PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12239, 12 June 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

ll*er Press Association.) .^WELLINGTON, June 11. The; Council resumed at 2.30, and adjourned iii-order to present the Address-m-Reply to His Excellency. On -resuming, the Governor's reply was read, and the Council adjourned until 10.30 to-morrow morning.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WELLINGTON, June 11. The House met at 2.30.

Mr Forbe3 . moved the Address-in-Reply to the Speech from the Throne. He outlined the wise and statesmanlike policy in connection with defence, and said the.effect of Sir Joseph Ward,3 presence at the Imperial Defence Conference would be very good. It would be unfair to the Premier to continue the session in his absence, in view of the important legislation to be dealt with. Mr.Taylor. (Thames) seconded. He said the time had come for a change in the British Navy. The coming conference would be the beginning of the change. Mr Massey moved to strike out ihe line in the Address-in-Reply affirming the desirability of the early prorogation of Parliament. The country was waiting for social # and land legislation. He was anxious, like the member for Hurunui, to break up the land monopoly, but the Government was the greatest land monopolist. He protested against the adjournment of the session till October.. Australia and Canada were not sending their Prime Ministers to the Conference. Emphasis had been laid on the necessity of the Premier being present in Parliament to explain the policy. What was their pohey? They had none at.the general election. Their policy was to .retain office" at any price. He Criticised the recent Ministerial appointments hi a humorous style. ] n connection with the construction of the Roxburgh-Lawrence railway line the Government had made a serious mistake. They should have.known before asking for £30,000 whether the line would pay. People were leaving the colony in hundreds every week. Sixteen hundred left, last month in excess of arrivals. Mr Massey, after touching on native land and'other questions, referred to the Second Ballot Act, and asked what it diad cost ? The effect of the Gaming Act. had been to make New Zealand a paradise for spielers. The gaming legislation was faulty, and he hoped it woulji be remedied. He. did not intend his ' amendment as a want of confidence motion, but simply as a protest against thov postponement of the session.

Mr Hardy Seconded the amendment:. Thb Hon.T;. Mackenzie, in reply to Mr Massey, referred to the questions of finance., unemployment, and naval defence. The last was the greatest question before the Empire' to-day. . The position was exceedingly serious. Britain was never 'so defenceless as now. In the event of Great Britain being involved in, a struggle with Germany there was nothing to hinder the Eastern nations attempting to wrest New Zealand from us: There were indications of a revival of industry in the Dominion. Ho advocated.* greater attention to the primal industries. If the workers had the right to demand work the Government should have the right to instruct young .people^in the industrial arts. '... Mr Allen drew a parallel between the financial cleaning up necessary to-day withrthat of 1&87. due to the Government; creating billets and departments which were riot required, and thon casting out into the world the men appointed ;to the positions. ■ The German naval developnient was not so much aimed at Britain as it ■; was intended to aid her influence in world politics. He charged tlie Premier with being unsound on the military defence of the Dominion, and hoped he would come back with a well-, thought-out sfclieme of jmilitary: defence. ■- Mr Wilfordauotekj;British and foreign papers iri'sup'fofVof the contention that Germany's -ma val scheme was solely directed , agaiinst Britain. It was a diplomatic axipin that if a grest national ideal could be fostered it would have the effect' of" swamping small dissensions. In 1903 the Socialists in Germany swept the board at the elections. This and. other causes led the Kaiser to spread the idea that Britain was about to'attack: Germany. The Kaiser next * engineered the Balkan crisis. ■ ■;•'! ■';■,■••■.

The House, rose at 5.30,

The House'resumed at 7*30. Mr Wilf ortl (continuing) recalled the time when the Kaiser-was the guest of King Ed ward ,'■ and the former made the famous speech: in which tbo statement was made. "Blood is thicker than water." - At*-the same time the Reichstag was voting 200 million sterling on its naval programme. If British shipbuilding depended on German assurances, Britain would be left behind. The German navy and *rmy xere kept »v a state of preparation for war, while the British was maintained-on a peace footing.- ■ -.-. ;■ •■:- '■;-.■- ' ■;

Dr. Newman opposed the adjournment of the session on the grounds of xirgent business requiring attention. Mr Pbole dealt at length with the naval crisisj and urged the need for compulsory training. Sir Joseph Ward said it had been a very interesting debate. He recapitulated the argument in support of, his representing the Dominion at the Conference, and the adjournment of Parliament. The conference had been called by the Imperial Government after the Dominion had made the offer of a Dreadnought. The statement hud been made that people were leaving the Dominion. The number of people who had left during the past month was not above the average in 1909. ■~ The arrivals till May amounted 'to^lSjUS,--anti-,the departures 17,441. -• In 1903' the; total arrivals w ere 18,500,-. arid the: departures 15,700.-•-■During the last- ten 'years our gain in population from outside was about 120,000. Regarding Mr Allen's statement re the financial cleaning up in 1887, the Premier said he was pn» of those who helped the Atkinson Government in doing so. Mr Allen had further said the Government's financial position, was not sound. He denied that entirely. v The . position of "Mr Ngata was perfectly constitutional, and one in accordance with precedent. He denied Mr Allen's statement that he (the Premier) had scoffed at Australia's defence proposals. Sir Joseph Ward quoted his statement at the Imperial Conference in regard to the military defence of the dominion, and advocated uniformity throughput the; Empire in volunteer and other defence forces. Regarding Mr iUlen's suggestion that New Zealand and Australia should have navies of their own, the Premier quoted an authority as stating it would be 50 years before the Australian navy would be of any use. Sir John Colomb had called it a squirt. It was our jbounden duty to .help .-the British Government to bring the Navy to a state of efficiency. He concluded with an appeal ;to parties to sink all differences1 6n this question. Mr Fisher continued the debate at considerable ••■ length, • Jafter which Mr Uuick moved the• '; adjournment. - Sir. Joseph Ward gjvvemotice to-move that this House ■appre I y ft ythjb .action of the Government in its offers of. assistanco to the Imperial Navy in the terms conveyed to the Home Government in the despatch of 27th March. The House rose at 11.30. •

. One hundred-woight of pure Liquorice juice to besqold at Cd per stick at Wilton s .PhnrmsMjiiss. >.