LEADERS GET TO GRIPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 531, 7 December 1928, Page 7

LEADERS GET TO GRIPS

Debate on Address-in-Reply

labour chief declares his aims

(THE SUSS Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, To-day. FOLLOVv ING a most unpromising beginning, yesterday’s sitting of the House of Representatives moved quickly after the dinner adjournment, and it is probable that the critical no-confidence division would have been reached before the House rose had the Prime Minister not sought an opportunity to lay further papers on the table of the House. This he cannot do after he is defeated, so the Whips of the three parties concluded an agreement to adjourn before midnight on the understanding that the House would meet again at 10.30 a.m. to-day. Mr. Coates will then be able to table his papers before the Address-in-Reply debate is resumed.

Yesterday’s sitting was full of in- [ tcrest to the galleries that were still j crowded at adjournment. Hundreds were turned away from the evening j sitting. Two notable of the day's in- ! iidents were Sir Joseph Ward's vehe- ' mint exclamation. * If this House ! wont help me, the country will” (in- | cheating his resolve to go again to the g, .untry rather than standing harming opposition to its immeiliate legislative? proposals), and Me H. E- Holland’s definite* statem(nt that his party would vote wi h the Uniteds to defeat the Government. After that division Lab- , i is going to consider each case on iis merits, which means that Sir Joseph Ward will have to beat up new support for every proposal, at times no doubt from one opposition party, at other times from the other. There was a stir in the Labour camp when Sir Joseph Ward called for a division on the motion to table departmental reports early in the afternoon. Following on a “pow wow” with their leader, the Labour Whips consulted Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. G. W. Forbes on the Opapsition front benches, and Mr. de la rerrelle and Mr. A. J. Murdoch who, although not yet officially appointed, are acting as United Whips. Then Labour went into the Government lobby, but Mr. H. Atmore and Mr. W. J. Poison. both of whom probably would be more correctly classified as Independent Uniteds, and Mr. C. A. Wilkinson and Mr. J. J. Hogan voted with Sir Joseph Ward, although Mr. C. A. Wilkinson later defined his position as pledged only on the no-confi-Jannce division. Mr. Lee Martin voted with the Uniteds against the Government. The Hon. W. Downle Stewart raised a Reform laugh by asking how certain United candidates and members, notably Mr. W A. Veitch. reconciled with Sir Joseph Ward’s borrowing proposals their condemnation of Keform borrowings in the last few years. Sir Joseph Ward himself was a particularly severe critic in the 1925 election campaign. Then ensued an exchange of pleasantries between Sir Joseph Ward and the Minister, the former advising Mr. Downie Stewart to look after his seat in Dunedin as more important to him than the financial proposals of the United Party. The Minister then proceeded to put on record some of the United Party’s election planks; for example, company tax was to be repealed. That was something which should go into Hansard in order that 1 people might see that party carried out its scheme. Sir Joseph Ward: I’m sure the party will be pleased to know you are going to lead it. Reverting to borrowing, Mr. Stewart said that if Sir Joseph Ward, as he said now, was going to borrow at no faster a rate than Reform had, he would not be able to do any more than Reform had done, which indeed was the utmost that was good for the country. Labour’s Terms Mr. H. E. Holland said that it would have been a good thing if it had been possible to come to an agreement to confine the debate to the three speakers, but that had not been done, lie regarded the election as. a judgment on the Government for its administration, both at home and in Samoa. The Government should have resigned without meeting the House. (Liberal hear, hears.) Labour held the key to the present situation. How the party would turn the key would depend upon the special circumstances cf each case. Labour would support proposals that were in accordance with its policy, and oppose those that were against its policy. He did not see how Sir Joseph Ward could make good all his promises, for he would be rushed almost off his feet when he was ready to receive applications for loans, but Labour would do all it could to give tii© United leader the opportunity of placing his proposals before the House. Provision should be made immediately, not six weeks hence, for t'Te many hundreds of men who were out of employment. Mr. Holland had not expected, he 'aid. that the United Party would come back as strong as it bad. because h® could see no essential difference between United and Reform. The tim® must inevitably come when the two would come together. Justifying his party’s vote with the Government in the afternoon, Mr. Holland said that Labour wanted the information these papers contained. So Uabom* voted for th« ii* presentation. When the critical division cam® Labour's block vote would go to displace the Reform Government then, when the new Government took office. Labour would support •t on such measures as were included in the Labour policy, and on such other measures as would be ig the best interests of the People of New Zealand. Labour wanted to see whatever Government was in power honour its profbises to the public services. regard to education. Labour wanted smaller classes, right of appeal against non-appointment, and Payment according to qualifications, irrespective of sex, for teachers. Also Labour wanted free books for schoolchildren. Preferential voting on ajl questions having more than one issue, said Mr. Hoii and would solve all the wrangling hb°ut two-issue- ballot papers. The Samoans should have the same rights trial as white men. Mr. Holland that Colonel Allen was a more >tnpathetic and understanding ad--Sistrator than Major-General RiehMr. Lysnar s Independence W D. Lysnar said that he was •«'< r ry something had not come out of fusion idea. He had been one of Uac committee in 1925 that had looked ***** question in which Mr. Massey

had been keenly interested. • The ! speaker would like to see one strong ! party united against the extremists. , There was no difference between the two parties, except perhaps the “big bite of £ 70.000,000.” The country needed money for development, and Mr. Lysnar would be pleased to help Sir Joseph Ward to get that money. Mr. Lysnar was independent, pledged to vote against extreme Labour. Mr. Lysnar thought the Dominion owed Mr. Coates a great debt as Minister of Public Works and Railways. Mr. Coates was not to be blamed for the state of the Dominion. He had been leu off the lines by a section of his unwieldy party. Mr. Lysnar was disappointed with Sir Joseph Ward’s speech. He had hoped for something from it. Reform’s stern attitude toward economy had helped to discredit it as a Government. If the country was put first and not party, the Parliament should win its full term, and good would come to the country. There was enough patriotism in the Reform Party to enable it to help the United Party to carry out the programme. The speaker would give the United Party the same support as he had given Reform. He would support Sir Joseph Ward in his railway policy. Questioned, Mr. Lysnar said that lie would not vote to put the United Party in office, but would help it when it was there. To his mind Reform had been trimmed of certain hindering influences. Mr. C. H. Wilkinson said that he was pledged to vote Sir Joseph Ward into office, but otherwise reserved his independence. The Hon. R. A. Wright asked how if, as Sir Joseph Ward said. Reform had been in the minority for 16 years, could it occupy the Treasury benches. An Interjector: Political trickery. Mr. Wright replied that Reform had clean-cut majorities in 1919 and 1925. Mr. Wright said that Sir Joseph Ward had said bombastically in the afternoon he would go to the country. Well, let him go to the country. Sir Joseph Ward, like a child with a new toy, wanted the Government to resign immediately after the election. Tho reduction of school classes would mean the enlarging of all schools, continued Mr. Wright, and would involve the expenditure of probably £500,000. Equality of salaries for the sexes would cost about £ 200,000, and free books were estimated to cost £BO,OOO. The House rose at 11.15 a.m., and adjourned till 10.30 a.m. to-day, when Mr. Coates is to be the only speaker.