THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 317, 5 July 1912, Page 5

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The Council met at 2.30. Mr. Paul, resuming the Address-in-Reply debate, characterised it as remarkable for its length and the omission of many big questions. In these respects it was easily a record. The only explanation was that the Party in power was anxious to frame a policy for the moment. There was an absence of refcrenoe to the proposals contained in the February speech. He held that proposal* should not be put forward to catch votes, and the Government deserved to be. censured for bringing forward big proposals in February and abandoning them three months later. He criticised the administration of the labor law, and declared that the Arbitration Court was one of the most beneficent institutions we had. He advocated the bare majority in regard to the liquor question, and also advocated proportional representation. Mr. Anstey commended the suggestion in. the Speech to make retiring allowances to legislators. He approved of the setting up of the Education and Cost of Living Commissions, but criticised the order of reference of the latter. He contended that the cost of education was n'it warranted by results. In regard to di'f- nee, it appeared, he said, that we are aiming rather to establish a military autocracy tin™ ■» give efficient training. He cxprr"-' •': satisfaction that the Government had put a little more life into the land policy, but thought that farms were being cut too small, and that they were neglecting to buy big estates. The Land Department wanted regrading, as there was something radically wrong about it. Rings and monopolies were at the bottom of the labor unrest.

The Council adjourned till 8 p.m. The Council to-night passed the Address-in-Reply and adjourned until Wednesday next. THE XO-COXFIDEXCE MOTION. Mr. J. V.. Thompson continued the debate in the House on the Address-in-Reply. He dealt exhaustively with the land question, holding that the present party in power hnd accomplished great things in the settlement of the land, and had also moved in the direction of putting down the aggregation of lands. Their political opponents, he said, were rather prone to oritioism, but criticism was not evidence of ability. The House rose at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. Bradney continued the debate. ITe traversed several statements which he had heard, he said, given breath to in the House. He repudiated any suggestion that he had made a deprecatory reference to the humanitarian legislation of this country. He did not object at nil, as he had been reported to do, to the old age pension scheme, but he did object to the system by which it was administered.

Mr. Vritch said that he was pleased with the Governors address in some respects. On the other hand, he was disappointed witli several other matters contained therein. He refered to the aggregation of lands, and pointed out cases which came within his own knowledge where huge tracts of country were controlled by some four or five men. He averred that be was not allied to either the Government or the Opposiiton party. He had his own reasons for voting for the party at present in power. Dealing with financial matters, he referred t,o the Bank of Xew Zealand figures recently issued by the bank. He said that thev were staggering. Xo institution should reap 1.5 per et>nt. on its capital. The bank should be taken over by the State and controlled by it. If thev were not competent to control the bank thev should not be where thev were. Ife criticised the sumrostion '« the Speech to construct lieht lines of rsihvavs. ndvneatinsr a wide yiuge a»l bier tunnel*, which could carrv increasing traffic for veers <o come. He dealt at lonstli with n-atters connected with the rnilwav «er-'-ic<\ and sa'd that the only thing that kept men in the '-ailwav service was superannuation, nnd wpre it not for that fact the service would be depleted of men. He also referred to the labo" unrest in the conntrv. The solution, of the matter. »e contended, lay in the settlement of the land ouestion. The operation of a betterment tax in connection with tin 1 construction of public works would obviate the necessity for a large amount of taxation. Mr. Atmore fid flint he conceded pverv virtue to Mr. Massev in private life, but did not consider him competent to hold the position of leader of the Government. Humanitarian proposals could not be expected from a partv which represented tli" interests of men who owned £13.500.000 worth of land, in estates of 25.000 acres upwards. He referred to the manner in which members of the Opposition bad rushed round his electorate end addressed iiieetintr=. and no Ministerialists had followed them. In eonseouence of those tactics the Opnosition nartv was now at. Inch tide, but there would be an ebb, and the ebb wn" com in or. Mr. Pavne rose on the completion of M*. Atniorp's «peecli and continued the debate. He had. he said, drafted a «"ries of Bills to vomedv the present labor unrest. His idefs micrlit be right or thev mi"ht he wronor. but when h° bad concluded h'S proe-ramine it would lm sppii that he was on the right side of the fence. The Hou=e rose on the motion of Mr. Glover ?.t 11.15 p.m.