THE DOMINION'S FINANCES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10452, 18 October 1911, Page 5

THE DOMINION'S FINANCES

THE PRIME MINISTER ANNOYED

"PHONOGRAPHS OF THE OP-

POSITION."

By Telegraph —i>«... association

WELLINGTON, Last Night

Speaking to a return laid on the table of the House this afternoon, Mr J. Allen said the figures contained therein gave the net indebtedness of the country as two millions less than was given in the Budget. Sir Joseph Ward said that under the Act the internal reserves could not be included in the public debt. There had been non mistake on the figures in in the Budget. The amount mentioned by-Mr Allen was -accumulated sink- i ing funds of the Lands for Settlement Act, and these could not be set against the gross public debt. He went on to complain of the way that papers relating to the financial transactions of the Dominion, which had been placed on the table of the i House, were sent Homo to financial houses by the "phonographs" of the Opposition, with almost regularity, for the purpose of advertising the finan- , cial transactions, thereby injuring the \ ' credit of the country. Such a prbced- | ure was not'conducive to the financial welfare of the Dominion, and could not be called the conduct of a patriot. Mr Allen denied ever haying sent, «ap having caused to be sent ,io : England, any thing of the nature suggested by the Premier. He had been xn England, and *on every possible occasion upheld the financial condition of the Dominio i. The information he was accused of disseminating could j • l>e found in the Official Year Book. A' table there set forth the dates of the j maturity of loans. * ( Sir Joseph Ward &aid the maturity of loans was quite a different matter to the renewal. It was information concerning the latter that he was referring to. Thi; was circulated amongst' the commercial • neighbours of the financial houses the Dominion was dealing with, and such a course was not desintble.