PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 102, 20 October 1911, Page 8

PARLIAMENT

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10. | < LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. ! By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington. Last Night. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. The Pacific Cable resolution passed by the House was agreed to, as also was the report of the Joint Library Committee, affirming the desirableness of establishing a manuscript and historical section iu connection with the library. A discussion initiated by the Hon. Mr.' Wigram on the question of the new Parliament buildings, and especially regarding the site, brought thanks from the Attorney-General, and a promise that the matter 'would be referred to Cabinet for special consideration. The second reading of the Widows' Pensions Dill was agreed to. Sir John Findlay indicating that an amendment would be submitted to prevent widows who earned large incomes by means of profession or art getting an advantage not intended for widows of means. The following Rills were put through their final stages:—Methodist Church of New Zealand, Elingamite Rehearing, Dunedin Technical School Site, Old Age' Pension Amendment, N.Z. State Guaranteed Advances Amendment, and the Auckland Grammar School Site Bill. The Council rose at 5 p.m. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Wellington, Yesterday. THE LOAN BILL. After midnight Mr. Laurenson, referring to Mr. Massey's speech, said th' latter had delivered the same old speeches year after year. He was a political bully, and Mr. Allen was a political nagger. Mr. Massey, he said, had no sense of proportion. Mr. Merries said the country should be opened up by borrowed money, but the way this was done at the present time did not appeal to him. The present system of railway construction was distinctly wasteful. He complained of the failure of the Minister to spend monies voted for mining districts. Hon. R. McKenzie said the charge that there had been extravagance in public buildings had not been supported. There had been no borrowing in this country, save for public works urgently required. The development of the hydroelectrical energy scheme would necessitate borrowing some five or six million pounds. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said Mr. Allen had said he was not opposed to borrowing, but was opposed to wasteful expenditure; vet he was one of the principal supporters of a most wasteful cxl penditure—mc Otago Central Railway. The contention that the North Island had been unfairly treated was incorrect; as a matter of fact there had been a far greater expenditure in the North Island than in the south. The railways of the Dominion were being carried on as fast as possible, and yet ; the Opposition continually raised objection to the policy. In the House, after 2 o'clock, Sir Joseph. Ward continued his speech on - the Loan Bill. He said that the suggestion that population was leaving the country was really too paltry to answer. ■ Within the next few months the arrivals i would probably reach two thousand. , The Bill was read a second time. • . In committee Mr. Pearce moved to strike out ''£2oo,ooo for other public works," as an indication that borrowing ' was excessive. ■ Mr. Laurenson twitted the Opposition with inconsistency, and said they should ' not accept items in the Estimates for their districts from borrowed money. Other members supported this view, and suggested that the vote for railways } in Mr. Pearce's district should be struck ' out.

Mr. Pearce said this resolution was an indication that the brake should be put on. Mr. Fisher contended that the question was not of borrowing, but the way tie money was expended. Sir Joseph Ward said that an immense amount of nonsense was being talked about borrowing. He asked where the reduction was to be made in public works or railways.

The amendment was lost by 45 to 8, those voting for it being Messrs. Allen, 'Anderson," Guthrie, Hine, Nosworthyj I'earce, Scott and Wright. On the motion for the third reading the Premier said that members of the Opposition who voted for the Bill had affirmed the Government's policy. The Bill was read a third time. The Premier announced that the increase in revenue for the vear ended September 30 was £1,270,000. The House rose at 4.5 a.m. Wellington, Last Night. GUARDIAN TRUST COMPANY. A long discussion took place upon the amendments made bv the Council in ths Guardian Trust and Executors' Company Mr. Herdman contended that the amendments did not safeguard the people whose estates might be administered in future by the company. So far as he could see there was nothing to prevent the directors dissipating the capital. Sir Joseph Ward failed to see any objection to the Bill. A new company had taken over the rights of the old'company, and proposed to carry on the business under new conditions, the Bill had received the consent of the Public Trustee. (Messrs. .Massey and Fraser approved of the Bill, and the Council's amendments were agreed to by 38 to 27 ELECTORAL MATTERS. Mr. Massey asked what had been done Gwith regard to the electoral matter he brought up yesterday. Sir Joseph Ward stated that definite instructions had been given to strike off the names of those were dead or who had left the district. The whole matter was receiving the closest attention. THE END OF THE SESSION. The Premier informed the House that he did- not propose to ask them to sit <m Saturday. On Monday the House would sit at ten o'clock" to consider local Bills, and the business of the House should be concluded by Tuesday night. The Public Service Classification and Superannuation Amendment Bill (Sir Joseph Ward) was read a first time PURLrC WORKS ESTIMATES. The House went into committee on the Public Works Estimates. On the Departmental vote of £48,000 Mr. Herdman moved the reduction of the Under-Secretary's salary of £BSO by ClO, as an indication that legislation should be introduced to abolish the pernicious system of construction of roads l in the Dominion at the will of a Minister of the Crown. Only about a. third of the amount voted last vear had been expended. Sir Joseph Ward said it was all verv well to criticise in the way Mr. Herdman had done the expenditure of the Public AVorks Department, but the expenditure went on to the end of September, and the Estimates were made up to March 31. EVENING SITTLNG. The committee resumed on the Public AVorks ~,cimates at 7.30 on the proposal to reduce the salary of the Under-Secre-tary for Public Works.

Sir Josopli Ward said the Opposition evidently overlooked tin: fact that a large' percentage of this year's appropriations, wan really unexpended amounts voted last year.

Mr. .Mas.sey argued thai the system should he remedied. The Hon. It. Mclvenzio said this was impossible, as if he rushed the expenditure through in the summer hundreds of men would he out of work in the winter, which was most undesirable. Mr. Herdman said that what he wanted to make clear was that districts requiring votes and grants were at the mercy of the Minister, and that memlxrs who were not persona grata with the Minister got nothing. Sir Joseph Ward said Mr. Herdman would hand everything over to boards of aristocrats.

Mr. Jennings said the abolition of the Uoatis Department was one of the biggest mistakes ever made. He knew of ficttlers who had been on the land for fifteen years who had only a six-foot road for carting their produce and stores. Mr. Allen was of opinion that roads should be administered by local bodies, who were in the best position to know what was wanted. The present system was unsatisfactory, as too much money was voted to some districts and not enough to others.

The Minister stated the administration of the Roads Department in Mr. Jennings district had cost more than in the whole of the South Island. Mr. Massey said Parliament and the country were sick of the present system of administration of roads and bridges, and were desirous of a change. He agreed witli Mr. Jennings that a huge mistake had been made when the Roads Department was abolished "by a stress of the pen. The Department was doing good work before its extinction, and its officers were thoroughly conversant with i their work. He advocated a system of classifying different districts for expenditure on public works. If the present system was to be continued he was of opinion that no money should be placed on the Estimates except at the request of local bodies or the member for the districts concerned. | Mr. Herdman's amendment was lost I by 40 to 23. | The Public Works vote, £48.000, was passed unaltered. MT. EGMONT BRANCH LINE. When the railways class was taken Mr. Dive moved that the vote of £ 15,0.00 for Mt. Egmont be reduced by £lO as a i protest against the unbusinesslike methods of the Government in regard to the construction of the line. He said he had •ever seen any work worse administered. It seemed the Minister was absolutely incompetent to attend to the administration of the Department. (Left sitting.)