THE IMPREST BILL

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 236, 30 June 1920, Page 8

THE IMPREST BILL

[ ' A TIME FOR .'QUESTIONS. The ' passage . of, the 'Imprest- Supply . , .Bill m the' House of Representatives yesterday afternoon occupied a few I:-.. minutes less than two hours. 'After .the side issue of the no-coniidence motion i.'v by the Labour Party had been disposed i .of in short ordet, members; 'rook advantage ofi thpir,"bpportunities' to ask.ques- ■ ' tions • about a. host of .things: of. Mine i ; v • ■ public, interest at the, mom'ent.'v Some 1 1 ofrJthem had to do with the Bill, and most of them had not. 't'hb'.Bill gave !'i .the new members an opportunity to . try! ! oat. their yoices 'in.the 'assembly, and one; or two of ; them- use- of ".,' their -right to, .speak.; or, 'two 'of ;'v ' . them also showed a surprising' lack of knowledge of things actually . done.'diir-' v. •r • irifj" the past year, or twoiw- <' ■ - 1 The Bill went through the Legisla--I:"; • (tiVe Council in three minutes.. Only one Mr. Izard, protesteil. against 6uchispeedy dispatch of tho. business of ••• handing-over money to the Government ; r': . .".for and he mentioned es- . , V:. .pecially the item -of X 600.000 for the / Naurir purchase. He wanted to -know whether an. opportunity would be afforded'the Counbil' of discussing v this : matter more fully on* some latervocca6ion. Mr.-Izard' was not present last session'when the matter was most fully r discussed. Sir Francis Bell said in- re- '• ply that as the; agreement had been signed by the Prime Minister and ratified by. special' Act of Parliament, ho did not think an opportunity could be ji' given .for reviewing it. !

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION . •LABOUR HEAVILY, DEFEATED. *The first division .of the session was called unexpectedly on a no-confidence amendment by the chairman of the Labour Party- (Mr.. Holland),. 011, thp motibri to go into Committee on the Im-' prest Supply Bill.' So eager was' tho niover; not to lose his opportunity to move his amendment'that lie rose twice at the:wrong time -to offer it, but Mr. Speaker/.,advised, him! that the right , time to do it was later.' The motion before the House was "That Mr. Speaker do leave the cliaii" in order that the House may go into Committee of Ways "and Means." Mr. Holland moved: "Tliht all words,after 'that' she omitted with a view of inserting tho following: 'That this House expresses, its disapproval (1)- , of the. failure 'of .the Governments to make adequate provision for the full representation of the people by a system of proportional representation; (2) of the , failure of the Government to effectively, combat the high cost fof living; (3) of the failure of the Government to pro-' vide homes for the. people; \(1? of the failure of the Government to secure adequate coal and other fuel supplies; (5) of .the failure of the Government to proceed with the necessary public works.' " Mr.' Holland made a short speech mmipport of his amendment, shorter even' than- the. tiuu .limit imposed. Most of the" matter that"'he used he. had already spoken on other occasions. Mr. •M'Combs seconded, the amendment, and made w. speech. The division was taken at once. .. . ' ' V There-was a good deal of perturbation and much'interest in ,the division. A number of members of. the. Liberal Opposition including Mr. W. 1). bi Mac- : Donald, left' the Chamber when the. bells 'began to ring, preferring-.this course.to that of following .either the Primo Minister or'the leader of the Labour Party into the division lobby. , -The .'dctions of the Independent -mem- : were watched-lrith keen interest : from the' Goyernment benches and from ■ the galleries. Mr, Mitchell .appeared to be about the last member in the House to make up his miud as to how he should'vote, and be spoke hurriedly with

several members sitting near to him. At length he followed Mr. Statham and Mr. Craigio into the ayes lobby, voting with the Government. . When the division had been taken.ana.. the figures announced, Mr. Mac Donald came back into the Chamber. He was greeted: by -Mr. Holland with ironical, applause, <and the leader.of the Labour party said, clapping his hands gently the ; while: "He that lights and runsawayr- , Other members who voted. with the Goveminent were Messrs. M'Gallum and Lys- ■ W. Mr. M'Gallum being' a member' oi the Opposition Party, and Mr. Lysnar an Independent. . . , The following was" the division list:—• For the Amendment (16).. ' ' Atmoro -'Poland Bartram Savige Fraser c- n Holland , Smith, S. G. Howard Sidey M'Combs Sullivan ■Masters , .'. ..Thacker f Parry ' Veitoh ' Against the Amendment (39), Anderson -M'Callum , Bitohener M Leod Bollard Malcolm , , Burnett Mander , Ooates' M.MSoy, Craigie 'Mitchell • Dickson, J. AI'C. Nash , Pj e ld Newman, Dr. Glenn Newman, E. Guthrie Nosworlhy . Hamilton, J. R. Parr Harris£ ootter, er . ' TTarriefl ItOCcl Hockly Rhodes, T.W,. ' ■<. Hudson Statham Hunter . Sykes Jones Uju Lee' ' 'Wright. Luke Young Lysnar UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE ' Two items of unauthorised expenditure, sanctioned by tho, Audit Office at tho request of tho Government, were reported to the House of Representatives vesterday by the Auditor-General. The 'first item was an advance of JMBOO to '•he Auckland Plying School. The second was a payment inado 011 account 01 wheat purchased by tho Government m Australm and held m storage* there pending tho arrangement of shipping space. The wheat had to be paid for <ind the 8 Government '.could not recoup itself until the grain was landed in. New Zealand and sold .to the millers. Ihe Government had given the Auditor-Gen-eral in each case .an undertaking that the transaction- would bo validated oy Parliament.