"DAMNABLE WASTE"

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3171, 23 August 1917, Page 5

"DAMNABLE WASTE"

THAT HANMER TRIP MR. WITTY AND MR : RUSSELL A long time a;, r o (lie Hon. G. W. Russell arranged for an excursion to Hanmor, on the occasion of tho opening of the Soldiers' Hospital there. The 'trip was an expensive one, and tho Government paid for everything. Mr. Witty has been asking for particulars, and making plain cominonts on tho expenditure. In the House of Kepresentatives yesterday ho gave notice to move for a return of nll;t'he. expenses of the trip. Later, Jlr. Russell rose and announced that ho proposed to make a statement on tho subject. • Mr. Witty: I have asked for a jetnrn. Mr. Russell: I shall lw obliged if the honourable member will allow me to do my own business in, my-own way. Mr. Witty: It must be a proper return. I vwant a full return. Mr. Russell: The honourable member's notice may go on the Order Paper, but I am going to make my statement. The honourable momber for Riccarton had made some very strong remarks in connection with, tho expenditure. Mr. .Witty: Hear, hear. Mr. Russell said it was only fair to himself to make a statement. , A considornblo. sum of money towards the inv stitution. had beeu subscribed by patriotic societies and other bodies, and it was therefore considered desirable that those who had assisted the institution should bo given an opportunity of inspecting tho institution, and obtainingan idea of the work it was proposed to do. Invitations had been extended to Mayors, members of city councils, Red Cross societies, hospital boards, etc. Hanmer Springs -was 28 miles from the railhead, and that distance had to be covered by motor-car/ The heavy railway cars could not make the journey from Culverden to Hanmer Springs and back in one day, and consequently private cars had to bd secured. A great number of residents in-the vicinity lent their cars, but over two hundred people marto the journey, and these cars were not sufficient to convey all. Mr. Russell gave tho following particulars of tho expenditure:— £ s.d. \dvertising and miscellaneous ... 310 fl Motor-cars • 1% "■ ° Paid to Canterbury Automobile Assn. for their assistance in obtaining motor-cars » 12 11 Luncheon for 2fiO persons 2b 0 Paid Railway Department 89 8 .1 Refreshments used on train I 12 >U "Now. Sir," continued Mr. Russell, "I am uot going to say that my administration of the Public Health Department, and of'the sick and wounded told'iers of this country has beon without fault, but I stand here before the honfi'inbls member ■ for Riccarton and l say that, although thousands of men have been treated, there has never been. in tho two long debates we have had one criticism' of my administration on the floor of tho House or in the papers. There is the return of the money- spent, and I have stated the reasons irhy it was done. It was to give these people Who had subscribed the money an opportunity iof seeing what was done with it. I leavo the Houso to say whether tho honourable member, actuated by bitter spleen, and for private reasons Mr. Speaker: I don't think.the honourable member should impute these motives. , ' Mr.' Witty:. Let him go on. I dont care what he says. Mr. Russell: Very well, I leave the House to say whether the honourable member ; is justified in referring to this matter in tho polite language which apparently ho is acoustomed to use in the society he mixes with, as "damnable waste of public money." Mr. Witty had the .last word. I repeat," he said, "that this was the most damnable waste of public money that over I heard of. This money was not for wounded soldiers—if it had been, no one would have mentioned it—but for the aggrandisement of the honourable gentleman himself." As for tho language, Mr. Witty still repeated that tho expenditure was "damnable waste." Apropos of nothing in particular, Mr.. Witty, said: "Anyhow, I never cried-at a lamp-post because I was, beaten," ■ Mr. Speaker remonstrated, but he, had not finished his sentence before _ - Mr. Witty replied: "I never said he di'd, Sir." Ho added that personally lie was Dot in any way concerned about what tho honourable member had said, but people ontsido might take notice of it, and for this reason ho had _to put himself right. Ho repeated' his hard words, "damnabla waste,"> arid said that ■ if blunders of this 6ort could not be criticised the Houso had better close up.