Parliament

Taranaki Daily News, 1 July 1915, Page 4

Parliament

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. THK MEN AT TR-ENTIJAM. DOMINION WAR EXPENDITURE. XTATKUBXT BY THE .MINISTER. H>' Telegraph.—Press Association, Last .Night. He House of Representatives mot at A-fO pm. 'Pin- Premier gave notice that next sitting day he would wove that Mr. Mal- <-•» i« be Chairman of Committees. . I» reply to Mr. <:. H. Pooh., the Minister for Defence Said his attention had bee,, drawn to certain statements made in the Auckland press by a Trentham soldier, regarding the conditions at the I rentlia.ni camp He questioned whether the rrcntham soldier made the statements referred to. which were full of gross inaccuracies. It was a vile attack upon the Defence Department. Tomorrow he would make a full reply to the various attacks made on the Department. The Minister for Public .Health said patients were being provided for in an adequate way, and will be so provided for in future. In reply to Mr. 0. W. Russell, the Minister for Defence said he did not regard the. sickness at Trentham as abnormal. 'Sir Joseph Ward stated that he had been invited by the Premier to confer on the subject, of a national Cabinet, anil he would do so to-morrow The Cook Islands Bill was road a second time pro forma. The Minister for Finance moved th» second reading of the Public Revenues Amendment Bill. He explained it wa» the Loan Bill. It also contained certain amendments to the law rendered necessary by the special circumstances arising out of the war. F.xplaininff the details of the war expenditure, the Minister said that authority last year amounted to £2.000,000,' and up to March .11 last the expenditure had 'been at the rate of £350.000 per month, and the total amount spent had been £2, .'IOO.OOO. Since then the expenditure had been at the rate of about £320,000. Tli is had been found to be insufficient, ami an increase of some £15,000 peT month -would have to be faced. The total amount required up to the end of June next would be £7,050,000. To this has to be added the sum of £SOO,00(1 to redeem the reserve fund Bccuri■tie*, so that the total amount asked for to June next would be £7,850,000. Perhaps less than £10,000.000 would have, sufficed, but, he deemed it better to have something in hand, and ho thought it wise to ask the House to vote a larger amount. If it is not required, it would not he used. Th« loan has no reference to the Public Works Fund, but if necessary sums ciiuhl be transferred from time to time. Another loan would be. raised' for Public Works purposes. On the question of the cost of the loan, the Minister explained that it would bo part of the great Imperial loan, and would be raised at, Hie same rate. The amount was large, but he did not think that it was larger than the country could raise at this time. He felt convinced that tlw House would be prepared to vote the last penny in the country for the purpose of helping to terminate the war. Sir Joseph. Ward said he was .not going to oppose the Bill, but he felt com■pelled to say that £10,000,000 was too much to ask for at the present time. It was at least a million more than wa» required. It would be better to call Parliament together again to provide for requirements as they arise.

The Minister, in reply, defended the introduction of the loaii in the PuMie i Revenues Bill. That course liaii keen followed last year, and there ■was then no criticism of the method employed' Tie had no intention of using any part of the. loan for public works. It was for war purposes, and would be used for that alone.

The Tlill was then read a second time. The Minister for Finance moved tha second reading of the Public Expenditure Validation Bill, explaining it validated .payments for wheat and meat out of the unauthorised-fund. The ffiill <wa9 read a second time. On the motion of the Hon. A. L. Herdman, the War Regulations Amendment Bill was read a second time. The House went into committee on the Public. Revenues Bill, which was passed without amendment. On the third reading, the Minister, in reply to Sir Joseph Ward, said that he had deliberately advised tho people of this country not to remit their money to Ixmdon to participate in the British loan. He thought it wise to keep our money in the country.

The Bill was then read a third time, and passed.

The Pirhlic Expenditure Validation Bill and the War Regulations Amendment Bill were put through the final stages and passed. The House rose at 5.20 p.m. until 2,30 p.m. to-morrow.