending that while it borrowed over £29,000,000 it was not true that it borrowed to, pay off loans, as stated by Sir Joseph Ward. The £60,000,000 paid off the Public Debt was paid out of revenue.

TAXATION. Sir Joseph Ward had also stated the Government had increased taxation in every direction. 1 hat was not so, said Mr Stewart. It had, as a mater of fact, reduced taxation by £3,250,000. When the income tax had been increased it had been in cases, where people with incomes of £IOOO to £I7OO were not bearing a proper share of the wars bin den.

There was no need for Parliament to b e called together in February to secure authority to borrow the necessary money, as there was an existing authority to borrow all he could spend in one year.

gi r Joseph Ward had definitely pledged himself to borrow a huge sum of money without any charge to the taxpayers, but he had failed to tell the House hew h e proposed to do it. He was also committed to pay all unemployed men a standard rate of pay, and the House was entitled t'o know whether he was still piepared to do so. He also had promised to reduce income tax, and gradually abolish company taxation. Customs taxation was also to be reduced, but Sii Joseph had not' told the House wher e his revenu e was to come from, and

Low he was to subsidise secondary industries. OUT OF FASHION. There were other things Sir Joseph was going to do, said. Mr Stewait, but not word Jiad been offered as to how they were to be done. Mi Stewart placed his own position before, the House and the country in the statement ha had placed before the House. He did not believe the country endorsed the policy of Sir Joseph, but he admitted his own idea as to what New Zealand could safely borrow had gone out of fashion for a time. Mr Stewart believed the country would return to his view.

LABOUR HELD KEY. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, said whatever was in doubt there could be no doubt the country ha'il decided against thg Reform Party. The drums cf fate had rolled out their doom. Although the elections did not give Labour a majority they did leave Labour in a better position than it had ever been in before. Labour 1 held th e key to the position, until such time as the two other parties became one. How Labour would turn the key it held depended on

circumstances. Labour would support legislation in line with its policy. Mr Holland did not think Sir Joseph Ward would be able to make good all his promises. If h e did, he (Mr Holland) could see litte difference whether money was borrowed by the United Party or by the Reform' Party. In any case, Sir Joseph Ward was entitled to the opportunity to put his policy into operation. If Labour had come back ; the second strongest Party, Labour would have expected * to have this chance. \ After the supper adjournment the debate was carried on by Mr W. D. Lysuar, who regretted Sir Joseph Ward’s declaration against fusion. Out of the best elements in Reform and the United Parties a stable Government could be formed against extreme Labour. He regretted Sir Joseph had not made a more statesmanlike deliverance in support of his policy. Mr Lysnar indicated he was prepared to give a measure of support to the United Party. The Hon. R. A. Wright said Sir Joseph Ward had found fault with .the Pjrimej Mjniist|trfs Jndticism of his statement that he proposed to raise £70,000,000 in one year. What happened was that' Sir Joseph’s speech was delivered with what he proposed to say strictly correct, but when he spoke in Auckland he did not stick strictly to his printed speech and actually said he proposed to raise' £70,000,000 in one year. That was the true explanation of the whole incident.

EDUCATION PROPOSALS. The United Party’s education proposals were well enough, but were quit e impracticable since they would cost 1 more than the country could afford. In the same way Mr Holland’s proposal to give teachers equal pay for equal work would cost at least £200,000, wliil e fre e school books would cost £BO,OOO. Where was the money to come from? Sir, Joseph Ward, in the course of a personal explanation, denied Mr Wright's statement that in his Auckland speech he had departed' from his prepared speech. He had never said he would raise £70,000,000 in one year. ' :ll W The Prime Minister moved th e adjournment of the debate, and at i 11.15 p.m. the House rose till 10.30, a.m. to-morrow.