PARLIAMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 October 1915, Page 8

PARLIAMENT.

THE APPROPRIATION BILL. By Telegraph.—'Ptress Association, Wellington, Last Night. The Appropriation Bill passed the second reading without debate. In committee, Dr. Newman took exception to clause 25 authorising the expenditure from the Hospital Ship Fund, contending that in consequence of money subscribed for the first hospital ship being diverted to other purposes people were not subscribing to the second hospital ship as generously as tould be desired. Power should not be given the Governor to spend this money as he liked. Sir Joseph Ward explained that the Governor had no power to spend the money as he liked. The fund was administered by the Department of Internal Affairs and the Governor's name waa only used nominally because of his close association with the hospital ship movement. Dr. Newman also complained of clause 26 preventing local bodies borrowing money without the consent of t'ne Governor-in-Council. Sir Joseph Ward explained thai it was necessary to the interests of local bodies to prevent them rushing on to the money market and borrowing at high rates of interest during war time. It wa3 necessary to prevent local bodies running riot. Mr. McCallum objected to clause 24, which contained the vicious principle of paying fees to retired civil servants in receipt of superannuation. He expressed the hope that no retired civil servant would be in future appointed on commissions, as in the case of the Education Boundaries Commission. Mr. McCombs asked the Premier to make a full and complete statement regarding the State's wheat purchases. The transactions were in such a position that no one could ever understand how matters stood. The discussion was interrupted by the one o'clock adjournment. The Houae resumed at 2.30, when consideration of the Appropriations Bill was continued in committee. ! Mr. Eseott asked for an explanation of the circumstances attending the wip-ing-out of a loan of £14,031 to the Waitara Harbor Board. The Prime Minister explained that this money was borrowed by the Board over twenty years ago, on i which neither principal nor interest had . been paid. He understood that the late i Mr. Seddon had the matter under consideration, and had agreed to wipe it . off. After going into departmental cor- [ respondence, he came to the same con- . elusion, as it was thougnt desirable to ; give the Board a fresh start, in view ■ of having to make new financial arrange- . ments to provide for the growth of the . port. The clause was agreed to. Dr. Newman returned to his complaint against clause 25, providing for expendi- \ ture out of funds raised for the hospital ship. | The Prime Minister explained that more money was subscribed than was necessary for the equipment of the "Maheno," and as the money was required for fitting up a New Zealand , hospital in England, the Governor had suggested that the surplus be expended on fitting np the auxiliary military hospital at Walton-on-Thames. He thought , subscribers to the hospital ship did not object to this course. ' At clause 20, limiting the borrowing powers of local bodies, Mr. Hindnmrsh moved that the limitation do not apply [ to loans by way of deposit. The amend- [ ment was lost by 11 to 32. [ On the motion that the Bill be rend \ a third time, Mr. Hindmarsh complained \ of the attitude of employers towards the Arbitration Court. He asserted that \ their representative, Mr. E. F. Duthie, had been driven off the Court because \ he had not proved vigilant enough in the interests of the employers. This ' action, the speaker pointed out, hid been taken by people who professed that i they never used improper influence. Mr. Witty asserted that all papers connected with the State wheat transactions had not been laid on the table. Members had no right to ask for large sums of money at the present time, but Ministers should not treat members with indifference because they were a National Cabinet. Mr. Anytey touched on the question of wheat importation, and urged that considerable loss must fall on millers and farmers ai a result of the action of the Government. Mr. Isitt said he had been astounded at the revelations made by the member for Wellington South, and hoped that before next session legislation would be promoted to make such a state of things impossible. He made one more appeal to the Government to remedy the evils of the drink traffic, and especially advocated the abolition of "treating." He appealed to the Prime Minister to g;ive an answer upon the subject. Mr. Isitt also urged the compulsory drilling of all males between the ages of 18 and 55. Mr. Wilford referred to the DuthieScott incident in connection with .the Arbitration Court, and outlined a scheme by which the Court might be comprised of men who were acquainted with the full details of the trade they were investigating. By this means they might hope to see awards given which would give that satisfaction that everyone de- J sired. ) Mr. Glover made an appeal to the Prime Minister to pass some legislation which would reduce the cost of living. Mr. McCombs commented on the wheat importations, and hoped the export of wheat would not be permitted until flour was down to £lO per ton. He attacked the Government for its hostility towards labor legislation. The Prime Minister said that Mr. McCombs was particularly clever at misrepresentation but at nothing else, and proceeded to deal with some of the members' statements. He justified the provision for the working of extra hours in condensed milk factories, and argued that the objections taken by Labor members against the first Bill applied with equal force to the second Bill. As to the wheat difficulty, the member for Lyttelton has distorted and misrepresented facts. The loss on State transac-

tions was £24,559, of which the people received the benefit. Against that loss the cargo of the Hesperus had increased in value by £30,000 between the time the vessel left Canada and her arrival here. He made a comparison of the food prices in Australia and the Dominion, to the advantage of the latter. Critics should be fair to the Government. He , stated that Mr. Isitt's suggestion in reference to the suppression of "shouting" . would be brought before the Cabinet and carefully considered. Mr. Ell advocated planting unoccupied railway reserves, extension of penny-in-the-slot telephones, and postal notes. , He complained that in the allotment of portfolios in the National Ministry the . more important ones had been retained , by the Massey party. Mr. Webb said the Prime Minister had not answered the points made by the member for Lyttelton in reference to the whea"t difficulty. Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, referring to the hon. member for Lyttelton, said that the member had misrepresented the position in regard to a factory in Awarua and one in Raglan, evidently with the object of prejudicing Mr. Massey and himself in the eyes of one section of the community. He resented the attitude of the member for Lyttelton in this matter. He touched on one or two other matters, and claimed that the action of the National Government had been to make the country strong, to enable us to help the Empire in her need. It was no time for fault finding; minor matters must disappear meantime. Mr Webb emphasised the necessity of unanimity amongst all classes at the present time, and deplored the fact that complaints of victimisation amongst waterside workers had been ignored. He asserted that there was exploitation in food prices going on, and hoped the first duty of the Board of Trade would be to inquire into meat values. M' Payne quoted from The Clarion to show what Socialists were doing at Home to further the cause of the Empire. He appealed to every young man to enter into the struggle going on in Europe. He believed that when people realised that help was needed no one who could go would refuse to get into uniform. M-. Fletcher, with reference to the allegations of victimisation on the waterfronts, suggested that as soon as time was available Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward should meet and investigate the whole positiSn, with a view to ■ a settlement of differences. The Bill was then read a third time ' and passed, and the House rose till the 1 ringing of the bell. | The House resumed at 10.18 p.m., when the Speaker announced that his Excellency the Governor had assented to the Appropropriation Act. =