OPPOSITION STONEWALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 275, 29 December 1909, Page 2

OPPOSITION STONEWALL.

, TEE REEVES VOTE.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. T „ Wellington, Last Night., In the House of Representatives tin's afternoon, A long discussion on the points of order raised by Mr. Massey, as to the competence of reinstating a vote already rejected, ensued, and when tlia House ultimately went into committee, •Mr. Massey raised questious—{ l) whothe item under consideration ha--mg been struct out of the General Hs--timates could be reinstated in- the Supplementary Estimates without these b>ing re-oommitted; and (2) whether thsaid item comes under the scope of items that may be placed in the Supplementary Estimates. . The chairman ruled on the firet point that while Mr. Massev was right in regard to committal, the procedure of the Premier was authorised bv May as being an occasion fo r fresh expenditures in regard to the second point the chairman ruled that the appropriation must be placed on the Estimates, not being a grant made by Statute. The Speaker' confirmed the danman s ruling, and discussion on the vote was resumed.

The Committee of Supply resumed discussion of the renewed vote of £4OO for the Financial Adviser in London. The Premier said the most juveni l ** member could.pursue a course such as that pursued by the Leader of the Opj position. No judgment was required for ' nor ability. All that was necessary was to keep on haranguing, and that ™Y V , < T bei " g done -. If members lio a fi fteen-miles walk into the lobbies on 399 amendments, he was willing to take his share. Mr. Massey repeated the offer previously made by the Opposition. He supposed tliey would be beaten again, but the Opposition had the country behind them. J The Premier said he did not intend to agree with the proposals for a settlement The matter would have to be settled on the floor of the House. Messrs. Russell, Poole, and Clarke, who voted against the item on Friday, announeed their intention to now vote for it, as they voted originally under a misapprehension. '

Mr. Taylor pointed to the evils of party government, which had led to the present position and the necessity of certain members being placed in the Tf r itioll of m ' er9i «g their lotes If he were a party leader he would do as was done in America-he would give the spoils to the party. Referring to the Opposition papers, he said they misreportcd, they distorted, and they lied. They advocated political purity when it suited them; they were the meanest political scavengers. Inci-I dentally he pointed to the importance " an executive, which 1 ment rc P resen t the will of Parlia-I

Sir Joseph Ward said if the loaders Ot the Opposition wore sincere in their assertion that they were willing to meet the liabilities incurred they would not object to the vote being'passed) yet they attempted to block the reconsideration of the item. He could only consider the Opposition as bavin* personal grounds. ° 4' r i^t SSey: Y ° U had no rigl,t t0 Tlie Premier: ]) d O , tin Af n discussion lasting 11.30, Mr. Massey said the debate "3i altogether n waste of time, as' it served to teach new members a Mod deal about procedure of the House and financial matters. The whole point was 1 whether it was necessary to have a financial adviser in London. The Prime Minister thought it was. He (Mr. Massey) did not see any necessity for it.ln the case of Sir Julius Vogclf who ' !o,i- vc " a sainry f ° r simi,ar «ork, he had supported this out of consideration for Sir Julius Vogel, but objected to Mr. Beeves being paid for carrying out duties as financial advisor not on personal grounds, but because * It. Beeves held other positions. One particular reason why Mr. Beeves should ... tllc position, referred to was that he was a director of the National Bank.

Mr. Anderson said h e had ppr 3e r3o nal experience of Mr. Reeves' as an em ployer, and could say that the latter '' eve X hcen considered a financial expert. ft was strange that if as Sir Joseph Ward said, Mr. Reeves, while High Commissioner, had a financial adviser to assist him, that lie should now be in a position to act as financial adaccount Gove rnmcnt on his own (Left sitting.)