"WHO'S YOUR MEMBER?"

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1447, 23 May 1912, Page 6

"WHO'S YOUR MEMBER?"

GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL GRANTS. Mr. KlienozcT Allen, a northern delegate to tii© Loral Government Conference, alluded at yesterday morning's session to (ho Government's new system of sending out schedules to local bodies asking thimi 1 what grants they required for works. "After that," lie raid, "we "hear no more about the matter." A delegate: Who's your member? Mr. Allen; "ihssey! (Laughter and applause.) And I'm not ashamed of him, cither," Subsequently, (lie Hon. G. W. Russell said that Mr. Allen, in his remarks, hud cot so near to party politics ho thought it only right ho (Mr. Russell) should refer pointedly to them, It. had been stated that Ministers tent requests to local bodies asking (hem what their requirements were, and after ascertaining their requirements, the loenl bodies heard nothing more about them. Another delegate interjected Iho question: "Who is your member?" and lie (Mr. Russell) was not at nil surprised to hoar that it was Mr. Mnssey. It looked to him, although he did not liko to My so, that there had been a little prcarrangement in that mutter, (Voices: "No, no.'") Ho was going to deal with tho position from the suggestion in the question and the answer given, ft was only right to the Government and tho Liberal party that he bhould stale the position. During tho year 1911 tho Manukau County received in special subsidies from the Government tho sum of JNiiOO. That did not include ordinary subsidies. There were only 43 counties in tho Dominion which received more than .£ISOO. and the rest of them received less. He would take one electorate, namely—that represented by a leading moi'ibcr of the Opposition, Mr. Merries. He represented at tho time tho counties of Opotiki, Whakatane, and Tauranga, and those three counties received from tho Government subsidies and grants amounting to .£7545 in one year. In contrast, ho mentioned that several counties in Canterbury received very much smaller grants—one as low as ,£2-it. Ho thought that showed that there was no discrimination against tho Opposition so fnr as public works votes and grants were concerned. By way of personal explanation, Mr. Allen said ho had not, (he slightest intention of introducing party politics at tho conference.