THE ESTIMATES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 18 September 1913, Page 5

THE ESTIMATES.

STONEWALT, SUSPENDED

NO VOTES WITHOUT REPORTS,

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Mouse continued sitting until early this morning, when the Chairman left the chair until 'lO o'clock. The Prime Minister stated, on the House resuming, that no classes would be taken when departmental reports were not supplied. The "stonewall" was thereupon suspended, and the discussion on the Estimates proceeded in the ordinary way. After the luncheon adjournment Mr Davey asked fo» information concerning the Sydney and Melbourne Tourist Offices. There was nothing an the Estimates, he said, to indicate the rents or anything in that direction. Sir Joseph Ward said those two offices werejfche most valuable outposts this country had.' If they were done away with, it would be a fatal mistake. I Minister said the re-organisa-tion, of the Australian offices was at present under consideration. The vote passed-unaltered. On the vote for the Public Serviqe Commissioners' Office, Mr Hanan asked what were the .number of appeals lodged against'the Commissioners' classification, also why the (Government had gone outside the country, without advertising, when appointing the Commission? The Hon. F.M.,8 : Fisher replied that the number of appeals lodged were'so per cent.-, which was the lowest' number under any scheme in; Australasia on its inception. Mr Sidey contended that the Government's action in presenting the estimates of salaries,.was. illegal. The classification list should be suspended this year. The method pursued by the Government was unconstitutional. Sir Joseph Ward «iid the reason the salaries were classified: and gazetted was* so that they could not be altered. Parliament duce a vote fqr salariet., They could "reduce a collective'vote and send the estimates so amended back to the Comniissioriers, informing them, that ,they would have to re-allocate the ?whoie sum over, the class. ; affected.Then'each' of those affectelMad! a«; recovery against theWJrown. What would be the position- if the, said a man was worth £sso a year and Parliament ed the amount. \ ' The Hon. W-i E*• Massey: He would be paid according ,to the classification., Sir Joseph Ward; Of course he would. Then whftsi» use of-the House tou<?h>£ the estimates? The U«T>rn'ment was simply flouting Parliament. - , The Hon. James Allen said the Estimates did not fix the man's salary. They only granted supply. In any caee, the salaries were only es-, tiinates. / Imposition regarding the Public Service lfc was that.they would■ what the Klsfw stated. If the clarification list Showed a decrease in the estimates, the matter could l&e. put riglit on the estimates. The estimates were brought down on the 4th; |br 6th August, "and the Public Service Classification- had not brought down then. If it had down,,he would not have altered his plans at all. The maximum and mi-, nimum salaries were fixed in'the, law passed; last - year. If ;the House did :reduce any item, the, servant"; wQuld ;nbt lose 3 as he was working under/.-a and could recover. The reduction would simply be an" indication .that the classification needed amendment.

Mr Wiifqrd; contended ,ttat>jfguch valuable time would have been saved if, the Commissioners had hot? classified the service and then asked th'i Uov»£nme?it to' provide sufficient money ■ to pay the salaries allocated • in "the classification list.,' TBe"Cfpvern"menfrshould then present the list to Parliament and ask the House to vote the total amount in a lump sum. -The present method was simply tinkering with the position. Mr G, W. Russell said every employee in the Government Printing Office had had his salary raised, the increase averaging £5. Two members of the House who would benefit from that were the Minister of Marine and the Minister of Justice, in whose districts the majority of the employees lived.' * -'

The Hon. A. L. Herdman said that Mr Russell's suggestion was ridiculous. The estimates were in., com!;plete accord with, the law. It was quite competent for the House tb bring .down additional revised estimates if they thought fit. I The Hon. W. F. Massey said he could mot understand the attitude of the Opposition in regard to the leg- j ality of the estimates. Each grade in the service was fixed, pr Act of Parliament, and then the Commissioners made appointments according to the grades. If the House reduced the salaries, the amount had to be made up from unauthorised expenditure. The Government's position was not a weak one, but particularly strong. Mr Veitch desired to see some of the power now vested in the Commissioners replaced in the hands of Parliament", for the further protection of the service'. Sir Joseph Ward said the Govern-' ment had let themselves into a difficulty, and it would have to be tackled by legislation before the session came to an end. If the Government proceeded to make payments without proper statutory authority, then good-bye to this country. Mr G. Laurenson said they were asked to vote £2031 as salaries for clerks In the Commissioners' office.

This was a piece of extreme extraI vagance. fie wanted to enter his protest against "the whole bang lot." I In reply to Mr Hanan, the Premier said an opportunity would be given the House to discuss the Commissioners' report. The ifem and class were then passed. The committee then'took up the consideration of the Cook Islands Department. Mr isitt made an emphatic protest against proceelfing with,..the estimates until Judge McCormack's report was be7ore*Tn"6m, as promised by the Minister. The Hon. Dr Fomare said the report was in the hands of the printer. . The committee adjourned at 5.30 p.m. The House resumed in committee on the Coojk Island estimates at 7.30. Mr Forbes moved to reduce the salary of £7OO of the Resident Commissioner by £lO, as an indication that the Civil Service Act had been subverted by the appointment of a superannuation officer over 65 years of age. Mr Isitt strongly attaoked the ad- | ministration, especially the appointment of Mr Blake as Chief of Police. While Mr Isitt was speaking, the report of Judge McOormack, Which he had demanded earlier, was circulated. v ,Mr Glover criticised some of the ordinances passed. * 'Mr Atmore censured the appointment ;of a superannuated officer as Commissioner. Dr Pomare,, in reply to the criticism, reminded the House that Judge McCormack's report was not a' statu-; tory reporty'.. as the Opposition** had previously contended, .Every Effort washing suppress bush beerp -;dr|nkijtig % ;. v .Hie glaS to, ceive from"his v critics, if they had a suggestion to make; The extra liquor permits issued during the hot summer months were not issued to Natives, but to Europeans. He declined to lay Constable Blake.'s record on the table. He pointed oiiit jthat it was impossible to! kill the Medi-;' terranean fly in oranges by fumigation, sd that, the recent case of condemned fruit was not affected by the failure to fumigate. The Hdn. A. L. Herdman read Constable Blake's record in New Zealand service, which showed there was nothing V a disgraceful character jM it. The offences were all of a minor nature. ; "- ,' .> ' '- '' i* J ''.,; Mr Ngata contended that the influx; 1 of Europeans intd the Rarotongan gronp should be discouraged, and an area set asid&j especially for Pojy* nesians. , If they had , fewj&r Europeans in the Barotongftn fcroi** -*' l:*British Eomire *«••»*•**" - ~*> -/