Parliamentary.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 30 August 1901, Page 3

Parliamentary.

(opr parliamentary reporter.)

Railway Servants. Wellington, August 29. The result of the voting among railway employees as to whether they would come under the Industrial and Conciliation Act or remain uniler the* present system, resulted in an overwhelming majority voting in favor of continuance under the existing system. A. total of 1,407 votes were cast, and of these 82 were in favour of bringing the employees under the Act and 1,325 in • favor of remaining as at present. Tbe Financial Debate.

The sensation of the financial debate had been the strong condemnation of the policy of the Government delivered by Mr J. A. Millar last night. Mr Millar has always been regarded as one of the staunchest supporters of the Government, but last night he practically admitted that he had been deceived ; that he had not taken pains to discover the true position of affairs; and he caused a sensation by drawing a picture of the unsound financial position of the colony which would have been regarded as very searching if it had come from an out and out Oppositionist. Commenting on the Colonial Treasurer's advice in his budget that at the presnt time the good steamer " Finance " should be steadied and that " slow " and not " full speed " ahead should be the order on the dial, Mr Millar showed that during the past ten years the net public debt and liabilities had increased from £31,361,760 to £50,586,992, "and still he said the telegraph stands at 'slow.' God forbid I should be in the colony if ever in a fit of absent-mindedness the Colonial Treasurer ever rings " full speed ahead." Some interesting figures showing the increase of, in late years, in the cost of administering the colony was given by Mr Laurenson in his budget speech. The Civil list, he said, had increased during the last ten years from £25,081 to £29,172 which was about in proportion to the increase of population. The Legislative expenses, however, had increased during the same period from £15,599 to £25,265, or about 60 per cent. The Colonial Secretary's Department had increased from £76,000 to £IIO,OOO, and the Colonial Treasurer's Department by 20 per cent. The total increase in the Appropriation Account was £1,344,596 or 31 per cent. When they realised that the population during that period had increased only 6 per cent and that Government expenditure had increased five times that much, he thought it was high time for the most hopeful of them to call a halt, and ask the Government to consider whether we arc not expending too much money altogether. He believed it would be better for the Government to go in for a more extensive system of economy than had hitherto been practised. Mr. Laurenson moved:-—"Thatlin the opfnion of this House the Government should introduce a bill for the purpose of establishing a State bank of issue or an issue department in the Colonial Treasury." The amendment was put and negatived by 35 to 10. The ten members who voted in favour of the proposal for the establishment of a State bank were:—Messrs. Laurenson, Barclay, Millar, Pirani, O'Meara, Hanan, Symes, Tanner, Ell and Fowkls. Mr. Arnold paired in favor of the amendment.

Mr Graham complained strongly that the present Government had departed entirely from the policy laid down by Mr Ballanco in 1891, that the colony should show self-reliance, and live within its means. It was quite time that we cried " halt" in our borrowing. At 11 40 the debate was adjourned, and ths House rose till 2 30 o'clock.