PARLIAMENT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3199, 25 September 1917, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

PUBLIC TRUST OFFICE A PERMANENT BOARD MR. TRIGGS TO BE TRUSTEE The Houee of Representatives mot at 7.30 p.m. yesterday. The Public Trust Office -.Amendment Bill was introduced by Vice-Kegal MeeEa SIR JOSEPH WAKD (Minister of Finance) explained the purpose of the Bill. The present Public Trustee, he said, was to retire after many years' service, and it was proposed on his retirement to alter tho constitution of the -office. It was proposed to have the office controlled by n permanent board, consisting of three existing officers in tho service of the Government. One of them would be Public Trustee and each of the others would be Assistant Public Trustee. The Advisory Board that now existed would liot be required, and it would go out of office. He wished to take the opportunity "f saying that the Government was very much indebted to the two gentlemen had acted on that board, and had.done as he believed very sood work for this country. The change was not being brought about because of any failure on tho part of these two gentlemen, but the work of the Department was so'rapidly expanding, and was becoming so important, ft at it was desirnWe that it sliould be made a permanent board, members of which could five flipir attention to the office every 'liiy. The Government would still have Ministerial authority over the office ns now. He thought the House would agree that the Bill t«is desirable on account nf the volume, nnd of the diversified nature of the-business nf the office. It was intended that one of the menihcrs of the board would be a solicitor. The Public Trustee and the two Assistant Public Trustees were to I>p appointed V the Goveruor-fl-eiieral in Council. .Tins was n'slisht departure from the oxistin'g law, but it d"ui> with thp entire concurrence of the Public Service Commissioners.

Mr. Wilford: Will Hint require any other changes in the Public Service? Sir Joseph' Ward: No. It will mean tho transfer of one important officer, but his position will not be filled. He asked the House to allow the Bill to go through as ii matter of -urgency. The Public Trustee was to take a position in tho Court of Appeal, and it was desirable that he should be relieved at the end of the'present month. It would be undesirable to have a Public Servant in tho Court of Appeal. It was proposed lo pay each of tho three members of the board ,£IOOO a year, and a saving of ,£4OO a year would be made to the Stato by the new. arrangement.

The Bill was read a first time, and proceeded thereafter to second reading. / Mr. T. 11. WILFOED (Hutt): I think this might be'called "The Happy-Way-Out-of-the-Difficnlty Bill." I think I can pick the three men without knowing anything. I can foresee that the .Public Service Commissioner's office will suffer, because the one hope of that institution is going. MivHornsby: ''Why don't you say right out 'Mr. Triggs'?" Speaking later, Mr. Hornkby expressed Tegret that the Government proposed to appoint this Public Service Commissioner right over the heads of officers who had earned the promotion. Ho protested that one of the proposed nppointees, not Mr. Mac Donald, should not be put on the board until after ho had been cleared of imputations in connection with the R-angi Keriliome case. He would vote against the Bill until this was done.

Mr. C. H. POOLE (Auckland West) said that ho thought ,it wrong for the member for Wairarapa to make such suggestions as might discredit. Mr. W. T. JENNINGS (Taumarunul) spoke of tho excellent service of Mr. Honaldson. Doputy Trustee.

» Mr. R, M'CALLUM (Wairau.) complimented the Government on the choice of Mr. Triggs for the office. The others, he suggested, wonld be Mr. Ronaldson, the' Doputy Trustee, who could not be made Public Trustee because lie was not a lawyer, and Mr. Mac Donald, solicitor to the Public Trust Office. These would be three good business men, eminently fitted for their position. Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) said he v.as sorry that the Government found it j necessary to go outside of the office to find a Public (Servant to appoint to the office. He agreed, however, that Dr. Trigga was a good officer, and ho thought the best of the Public Service Commissioners. ' Other speakers suggested that the office should establish raovo branches in different parts of the country, in preference to relying upon agents. SIR JOSEPH.WARD said ho wished to say how very much ho regretted that, (he honourable, member for Wairarapa should have found it necessary to remark that something . had to be cleared up about the / conduct of one of the appointees. No member of the-Government was aware of anything , of the sort. The three appointees would beMr. R. Triggs, Public Service Commissioner, who would bo Public Trustee. Mr. Ronaldson, Deputy Public Trus'.ee, would be one of the' Assistant Public Trustees, and Mr. MacDonakl, solicitor io tlie Public * ■ Trust Office, would be the other. He thought these three men were very capable men for their important positions, and they had been chosen aftor careful consideration. They would be pnid a year each. Some people might eay that (his salary was too high, but in any other country in the world the salaries would not be considered adequate lor the position. Mr. position r.s Public Service Commissioner would not bo filled. One of the reasons for tl>)3 wns that the. initial administrative work had been done, and that tha other two Commissioners could do the work, imd Mr. Triggs could be spared without disadvantnge to the office. The Bill was read'a second time on the voices, committed forthwith, and reported without amendments. On the ' 'jtr. r j a< 'l' Dßf M. HORNSBY (Wairarapa) said that one of the appointees had knowledge all the time that tho egent of the Public Trust Office was not dealin« squarely with Kerihome. This young Native had been robbed of his ratnmouy, and all this had been known three years ago. He urged that the legislation be held over .until after an innuiry could be held. SIB. JOSEPH WARD said that the | Bill could not be delayed, because the Public Trusteeship must bo filled at once and the legislation was necessary. Had the honourable member for Wairarapa ever made a charge against Mr. Ronaldson in connection with.tho Iverihoma caee? Mr. Hornsby: No. I never made a charge against Mr. Eonaldson. . Sir Joseph Ward said that :iothii)R i had ever been alleged against Mr. IJonaldson. It had never been suggested that any blame was attachable to him in connection with this case. .... Mr. Horneby: Ronaldson knew it all. He was continually up in the district, and must have known what wa.s going OD Sir Joseph Ward denied that this was so. He complimented the retirms -I'ublic Trustee on his good service. BILLS TO aOME. , ' NEARING THE END. The Right Hon. W. F. MASSEY (Prime Minister) moved that cm and after Wednesday next Government business take precedence on Wediiesdaya. Mr H. POLAND (Ohinemuri) nsked the Prime Minister to give the House an idea of the business to be done (hid session. Mr. Massey eaid that the -Expeditionary Forces Bill, already on the Qi'der Paper, must bo proceeded with Erol. legislation in connection with pensions would be passed. He did not law whether legislation would be necessary in connection with soldiers' allowances. The Minister of Internal Affaire had two or three Bills. There would be a little land legislation—not legislation, but some legislation dealing with the administration of the Department. There

