PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1921, Page 1

PARLIAMENTARY JOTTINGS

NI'ECIAI, TO GUAItUIA.N. A LOAN Itll.L. WELLINGTON. Dec. The Loan Hill pioviding for the borrowing of Im.UDO.tIOO for public ivurlo was in trod nicil in t lie House to-dny. Mr Mas.-ey cxplninoil llint tlic Governncnt intended to borrow the money abroad, but would not attemjjt to raise it ut once. The money would he re<iuircd for ilevelopinent work of railways, iiydro-elcctricity, roods mid sett lenient ol bind, before next session. THE ESTIMATES. When the first item of the E.-iimatc-WHS lea. lied to-day. the Lender of the labour i’liiiy. Mr Holland, moved reduction of I'l us an imlii a (boil that the Legislative Council ought 10 he nbolishcd and that the House disapproved of the action of the Government in mob ing appointments to the Council. Mr Wilfnrd and Mr St.alhniii woic anion.; the members who supported this am. udinent. The ( huirman of <'ommit ice would not permit a general eiis-iou on the i|uestion ot policy, and a,lei- a brief debate the nn'-emlm on w - d. |. i 1 cd by 1 1 ) votes to I! EV IS El) E.-TIMA'I ES. The Estimates submit ted to t l " House . it li the Eiuam ial Stat 'iuen. a.eks ago. were referred to the \ Public Accounts Committee, at the suggestion of Government, in ordei '"a; rcditeliotts might be made. The I’l ill!.' Mini T explained m til--1,,. ji, E-timaies . cd been prthef- re his iettitn from England, and that sine- ill n e;,.monies had I,- n appro’-ed. T!-c r.-vi-ed eslimai.'s ~.turned to tlie House to-day. Si •.'.nos that have been made amount to e-.'oii.l Id. Tim chief item is a led inti,,n eplli.linri in li. f oe. expenditure. The Pest and Ti'lemm. 1 - !'- .ri:tlaeni has the tote n.r salaries fP. ■■ In cld.ttt'lt. vote for temporary ollirers l, v (ji-.n in. and vote mr ov; r: inn - end i all ... mice In fIU.IHIiJ. The item leciute.im.ee alld illlprnvelll.'lil ol loads j, ~..!n... d l.v es.lipn. The votes lor Edueaiioii lioasds are rcdtiee.l hy eo.*Jd(l, au*l foi irainioc colleges by t I •jf.'tl. Stib-i !ti. to p-i ’c id"; res an’ l-llt down hy eg.lV" MoO ... ibe ri-it-.-lions an onnd '• npt* «• i'<* that the column I< a In-^_e. d out many votes that would not have been spent in cast*. STATEMENT l!V PH EM I Eli. The Ministei assmed the I House that none of the roduetioits alfeeted the salaries of civil servants, or the rates ol pensions. He add I that the savings applied merely to th.e •i until in I year ending tin March .'list next, lie cntild tell the House that h contemplated very impm imn altera;inns in the methods hi compiling estimates in the interests of economy. These re.lu.-lions eov. i only i.criod covered l.v tile Estimates up to Man h .'list next,'" added the Ptime Minister. ■ They do not cover salaries, hut there , v ;jj I a reduction in salaries. A bill i-maling v.itb these reductions is on the stocks non. and is not far Loin completion. It proposes to reduce ktrgci elides down In u « t‘i-t!iin point. Members will have an op]tortunity of reducing neatly the whole of the salaries in the Public Service during the pre-etit session. 1 want to make that perfectly dear. The recommendnl ions w ill he submitted to Parliament. I am n illing to take the respousihiltlv as bead of the Government, hut a verylarge pi ..portion ol salaties are fixed by Matute and cannot he altered, except b v statute. Even in louei ranks of the public service, tilde are thousand- ol men whose salaries are fixed by -idutc We have to make ends meet and lm‘ „„|v way to secure a iclu. tt it is !<■ -n - mi! t.lie proposals to Parliament. lIIGIIW AVS Itll.L WELLINGTON. I'm-. 9 Tie Man, Highways Hill ..a< intiodmvd in the House this afternoon, lion Coates said in reply t<> a Mm-stioi, ,Iml it was said the Hill in principle is one submitted to the ( on,Hies t oitsave that the poftum naming certain roads had been eliminated. The lasts -how that what air to be mam hurhwavs are ,o he defined by Order-,n- ---( milled and that in ddinimm the limof a,iv existing roads are no, neeessarilv to !"‘ a-c Med. Ktory man l.j.dinav when pmdaimed becomes. . Government road within the meaning of the Public Works Aei. . A Hoard is to be set up and to control al Government mads, and is to He > sponsible for the construct ion. mamteuatue, repairs and control. Two funds, a levenue account and construction account are to lie emit e< • and to herome part of public are,units. The revenue account is to eotisist m approprinliuns Irnm tin- ' l, "' l ' !u Knuds, proceeds ol dull,. . ivies and of money reeemd Clown from licensing of moto, vehicle. . ~ is ,1) To he be used for mamtemun. repair and coutml. for payou-nts coder the Woi ket s ('oiiipeitsa1101 l A. ill respect of accidents. Tile const ruction account i> to > o sjsi of loan monies, appropnat ions lroiu out,lie works luud and Lorn icteuui a. u ■,>■* ««•.•—> lion and re. oust not ion «-t ' sett lenient of claims 10, lam > road purposes unde, the " A< ’' WELLINGTON. Hce 9. The. House pro—l".t to W.U, t uS PaHy.« f vote lo £1 as an indication that til* rounrii >•''«,»!r: - isheil Fie was supported by the la a ?! of the Liberal Party. The a.nendllu.„t was defeated hy 29 votes to 20. Mr Statham moved that the Post am Telem-aph vote should be red need hy L .-i ; „it indication that the House could not take the responsibility for reductions in expenditure without more information than it possessed. The Prime Ministed insisted that he had given the House very full information on several occasions during the session and that members wore

fully aware of the need tor oeoiiomv. The a mend merit was defeated by 36 veto- to 10. After considerable delete Mr Holland moved that the Post and Telegraph Department, vote should he reduced by £■! a I an indication that the Government should not reduce salaries, until tho cost of living had fallen Po the point) stipulated in the agreement beiwet'ii the Government and Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association. This amendment was defeated hy 38 votes to BL A proposal to reduce the salary of ihr Chairman of the Board of Trade l,y £1 a- an indication of dissatisfaiition with tho work of that body was doton ti-d. The | cadet- of the Opposition described as “Pathetic.” the vote of £4O fnr tho promotion ot sale of New Zealand manutact ores abroad. Tie thought that a high salaried Trade Comniissfonor should,' lie sent io United States. I lie Minister for Industries and Commerce said the question of sending a sentative to America was receiving consideration.