WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 36, 6 November 1919, Page 8

WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY?

SERIOUS FINANCIAL POSITION

TREASURER AND EX-TREASURER

NO CAUSE FOR PESSIMISM

Some sharp thrusts were passed be-

tween Sir James Allon and Sir Joseph , Ward-when tho Estimates were being rePorted from committoo on Tuesday night. Sir Joseph Ward (Lender of the Opposition! said that the Estimates just passed had amounted to ,£1,250,000, an unprecedented sum, ,£772,892 more than tho amount cstimatea' in the Budget as likely to bo required for tho purpose. Ho thought tho country ought lo know to what the abnormal inflation of the Estimates 1 was due. ■ Mr. Mass?v: It is due to the abnormal times in which wc aro living. Sir Joseph Ward said that tho abnormality had not developed sinco tho Budget

was delivered. Mr. Massey, said that .the Estimates represented the clean-up after the wan Rir Josenh Ward said that ho coulo' not shut his eyes to the seriousness of the position indicated by the provision of 0C1.250 f)CO for Supplementary Estimates. It must indicate that something more than ordinary care was required in tho carrying on of tho financial affairs of this country tot prevent the country from i "running away with itself. . Sir' James Allen (Minister of Finance) said that he recognised that the position was more or less sorious, and that the amount to bo provided was a very largo me. But ho would call attention to the' fact Hint the Estimates contained £450.000 increased Railway pay Ho woulo: call attention to the fact that the honourable members had asked for other increases, and, further, hnd promised to make a considerable increaso the Salaries of Post and Telegraph officers, which would cost still more. .Ho would call attention to the fact that when the Government brought down what they considered reasonable proposals for soldiers' gratuities, Sir Joseph Ward asked for still higher payments. Sir Joseph Wartf: They aro not on these' Estimates. Sir James Allen: I call attention to the fact that when these Estimates ' were '--' handed over, by him to me they were £100,000 greater than they are to-day. T had. to reduce them, by £400,000. I had to call the heads of Departments, together, and ask their' assistance to reduco the Estimates. I want to know what the honourable gentleman means by his criticism. Sir Joseph Ward: Tou aro absolutely misleadine. Sir James Allen 6aid that the honourable member had mentioned the sum of £450.000 as tho amount available for. the Supplementary Estimates. But he had not been able to reduce the Estimates, as handed over to him, down to this amount. Did the honourable rneiriber wish to shirk all responsibility with regard to. tho Estimates for this year? Why had the honourable, member' left , the National Government? Did he know that this was coming? The honourable gentleman would have been moro honest to'himself and more honest to the oast Administration if he had stuck to the job, and helped the National Government to pull through. Undoubtedly, the Estimates were heavy, ana' they would have been heavier still if the honourable gentleman's suggestions had been adopted. The Government, had successfully resisted some of the demands made bv the honourable gentleman. Sir James Allen added that he did not wish to sound a pessimistic note. Heavy as the Estimates were, he wisheo' to toll members of Parliament that although it oimeared that there would be a deficit on March 31 next, he had faith enough in the country to believe that, if people would do their duty, if everybody would do his best to increaso the productivity of the country, instead of a deficit there would bo a surplus on March 31 When he had first been called upon to deal with coal supplies the railway "cut" was in opojafiqn and there was a shortage of ."supplies. If people would only >»■ provide tho country with coal the railways could be kept going, and tho* indus, tries kept going. He was pleased to be able to inform the Leader of the Opposition; that the revenue was already showing increases, and if things wero kept going thero would be a still further' increase. If all the commerce and industry of-the country could be kept going thero would bo no deficit, but a surplus. He did not say it would be a large one.\-lie flight to inform the honourable gentleman and the House that there'' was "another £310,000 of expenditure still to come in tho Appropriation Bill;''.-" -\ ' Sir Joseph Ward: I expected that. Sir James Allen: Is the honourable gentleman going to oppose it?

Sir Joseph Ward: Why is it not in the Supplementary Estimates?

■ Sir. James Allen: Besauso -it is in the .Appropriation Bill. Sir Joseph Ward: You would not put it in the Estimates because you were afraid to show the increases. Sir James Allen: "Nothing of the sort."

He said that tho money was Ijeing pro-

vided in tho" Appropriation Bill because it'-would be a proper charge on the, accumulated surpluses. He wished to sound a note of assurance and to express his belief that if they all put their shouldors, to tho wheel they could bring through successfully. Ho \rould ask tho honourable gentleman for his aftl. The honourable member was

not aiding by the criticism he had just made. The purpose for which tho lionourablo the Leader of the Opposition had made his speech was quite obvious, but that purpose might not at all bo achieved.

Sir Joseph Ward said he liad been misrepresented. He had not had anything to do with tho preparation of the Supplementary Estimates. The Minister of Finance alone had been responsible for .tho Estimates, and if ho thought he was being \vsked to provide more money than it was safe to provide, ho should havo had tho backbone to sav "No.". Ho had not said "No." What was tho reason? Tho Minister had asked tho Honse to vote over more thanhis own Budget of-a few weeks earlier nhowed to be available. The Minister Jiad stated also that another sum of | '£310,000 was to be voted in tho Appropriation Bill. Tho Speaker said the honourable gentleman must confino himself to stating where he had been misrepresented. Mr. Ma.?scy. This sort of thing is no good to anybody. Sir Joseph Ward: If the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister don't want a statement made on-this- subject now I shall take an opportunity later. I shall take an opportunity of again stating why I left the National Government. lam anxious to help the Government, but I am not going, to shut my mouth when criticism is necessary to pre- ■ rent tho country being run to the bad.