UNITED PARTY

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1929, Page 7

UNITED PARTY

ADDRESSES AT ROTORUA. ROTORUA, December 10. Air C. H. Clinkard, AI.P., and the Hon. W. A. Veitch addressed a meeting of electors last night. The Mayor (Mr T. Jackson) presided over a fair attendance and introduced the speakers. Air Clinkard gave an account of his stewardship, stressing the facts that tiie United Party was not disunited, and that its policy had been maintained despite stonewalling by Reform, and lie defended his attitude with regal'd to the Rotorua-Taupo railway. He read a communication from Mr H. H. Sterling, General Manager of Railways, with regard to works for unemployment relief at Papatotetoe, Papakura, Frankton, Horotiu, and .Mercer duplication, and Huntley, and the expenditure of £586,003 for rolling stock. During the current year two complete trains and entirely new rolling stock had been provided for the Rotorua service with the first observation cars to be run on any regular service iti New Zealand. 1 Air Veitch eulogised Air Clinkard’s work. He said that lie had come to solve the difficult problem of Mamaku Hill. Although the scheme was not ideal, lie thought he had made arrangements that would be satisfactory, including an improved road. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded Air Clinkard. STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. WELLINGTON, Deo. 11. “The leader of the Opposition,” said the- Prime Minister “is reported in the Press as having made the following statement in the course of his remarks at Eastbourne last night:—‘The United Party have taken definite steps to undermine what should he a clearly laid down principle. g> They have altered, or rather propose to alter, the system so as to allow the Minister to have a greater amount of money at his disposal. They are altering a definite, carefully designed, and what I believe to be an honest scheme for the allocation of public money. It is not right and will work out to the detriment of the people -..0f New Zealand.’ “1 am at a loss to understand what the, right, lion, gentleman had in his mind in making this statement, but far from taking any action in the direction indicated, the Government has been active in tightening up and making more effective the control of Parliament over the expenditure of public moneys. “For instance, prompt steps were taken to institute better control of

the expenditure on public works to enable members of Parliament to see the position of the works under construction. The form of the Estimates was amended to show in respect of each undertaking the original estimated cost of tne work, the amount spent to date and estimated amount required to complete the work. Further, m order that various proposals might lie subject to expert review, from the financial aspect, arrangements were made for the Public Works Estimates to be submitted to the Treasury for investigation beiore being finalised for submission to' tne House. In addition it was found that permanent appropriations existed for the expenditure of loan moneys cm railway improvement, swamp drainage, school biddings and certain other worms. That is to say, expenditure on these works was not subject to annual review by Parliament. This matter was remedied last session by a section in the Finance Act, and in future such expenditure will be subject to annual appropriation by Parliament.

“Another matter that was attended to was the overhaul of the borrowing authorities. I found that authorities amounting in the aggregate to about £3,(00,000 still existed for such purposes as the war, settlement of discharged soldiers and naval defence, where no further loan moneys were required. All these unnecessary authorities were cancelled by the section in the Finance Act.

“As a matter of fact, the Government lias endeavoured in every way to improve and strengthen the control over the expenditure of public money and the statement which is reported to have been made by the Leader of the Opposition is absolutely contrary to fact,”