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WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIXTEEN MILLIONS! A STRENUOUS TIME AHEAD. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, duly 7. Something like a gasp passed round the House last night when Sir Joseph Wa..'d, in moving the second reading of the Finance Bill, announced it had been found necessary to increase the war loan (or the year from £12,000,000 to £lO,000,000. Members were not dismayed, as one of the local papers savs, but tl'iev "'ere a little startled. Sixteen millions, look at the (inures as they would, seem«l a very large sum. But the Minister •mil no riillieult) in showing the necesMfy for the increase. A day or two ■Jcore the Prime .Minister, in explainn.g the Government could not do all it would like to do in regard to soldiers' pay and theii dependents' allowances mentioned that the Imperial authorities expected the cost' of feeding and clothing the men at the front to run into 4s pel day per man. Whatever the cost might be the Dominion would have to P'ovide the money. Now it seems that the .Minister of Finance has received more definite information and that the maintenance of the men will amount to us a day. This does not account for the whole ot the additional vote, but the Minister must have sonic margin of safety and the House is ready enough to give it to him. The figures are colossal for '-'a gnat little country like this," as Sir Joseph put it. but Parliament realised long ago that war is a costly business, and it is not going to hold its hand' now.

INVITING CRITICISM

While Sir Joseph Ward declared lie and his colleauges ] mi i „j V(m tl)e most ea ,. n . est consideration to the preparation of the Bill and were not going to allow the measure to- be wantonly pulled to pieces, hu had not the slightest objection to legitimate criticism. He would he very glad indeed if members would scrutinise his proposals as closely as possible and ask him for any further in. formation they required. 'Tie could not deal with all the enquiries and suggestions that had reached him from outside, simply because they were too numerous for individual attention, but if members would represent, their own v : cws or their constituents' views to him he would do his best to elucidate any di/licull point. Some of the proposals in the Bill were intricate, necessarily so on iaccount of the intricacy of the problems with which they dealt,' but they all had hen framed with a dcire to provide for the absolute needs of the conntr-y without pressing unjustly or harshly upon any section „f the community. He could not waste time over such criticism as had appeared in certain party newspapers, but he would welcome any criticism likely to help towardr the'proper understanding of the Bill.

SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. The report of the Parliamentary eommitte recommending the petitions praying for the six ox-lock closing of hotel Lars during the continuance of the war to the favorable consideration of the Government came as no surprise to the House yesterdav afternoon. Enquiries about the lobbies bad enabled members who felt any interest in the matter to form a pretty good idea u f the nature of the report. The next move rests with the Cabinet. The War Hogulations Amend, inent Dill, which gives the Governor in Council authority to regulate the practice of treating, has been held over while the commit tee has been sitting and may now In- extended to bring the early closing of Suite! bars within the prerogative of His Excellence i„ his administrative capacity The fact that the members of tlie committee were equally divided mi the question, the chairman having to exercise both bis deliberative and bis casting votes, has placed the Government in an extremely dillieuit and invidious position and though it probably will go lb,, length „f taking the I necessary authority to close the bars at II o'clock it may argue the mandate is not surlicieiitly weighty to justify it going furthe,. In any ease the War Regulations Amendment Bill will take on an added interest to manv members of the House and the debate on its second reading will be something more than a mere academic discussion. DURATION OF SESSION. Tf Ministers ,-ver reallv believed they vould be able to finish the business of the session by the middle of July they long since must have abandoned that comforting delusion. Thev have been very careful so far not to load the Order Paper with measures of their own and they have taken precedence for Government .business far in advance of the usual time; but the end is not yet ill sight or indeed near enough for any confident speculations. Private Bill's and notices of motion need not he taken into account and doubtless the half-dozen local Bills at various stages can he rushed through in a single afternoon; but the Finance Bill will not get into committee till next week, and the general Estimates still have to be completed, while the Bnl );„ Works Estimates and the Supplomentarv EstCnal.es from all appearances are in (|, ( . far distance. Then the War Regulations Amendment Bill when (aken up again mav provoke a prolonged debate, and a Bill dealing with the s:i:-pcn led Legi-hiCce Council <U-t of H>M, at present locked up in Mr. Russell's drawer, may revive the whole question ot legislative reform, so inadequately dealt with by the late Government during its last year of office. Of course. Ibis does not; nearly exhaust the host of troubles lying before .Ministers, score; of other "little things" encumbering the way, and if the party leaders are free to pack their portmanteaux in preparation for their London trip by the middle of next month they may count themselves extremely lucky'.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19160710.2.43

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1916, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
965

WELLINGTON TOPICS. Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1916, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS. Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1916, Page 7

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