PARLIAMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

(Abridged from Press Association). LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2,30 p.m. BILLS. Sir Francis Bell gave notice of_ bis intention to introduce the Law Practitioners Act Amendment Bill and Law of Libel Act Amendment Bill. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. The Hon J. P. Campbell opened the Address-in-Reply debate. He spoke of the success of Air Massey at the Imperial Conference, and expressed satisfaction at the introduction of the Forestry Bill. He defended the Minister of Lands against those who said he had made a mistake in not putting the soldiers on unimproved lands. The Hon W. H. M’lntyre seconded the motion, saying the Speech was comprehensive and touched on almost every phase of life in the Dominion except that of tlie coalmines,* He advocated tho giving of encouragement for the opening up of new mines, a housing scheme for miners, superannuation and financial assistance to co-operative miners. The Government should prohibit the importation of coal until all the New Zealand mines were again in full swing. He advocated the introduction of nurses’ superannuation. Sir J. R. Sinclair expressed regret that apparently a constitutional conference of the Empire was not to be held. What he advocated was not an executive, but a consultative body, something like the Imperial War Cabinet. ; The Hon IJ. L. Michel spoke optimistically of trade recovery in New Zealand, but added that all would not be well until Germany and Central Europe had recovered. He defended the Government’s action in importing coal to overcome the shortage created by the miners. The debate was adjourned on the motion of the Hon J. Barr. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AFTERNOON SITTING. Tlie House met at 2.30 p.m, BILLS. The following Bills were introduced and read a first time:—Local Bodios Loans Act Amendment (Hon W. D. Stewart), Banking Act Amendment (Hon W. D. Stewart), Anzac Day Act Amendment (Hon W. I>. Stewart), Incliclutha Road, River and Drainage Act Amendment (Mr Edie), Stone Quarries Act Amendment (Hori C. J. Parr). EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. Mr E. Dixon (Patea) moved the Address-in-Reply. He said that New Zealand had. been fortunate j in hgr public men, and especially fortunate in having at the head of affairs during the stressful years of* war so able a man as the present Prime Minister. In his representation of the Dominion at the Imperial Oonerence he had reached a very high place among the Empire's leaders. His efforts in connection with the marketing of meat and wool and shipping freights would be beneficial to the Dominion, in fact apart from the Imperial Conference he believed that Mr Massey during his present visit to England had done as much for New Zealand as any man ever had done. Referring to the economy campaign Mr Dixon said tlie time had come when the country must face retrenchment. ! Reduction of expenditure in the Civil Service would give much relief, but local bodies and | commercial and industrial interests must follow suit. Readjustment of wages and working conditions was urgently necessary in the face of falling values alter tho temporary prosperity which bad prevailed during the war years. In the retrenchment scheme education should bo spared from the pruning knife. He stressed tho need for greater attention to the agricultural side of education, and urged that fuller assistance should be given brilliant students to follow up technical and industrial research work. He favoured inculcating ana fostering a spirit of loyalty in school children. Referring to pensions, he acknowledged that the need was great in many cases, especially in the case of widows, but he opposed indiscriminate expenditure in pensions and charitable aid. He believed some system of compulsory insurance was the best means of meeting necessities at present indifferently met through pensions and charitable aid payments. Mr T. D. Burnett (Temuka) seconded the motion. He expressed satisfaction at tlie progress of the hydroelectric* power scheme from Lake Coleridge, but .so far as South Canterbury was concerned Lake Coleridge w'as insufficient. A much better source for that district was Lake Tekapo. which could bo harnessed without difficulty and furnish sufficient power for the whole of the southern districts. He pleaded for relief from the heavy burden of taxation at present pressing upon the people. Th~ time had come when the people should practise economv and live more .simply in the straitened circumstances which followed a period of prosperity. The debate was ndiourned on the motion of y.r T. M. leader of the Opposition, and the House rose.