IMPREST SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1865, 26 September 1913, Page 4

IMPREST SUPPLY.

' ANOTHER PARTY CLASH. THE OBSTRUCTION RECALLED. The Imprest Supply Bill was introduced by Governor's Message at 10.10 P Mr. J. ROBERTSON (Otaki) drew attention to what ho said was a glaring inaccuracy in the Labour report. Aow Zealand had been'called "the ' land without strikes," but it was known that last year had witnessed the largest number of strikes on record 111 any year. Thoso wore looked, upon by outside observers with tho keenest interest, and it was important that the Labour report should be accurato in k<counting all tlio facts relating to thoso strikes. The first inaccuracv, «'«s that which referred to "tho fatal slioitinc of one of the participants" in the Wailii strike. There had, of eoui'so, been 110 fatal shooting at Wnihi, a <11] this inaccuracy was, ho said, indicative of tho general carelessness of tlio .Department in giving an account of tlio facts about what occurred nt Waini. He went on to discuss other statemon :s in the roport concerning what had occurred prior to tlio strike, in whioli tilt; compilers of the report were loss obviously wrong. He read a memorandum signed bv 200 residents and <-.v residonts of Wailii, in which tho signatories affirmed the truth of the statements 110 hnd nindo about tholWaihi trouble. Mr. Isltt on Preoodents. Mr. L. M. ISITT (Christchurcli North] protested against "tho vicious precedent" set up by the Government 111 presenting first in another place certain reports that ought first to lmvo been presented in tho Houso. Mr. llerries: It lias often been dono before. Mr. Isitt: It lias absolutely never been done before. Ho challenged the Government to citc an instance of such having been dono. He referred to tho circumstances under which tho' Esti-

mates had been hold up until certain reports relating to tlio Departments affected by tho Estimates were produced, and declared that the Government had in order to escape a potty party difficulty surreptitiously slipped the reports into another placo and robbed tlio House of its right of instant discussion, Abusa tlio Best Compliment. The Hon. W. F. MASSEY thanked Mr. Isitt for his abuse, because, ho said, abuse from that honourable gentleman, tlio grossest abuso, was tho highest compliment that could come from him to any decent man. 'J lie honourable gentleman had referred to his (Mr. Massoy's) rccord. "Compare my record with his," lie said. "If I had not a better record than tho member for O'hristchurch North, 1 would walk through tho Parliamentary portals now and never como back." Mr. Isitt: Go at once, then. Mr. Jlassey said the member for Ohristchurch North had tried to excuso himself for tlio holding up of tho Estimates sonio days ago. Mr. Isitt: I am proud of it, Mr. Massey: l'our electors will tell yoa something about that. Ho went on to say) that the reports which had been the cause of the troublo hadl not been mentioned until the obstruction had gono on for some hours. Tho honourable gentleman had shown his ignorance of liamentary practice by his refercnco to tho presentation of the reports. The honourable gentleman -did : not know that all that was required' to permit a report to be circulated was tho oonsent of Mr. Speaker. Reports, and. documents had boon circulated by direction of Mr. Speaker without being placed on tho table of tho House.. Tho fact was that the other sido were out for obstruction, and- did- not caro whether the reports were produced or not. A few nights ago tho Depart- 1 inent of Agriculture voto had been allowed to go through without anyone; asking for the report. Tho country: understood this hypocrisy, and under-; stood tho member for Christchurclv North; but ho would like that honour-! able gentleman and his friends to know that they were mistaken if they thought they wore going to gam anything by their ' obstruction. Thcro ivaa a majority in the House who would put tho Government legislation on the Statute-book if tho session lasted until May next. Tho members on the Treasury benches and the party behind them w/u'o going to regulate the business of the House. More About Practice. . Mr. G. W.. RUSSELL (Avon) said, that the Prime Minister had distorted., facts, for it was not true that tlio re-' port had not been asked for until tha i Mental Hospitals report had been pro- j ducod. Directly t'lio Estimates came, up ho (Mr. Russell) had raised tho quostion that the Estimates ought not to bo put through until the report was presented. Tho Government ought to' liavo reported) progress, but they_ refused, and then tho Opposition object"' ed to tho report going through. A Casa In Point. Tho Hon. J. ALLEN took up Mr, Isitt's challenge to cite a ease of th<j\ presentation of a Departmental report j in tho Now Zealand Parliament ok British Parliament. Ho had not looked up moro than part of one year's jour-*; nals, but in. 1911 tho report of tho partment of Immigration had been pre* sentcd first in tho Legislative Couiwl cil - J Mr. Isitt said tho- inetanco was nofif a parallol one. (Derisive laughter from! the Government benches.) ) Mr. Allen citod also tho report of tlio. 'Department of Prisons for tho samej year, which was first laid on the tablo( of the Legislative* Council. ■ I Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said thafr: the cases cited by Mr. Allen were not ' parallel, in that tlio presentation or the.reports in the Council was not for,any improper object, but was done only' because tho Minister in charge of tho ■ Departments concerned was Minister in.; another placo. Prompted by Mr. Rus<j sell, he pointed out that the papersi mentioned by Mr. Allen had been pre-, scnted in tho House of Representativeson tlio same day as they were tabled ltt tho Legislative Council. Food Adulteration. Mr. A. H. HINDMARSH (Wellington;! South) suggested that the Primo Minis'itei should afford an opportunity for ill© discussion of tho report of the Cost of Lining Commission, and dealt at length! with tlio subject of food adulterationHe urged that more stringent measures should bo taken to detect and punish, this offence. Tho adulteration of foody ho contended, was the worst of crimes,, and should bo punished by imprison-' mont. Men guilty of this practice, lioj said, wore tlio first to denounco tlio dw mands of Labour. Ho asked tho Prime! Minister to look up privately tlio lists of directors in a firm named Creaso and Co., implicated recently in a caso or food adulteration and stated that if h§-did-so ho would bo surprised. MAORI MEMBER PROTESTS. " "THE COLOUR LINE." The Hon. A. T. NGATA (Eastern! Maori) reviewed in detail the pircunw stances -of the recent obstruction do*, bate, and accused tho Prime Minister of having stormed and blustered in lusf references to that occasion. Ho went oi* to contend that the Public Health Do-, partment was imposing unnecessary andvexatious restrictions upon Maoris iu connection with the prevailing epidemio Pi From all pnrts complaints wcro coming from Maoris -of all classes that theso - restrictions were becoming oppressive.and absurd.- If sonio relief were not) afforded in connection with tho restrict! tions now being imposed in clean 1 districts, he would feel it his duty, as j a Nativo representative, to advise. 110! Maoris to ignore tho restrictions or tiioJ Publio Health Department. In tliaj Eastern district which ho represented! I not a single caso had occurred-, yet tlio-J restrictions imposed were so sevcro aaj to constitute a serious interference with labour. Ho protested against tho; attitude recently adopted by the Watj Education Board ni referenco to certain Maori children alleged to hayo the Maori itch, and to be unclean. In 1 ; tho past, ho stated, Education Boards had not been above seeking for Maori scholars in order to increase the capitation grant. Now any pretence was being sought to got rid of tlio Maori children and compel "iom to hava; separate institutions. There was al \ danger that in'tho remote outlying districts a colour lino might bo drawn.-.-Tlio standard of cleanliness was as high in Nativo as in European sohools. . IE Nativo children were dirty, that was no exouso at all for establishing separate institutions. Tho proper remedy was to t'ako more stringent measures ta ensure cleanliness. Mr. Ngata strongly, advocated the adoption l of inoculationagainst typhoid. No Colour Lino Drawn. Mr. D. H. GUTHRIE (Oroua) do* nied that there had been any attempt) by tho Wanganui Education Hoard to draw a colour lino. Tho board, how-> ever, was alive to tho danger that certain infectious diseases might spread.* There wore some diseases lo which tho iuaori children wcro subject, and thai object of the board was to take tlio necessary action to stamp out these diseases not in the interests of the European ehi'dren only, but-in tho interests of the Maori children as well. The Wanganui Board had not the slightest intention of drawing a colour-line.' It was tho fluty of tho bo.vd to exclude children of either race when they contracted an infectious dis.ease. So far from drawing a colour-line, the boardwas doing everything it could to induce Maori children to attend its schools. In somo places there was good reason for separate schools being demanded. If in individual cases hardship seemed to bo

