BEFORE AND AFTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 891, 10 August 1910, Page 7

BEFORE AND AFTER.

ELECTIONS AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURE. REMARKABLE FACTS. SPEECH BY MR. BUCHANAN. Speaking in tho Houso of Representatives last night, Mr. Buchanan, M.l\ for Wairarapa, said that he had a few remarks to make on a very important question. Ho was not going to denominate what ho had to say by the name "Tammany." Members could, , ho said, give it tho name which they thought proper. It was remarkable (he continued) that every election year there was an enormous increase in the Public Works expenditure. For tho election year 1902 the increase, compared with the previous year, was £33,000 ;_for the election year 1905 there was an increase of £200,000, as compared with tho previous year; and in 1908 there was an increase of £117,000 as compared with tho previous year. Ho would like to refer to other matters of a similar nature. •In 1908, £5000 was voted in connection with a bridge in his district. Mr. Hornsby, the then member, had some difficulty in the matter, so he interviewed the Prime Minister. As the result of the interview, Mr. Horneby announced that he had authority to stalo that the money woidd be expended. That was on November 2, and the general election was fixed for November 17. Was that money ever spent ? No.

A member :• There is also the matter of the dairy school.

Mr. Buchanan (continuing) said that he introduced a deputation to tho Prime Minister later on the subject, but no promise could bo obtained from him. Tho position was: that the vote had never been renewed. During tho. saino year £16,000 was voted in connection with backblooks roads, in his district. When he (Mr. Buchanan) applied for the expenditure of the money ho was met.with a blank refusaj. All that he got after a great struggle was tho reinstatement of £401).

A member: You will get it next year. (Laughter.) Continuing his remarks, Mr. Buchanan said that ho could give a great many more instances of a similar kind. What happened in Gisborne in regard to small grazing runs? There- wa-s a refusal on the part of a Minister to carry out the law to one settler who happened to bo of tho wrong colour, whilst another settlor, who was a supporter of tho Government, got a renewal of his lease without difficulty. Tho public saw a good deal of such political favouritism. Mr. Carroll: "Not at all." Mr. Buchanan: "But when it was put before the public in a proper way tho' Premier had to succumb—to grant a new lease to tho settler who had been refused one time ami again." ; MR HOCAN VIEV/S. "THE STRAIGHTEST-GOING PARLIAMENT."

Mr. "Hogari (Wanganui) said that the Leaded' of tho Opposition had used a. term which, ho thought, was very regrettable. Mr. Massey had applied td Parliament generally the term ! " Tammaujism." (Cries of "No.") Ho distinctly resented that, for ho thought he knew as, much as most members of the methods'adopted by tho present party in power, and of the matters that came heforo a member of Parliament, and ho had never seen any suggestion iof Tammanyism in the politics of New Zealand. Ho considered tho Parliament of v New Zealand the straightost-goiug Parliament on tho face of the earth. (Hear, hear.) Ho had come into the House in 1905 believing that it was one of : the most corrupt places .that could exist. He had received that opinion from tho Lander of the Opposition,when ho made a speech in Wann-a-liui in 1905. Ho'had been pleased to find that Parliament was not tho place that had been painted, and that there was an absence of corruption on tho Government, side of tho House at any rate. ■■ He kuew less about tho other Some Opposition members said, that if. a commission was set up they, .would give certain evidence. If those members would move for a select committee of tho He-.se toiio" set'up to investigato the charges, and if they would formulate tho charges, ho for one on the Government side would support, the motion. (Mr. Ltturenson: "So will I.") If any of the charges could bo substantiated, most of, .if not all, the members .'on' the Government side would do their duty in tho circumstances. ,Hβ rogrettod that the Leader of the Opposition had madu use of that word. Mr. Massey: Will you quote what I said ? , .

Mr. Hogan, continuing, said that Tamnianyism emanated . from "bossship." Any suggestion of improper relations betireou a member of Parliament and one of his const.iluonts, for instance, was not necessarily Tammaiiyism. Tanunaiiyism went right to tho hoa'd, and tho Government and Prime Minister must be implicated in any charge of Tamnianyism that was made, lho Government could, not be held responsible for any matter hctween a member and his constituents, though ho believed that' the relations between members and their constituents wore quite as free from bribery and corruption as tho relations between members and the Government.

MR. MASSEY'S POSITION. Mr. Massoy, in a personal explanation, said he had .applied the term "lammanyism" to the Government's attempt to justify, itself for. tho expenditure of public money for party purposes, and ho did not withdraw the term. ' . A SURPRISING ADMISSION. When it came to his turn to speak on tho 'Budget Mr. Field, M.P. ' for Otaki, also referred to the allegations of "Tanunaiiyism.'' He said'ho thought' that those members who had madetho charges did not understand tho true moaning of tho. word. "Tanunaiiyism" meant that the leaders of the Tammany movement had as tho object of their operations personal financial benefit of themselves. It could not bo said that any of the leaders of the Government party iu this country desired to make or was making anything out of his political position for himself. "Let us tako the Native Minister for instance," continued Mr. Field. "What might we have dono had wo been in his place? Of course I don't mean wrongdoing. If wo had had the samo opportunities we might have mado many tens of thousands ■ of pounds. Some of us would have seized opportunities which came to him. I know I would have done so—without any wrongdoing I mean, of course. Ho has refused to place himself in a position so that _it might be said that he used his position for his own benefit. I understand that Mr. Carroll is one of the poorest among us. He hns never secured aaiy land; he lives on his salary. Somo of us would have been sure to have 'feathered our nests' so as to mako provision for our old age."