PARLIAMENTARY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13647, 15 July 1908, Page 6

PARLIAMENTARY.

Per Presa Association. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, July 11. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. ADDRESS-IN-REPL V. Dr Findlay, in reply to the Address-in-Beply debate, said that arbitration was the most important question of the day. Was compulsory arbitration to be abandoned! What were its drawbacks? He did; not think it advisable to abolish the system, the many blessings of which were sometimes overlooked. Labour had been beaten in aE strikes before the Act, and ■would be so again if the Act was repealed. It was labour which had asked for compulsion. Could Mr Barr or any other member point to a country where labour •was better off than in New Zealand. Labour wanted the. Act to protect it, but it most- be loyal to the Act which could not be one-sided. If it were, the old system must be reverted to. Beyond tJie interest of labour was that of the whole community which was dead against repeal, and would revolt against it- Jf the Act was abolshed it would only show how the real value of it was to both to show how the real value of it to both aides. Successes must be weighed against failures. Discontent with the Act so far from showing that tiie Act had failed showed on the contrary that the condition of labour had improved. Referring to the Arbitration Court Dr Findlay defended the Judges, and pointed out the high qualifications of the present president. ±1« admitted that the cost of living was increased and that the family man was the one who felt the burden. It had been fatd that the workers had lost confidence in the Court, but he had yet to karn 1 hat any on« of the Judges had been guilty of bad administration. The lots of confidence was simply because the workers could not continue to get the advantages they had obtained in former years. U confidence of that kind was to be restored than he said abolish the whole system. He declared that it was nectssary to have one poa&ssing a legal mind as president. He asked if the Council approved of imprisonment of strikers in cases where lift* may be endangered?. The Aitorrteytjeneral then reviewed the new Arbitration Bill. Referring to uniformity of wages he said that it had reduced the production of the worker by at least 50 per cent. No better change could be effected than the change, proposed, which, ultimately, the workers would consider the greatest blessing conceivable. In conclusion he deprecated class warfare; paid agitation was a parasite upon the honest worker, and was to be utterly condemned. (Loud applause.) The Council adjourned at 5.20 p.m. until to-morrow afternoon.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. NEW BILL. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington Empowering Bill was read a liist time. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. One week's leave of absence was granted to Mr Hall (Waipawa). REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. Replying to Mr McPherson (Mount Ada) the Minister of Railways stated that ■where farmers had .suffered from taavy siiowstorms stock would be carried free one way and fodder free. Replying to Mr Jennings (Egmont), the Hon. W. Hall-Jones said that lie would inquire into the alleged delay in issuing rolls due to their being published in Wellington. The House adjourned at 3.10 p.m. till 7.30 p.m.. to enable members to attend the Maori Conference. At 7.30 the House went into Committee of Supply. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. Mr Massey opened the financial debate, complaining that the Railway Department statement and Lands Department) report, the return of the State Coal Department, also details of expenditure for the last financial year, and other necessary returns, were not presented to members in time for discussing the statement. The Dominion had'not yet, he was pleased to say, had signs of a slump, but there was not one idea suggestive of caution in the whole statement. If the electors did not put the brake on, he thought it would be a good thing if the money-lenders did. Jle declared that the gross indebtedness of the colony was £66,453,000, and that the amount of tnVrest and sinking fund annually was £2,503,537. He condemned the telegraph and postal additions, etc., being charged against capital. Dealing with railway administration, he declared that it was the least progressive of any Government Department, and there was plenty of room for improvement. He complained that money had been borrowed in the Dominion by the Government, and that it had caused money to be scarce and dearer, with the result that every industry from the agricultural downward, was in consequence- suffering from taxation. He adniittedthat there had be<>n no direct taxation, but every opportunity had been taken to increase the va|u« of land, and therefor*) owners were compelled to pay mor*< than they were entirlnl to. In th*> Customs tariff there had b;en many reductions, bub there wer« irnnv increases on articles necessary in agriculture and mining which had "seriously : ,f. fected the profits of those interested." He congratulated the Government on its proposed improved roading of the backblocks settlements-, but lie pointed out that of the amount voted last year, £175,000 was not expended. He claimed

that it was only on the eve of an election that these promises of increased expenditure were offered to the electors as a bribe. Dealing with national annuities Mr Massey said that if tho Government used the Government Insurance Department and provided subsidies he would assist to pass the Bill. He favoured increase in the amount contributed to the Imperial Navy and strongly urged the Government to give further attention to volunteering and the cadet movement.

The Hon. Mr Fowlds claimed that more information was now given members than in former years and the statement could be fully discussed. He recognised that the prices of many products were somewhat on the decline, and said that in the Financial Statement the Government preached prudence and caution. He denied that £550,000 for road-making was an election " vote catch," and pointed out that similar amounts were to be spent over four successive years, which were not election years. Dealing with the statement by Mr Massey that interest on borrowed money far exceeded the amount borrowed each year, Mr Fowlds contended that while the dominion continued a borrowing policy the interest must naturally increase and he claimed that the amount of interest per head was decreasing each year. The only increased borrowing foreshadowed was £250,000 for roads, and he asked would the leader of the Opposition object to that? Mr Fowlds was pleased that Mr Massey had not questioned the existence of a surplus. He denied that the Government had extensively borrowed in New Zealand ; in fact the amount for years was insignificant. He declared that if a feeling prevailed among the small farmers that their land woidd be taken at their own valuation, the Opposition was to blame for that. In regard to national annuities he had hoped that the Opposition would have been glad to forget the bitter opposition of their party to the old age pensions. In concluding he thought that all unbiassed people who read the statement came to the opinion that the Government deserved the confidence of the country. Mr Lang explained that they opposed the Old Age Pensions Act because the it was considered that they should be universal. They opposed the Act because the pensions were not universal. The value of land had bten affected by the fall in the price of wool. Whatever audit system was adopted there should be no delay in presenting the accounts. The Budget was as optimistic as usual. At the beginning do, measures not r«uwlw. He thought of the session there was little business to that the Leader of the Opposition was at •a disadvantage as compared with Ministers m visiting the constituences. Mr Lang said that it was always easy to show large surpluses. He did not believe in a large surplus. It was iniquitous that some land should be subject to two valuations. The North Island was not getting a fair share of the railway expenditure. That the Government's policy was socialistic was proved by its laud legislation. He approved of the special land settlement policy of the Government and also the proposed expenditure on back-blocks roads. Mr Buddo defended the financial policy of the Government and said the position of New Zealand in regard to borrowing compared very favourably with that of the Australian States. The tightness of the money' market was due to the heavy advances made by the banks to settlers. Land was continually increasing in value, and the Government valuations were the market value. The land for settlements policy was not favourable to small settlers, the acreage of the sections being too large. Irrigation was required in many parts of the colony. The tit-ate should take greater interest in the Bank of New Zealand. He believed in ;i general superauuation scheme, and supported an all red mail service and increase of naval subsidy. The debate was adjourned. The House ioso at 11.45 p.m.