LOAVES AND FISHES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14842, 6 December 1913, Page 13

LOAVES AND FISHES.

iI^. : ;;DITIIiINGTHE;SPOIL.- ; • IjlV'V 'i\ i,;V- ■ -. . . " ... .■' IRfrjCUC WORKS ESTIMATES. I? THE HOrSE HURRYING THROUGH

IS. ; : OvtlCM TO "THK mESS.") WELLINGTON, December 5. U , member of Parliament has parous i « well as national obligation*. In Ch, nancToAe Well-known policy of first and self last" Public Works Statement, which r™ mi nently the touch-stone of iXhial interests, is produced late m E, sSion after the bulk of the na- . jTrk has been done. Tc-day the * *£.£ to work npon the Statement, SSe Estimate which accompany it 13 rfl continue upon its task till Sf* are disposed of. That certainly Saw* be tUI to-morrows day--2L appears, for, as » but j SraL «eh and every member has "£& to say about » (or, J* lack of them) accorded his district ' £r works deemed vitally necessary. The Public Works Statement repre- i «pnts the "loaves and fishes" of na- ' Jionai and district welfare. It contains the life-blood of development for the hickblocks, even more than for the cities. AH the needs of the country, ' all argent and many conflicting, meet In this Statement, and have to be apportioned as equitably as possible. The test of many members is, a*S a epeaker has just said while this is being s-riiten. "to do the best he can for his ' own electorate and for the Dominion." The Dominion is last when the Public Works Fund is being divided. PARTY SPITE. . The bitterness being manifested in iliiS debate ie produced by the reversal of policy on many points which a change of Government necessarily brings. The Opposition charges the Gorernment with lamentable lack of performance, and-the Government, sitting on the lid of the exchequer, retorts cfcecrfttlly and. with equanimity that it is doing better than the Opposition did. It is giving loaves where it proffered stones, and even in the case of balfloaTes. "more to ia promised. Sir Joseph Ward sprang at once into his stride of condemnation when he started his speech. The Government, he said,'had not spent.enough of the money it had roted last, year; equally it was not -rating enough to be spent this year. Even where the' Government did something where his Government had sat silent, ho was unsatisfied, •as, for instance, the W.aiaa Kailway. f For twenty years Liberalism refused- to authorise it; last"year -Reformdid so. This year it voted £5000,for.it, Shut Sir Joseph jeeie,. "£6000;" is it:intended that,these poor - t unfbrtunato settlers shall die-before the' line is car- ~ Tied to'them P£SOOOi # half a mile: of line; how paltry 1 . r. Similar with ? ! the Otago Central line.; The ;£7000: vofojd by the Government' this year' is also .- cSaracterise'd' ae"t>altry. J, " "A3nd; even <hen." ho Bays, *'I expect none>-p!''it ttIII W expended, at the end .of next I year." :' ■ ,-.■; •■.„ ■/"]' '■'! "'■■.:.'":;''■'' '■:■.: And then Sir Joseph ends his epeech < with references to'taxation.' He" twits tho Government -.with having,-promised to reduce taxation. ,"But if they/try •■' "." he doclaree,:"!" will'not support , * ;heni in the presorit '" 4< Sl&tbiZ-.- ., x RAMPANT. ■•. .:■-■.:;;■>'/ ■ Tlie man in onirce of the exchequer, "f ..wo Hon. Jamee'Auen,': , jumps joyously & .at this openiag; and gets'meqme.fine h., blows before the Opposition see what * 4 nap struck them. ''I ( will not support £"• any proposal to reduce taxation,"' he ~y; 'anofes Sir Joseph Ward' as ' saying. t>, "Xoir," he exclaims, "we know where ■■"> we-are. The people should know this. •J Sir Joseph says he will,not;reduceltaxr -i afaoa. If they :wM»t reduced taxation, .-•• therefore, they won't get it'from the r Leader of the Opposition." „ Stnjrgered and flabbergasted by-this ' brilliant setting op of the position, 1 the OoposHion are;unable-to , reply, as Mr ;' Allen dances away." in »: merry rheL tontat-flight of ' annihilation vof Sir v Josephe attitude. "Scarcely ever of fete fitt Bf r Allen been'more brilliant in ' . 5 , .?? enote and emailjanns , . display. without Riving" ,any dress, parade of financial * figures/ he' meets < the - points of Sir Joseph- and points out the utter I ' ;«tnpidity and contrariness of "complainu»e that the Government has spent too ;,; the year opastj and does not to spend enough in tho year; to ;-,/ v ■•'...-;-,;,.. i^ti^pUjobiuK .lightly upon Che desire^of |ifj«|Siinembei» to' do.well by'their own |S^«Kwft;-at/.the' expense of the -general Itlj^^^fc^e--confesses that lie: himself |Mj CTievance against the Minister lSv^ft?^\i; ; Work«. "I Have a, railway in I^Jflylraisfericti'^-he':says.' ''Last^year^l, ! fßthorised,: but I cannot' a fe|Ji*we jforTit, .and "I have got -telegrams my .askine what is "> a": Minister. <A the'"Crown cannot Beln his own diistrict;". greets this rally, which Mr gpgAuißQgrounds up oy saying: - "I must ggm^tJ^-hest-bf-^ihd-i01). ,, '; .-.••'■, '• W&Sf'^*-*- Allen 1 ends, :and the next speaker (Mr Wr IX S^Mac-S#lv^S)>.»Vconstrained'-,to compliment ifeeTOIRTPBd• the "I p^??S^l i *'«^ i %l»at has happened to the confesses. . "I think he pSv?!^^i : *«» out in the sun without IJ&?^W|-"' I .l'-ifave never - Been him bo rI4;S?S?J-f'*■■■;:■*■ ■■'••' /.':■ y .' "■ \ : -'■"■■ ■}"■ ... I^^WafteVthe.occupants :of ithe'-taek--" the timegrowl. 3%ciV<are~''conideficiency in. district votes; expressed jealousy of & 'lF^?^tm* s ■':.. which have . secured ;' v there are inevitable combickerin^( f "interjections, The question of North ■'•^^JSrt^ij?» ed -- : .'?i»-N6rfh condemns railway, derides the £ 'in the hills?' ..- behind Si ifSi l^'rßnd is generally jealous grants. .Southern members 1^, . , legitimate fe; Ilfe^ repudiate ■: "the arrogant !t%!S!SSefj-tfce greedy Xorth." ■■ • ■ -■• - - : - f*ii^S >Ter nment members are riot © Swr lkin S-w debate, and 1115 "^^™^ 16 actions of the l^i^S^ , ?- yea™ pastin favouring expense of the coun- ■'«>■ onnecessary exIB jS* l^: W i?M«son, the promisirig iIIKS ««» Egmont,! a 'fidtlE porous in his remarks, '^Br«? ; Po ? Tce ' from talks at m^Fk -?poiS_rpads/ and- upholds their P^». ; of public: bufld^ ctaWtj: ■~..•';.■ W-^f t:^ arro g a ted Tirfue unto bim&'J*L^~s■* Maimed the broad policr u u>S that there must be heavy &feaS*Wta»on public wortethroushout He deprecated also the IlS.7'' countr y." ci 7»- and inado a reapWWe. > spoech, tinged only with Opp<J-! P S W-i i^- wJien referring to the South j PS*- am Trunk Railway,: the= com- ! w wbica,; of course, lie advo-

