PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1046, 21 September 1911, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

THE BUDGET DEBATE

Wewnoton, Sept. 19

Mr Myers resumed the debate on the Budget, which he declared, exhibited a very happy state of affairs, and its humanitarian proposals would appeal to the country generally. He spoke at length on the satislactory condition of the finances, upon which .he heartily congratulated the Minister of Finance.

Sir William Steward considered the Budget an excellent one, and said it would commend itself to the country.

Mr John P. Duke regretted the absence of any reference to education iu the Budget. He hoped the Government would do all in its power in connection with higher education. He looked upon the farmers’ co-operative bank proposal as good, aud if it was placed iu good shape he would support the measure. He advocated the development of the iron ore of the Dominion.

Mr Bollard complained of the unsatisfactory condition of land matters in the Dominion, and said he knew of no country iu the world where the leasehold system had been successful. It was the duty of the Government to settle people on the land and educate them how to work it. He asked what had the Government done for farmers in this direction? MrE- M. Isitt said the Government was in a happy condition so lar as the Opposition was concerned. The Government had been accused again and agaiu of rash expenditure, and yet every Oppositiou member wanted money spent on colleges, experimental farms, etc.. How could the Government meet these demands aud yet escape the reproach of the Op position ? Referring to military training, he said the Government had made two very grave mistakes iu omitting a conscience clause and iu carrying on the training age to 25. The age limit should be 21. He deprecated and described as shameful the charges of bribery, corruption aud maladministration against the Government. There was nothing in the charges.

Sir Joseph Ward, in reply said it was satisfactory to find that everyone who had spoken on the Budget had supported the measures forecasted therein. He referred to the inconsistency of the Opposition in crying out that too much money was being spent and then all demanding railways and colleges. Recharged Mr Allen with gross misrepresentation in the matter of Treasury bills, remarking that if the amount had been paid off as Mr Allen suggested, they could not have paid their way at all. The object of the Opposition going round the country saying the finance of the Dominion was in a weak position and that taxation was being increased, was to try to get the Treasury benches, and in their desperate attempts to do this they were seriously damaging the country and the people. Referring to Mr Allen’s statement of discrepancies of four millions in the Budget figures of the public debt, Sir Joseph Ward said the table quoted by Mr Allen dealt with borrowed money only, not revenue.

The House then went into committee on the Estimates.