THE MEMBER FOR BRUCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1369, 21 February 1912, Page 7

THE MEMBER FOR BRUCE.

FINANCIAL POSITION DISCUSSED. Mr. James ALLEN lUruce) .-aid that a felling indictment, had been levelled against the Government by the Lender of the Upposition, but it was no answer to say that there were blackguards in the community. Not a single indictment had been answered. Someone mentioned motor-cars, and Mr. Allen said that cars were used by one side as much as tho other, and if the Government disapproved of the use of motors in connection with election-, they had never given effect to their objection during their twenty-one

.years ot legislative power. It was useless for (lie Premier to make an appeal to Hie country for per.-uiial sympathy for himself ai'i'd to declaim that largo landowners were behind the Opposition. The fact was that when the number for 'J'.-uiratiga and himself said that the imposition of the graduated lax was the proper way to-hurst up large estates, the tioveriimeut sent its agents through lliiwkc's Bay to obtain promises of support from tile large landowners. la regard to (lie Dreadnought, the Trim..! Minister had used means which lie ought uol to have used. .Mr. Allen declared that throughout idseampnign he hail never failed' in a single spe*eh to take full responsibility for his share in the defence legislation of the country. Had not the Minister for Railways said that the Government would not continue the prosecutions for failure to register, and so admitted that it was prepared to allow the system to break down. The Prime Minister had accused the Opposition of innuendo, yei his own speech was lull of accusations anil statements which he could never sul>slantiate. No member of the Opposition had ever suggested that pickings from the loans had fallen to Ihe Prime Minister. He could not accept with equanimity the statement regarding the five million loan. Eighteen years ago there was no need for the. employment of underwriters, yet the return showed that one and a half per cent had been paid for underwriting and commission. As a. result of the reckless plunging finance nf the Prime Minister the credit of Xew Zealand was not so good as if. was when he assumed office. Xew Zealand stocks had depreciated below those of other Australian colonies during tho last few years, though a few years .ago they occupied the proudest position among the colonial stocks. , "

A Good deal of Humbug. The reason for Sir John Findlav's visit; to England was not given at tlie time. It was explained that ho was going to settle two legal matters, not that he was going to the Imperial Conference. There was a good deal of humbug about the settlement of the Webster claims, which seemed to require the visit of somenno to England every four years and they were not yet settled. This was another instance of the indifference towards Parliament which had caused the revulsion of feeling against the Government. Mr. Allen drew attention to the omission of "n loan account attached," mentioned by the High Commissioner in.his letter upon the five million loan. There again was a lack of candour in the Government's treatment 'of the House. Referring to Mr. Wilford's position Air. Allen said that Mr. Masseys reply to the request for a pair was perfectly justified He said that tho Keform party would repeal the Second Ballot Act, which it had always opposed. Reminded of the Governor's Speech, Mr. Allen said that all he would say about tho Speech was that, in his opinion, a use had been made of the Governor that should -never have been made. The Reform party had given specific charges of extravagant expenditure of public money, but nothing had been heard nf (he promised inquiries. A. Local Government Bill was promised annually for the last IS years, and fulfilled only that day. He readily admitted that a certain amount of ljorrowed money was necessary, but it was a dangerous doctrine that borrowed money was tho only cure for high rates of interest and for employment. Surely it was a wiser policy to borrow only what was necessary, and expend it 'wisely, teaching the people t<i be selfreliant. Leaving Difficulties Behind. Carelessness and indifference to tho welfare of tho people was what had brought tho Government. t(, its present position. It was gross carelessness that produced the Financial Statement of last year,'and the Prime Minister could not ileny the mistake of two. millions in the net debt ns shown in- tho Statement. Anything was good enough for Parliament when it came from the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward. Twenty years of office had made the Government careless, and now in their desperate struggle for continuance in office they had put into the mouth of the Governor words which his Excellency should never have been asked to utter. The Prime Minister had not treated. the country.:rightly, in regard to the Financial Statement lie had put before the House that afternoon. He had not arranged for the re-newals-of any of the loans fulling due after March "ill. , Sir Joseph Ward: You take the responsibility aiter that. Mr. Mien: You like' to leave those coming after you in a very difficu t position, and it will bo a very dibhcult position to come after you when you are deliberately leaving this difficult situation. We gavo tho lion, gentleman last vear authority to raise a million and a half for public works. He has raised only a, portion of it, I don't know how, by temporary advances. Sir J. Ward-. We wil 1 see : what you wonderful financiers can do. 11.make a mess of it. .'.,.- i • i • » Mr Mien: I don't think you have treated fairly the man who is to come alter von. - , " Sir J. Ward: "ics, I have. Mr. Allen said the Premier had made no provision for renewals ot loans after March 31, and had left little more than ,£59,000 in the Public Works Fund. Sir J. Ward: If I had raised the loans you would havo blamed me. Mr. Allen: No; you must take the responsibility for what you have done.. Mr. Allen added that times had been fairlj prosperous here and in England of late, and the Premier should have aken advantage of this to raise the loan, but there were now signs of a huge coal strike in Britain, and it might be difficult to float the loan.

Pressure to Get Votes. Mr Allen went on to repudiate the statement made by the Prime Minister that undue iulluer.ee was being, brought to bear with a view to influencing votes 'in the no-confidence division. > knew of no such thing on his side of the House, but if what he heard was true there were such things going on on the other Mr. Lanrcnson: Well, out with it. Mr. Allen: You'll yet it by-and-by. Air. Massey: You will get it when the time comes. . . . Mr. Allen: If there has been influence at'al'l it has.come from their side, not from ours, ami there are members who could tell the whole story. (Opposition hear, hears.) ■So he hud hurled that charge back to the other side of the House. He never knew of such things as were being done now, not even in the old days. It was a great pity that members we're not free from all this kind of influence. Thev should sot their faces directly against anything cf that nature, and he hoped that after the division a stronger and better and inoro self-reliant policy be carried out in tho interest of the country.

More Explanations. Sir Joseph Ward admitted that there was only «E'>9,ooo in the Public Works Fund, but there were authorities to borrow- .£1,709,000. Mr. Alien: Yes, but have you floated the loan? , Sir Joseph Ward: Has money always to be got by loan?" lie added that he was lea.'ing' the country in a stronger financial position than ever before, for fear of the blundering, reckless finance nt the member for Bruce through ignorance. (Laughter.) The payment of commissions to brokers and the Bank of England was not unusual.

Mr. Allen repeated his statement that the Government, wns making it very difficult, for the men who came after it to provide funds for public works after March SI. It. would be especially difficult if tile banks were then as short of money a« they were now. The debate was adjourned on the motion of Mr. Viiyiis (Grey Lynn) at ten minute bel.ire midnight.