REFORM GOVERNMENT OUT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 291, 8 December 1928, Page 7

REFORM GOVERNMENT OUT

HOUSE DELIVERS EMPHATIC VERDICT LABOUR VOTE COES SOLIDLY WITH UNITEDS The debate in the House of Representatives on the Address-in-Reply ended yesterday, when, on a division taimen on the strode of noon, the Reform Government suffered defeat by 50 votes to 28, Sir Joseph Ward's amendment advising his Excellency that his advisers no longer held the confidence of the House, being carried. The Prime Minister (the Rl. Hon. J. G. Coates) later announced that he would a statement regarding the Reform Parly's altitude io the new Government when the House assembled next Tuesday.

[ Per Pre«s Association 1 WELLINGTON, Doc. When the House of Representatives met this morning the. debate on the Addrcss-in-Rcply was continued by the Prime Minister, (the Rt? Hop. J. G. Coates), who said Sir Joseph Ward had gone to a great deal of trouble to try to show that the speaker had deliberately misrepresented him, but he would quote from. newspaper reports of Sir Joseph Ward’s speeches to prove he had not done anything deliberate, as had been alleged. The Auckland Star had reported Sir Joseph as stating that the United Party’s borrowing proposals were to be given effect to in one year. Mr E. A. Ransom (Pahiatua): Did you not attempt to repeat, it after the correct account appeared? Mr Coates: No. He was disappointed that Sir Joseph had not enunciated his proposals when speaking in the House yesterday. Sir Joseph could have covered more ground, and the country expected him to do so. Sir Joseph had said, at the end of the campaign, that works would be carried on out of surpluses, but that was a matter requiring careful consideration, because surpluses might not exist. If the railways were going to be completed in four years, an expenditure of £24.500,000 would be necessary. The railways could not be completed in four or ten years, and he would like Sir Joseph to remember that a very careful survey of the economic returns should be made before definite and final instructions were given for the completion of lines. Need for Care. “I say that with a definite sense of responsibility,” said Mr Coates. “The day when we can spend money haphazard is just about gone.” Mr W. J. Broadfoot (Waitoino): Yes. Just about finished. (Laughter). M r Coates referred to the possibilities of the railway lines which were in his programme at the. present time. Mr F. Laugstone (Waimarino): The Rotorua-Taupo line will never pay for axle grease. Mr Coates said it was necessary to exercise great, care in , estimating whether a certain railway was going to pay interest on the cost of construction. He paid tribute to the capacity of New Zealand engineers and said there were working men in this country who, with engineers to advise them, wore competent to take the largest contract in the country.

Referring to the £60,000,000 loan which Sir Joseph Ward proposed to raise for settlers, Mr Coates said that during the election campaign he had stated that if he were returned he would bring applications up to date, but the point was that the moment they adopted Sir Joseph Ward’s scheme, the State would- for ail time become the only lender, so far as settlers were concerned. In his judgment, that was a mistake.

There was more money in New Zealand to-day, said Mr Coates, than he could remember. Mr Broadfoot: What, on land? The Prime Minister: For investment. The money that Sir Joseph Ward proposed to raise would be used for the purpose of meeting mortgages that already existed at a lower rate of intesest. Sir Joseph AV a rd: That is a very good thing to do, too. Mr Coates said that high costs and low prices were difficulties with which the farmers had to contend. Costs had soared much higher than prices, and one of the greatest problems was that of rating on rural lands. A Measure of Support. The Government would have tackled that if it had been returned to office, for it was realised that the small farmer was by no means in a prosperous condition. “The leader of the United Party, ’ ’ declared Mr Coates, will get a measure of support from me if he becomes Prime Minister, that is, so far as the £60,000,000 is concerned. Personally, I think he would be wise if he devoted a portion of the money to the development of land which at the present time is not producing anything.’’ “Sir Joseph Ward: If I am allowed Io do so, I propose to set up two Lands for Settlement Boards. Mr Coates: Well, if the leader of the United Party docs that, I will say this to him, “Don’t make the boards too wide—make them local as far as possible.” So far as land settlement is concerned, I don’t think that some of the proposals I have heard on the hustings will get you very far. Before anything is done, it will he necessary to have a reclassification of the whole country. It is a huge job and it is going to take a long time. “I will place the country and my duty to the country before my duty to my party on each and every occasion,” declared Mr Coates. “I honestly believe that that is the opinion of every hon.’ gentleman around me. New Zealand is my country—l have worked for it, and I will continue to work for it as long as the people want ' a to do so.” The Fateful Division. After referring to the Reform Party’s achievements Mr Coates concluded his speech by expressing the hope that members of the Government would be able to render assistance to those who followed them. “If any difficult problem arises,” said Mr Coates, “I hope there will be no hesitation in sending for me, and I will give my opinion on the question for what it is worth. I may have some ideas that may b» of

use in spite or what lias been said during the election, for it was said in the heat of the moment. I sincerely trust 1 have never hit below the belt— L have tried not to; I have no rancour and no resentment. I have only this request to make: We have several important problems ahead of us, notably those in regard to the Maori race, and" I want to tell the now Native Minister I will be willing to give any assistance. It should got be treated as a party question.” The division was taken precisely at noon on Sir Joseph Ward’s amendment, in a House tense with interest and in the presence of crowded galleries. The division resulted in the amendment dicing carried by 50 votes to 28, the list being as follows: — For (50): Against (28):