TBe sparklo had somewhat•'•"•gone off -tho k wine of the debate,, as mem-er "after member discussed the minor points of parish matters. A rofresbing change came over the scene when Mr Brown of Xaj>ier, arose. The change was ono of manner, not of matter. 3ir Brown was full of "My gracious me's," and one© almost said "thank the Lord." He complained so bitterly of his treatment by the Retorm Government in respect of bis applications for (1) a railway line ten miles in length, (2) a new railway station —"part bf Noah's Arc," (3) a new post office^—"built in.' the year one"; and a. new bath house. -Mr E. Newm«in, who followed htm created a hearty laugh by saying that •'from his speech one would almost imagine that Mr Brown was disappointed with the Reform Government.''PAROCHIAL TALK. From & promising, i a ceres-ting, and enlivening start, tiio i.euapt> droops until tne. Ocst tiourb of the evening become tilled with the utterances oi parochial pabuium, which is intondeu lo by ''xtansardised" for home consumption. Mauy members feel constrained to justify theiaselves in respect of the votte secured. Their" efforts take time, and the House droops and wilts. " But just before 11 o'clock, Mr Coates, an energetic farmer from the Far North-of. Auckland, strikes a new note in the debate by raising the whole fundamentals of the system of public works administered by politics. He declaims against it, he disbelieves in members of Parliament touting for grants.. Hβ has received many letters and telegrams from" constituents expressing disappointment since the Esti-mates-were published, and ho .finds them humniatinK. He suggests a new mothod of oatsido control —ths rcmsval of thus sycophantic avenue to favour from, politicians' reach. • Ho deprecates the use of grants for party purposes and -concludes by earnestly hopine: that -next year the Minister will devise some scheme to do away with this rotten system cf doles and grants. This outspoken talk finds no fnvour with'Mr Hannn. who, however, inovitablv drops back upon party plati- "'.'" * A BELATED DTJEL. . About midnight Mr G. W. Russell rises and makes .a vigorous speech. He is, however, , much in the position of an athlete who makes a late run. .: The galleries, are. almost empty, and the House.is.dull and apathetic. The process of. rushing the work through involves late nights. There, have been three ,such late nights; and members' spirits are .flagging somewhat. Therefore, ' Mr' Itussell romps in party vein almost unheedingly. . , But not. entirely so. Mr Massey rises' to follow, him," and heartily congratulates him.. He thanks him for having -infused some .life into the debate. Up to' an hour ago, he, said, the debate had been, the dullest and most painful he had ever listened to. Of course, the reason was obvious: no fault could bo found, .with , the Government. ■.. Everjr member knew the Minister had , done his best, and the: result was .to give "complete satisfaction. . Mr Massey proceeded to metaphorically pummel Mr Russell for, his allegations against the Government. The ■ground is the old one. about financial obligations;.and, of course,, Mr, Massey scores: with, broadside shots. t j - ;"We.are a progressive Government," declared Mr Massey finally. "We are working; to expand production , ,. we are ■going.to i .put,.settlers on,the land,.and •ot ;. course, we will to borrow inpney." Results jiad already been ee;Ctijed ; by the Government's policy, he eaidJ "For.; the .last r twelve .'months': up to October,3lst it would be found that the • exports - of., the country had increased* by-four ;millions: (Opposition laughtfer, J but. Government endorserment.) - ;. . ■..

'. The.stream, of>fcalk'is still .flowing when the.telegraph office ."shirts , down" at-2 a.m. ..'..•(•/. /, •, ~.-•,• „■•■<:'■. ..,• -».;■■.-..