Parliament.

Manawatu Herald, 2 July 1903, Page 2

Parliament.

In the Lower House notice was given of the introduction of a large number of Bills, among them being the Bible Lessons in Public Schools Plebiscite Bill (Arnold); Absolute Majority Bill (McNab); Juvenile Smoking Suppression Bill (Field); Barmaids Abolition Bill (Ell); Wireless Telegraphy Bill (Sir Joseph Ward)! Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Act Amendment, Industrial Concilia’ tion and Arbitration Act Amendment, and Shops and Offices Bills. Mr Rutherford gave notice to move the Address-in-Reply next sitting day. An Imprest Supply Bill for £575,000 was introduced by the Governors message. . Mr Duthie expressed strong dissent from the practise that' had grown up of late years of calling Parliament to* gether only at the last moment when the House was hurriedly drived to vote supply. The question was whether the House was going to rule the finances of the country or give up control to the Ministry. He urged that Parliament should have been called together in April, just after the close of the financial year. t Sir Joseph Ward said April would not suit the farming section of the House. Ministers would be very glad to call Parliament together soon after the close of the financial year, but it was in response to the request of the country members that the sittings of Parliament were fixed for June. Sir William Russell complained that the House had allowed Ministers to become its masters, and Ministers could now snap their fingers in the face of the House. If Parliament could not be called together earlier, ha said, the date of closing the financial year should be altered. Other members having spoken, Mr Seddon said: that neither in the House of Commons nor in this House until recent years was it the custom to have any debate at all on Imprest Supply Bills. The practice 'of challenging imprest supply had only grown up recently. The accounts for last year were not passed by the Audit Department till the 14th May; how could the House meet then in April ? The Bill then passed through Committee. On the motion for its second reading, Mr Herries said he noticed the sum of £IOO,OOO was to'be transferred from "the Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund, and he wanted to know whether the money was going to be transferred now or at the end of the financial year as it was done last year. He said he voiced the general dissatisfaction that was felt throughthe country at the non-expenditure of money voted for Public Works, Mr Seddon said the transfer from the consolidated fund was the usual transfer, and in this case it ft consisted of one-thirdfof last year's surplus which had not been allocated for any purpose. With regard to public works expenditure, he thought it would be found at the end of the year that the expenditure had been up to the average. This colony could not go oh spending borrowed money on public works at the rate of two millions a year. The Bill then passed its final stages.