PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12068, 25 July 1917, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

(Abridged from Press Association)

HOUSE: OF REPRESENTATIVES

TtTESDAT, JtJLY 24

AFTERNOON SITTING Tho House met at 2.30 p.m Ar>DRES3-IN-REPLY.

Mr Vernon Reed resumed tho de- „ bate on the Address-in-Reply. He generally supported the- National Government, but found fault with th-3 effect of the excess profits tax, operating as it did with great hardship on Many farmers. He quoted instances to show where farmers who had given up Aairying because their sons had got;o to the front were mubted 45 per cent on the. proceeds of the snle their cattle. This, strictly speaking, was capital, yet was taxed as if it were war profits, which wos both irritating and unfair. In the sane way the dairy farmer had beei singled out to make a. sacrifice on behalf of the community through th© bitter-fat tax. He favoured an export and import tax, which would be a master stroke from a revenue paint of view. Speaking of nettling returned soldiers, he estimated thst 15,000 men would be prepared to take up land, and suggested the setting up of local boards for classifying applicants and land, and acting generally as advisers. He favoured settling these men on bush lands in North Auckland and the Urewera Country rather than en highly improved farms, which would be too costly. The operations of the meat trust must be combated at all costs. He suggested as a means of countering the trust the prevention of the investment of any foreign capital in co-operative meat works freezing on account of producers, instead of buyers, State shipping, una finally a mutual arrangement with tho British Government ; but whatever course was decided upon, we should act promptly and df-ctsively. Mr Forbes followed. (His speech is reported in another column). The Hoaso ros3 at 5.30 p.m.

■EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. The Hon A. L. "Herdman said that a Jccret session was not necessary. Ministers wero taking members into their confidence as much as possible and giving the House all the information that it wast 'advisable to make public under present circumstances. Coming to Imperial'matters, he favoured some system under 'which the dominions

would be given a greater voice in mati tors affecting peace and war, but he doubted the wisdom of setting up an Imperial Parliament which would lord it over all other parliamentary institutions. Many questions awaited uni-

, form' treatment ' throughout the Empire. Naturalisation of enemy subjects was one. Even now there was doubt as to Britain's policy regarding the treatment of alien enemy subjects. Personally he thought that at the outbreak of war. every alien subject should have been interned or sent back to his own country. The whole subject was '. most difficult to deal with, but at least if wo- naturalised an enemy that should carry some responsibility with it, but that responsibility yet remained to bo determined. Trading with the enemy was another matter which demonstrated the need for national organisation, so that we always would be prepared to check aggressions against our trade, and in this respect- the two leaders of parties in this- Dominion had done service in England that could never bo

forgotten. Proceeding, he detailed the work done by tho National Government since its inception, paying a compliment to the Hon W. D. S. MacDonald for the manner in which he had negotiated the purchase of our produce for the Imperial authorities. A large saving had been made to the people in the arrangement the Government had made for the supply of sugar to the public, and a considerable amount of organisation of the country had been done by the Efficiency- Board. Discussing demobilisation, he described the operations of the Discharged Soldiers' Department. He concluded by paying a tribute toithe spirit of tho people of New Zealand ancl of the young men sailing for the front, who went out with a song on their lips to fight for tne glorious principles of liberty. Dr Thacker was the next speaker. His remarks are reported in another part of this issue. Mr T. W. Rhodes'. (Thames) complained that the Dominion's arrangement i\-ith .the' Old Country regarding reinforcements never had been made clear to the House. He analysed the figures quoted by the Minister of Defence and declared that any examination of them showed that fifteen thousand men were unaccounted for. He asked where were those men. The House had a right to know. He deprecated taking the last son of any family or the calling out of the Second Division a day earlier than was necessary, otherwise we would destroy the productivity of the country and be unable to keep the home fires burning.

: More generous provision must be made i. for the dependents of the Second Divi- ! sion and the most liberal, conditions observed with regard to soldier settlers to enable them to get back Into the routine of civil life as soon as possible. He favoured an increased graduated income tax, amusements tax and a tax : on luxuries to check the extravagances 1 of the people and enable the country to provide more liberal pensions for elderly people who had borne the heat and bvrclen of the day. The debate was riclioumed on tho motion of Mr Nosworthy, and the House rose at 11 p.m.