THE N.S.W. PARLIAMENT AND THE UNEMPLOYED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 333, 12 January 1889, Page 6

THE N.S.W. PARLIAMENT AND THE UNEMPLOYED.

Immediately before the New Ro'it.h Parliament rose for the Chiistmas holidays theio was a lenowal of an attempt made a few weeks ago to throw discredit upon the Government in relation to the employment by Governmeut of some of the " unemployed "' in doing work which would iudease the value of a private estate owned by the Hon. <J. F. Burns (Colonial Treasurer), Mr R Burdetb Smith, M.L. A., and Mr (George Withers, M.L A. The specific charge made against Mr Biirnfe and his two friends is that, contemplating fche talc of land in which they were interested, they secured an cxpenditme of public moneyinmakingroads through, their lands, thereby giving their property a much greater value than it would otherwise have bad. The matter had beon investigated by a select committee appointed by the House, but the rnembeis of the committee weic divided in their opinion as to the precise chaiacler of the ieport they should bring up. Mr Thomas Walker, M.L. A., who was chairman of the select committee, solved the difficulty which beset the other members of the committee by giving his casting vote in favour of a repot t which was intended to be very damaging to the Government. A discussion which has taken place in the Assembly showed thab the investigation had not been quite &o complote as it should have be^n, and has had the effect of depriving the report, of some of the power it might otherwise have had.