THE PUBLIC PURSE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 942, 8 October 1910, Page 6

THE PUBLIC PURSE

; ESTIMATES CONSIDERED. GOVERNMENT DEFEATS AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT HOUSE. VOTES FOR PUBLIC WORKS. The House of Representatives considered tho. Estimates'yesterday; The class dealing with public buildings, domains, and. maintenance of roads was first discussed. The debate on thedrainage at .Government House is reported in another part of this issue. COMPETITIVE DESIGNS. ■'.', FIRST;. MINISTERIAL DEFEAT.;, At the item £1608 for the salaries of Mr. T. E. Taylor (Christchurch North) moved a reduction of £1 as an/indication /that/no public works, similar to those in Christehurch should be given to' private.,architects, unless as a result of public'; competition.,; / The/amendment was . carried by .39 25.;; •,.'... ■.:•/ '';.•/' ■;V

AUCKLAND GOVERNMENT HOUSE. / : ANOTHER DEFEAT.-//'/ 'f : /..-■Mr.'.'Forbes. (Hurunui)./moved that the item-''Charges incidental to Government House, /'Auckland,£so," he; reduced by/£l. as an indication'that'all references', to, this, house• in /the ; Civil List' -Act should .be deleted.// As-; long as, .tho./Act/remained...unamended'; the Government, was'.bound to'keep faith with- his .'Excellency, a^d, keep a-resi-dence at Auckland. This, he thought, the Dominion could not afford. The amendment was earned by 36 votes to 31, and the item was reduced. The following is the division list:— Ayes (36). Allen Hine Anderson Hogan Arnold Laurenson Buchanan Luke Buick Malcolm Clark _ Parata Craigie " Pearco Davoy Phillipps Dive Rhodes Duncan, Hoa. T. YRoss Duncan, J, Russell Ell Smith Field Steward Forbes Tavlor, E.. H. Graham > Taylor, T. E. Hall Thomson, J. 0. Hanan , Witty Herdman Wnght " Noes (31). Bollard M'Kenzw, Hon. R Brown M'Laren. Buddo Mander Carroll Massey ' Dillon Millar Fisher Myers Fra-sor " Ngata Greenslade Nosworthy Guthrio Okey Hardy ' Poland Hemes Poole Hogg Rangihrraa Jennings Scott Lang Seddon Macddnald Stallworthy Mackenzie, Hon. T PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, OLD SITE FAVOURED.

' As Van'; 1 -indication; ■. that'- I '.' Parliament; Buildings! -'should''be 'restored -<shi the old G.: moved rthat': the vote, of;: £550;Ior. the partial .'restoration.of. the old. buildings ;should ; ,be-; reduced: by :£so.\ Mr. Russell said Jthe. present housing, of. Parliament was extremely, inconvenient.. It would, ; ;be, absolutely criminal; : if any; ' arrangement.:wore' made Sunder;: which the' fine l block used ,asV a library-was pulled': down,; or 'rendered 1 ' 1 useless;,for its "present: /purpose. ;. ■ .The . block; Mas, the of. what was: a'very firie set ,of I ;buildings,: and'-va': contract; had been;letfbr rebufldirig.on the. old/site, but it had,..beeii.''cancelled.''';' How .long were members 'to' be kept;runningfrom one Wing ; ,to; the ; .other '■Ytnrbugn'' that, awfuhlobby? '-He had'seen men-'get ting up -in years sprinting one hundred and a, hundred 1 and. nfty.yards through the-'tube; at; a'ipace" that, would .credit a' champion runner, in order': to be ■. in time to'-attend- divisions::[;;-::;/■;; -. <':'.t';

Mr.',' Fisher (Wellington Centralj'said; that,-if .thePublicWorks -Department did not iriake.'a' better job of-the- hew buildings than it -had of .tho'.Goverho'r's ;residence,;, therelifbuld be a.good many by-elections.. ',;■:.-':' ■':;■■ :-;'::,\- : :';// ;W, ': ;;■''.' •'. ;The' : Hoii.,R.VM'Kenzio.said'the whole : matter- v was. .bound to : .come {before the.' House'in])the.:Pub]ic.;Works. Statement ■ so s be; looked upon';ahy:;disoussibii;;nbw a>a.;waste of time. -;In:time:the, Departmental •buUdrngsC, on :.:Lambt6nQuay would,have ;to.be pulled down so the Government's /building would/last, over/fifteen or twenty years., buildings-.''would, however, be undertaken at, an early date./' There would bo: a serious .'aspect; to'.:reducihg the .vote.::' /;A;,.' .v//. ' : \ , •'•- ' ; : : , ! .-.V'/V'.;, ,

