DULL AFTERNOON PROCEEDINGS.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13352, 28 February 1912, Page 2

DULL AFTERNOON PROCEEDINGS.

f United Peess Association.]

Wellington, Feb. 27

After the brief Parliamentary business had be-on transacted after tho House of Representatives resumed at 2.8.0 this afternoon, Mr. A. E. Glover .continued tho debate on the Address-in-Rop.y. H-e was, ho said, in the House to preserve the interests of the masses. Ho would bow to no one so far as his allegiance to the workers and the masses was concerned. Ho proceeded to review tho Governor's Speech, and applauded the provisions contained therein. One matter which called for immediate investigation was the high cost of living. A commission should be set up at once to go into tho matter, lie urged the prosecution of the East Coast railway, where there was some most fertile country. The settlers thero were handicapped in getting their produce away to the markets through tho harbours having bar troubles. With regard to the charges of maladministration levelled against tho Government, their opponents should bring forward those charges, and have them tested. He commended the members .to review tho humanitarian legislation invented and passed by the present Administration. Mr. T. W. Rhodes dec'.arcd that ha was an Independent. Ho had given a voluntary pledge to his electors to voto for the Ward Administration. He'had also given them to understand that ho would voto for the freehold. He stood for principle and for measures, not men. He would give his support to any measure which was in the interest of the pcoplo, no matter from which side of the House it emanated. Ho had listened very attentively to all that had been said, and was sorry to see so much said against the Government, but not one tittle of evidence had beon adduced in support of it. Innuendo and inference bn<l been rampant, but thero was nothing specific. He wanted to hear what tho Government had done wrong, and how the Opposition could do bettor. He honoured the member for Grey Lynn for having courage of his convictions, and breaking his pledge when he recognised that to keep it would be doing injury to tho people. The Government had legand humanitarian lines, and he hoped to assist in the furtherance of tho \ programme of tho Liberals. Interest was given to the debute by Mr. Yeitch rising. He said that for the last 15 years lie had had a great deal to do with trades union work. He had imagined that on coming to arliamant he would ha.ro to acquire a groat deal of polish, but ho had not botMi greatly impressed with Parliament. .At a conference sitting in Wellington the business was conducted in-rrway that would compare with Parliament. Personal reflections were not thrown across tho table as they wore across the Parliamentary Chamber. He denied that the workers were divided among themselves, as was stated by the newspapers. There never was a time when labour realised so much the need for unity. Some thought that there should bo an organisation to defend Labour in Parliament, others that an organisation should bo to defend Labour's interests outside Parliament. He did not see- why both organisations should not exist. It had been said that the demands of labour were unreasonable1. Tt was only human nature to ask for as much as one could get.'One thing was certain and that was that tho workers had never yet obtained anything out of reason, and so it wasfair to deduce that their demands had never been out of reason. He stated that the Governor's Speoch was far from being an insult to the intelliwne<\ of Parliament. It appealed to him very much.. He dealt with several subjects contained- in tho Speech, especially with tho cost of living. He disagreed entirely with the theory that the increased cost of living was rhif. to increased wages. In his opinion the chief causes were commercial monopoly, land monopoly, and taxation to raise money for public works. Ha admitted tho honesty of tho Government's remission of duties on the necessaries of life, but the remission had boon collared by commercial monopolies. He r/ontended that it was ten times more reasonable for the State to iix the price of a commodity than that its price should i>e lixcd by commercial monopolists. There existed in New Zealand a system of monopoly so complete that it was practically impossible for any small, or financially weak, firm to operate successfully in opposition to them. He regretted that the- Monopolies Prevention Act had not been put into operation.

