PARLIAMENT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 3 December 1927, Page 6

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DEBATE ON FINANCE BILL SECOND READING CARRIED. Wellington. December 2. When the House resumed at 2.30 Mr Lvsnar continued the debate as tht Finance Bill, urging that the Arapuni hydro-electric works be suspended as being too costly and that the Government should take up the Lake Waikaremoana scheme. Sir Joseph Ward (Invercargill) denounced what he characterised as the excessive borowing policy of the Government. The Hon. W. D. Stewart said thev were only taking authority to borrow Sir Joseph Ward said if they did not want to spend the money, on what grounds were they taking authority to borrow the money?. They did not want taxation. Proposals were being brought down in a piecemeal manner, with increases all round, while the alleged reductions were more highly problematical. Ht would prefer to see them before he believed them. If it were not for a Sossible rise in the price of wool and airy produce, Parliament would have seriously to consider how it could steer the barque of State awnfrom the shoals towards which it was drifting. The financial position of the. country was such that it could not fail to cause everyone the greatest anxiety. Tile debate was carried on by Messrs W. A Veitch. H. L. Tapley, J. Horn, A. Harris, J. A. Lee, ana R. W. Smith.

(The Minister’s reply will be found elsewhere.) The bill was read the second time on the voices.

BILLS INTRODUCED By Governor-General’s message the Public Works Amendment Bill a:tfl the Imprest Supply Bill were introduced and read the first time. Ihe Imprest Supply Bill provided for the appropriation of £1,284,000 in payment of salaries and other charges. The bill was put through all stages without debate, and the House went into committee on the Finance Bill. Clause 18, authorising the amalgamation of schemes under the State Supply of Electrical Energy Act, 1917, was struck out on the motion of the Minister cf Public Works, who said there was just a little danger about it and it was not urgent tor this year. Clause 30 was challenged by Mr J. A. Lee (Auckland East). Tht clause validated the expenditure of £6OO by the 'Wellington Harbour Board on a full page supplement in. the London “Times’’ and Mr Lee wanted to know what good Wellington or any other of the cities derived front such advertisement. If the advertisement had been inserted in London's Labour paper, the “Daily Herald.” he doubted if any validating clause would have been proposed. Sir John Luke said this form of publicity was' of great value to Wellington. and he was surprised that the Harbour Board which was a trading body, should have to come to the House for a validating Act at all. Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Ctntral) said the local members were not consulted about this clause, and he proposed in future to oppose similar clauses where local representatives were ignored by local bodies. The clause was passed

The bill was reported with minor amendments, read the third time, and passed. The House rose al 12.25 a.m. until 10 a.m.