inflicted., it was done in the interests of the children generally. Mr. Guthrie pointed out that ono Maori hoy and one white boy from the Wanganui district were at present attending Hawkesbury College (Noiv South Wales). Mr. C. PARATA (Southern Maori) dealt at longth with the claims in con- . flection with lands of the Natives whom ho represents in the South Island. Mr. P. C. WEBB (Grey) • blamed membors for not travelling about the country enough' in order to beconie acquainted with its requirements. Ho endorsed what Mr. Robertson had said about tho Waihi striko. Mr. A. HARRIS (Waitemata) said ho had heard in Auckland expressions of very strong opinion about tho deplorable exhibition of the Opposition in the recent obstruction. Tho discussion was continued by Mr. 3. 7*ayne. The Houso went into Committee of Supply on the Bill at 1.23 a.m. On tho second reading, Mr. 6. AY. Russell (Avon) asked the Minister what- was the position of the State Guaranteed Advances Office i in the matter of the amount of money for advances to settlers and workers. Ho asked the question, he explained, in view of certain borrowings on Treasury bills by the Government from the Advances Office. Would this transfer of the inonoy from the Advances Office restrict that office's lending powers, or had! the Government arranged their finances in somo other way to permit, of the strengthening of the office fund? ■ m ■ Tho Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister) said tho honourable member appeared to have forgotten that the limit for loans to settlers_ when the present Government came into office was £500, and that the Government had i,s soon as possible raised tho limit to £600, and then later to £750. Mr. Mac Donald: But you are not 1 i tending the money. ■ Mr. Massey: The honourable member has not been looking at the returns lately, otherwise he would see that wo are - lending the money very rapidly indeed.. Ihe suggestion of the member for Avon, he continued, was practically that the Government shoulu lend money as rapidly q,s possible. Did the honourable gentleman think it would bo wise to lend in the first month of the quarter all the money in the fund, in view of the fact that it might' he a year before more money could bo obtain 3d? • Mr. Russell: No. Mr. Massey: I don't think so, either. Tho proper thing to do, he continued, was to spread the amount available over the quarter. Speaking not from the point of viow of the Government only, but from that of the Dominion, he was of opinion that the money market was growing easier. He had heard last week of a local body loan raised at four and a fialf per cent. This indicated an improvement, and with the good prospoets for the - coming season _ the 'improvement was likely to be maintained. The Hon. J. Allen, in reply, emphasised the-fact that tho Government had raised the limit, for advances to £750. and he had been considering whother 110 could raise it still higher. He regretted that at present he could not soe his way to do so. One difficulty was that he had to roly entirely 011 loan money, because one usual source of supply, the Post Office, had failed. The municipalities ■ had been taking -money on deposit;- and a now system of banking had been established thereby. It was a fact at certain periods of tho year, notably in September and October, .settlers needed money more than at any other time, and it would not be politic in the first month of the quarter to advance all the money. In tho month of December the Treasury Bills would be, repaid and the money would be available 1 for tho following months. The Bill passed through its. other -Stages ■ uninvpedrid. • .The House rose at 2 a.m. !