Armstrong Ansell Atmore Bitchcncr Barnard Burnett Black Campbell Bodkin Coates Broadfoot Dickie Carr Field Chapman Hall Clinkard Hamilton Cobbc Harris de la Pcre’le Honare Donald Holland, H. Fletcher Hunter Forbes Jones Fraser Kyle Hawke Linklater Healy Lysnar Hogan Macmillan Holland, 11. I . Massey Howard Nash Jenkins Romaic Langstone Samuel Lye Stewart McCombs Sykes McDonald - Waite McDougall Williams McKeon Wright Macpherson Young Maki tana ra Martin Mason Munns Munro Murdoch Ngata O’Brien Parry Polson Ransom Rushworth Savage Semple Smith Stallworthy Sullivan Taverner Veitch Ward Wilford Wilkinson The formality in connection with framing the reply to the GovernorGeneral’s speech were then gone through, and finally the reply was adopted with this significant paragraph: “In conclusion, we deem it our duty to represent to your Excellency that your Excellency’s advisers do not possess the confidence of this House. ’ ’ The Speaker announced that his Excellency would receive the address at 12.50 p.m., and the House then rose until 2.30 p.m. Mutual Goodwill When the House met in the afternoon, the Speaker reported that, with the mover and seconder of the Address-in-Reply and other members, he had waited upon His Excellency, the Gov-ernor-General, who had been pleased to make a suitable reply, concluding: “I fully recognise it is essential that my advisers should possess the confidence of the House of Representatives, and in view of your assurance that, they do not possess that confidence, I will take measures for the formation of a new administration.” On the motion of the Prime Minister, his Excellency’s message was ordered to be recorded in the journals of the House. Mr Coates said that in view of the decision arrived at by the House, it would bo his duty to tender the resignation of the Government to his Excellency, and that course he proposed to take just as soon as it was convenient to his Excellency. Sir Joseph Ward said, on behalf of the United Party, that he wanted to express appreciation of a kindly offer made by Mr Coates in the course of his very good speech. He thought the whole House would recognise the difficulties and the position Mr Coates was placed in. Such a thing came to everybody who was in politics for a long time, and it was a source of gratification that Mr Coates should, on prob ably the last occasion he hold the position he had occupied so honourably, express such kindly sentiments as he had done. Sir Joseph added that some time after the House re-assembled he would make a statement on some important matters. He was not going to say anything further at that stage. At the moment he felt he was unable to say whether another session would be necessary. Ho wanted to-avoid it in the interests of the House and of the country. and he hoped, when he was in*a position to speak with authority, to be able to make a proposal regarding his policy and how he proposed to act. “Never Better” Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Labour Party) also paid a tribute to Mr Coates as a clean fighter. “We I have had to fight and we fought with I the gloves off,” said Mr Holland, “jkivery fighter likes another lighter,

and when the scrap is over, friendships remain the same. I want to express my appreciation, and I am sure the appreciation of every member of my party, of the manner in which the Primo Minister has accepted his defeat and the decision of this House, T am sure he will forgive me if I say ho never appeared to bettor advantage, even in the moment of his most decisive victory, than in his hour of defeat to-day. ’ ’ Mr Holland referred to the dign’fiod manner in which Mr Coates had mot the position, and the sportsmanlike manner in which he had accepted the 'decision of the House. Sir Apirana Ngata. speaking on bphalf of the Maori people, thanked Mr Coates for all he haj done in the interests of the Maoris. His actions would not be lightly thought of in years to come. Mr Coates, in reply, said the remarks made concerning him were most unexpected. No doubt they would on ss swords in the future, but they vzould always look forward to the fact that whatever they did in the House was not allowed to interfere with their friendships cutside the House. Mr Coates said he was very much tor ched by the kind remarks. He paid a tribute to the assistance which he had reccivel at all times from Sir Apirana Ngata. On Tuesday, concluded Mr Coates, ho would like to have an opportunity of making a short statement as to the attitude the Reform Party would take up in regard to Sir Joseph Ward’s administration. The House ti er, adjourned until Tuesday afternoon. A meeting of Reform members of Parliament was held after the adjourn-r.-.eni and a resolution was unanimously passed recording the highest appreciation of the dign'.ficd, manly and statesmanlike speech delivered in the House by Mr Coates.