'■■ Mr. : , A.' W.'.Hogg. (Masterton)''said the:' plan ;of re-erecting, the-' old. building 'should 'have..beenproceeded/-with.-' :'mv. Arnold : (Diinedin'.Central)..; said Ko; intended' to vote against,the/amend! meht..:. Some .of - tho •' apartments' in'' the; old- Government building; Vat Lambton. Quay: were '.'■'. unsuitable: V -The 'Govern-: ment's. original.scheme' was , ..complete. ' andV-'ecbhomical.'; ; The' 'presenthousing: of; Parliament was quite' .unsuitable. Bad eyes .and bad resulted; and some members ..were prostrated; while others'were struggling-on from' day. to ' day not knowing wheh;tkey .would break down.' . ■ -.;:;: ; •''''. -.;■ '/;-'•-':" : .;:

'~- Mr. .'W'ilforS referred to .„ the.'. .new schemeforrebuilding Parliament House. He said ho one would dream of shifting the', present. library, and the' centre of. the-' new.- Parliament' 'House ' would • •". pe somewhere. :about 'where Sydney. Street' noiv'Js; ,-Undoubtedly;he said .the dis-; advantages of the present House "we're' very great'. He referred to'- the danger of fire in the present .Government budding on L'ambton .'Quay. '-.'-'- ... .'.;,-.':' ■ Mr.- Russell's amendment was 'lost by 28:t0'23; ■■'■'•■'-':'■'•.'■".'■ \) : \ ■■'■:■ Mr.-'Fisher moved thai, the .vote bo reduced'-by £25. .■■' . ';. :.';;'' ; ;' '\;- : "

Sir Joseph Ward said it was'bngin- : ally decided to have; a Parliamentary Building scheme that " would cost ' £90,000 or £100,000, but the -Wellington members and the Opposition had been so - guilty of 'misrepresentation in regard to' what the Government proposed, to ;do, and they /had; such 'wild; ideas as to the amount of money being ox ; pended'that tbo'. Government had recently decided not to..carry, out:.their original: programme, and they; • would !now carry out .a more. economical scheme.'. ".'■'■..,'■ ■'• 'v'

,'Mr. Massey: Hear,-hear. '. ■ The Prime . Muiister added that, -in ,so far '■' as tllp Government; were concerned, they wanted.to % ~emphasiso the fact that there had been a' good deal of political hypocrisy in regard to this mattor. Tlion, he believed,, they had been saying that the Government'.should build a kerosene box for a railway station. Well, if such things'wore to bo carried on theGovernmont would respond to what thoy preached, .:'; Mr. Luke: Who' is objecting' to'it?

Tho Prime Minister: The member for Wellington North and Mr. Fisher. They have been objecting to tho expenditure upon Government House, and exaggerating it. ..■,.'• - Mr. Fisher: No, I did not. '.-.T did not know what it cost. You would .not tell na.

The Prime Minister: You'll get it in' the ordinary course of events.- '.- _■ Mr. Fisher: You ought '. to give it now.

The Prime Minister said the Government had too much of that kind of criticism, and were sick and tired of it. . '.'..' .'. • ,

• Mr: Luke said he felt sure the Prime Minister was following the wrong track in blackening all the Wellington members. (Hear, bear.) . the people of the Dominion would want a Parlia-' ment House worthy of the country. -■ : Mr. Fisher pointed out that -Mr. Hall-Jones had told them after the fire that the old buildings were unsafe, and should bo razed-to the ground; but .no sooner.: had' they come over to the new Parliament House , than the Government, restored : them again, /.and■ they, were now-being used; -He was strongly of opinion' that; the new ■ building should go up on the old site.' -.'' ■•-.. '. .Mr. Herdman ■'■ pointed out that,' though the fire had occurred years ago, they had yet; no scheme for a • now Parliament House. -.After the fire a pra= posal 'had .emanated from'.-; the Prime Minister that the new, .building', should, be provided for:, by.■'£!,• subscriptions, from; the, people. of;the country.. Then a'Committee/of the House■ i brought down a scheme,-but nothing came of: it; If /.the...couhtry: had had any , businesslike.- Administration '.in.'-power - they wouldiiaye had their-new.Parliament-ary Buildings' started. .long agoj ■ and. itwould have been: on common-sense lines, intead of -wasting public money '. W the present Government had /"been-' doing during the .last -three years. He: quoted 'figures which showed that since 1907 <a total sum of £27,733 had been.voted in connection.- .with, the; old. building and the temporary building: '.What had been actually spent members > could hot -find out..-- ■:- „\ ■■■',/'■}' :,<:/; : . : :- : ■/■-■ r-; : ' • ■

