OVER LAVISH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 364, 27 October 1932, Page 5

OVER LAVISH

("Post". Special Commissioner) .

GQVT. EXPENDITURE SITUATION IN NATIVE DEPT. REQU.IRES URGENT ACTION MR. WILKINSON'S VIEWS

Wellington, Wednesday. The opinion that the report 'of 'the National Expenditure Cdmmission showed that Governments of the past had Been. too lavish 'in their expenditure was expressed by Mr. C. A. Wiikinson (Independent, Egmont) , in ; tlie |Iouse to-night. Mr. Wilkinson said that during the last general election, the Coalition had stated fhat • it was capabW ' of handling the eoxxntry's' problems, but immediately after the election, the Government had handed over the task of investigation of State expenditure to a commission.' ' The report of ' this commission had disclosed ' ineptitude on the part of past g'overnments. Native Affairs The situation in the Native Affairs Department was one that should" not be allowed to continue. In this department, money had been spent and squandered on a lavish scale by land[ boards and single officexs. In one case £85,000 had heen spent on the reeommendation of one man and in another case, one individual had been responsible for a scheme costing £26,000. On the report of a single officer, £185,00 had been expended. Hostile Attitu^e Mr. Wilkinson said that in spite of the telling nature of the report, the Grovernment seemed to have adopted a hostile attitude toward the recommendations. The report should he read by every citizen as it was a most valuable docximent, It illustrated the failure of governments to control expenditure. The commission could have recommended a further saving hy sug-gesting that New Zealand mint her own coins. The coxxntry could save £1,000,000 by adopting this proposal.