PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 205, 4 September 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

[FEB PBKSS ASSOCIATION.J HOUSE OF RE PKESENTATIVBBL ToaaDAY, 3ED Sbptxvbbr The House met at 10.30 a.m. Hon. McGowanJreaumed the financial debate. He siid those members who had been sounding the warning note as our finances should remember that if roids and bridges were asked for they must be provided for out of the loan money. He defendrd increase* that hpd b«en made in the departments of which he had control. Messrs J. W. Thomson and X. G. Allen also spoke. The debate was interrupted by the luooheon adjournment, The House resumed at'B.SO, Hon. Mills twitted tbe "Opposition with remainibg silent. He pointed out that the gross public debt bad increased during the last year from £47,874,000 to £49,581,000, but be defied members to point to any of the items in tbe increase whioh could have been avoided. Referring to tbe One* toms menu", he said that the Dew tariff adopted last sestfoo practically gave away £131,336, but since then there had been au increase of £20,836 in tbe revenue on spirits, £15,848 on tobacco, and £10,055 on cigars and cigarettes. He gave figures to «how that there was a steady internal progress throughout tbe whole colony, and said when the revenue from sugar, tea, spiri s, and tobsooa went up it was good evidence of tbe prosperity cf the country. He emphatically denied that instructions had been given to the Valuation Department to put up land values, but the department had to mike 231,965 s-parate va'uations and the number of complaints in proportion had been very small. Tbe land values in 1895 were 138 millione, and last ye*r 147 millions, although only one third of the oolony was properly valued. In considering the increase in expenditure it must be borne in mind that several new departments had been created, which meant heavy expense, and in considering the increase in the publia debt they must not lose sight of tbe assets that had been acquired. The inorease in tbe salaries in tbe whole of his department only totalled £1,02t. He spoke of the fiuancial and social success of the estates that bad been acquired by the Government for dose settlement, and expressed regret that larger blocks had not been taken over in *he Marlborough district. Mr. Willis consider, d that without the increased expenditure the colonjf would net have been so well off as it was. H» had confidenoe in the Pre* mier's financial operations, whioh bad brought great prosperity to the oolony. It was about time the Government st«rfced a coal mine ef its own. Tbe Government should also interfere ill regard to the flour trus*. He spoke stroDgly in favour of land for settlement being purchased in the Wanganill district, and of native land in the same district bting brought into nocupation, Mr. Haselden complained of thu large amount of money extorted front the people by taxation, and urged that borrowing should be pnt an end to. He strongly condemned the system of cooperative labour on the North Island Trunk Railway as it cost one-third more than oontraot labour, but so long as they could pay high wages from loans so long would this state of things continue. Mr. Napier had said that wool was a mere paltry item compared with but'er; now last year butter totalled £780,000 while wool, even at tbe low price riding, totalled £5,000,000. That was a great argument in favour of reducing thd land tax instead of increasing it. He was in favour of loans to complete the North Island railway and ti road the country, and then tbey would be able *■■■> say that the oountry was prosperous. When <he oojrpe'ien of Argentine came to baft It tbey would have to bring in a Bill to reduce the rents of settlers. Mr. Flatman cois'dered that Mr. Gow, Trade Gommi«sioner, ought to have been sent on his mission twelve months ago. He <m< stiooed very muoh whether cold storage ought to be established in South Afric. He thoughtit would be preferable to maintain their hold of the British market. He held that t> is colony ought not to be allowed to stop for the sake of a little borrowing, and the best barometer it ooutd go by wax the income ♦ar, which bad incr> ased by ab >ut £35,000 tho last two years. Mr Pireni said he hid never heard a financial debate so lame and impotent so far as the Government side of tbe Hou e w»s concerned He dealt with and adve-se'y criticised several of the recommendations of the Commission. He thought teacben should be paid on the basis of 50 per ofl"t on the roll number and 50 per ojnt on the «v«nge attendance. Ota week's leave of a bounce was granted to Mr. G. W. Russell on account of i'lnefs. Tbe House rose at 5,30. Evening S'TIIKO. The House resumed at 7.30.. Mr. Pirani, resuming, ««id he did not think the Farmers' Union would enter tbe arena against the preeent nurt.v in power, but he predicted it would throw its support in'o tbe movement in favour cf an Elective Executive, and strike a purifying b'ow at *be present syst'm of party government . If the Government oould not get money ou'side the colony, it oould rot possibly k ep up the present rate o F public works wiih money raisrd within the colony. He pointad out that instead of there being seventy two millions lying in tbe bank for issae, ' bo last banking returns showed there were only three millions of assets in coin and bullion. He suggested that the Premier bad come within the Disqualification Act for drawing traveling allowances for his recent South Saa Wanda trip, and the Government bad Keen buying land for settlement lately on top of a boim. Mr. Arnold looked upon the fioaneial statement as a very satisfactory one end ho considered tbe country had reiFO i for congratulation upon its present prosperity. He congratulated the Government upon the proposal to establish a State coal mine, as be held that all mineral?, including coal, should belong to the people. He urged that the capacity of the railway workshops sbouid be increased, and thit not only carriages and trucks, but also engines, should be constructed in tho colony. Mr. MftHsoy considered that honest men could no longer support the Government as in the past. He believed in locally raisad loans, but it would be iv sorry state of things when thrf Government h«d a monopoly of the money lending business. Considering the financial recklessness of the past few years, the wonder was that mattora were worse, It mi

•vident the Old Age Pensions Actj Would sot stand. the strain of haH times (Mr Seddoo: Oh yea it will!) He condemned tbe mortgage tax as unfair, and said a reduction should be made in exemptions under the ioc. me tax. Mr. Seddon, by way of personal c-x-------lanation, said the s'atement that he had told the West Coist' deputation that in framing the estima'es for the current year he could nos make the Y6YBQU6 inwt" oxptQilittue, was a. pure invention, and he emphatically denied having made any such statement. Sir Joseph Ward declared that Mr. Hassey was well aware there was no information in the railway or postal report, or in 81, that would Lave given him greater greater facilities for criti-| cism than he could obtain from the financial statement. No returns were deliberately withheld, and members made no u*e of these returns when they get them. He proceeded to quote from the speech made by Mr. Massey after last session, in which he congratulated Auckland on the fact that a vota i of £130,000 had been pissed for the! North Island Trunk Railway, and yet he now complained of tbe increase in | thfc public debt. If he, and Messrs : Millar, Meredith, Grabam, and G. W*, Bussell were sincere, they would re-: 1 que-t the Government to reduce the' public works expenditure by half a million, and that the expenditure be first withdrawn from their own dis-| tricts. If they did that, they would form a quintette which wonld be relegated to tbe cold shades of opposition, ' and excluded from public life for miny years to come. His speech was interrapted by the 10.30 adjenrnment. The House rose,