... The-Prime '-'Minister said,' .'in "the 1 course ..ofijfttfther-.: remarks;: that '.since ■■the ; ;d^wission; : .'that\^ernodnv:lio :heard.from".the. Goyenior'■.that he. was not dissatisfied with. Government House/ Hei -added ..that > the old-building 1 was unsafevfor:^members,-but ?itV was'.' how;divided, into.: twelve' compartments, "\ and so was safe'.'for 'offices;; -As to .•■the pre? sent Parliament- House,''-it'swas/: quite: comfortable,.:arid 'would :db.for /years. He; chaff edv the': Wellington' members for: not 'being like mem/ bers/;_They.-should; take a -lead .; fjom' them in -demanding things for/.'their' city.'/ Why. .were; they not ■'. advocating,-" for instance,; that* the Vancouver service .shouldicome.to>Wellington ?,. ■.He■ '.was delighted to see.: the .way in which' Auckland;, members acted.'.'/ It' was/'/a contrast; torthe/ way:. Wellington' mem- ; bers. acted, '.which; was-sometSng- awful; Massey .said;: he think* ■that' Auckland-. :had'".much..to-thank:the ' right hori.' gentleman, and his colleagues for, and- he".reminded -him . : that" sorne ; years .'ago he was one of;the : most'active .opponehtsiof-the San-'Francisco service; The: whole.ihistory ./of i' the*: b'uildiigs ■ : smce';the''fire':had'been-Vone of ; -bungles ; ' and- mistakes,,'and;-they had made : 'a great rmstake.rin'.gomg-away from.'the old site.'; If:the--.' Opposition ■- criticism'' had; had-the, effect:- of - ViMucing ./the right-honV; :make..has-pro-posals; much ' more -economical/.'- 'as '• he .said. it i 'had;^th'en''the l Opiwsition were : entitled to the ; thanks:of the■'• electors of the .'colony as(a;whole.i:; ; . : -''-/;:;v>-/ The Hon./R./M'Kehziei said iVwonld ..have .been •, absurd''to:, have-'gone'- oh with:the v old .buildings after -the 'fire.' :.lijey ■ must.,-have proper scheme;/.'//./ :;<"'.,' ; . ;;/; --.v-;,-- >-f.. £.. ;> -

scheme.' .;■,.'■;'• • ;.-V"'.:;>;'.■ : :\.y: ' >Mr.'; M'Kenzie: ; Tlie conditions changed'.after.ffie £re.-;, He added'that were 'saving £1400 to : ,rT ■S-,y € ? r rent-by\using. ;ths old pudding' as; .offices. 1:: " ; The" ''present rarhanient. House ;was. dangerous from a fire; pqmt;> of uyxwi.- ■ It'.was : a ■ wonder. had been, burnt down years''ago. ■■ :were! : altering it :they/found ■two.. orHhree", places 'where.'ai fire -Lad' occurred/tttrotfgh defective'chiniheys;; ■■ „„^-■S, Isl f® r ' sJ amendment was;Jost' : bv 3? to ;21;-•-■'-.'.•■.;.;.:',':;. ; ! ■■::■-:'';