was legislation dealing with ■ soldiors' land settlement—one to npply tho provisions of tho Land Settlement Finance Act to soldiers. There were still some of the Estimates; tho Public Works Estimates were to come, and there would be Supplementary Estimates. Near tho end would be tho Washing-lip Bill'and the Appropriation Bill. lie. thought this programme would bo sufficient to keep tho House occupied for three weeks. The motion was carried, MlLUAlli ottlVllt A ONE-CLAUSE BILL HEN WHO ESCAPE. The Military Service Amendment Bill was introduced by Vice-Hegal Message. SIK JAAIES ALLEif(Minister oi Defence) said that the Bill consisted of orfe clause only, and it was a clause lifted from the .Expeditionary Forces Bill. It was thought that this Bill would have been on the Statute Book ere this. The clause was to enable tho residue of the I'irst Division, and also of subsequent classes of the Second. Division, to l>o twJS? up en bloc, without a ballot. The law at present provided that the Government must take a ballot, leaving one man's number still undrawn. The Bill would allow the Government to dispense with this proceeding. The Bill was advanced as one ol urE< Dr.'Ne#Hmn said that there were a lot of men in the First Division who were going to escape liability for service. He was sure that if the Ministers would see that the residue was thoroughly "combed out" he would get a lot of men -sufficient to delay the calling up ot the Second Division for some months. Sir James Allen said that he was advised by the Government Statistician that all the men had been enrolled. A fairly large number of men had escaped after being drawn in the ballot, ine total number wae about 4000, but the number was being cleaned up every day. Mr. T. M. Wilford aeked the Minister to take steps to fiee that men from other countries, military fit men, coming here should not tako the positions vacated by men on active service. Sir James Allen eaid that as soon as a man became domiciled in this country he became liable to military service. Dr. Newman suggested that many men escaped by malingering, by drinking to I excess, or smoking to excess, and by otlicr tricks, deceiving the medical boards. ■ Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh hinted that men with wealth, could get out of their obligations to service. . They could influence Military Service Boards, and it was marvellous how men" with a lot of money ! were able to get certificates from Medical Boards. In reply to an interjection from Dr. Thacker, Mr. Hindmarsh turned- round and faced that honourable gentleman and talked vaguely of a nieniDer of Parliament who as a medical man had been "nearly concerned' m finding out something wrong with a wealthy α-e----servist. So great was the popular indignation that he believed the member had no chance of re-election. Dr Thacker protested against the aspersion on the medical profession. He offered to lay a wager with the member for Wellington South, but was called to order by the Chairman of Committees, and the incident passed. ' Mr. Hindmarsh'assured the House that he had intended nothing sinister in his remarks; ho had meant' that doctors were deceived sometimes, and not that thev made wilful mistakes. . Mr T 11. Wilford moved to Add a new clause to provide that no member of the "Second Division should bo sent into oamp'until threo months after mediMr.' Massey: Keep that for the otLc-r TJjli ■ Mr. Wilford: I'm not sua-e /that we'll "et the other Bill. ... Mr. Massey: I promise that you will S tfr. Wilford: Is that an absolute guaralMr.' Maesey: Did you ever know me to break my'word? Mr. Wilford: I have known you to forg However, Mr. Wilford was satisfied with * Theism™ went -through its remaining stages «ind was passed. j STATE CONTROL, The last business of tho evening was the introduction of Mr. Pnynfs sta . te Control Bill. He and Ma. Webb spoke in support of State control of the nquor traffic but no other members lomed in the debate. The Bill was introduced and read a first time. The House rose at 10.45 p.m. •.