PARLIAMENT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14065, 20 August 1913, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. (Pur United Press Association.) ?- - . .'WELLINGTON,' August T9‘. ■ The Hpiise met at- 2.30. EMPOWERING >BIUL.The Roman-Catholic, Archbishop .Era--powering Bill. (Mr-Buchanan) was. read a third time and passed. BUDGET DEBATE. The Budget -debate was, resumed* by 'Mr, .1. (.'. Thomson (Wallace) -who complained U at the Budget nvas devoid of any-indica--’.-on :ni tiiVit groat era -pf • reform which 1 the people had been , led to expect.- There was an entire absence of a constructive policy or legislation heralding, social betterment or national insurance against sickness ;and' invalidity. He criticised the cryptic reference .to: such ■ proposals- as , l.ocal Government Reform and Imperial Defence* The Minister of Defence had fori iurly ‘committed himveif to an independent navy, hut Mncc bis return from the ( )id Country- lie Tiifrl■ evidently changed his .'--v.vs, lt- : was woil.for him that he had done *so, baeau.se he ventured the prediction that no party .which propo.wi!. an-in- • navy. Von Id . over bo .. returned totthc Treasury. Benches, lie .denounced. .e. .‘ipiani -House reform - proposals o; the Government as calculated- to set rip *• neepoct. Chamber' which would dominate (.to Lower liou.se. ; Ihore was,,not one, word irr the Bitdggt- about cc-onomj'., it was. we.-I known that enormous waste v...... going- ..0n,., in...the Defence Department. There was, plenty ■of borrowing in -the Budget of. 'the"parly. which .heal, always denounced borrowing. -The increase of the public debt had Keen repeatedly denounced by that party, hut neve:-- a, -word about the. assets .(against, that debt until tin- 1 rcasiirer went to England. Then ho used the finance'Of - Ills opponents to help him to raise--hi.v own Joan. - .Speaking- on the land policy,_hc said the-Premier dare not now. put into .effect .some of (he doctrines he had enunciated before the election, such as the sale of national endowments. There was no reference to' tlie reduction of taxation to cheapen the cost of living. : Therefore the Premier was- now endorsing tho policy ho had condemnod-hefore-the election:

:-jdr- Witty (Riccartoii) admitted , that the country Ayas ■■ prosperous, but not .so becairsiviof .tlie .present Government hi finance, lie (compared-' The,.chivalrous conduct of Sif iloseph- AVard ; in England-' in assisi ing the ;II6n;.;:Alleii“ with the- tactics of the Government when in Opposition in vilifying the credit of tlie’Dominion. He had been frying to get information regarding Dili working of tlie Lam! Act, hut his questions, 'remained 1 unanswered for two months. Hie native hind mot being opened ui> in spite' of Government legislation. He criticised as a ■■pretence. the' Government promise to give the people n square deal, condemning tlie public. appointments as party rewards. Political patronage -was as rite as ever. It was a singular thing that interest rose .with the advent of the Reform 'Government; but money would have _bo.cn .cheaper had Sir Joseph Ward iremained, in- power. -Where was assured Imance tor local bodies Where was cheap money for workers? .These', '.were tilings the Premier declared for before in- came into power. Now they were never heard of. A .- Mr Sidcy (Dunedin South) chided tlie .Government supporters with refusino- -to speak in def once, of the party’s Budget. Tne, general feeding-in connection witlLtho Budget. waA.-cL'sappointment at the absence of policy and the .intentions. Of, tJie--.Gov--oiainenl;. When -the Government camo into power the Consolidated Hind- was overflowing, and the Government was..now no longer able to talk of galloping, to, a. deficit”-when as a-result of Liberal finance they were able to transfdr- h£7o(),ooU to the Public Works Fund. The 11 onse. resunicd-at 7.30; ■ Air .Mander;(Mursdon), who followed Mr fhdey, _ considered • the .present Govcvniiiciit had gone further in one year than the previous. one had ■in any .one of-.the twenty-one years they nad been in office. He praised the Administration for removing Government appointments', from the sphere of political influence. Referring, to the graduated land tax, he said lie- had heard Air Massey say that if the present tax did pot prove sufficient to force large land-owners to break tip. their estates he would increase it. Mr Isitt (Christchurch' North), referred to the recent .statements regarding the ownership of certain .'newspapers, which, he said, had been made with the view to showing that the Liberal party was "identified wituvthe; brewers. Ho gave this a strong denial, and-reproached the Government by staling that Judge McCormack’s report on the 1 Cook -Lslauds, which was completed - either in November. or December, 19.12, had’ not yet been laid on tlie table of the House. llolP W.--F. Massey interjected that- he hoped it-would be clone ,in the course.of a few' days.' The debate was continued by Mr Payne (Grey Lynn), and the House adjourned at 11.30. '