Sir Joseph Ward: It has

Mr. Voitch, continuing, said he had not heard of it, but was glad to learn that was bo. He thought there was a Haw in tho Act in tnat there was no provision in it for preliminary investigation prior to taking action. The cost of living was immensely iniluenced by commercial monopoly, but it was a subject which could be dealt ■with —any tiling coim! be dealt with if courage and determination wore brought to bear. He hoped that whichever Party came into power would promptly and sincerely take the matter up, and deal with the commercial monopolies. As to taxation for public works, every year from £60,000 to £80 4 UOO was transferred from the consolidated revenue to the Public Works Fund. What lie objected to was that the money which was fonivibuted from the earnings of the rank and file was spout in developing tho country to the immediate and considerably benefit of the land owners. "At the closo of last session," be preceded, by way of illustration, "u-o had a proposal that the Government should buy 2,000,000 acres of 'and adjacent to tlio Main Trunk lino. If the land had been acquired before tho railway was- built we should have Jiad the railway for nothing," (Hear, hear.) However, he believed in lotting by-gones be bygones. A bargain was a bargain, and should bo respected. Th:- Labour Party never repudiated n hnrgr.in. In connection with the? freehold r|uc-.stion ho had a proposition to put fov.vanl, namely, thf.t the Stnte- should b<; ajlowod to repudiate its baricsin madewith freeholders. If leaseholders wore to be given tho freehold at th-% original 'value why not allow the State .to -esum:l p.t the original value1 tile land which it had parted with. (Laughter.) T\e assured the members that +'i" Labour Party were not unreasonable. He expressed the hope'that when they were called upon to phe in account of their works, lie did not know whether three years or tlirof montl;*-. heree—(laughter)—it would be admitted that the Labour members had not borne themselves tin worthily. "Dealing with railway me.t'.or:-- ho b:-]^ that tho railway men hr.d_ received concessions from time to time, but surely they had ■•>, grievance, in that the rrn-tier they bad plncxl before Pnrli-.'r'cnt. 'ast. ser.pion hrd been sidetracked. It should have been referred to some tribunal failing Parlia.ment having time to deal with it. In

conclusion he said that tho workers were l-csving-thcf Arbitration Conrt because h, failed 'to giro them satishtctioii. Arbitration was right in principle. Tho Court had been established to abolish sweating, and had | done so thoroughly..-. That' function it was not now called on to exercise, and at present the Court's business should be to investigate monopoly. Both employers and employees wero being squeezed by monopolies. Mr. Veiteh was warmly applauded by both sides on concluding. The House adjourned at 5.30 and resumed at 7.30.'

Mr. J. Robertson held that tho whole point of tho Opposition's criticism was directed against tho administration* ■ and if there was a change therein, as had .been promised, there could, as far as he had been able to- see from Opposition criticism, be no objection to tho Liberal policy being pursued. Ho held that Labour was-ifSt receiving its due for services rendered. The cost of production was ncc-er so low as at tho present time ; and that was due partially to the introduction of labour saving machines. With regard to tho ■unrest in the railway service, he was of opinion that the Government wero to blame for giving in to the constantly reiterated criticism of tho Opposition. The railways should be considered as the primary developers of tho countrx,.and- should be safeguarded to'the utmost.

When comppulsory military training had been allowed to pass without consulting the country, democracy existed only for Party purposes. He desired to make his position clear in regard to his pledges. Ho denied giving a- pledge to those simply opposed to the Government. He had said that ho would assist to overthrow tho Administration, but had stated he was just as strongly opposed to the Massey Party. Tho no-con-fidence'motion was not simply to turn out the Ward Government, but to put Mr. Massey in' power. He would never assist in doing this. Ha was in a position that he must keep tho spirit or break the letter of his pledge, or vice versa. He. chose to break tho letter and keep the spirit of the pledge. After consideration of tho various factors he had come to tho conclusion that he could not assist in giving a new lease of life to tho Massoy Party. Tho country looked for a load from the party in power, and if this was given by the present Administration, they woiild onco more lead tho way in democratic reform.

Mr H. Atmore then addressed tho House, and a fuller report than that supplied by the Press Association, oneby our own correspondent, will bo found elsowhereiirtlns column. Mr F. M. B. Fisher, reviewed tho history of tho Ward' Administration, recalling tho blunders made by tho Premier, and the causes leading to illfeeling in tho Liberal Party. Sir Joseph "Ward's hereditary title cost him thousands of votes. 'The gambling legislation was responsible for tho defeat of tho Liberals. H© quoted many former members of the Ministry on causes leading to the downfall of the Liberal Party, which was divided against itself. He criticised tho legislation passed,by- tho Government and_ suggestions^ legislation contained in tho Governor's Speech. Ho gave tho Governmont credit for somo of tho legislation passed, but complained that somo of the planks of tho Opposition's platform had been appropriated. Why, he asked, had not tho Government -introduced-last session some of the proposals contained in the Governor's Speech. They had a majority of 24 then, but they had made no endeavour to carry out what was now proposed. Ho objected to tho lack of facilities afforded members for tho perusal of departmental papers and documents. ...

Mr J. A. Hanan said the Opposition wore possessed of a sordid desire to gam the Treasury benches, and personal aggrandisement at any cost ihoy wcro an ofl-shoot of the old lory Party, and held its views.