PARLIAMENT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 90, 20 August 1913, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

ti^sday,!xjjpusT;p9.’!;: 1, .• HOUSE OF: REPRESENTATIVES. Wellington, August 19. H'h« ,House met at 2.30 pan. A THIRD READING. The Roman Catholic Archbishop Empowering Bill (Sir Wi'Buchanan) mas read passed..« THE BUDGET DEBATE. The Budget debate was resumed by Air J. C. Thomson, who complained tliat the Budget was devoid of any indication of that great era of reform yvhich the people had been led to expect. The Alinister for Defence formerly committed himself to an independent navy, but since his retourn from the Old Country he had evidently changed his views. It was well for him that he had done so, because he ventured the prediction-that no-party which proposed an independent navy Would ever be returned to the Treasury benches. There was plenty of borrowing in the Budget of the party who had always denounced borrowing. (Die increase of the pubilc debt had' been repeatedly denounced by thatparty, hut there was never a word about the assets against that debt, until the Treasurer went to England. Then he used the finance of his opponents to help him to raise his -own loan. The Prime Minister dare not now put into effect some of the doctrines be had enunciated before the election, such as the sale of national endowments, bis references to the reduction of taxation, and the cheapening of the cost of living. Therefore, the Prime Minister was now endorsing a policy he had condemned before the election. Mr G. Witty admitted that the cuntry was prosperous, but not so bemuse of the present Government’s finance. Ho compared the chivalrous •onduct of Sir Joseph Ward, when in England, in assisting Mr Allen., with the tactics of the Government when in

opposition, in vilifying the credit of tho Dominion. He criticised as a pretence the Government’s promise to give the people a square deal, condemning public appointments as party rewards. Political patronage was as fife a® ever. It was a singular-thing chat the rate of interest rose with the advent of the Reform Government, but money would have been cheaper had 'Sir Joseph Ward remained in power. Where was the assured finance for local bodies? Where was the cheap money for workers? These were things the Prime Minister had. declared for before he came into power. Now they were never heard of. Mr T. K. Sidey said that when the Government came into power the Consolidated Fund -was overflowing, and (lie Government was no longer able •to talk of “galloping to a deficit.” As \ result of the Liberal finance they were able to transfer tfoO.OOO from the Consolidated Revenue to the Public ’Works Fund. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr F. Mander considered that the present Government had gone further in one year than the previous one had in any of the twenty-one years they were in office. He praised the administration for removing Government appojjtifmentft from the sphere of political 'ndu.ence. Referring to the Graduated Laud Tax, ho said that lie had heard

Mr Massey say that if -the present tax did not prove .sufficient to force large land owners to break up their estates, he would increase if. Mr L. M. leitt referred to the recent statements regarding the ownership of certgiu newspapers which, lie had been made with a view to showing that the Liberal Party was identified with brewers. He gave this a strong denial. He reproached the Government hy stating that Judge McCoi - mark’s report on the--Cook Islands, which* was completed either in November or December, 1912, had not yet been laid on the table of the House. Mr Massey interjected .that he hoped it would be clone in the course oi a few days. . ' , vi,. The Debate was continued by M j Payne and the House adjourned at 11.30.'