PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12070, 27 July 1917, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

from Press Assooiation.) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, July 26, MORNING SETTING. The members of the Legislative Council waited on the Governor-General this morning to present tho Address-in-Re-ply. On returning, the Council resumed. The Hon W. 0. F. Camcross said that his Excellency had expressed deep regret at the illness of the Speaker. He also announced that the Speaker had arrived safely at Vancouver. The Council adjourned till Tuesday, at 2.30 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

TmrasDAY, July 26. AFTERNOON SITTING. Tho House met at 2.30 p.m. THE OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENT. Mr Vigor Brown, addressing tho Prime Minister, said that a few days ago he asked whether tho Government was aware that Mr Malcolm Ross, official war correspondent, was acting as military censor at the front. He now ivas prepared to hand to the Prime Minister the envelope of a letter rereived in the Dominion, showing clearly that it had been censored by Mr Ross. He thought it most improper that this man, who was received £IOOO per annum to act as correspondent, should be employing Iris time censoring letters. The Prime Minister, on receiving tho envelope, replied that ho could only repeat what be had already stated, that ho knew nothing of the matter, but would inquire into it. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The debate on the Addrcss-in-Reply was resumed by Mr Okev, who adversely criticised the Administration regarding the dairy industry, which he contended had not received the consideration it deserved. He also criticised the administration of the "Minister of Defence ,whose methods of handling reinforcements was not at all satisfactory. His grievance against tho National Cabinet was that it was afraid to do Anything, and when it did move it did it, in a blundering fashion._ The butterfat tax was a case in point. Instead of taking tho bold course and buying :he output of butter, they imposed an unfair, discriminate impost which taxed rvcrv milking cow in tho Dominion to the extent of 12s to 15s. This money was unlawfully taken from the dairy farmers, and justice demanded that it should be returned to them. M r Walker denied that there- was any disunison amongst tho members of the Labour Party. Ho denounced tho conviction of Mr P. C. W T obb, based on incomplete notes furnished by a constable. Concerning tho early closing of hotel bare, he maintained that the people had sot their face determinedly in the direction of restriction of hours, and it was tho duty of Parliament to respond. If, however, a restriction were put upon hotels, steps should also be taken to prevent the development of " keg parties." Old ago pensions should be raised. More sympathy should ho shown to soldiers by the Pensions Board, whoso general attitude was such as to givo the impression that they thought more of conserving the interests of the country than of applicants. He objected to tho session being confined to war matters, as there wero many labour probloms requiring consideration. Farming questions were over-prominent iu tho House, mid tho efforts of tho Board of Trade to deal with the question of the cost of living were completely stultified'by the fact that the board was cribbed, cabinet-and confined. Mr Leo described his experiences at the front as a delegato of the Parliamentary Association. Ho repudiated the suggestion that tho men in tho trenches wero not being sufficiently fed, and declared that after a thorough inspection of the hospitals ho found that /•verything in human power was being done for wounded soldiers. What struck him most was tho magnificent spirit of •he men. and as they were doing their fluty at the front it was imperative that ue here should do our duty by them. Ho, therefore, advocated the complete, revision and increase of the pension ki home. The calling up of the Second Division would raise a sot of new problems. Tt was the duty of the National Cabinet to find a solution. If not, chaos must reign, and any reasonable scheme brought down would receive the endorsement of the House. An Kfficiency Board had been appointed to nssist tho Government, but tho responsibility could not be shifted on to the board. The Government would either have to adopt tho scheme of tho board, or carry out another of its own. On the question of taxation, ho urged heaw taxation on large incomes, and contended that the Treasury had relieved hrowors of £30,400 of taxiitumby the change in the system of collecting beer duty. More drastic taxation must, be imposed on brewers, and if the Government did not impose it no one would be more surprised than the brewers themselves. Six o'clock closing of bars wa* asked for by a large body of moderate opinion, and ho would support it. Racing, ho thought, had not beonsuificientlv reduced. There was no justification in wasting national efficiency to the extent wo wero wasting it in this direction, for tho struggle was strenuous, and he was not prepared to support anv Government which was likely to fail us in the crisis we were passing through. The House rose at 5.30 p.m.

EVENING- SITTING. The House resamed at 7.30 p.m. _ Mr Young dealt with the imperial aspects of the war and then proceeded to ar"UO that tho moment had coino to organise tho people so as to secure enual sacrifice and service to the State. Tho ramifications of the meat trust, enemy aliens at liberty, and the. eccentricities of medical examinations were dealt with by the speaker, who concluded by expressing a hope that Ministers and members would concentrate their whole efforts upon ono purpose, to win tho war. Mr Malcolm regretted that not more had been done to reduce the cost ( of livifif'-. Ho suggested that the Government should buy flour, which would regulate tho prices of flour and bread just as the State- Firo Department had reduced insurance rates. The same principle might bo applied iu shipping and other industries. While State industries were not supposed to be efficiently managed ho was confident that much good would result by the stimulation of-competition which rings could not ignore. On tho subject of early closing of hotel bars, he maintained that the State was a sovereign against which no individual had rights if necessity dictated the cancellation of those rigfits. "When the trade spoke of sacrifice they omitted mentioning that the State last year gave the traffic an enormous privilege T>y avoiding tho local option poll, which privilege was out of all proportion to anything given xo any other section of the community. But when it cam* to sacrifice ho claimed that this war warranted tho State claiming any sacrifice from every section of the people. In any easo ho urged more, vigorous administration of the licensing law, and lie commended the promoting of officers _ who had shown energy in thw direction. Postwar conditions in their historical aspect Were considered, with the result that the speaker urged the Houso not to overlook the possibility of having to face industrial depression at tho close of the war, hut ho was not pessimistic, believing that tho greater application of inventions and tho more economic use of labour would provido us with a way out. He urged the pouring in of nil Reinforcements possiblo as soon as tuiah course being calculated

to shorten tho war and save thousands of lives. At the conclusion of Mr Malcolm's speech the Speaker put the amendment moved by Mr M'C'ombs, which was lost on the voices. Speaking in reply on tho original motion, Mr Smith (Pahiatua) declared that he had no sympathy with peoplo who said that New Zealand had done enough in tho matter of Reinforcements, but he took up the position that the size of tho original bodies should be determined by tho Government at once, and wo having fixed that on the basis of the proper percentage of our share of service to the Empire we should send Reinforcements in that proportion and no more. Tho motion that a respectful address should bo presented to tho GovernorGeneral then was carried.. MEAT TRUST. On the motion of the Primo Minister the names of Messrs Dickio and Iteed were added to the committee set up to consider tho operations of the American Meat Trust. Tho Houso rose a± 9.. 30 .d.cj.