JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1920, Page 3

JOTTINGS FROM THE LOBBY

(Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) , RUSHING THE END. WELLINGTON, Nov. 1. 1 The House pint through a fair amount of unimportant work on Saturday afternoon and is to meet again on this (Monday) morning. Many members are anxious to bring, the proceedings to a close this week“ and they may do so by dint of long sittings. The business ahead includes the Bank of N.Z. Bill; Finance Bill; Rotorua Leases,Marriage Amendment; Appropriation Bill, and a dozen other . Government Bills, so that the House must work at high speed if the southerners are to get down to the races. PUBLIC WORKS GRANTS. The Minister for Public Works replied that authorities covering the total sum of about £557,000 were at present in the hands of local bodies and district enginors throughout New Zealand. The attitude he was taking up was that the authorities now on issue must he cleaned up before the new authorities were issued. If these were special circumstances connected with any vote on the estimates he would be pleased to consider the case. If he proceeded to issue authoriteis for £600,000 on the Estimates in addition to £557,000 now on issue ,the Department and Minister for Finance would not know wlmt was the position. He wished it to he understood distinctly that the authorities already issued should he spent. It happened sometimes that a local body received authority for a subsidy of say £SOO for a year or two years. That was not a business-like arrangement. The money must be spent or the authority would he cancelled and a fresh stage made. He was going to send out circulars to local bodies and members of Parliament on this point. Let me know order of urgency and I shall be very pleased to issue .authorities for old orants and new ones, added the Minister. RAILWAYS AMENDMENT. The Railways Amendment Bill introduced on Saturday afternon provides for authorities of rates of pay for various grades as proposed by the Commission ,after the strike of April and May last. Jt- institutes a new scheme to the Railways Act and makes new rates retrospective, to April Ist 1920.