THE HOIJSE CHANGES ITS MIND

AFTERNOON VOTE REVERSED

;v\Sp^EakMg.:.aftef.'''ibe:;:'suro>r>adi6mii- , meat,-.the ../Prime: Minister.-, saidf he, was unavoidably,', absent: when/the -vote '.was taken :rcgarding:..the/;Auc]dahd--Govern-could;. have ..made. an. .explanation: 'that might; : have/altered:;the : ; v6te./ He-how; :e^pkmed:-that .;.AucHand::; Government House.-;could : :.only: ■ be ;withdrawn/hon;ourably. i ,wi.th;,;the.;'concurrence:'of -the/ .-Home-Office. and/the/Gbverribf;/ /Unless both, concurred::it/would:beZimprdpef for/Parhameht/to arrive 'at a/decision to ;.cancel in. .■ arrangement ■ thatZ/had' been, m/fope'ration ,'fo r .'many years'// He would: ask ; :the/House'/to/pass ;; another ivote,- to, furnish "it/' v-//-- 1 /' ■:.".■-. ' : ;. ; :f'/'vZ did-not "think" rr e jot©: ta&etf-that;afternoon expressed ■the feeling: of the. House;,; and'.now .'that. ' <*«: p rime Minister had/made'thisex-' , plariation.he .:thbught;the. House-should Toversaithe.; ( vote:;of/the/afternoon./:r-i ;■: Mr.,Forbes 'said -his 1 'amendment was moved yonty; with'/the' object, of showing :that .there■ should _be no 1.-^bbhgdtion/ on the part. of /the Govefnme'nt/to continue '.tho.;: Auckland ■: '.Government" -House "/in \: six i or"seven::ye'ars,•from':now; ; : .://:/ ■', Mr.. Massey'was pleased to: hear what | had been,said.,:'ln regard to furnishing the' Auckland. Government House the I people of Auckland,- if .necessary, '-would' do.it, without.a'doubt..','" / ;'■'.■:/;>'"-;:. .-, ."; .'The .'Prinle, 'Minister: There;, will '/be' no necessity- for them ..to' do that.' /- :' ;Mr..; Myers; spoke'again" in favour 7 of the; retention :of 'the. house',-' which'■ he said ;^ : was... ih/'much better /'presentation than the/ Hon.; Mr. B. .M'Kenzie had stated ; it, was in. ;>-':/••;': ■/■;'•; /■.//:':*.:,-'

;': Mi'.Hanan referred to the advocacy 0f,,.a- Government .'House/-at'Auckland as; a shameless/exhibition of • parochial'isnu, "Why,; ho asked,- : should/the-North" Island have two'-Goverrimeit >Houses' and the: ; South/,lsland /none ? '-' / Why: should not;.Ohristchurch and: Dunedin be .considered?, ; He,,'would ..take-every means; available, to -block/ the -,' unreasonable and audacious demands ./of/the. Auckland"members.' ■'. ";■// //////;//

. - Mi. Russeir moved '/Reception/rooms, etc.j, Auckland l,Go'v;'emm'ent;'; Housej" tion/that! the', wvernment: House,there should' be closed:: 'IHe'.made- a strong speech ..in. condemnatibn of tho.: .tactics of the Auckland.members ;and ; the Gov/ ernni'ent in-.this'-'matter'.::■"' ':;■/; ,-/■;,:/:

■ Mr. . Anderson/said'it .was : ' a strange ■ thing 'that member's./'bf/vihat /.House shbuldhe asked .to.reverse.a,vbtb given' only .six,.hours before.■'■''; Surely ■".',;they; could; maintain' their opinionsi'jfor : .that time.:/: ■:■ . ; -'.-'.-:.-;' - :■:-:;.:;:.'';',":; ... .''-.•■■:■;..

-Mr. Russell's amendment was .lost, by ''34 .to- ; 29.Vv,.■.'"•:;.■:■'•;!.;■ ' ,'O'v•:';.. : :^: Mr. Masscy: said;tl]at.before":passing on to the nest vote,-he : ' : wirAed to.thank :the member.for'.Avon for. giving; the House an- opportunity, of reversing its vote, ■ -.'. This ■■ /sally;'■ was ' received -:with loud laughter. .''.'■'; -f:; \v.--Mr. Russell said tie House now;: occupied a 'more ; dignified, position" than it .'did -a' little .while, ago,: when it appeared that the Prime Minister' would have had to 'defy, a resolution of';the House. 'He had: come to' the : conclu-' sion that; the; House' should Jiaye' had: a- deliberate • bppdrtunity oi '■ stating what its; resolution: was.; v J/:;;'';^: ; AN APPOINTMENT DISCUSSED.- ." Mr. Buchanan (Wairarapa) Amoved to roduce the salary .of the president 'of the Tokerau District Maori Land Board (£400) by. £1, to enable ;the Hoxise to" discuss the appointment of Mr.. Dinnie to that position. ;A good deal of caustic : criticism Was...directed' against the appointment.' ■"'.-' ' / ;".'" _ In the courso.'of his reply, the Minister said he had made the appointment, and,was responsible for it, if it did not turn out a success....He was perfectly satisfied with the appointment. , On a division being taken tile motion to reduce the vote was lost. Voting:. /Ayes,, 19j Noes,/38. ■;■■ .';j