DAY IN PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 August 1938, Page 6

DAY IN PARLIAMENT

PRESENTATION OF REPORTS SPEECHES IN THE BUDGET DEBATE MR COATES AND MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The presentation of a number of departmental reports was a feature of yesterday’s proceedings in the House of Representatives. These included the report of the Controller and AuditorGeneral, Mr J. H. Fowler, and that of the Board of Native Affairs. Mr Fowler's report was submitted direct to Parliament through the Speaker. He again referred to the treatment of exchange in the public accounts, and said he saw no reason why the Consolidated Fund should still be required to bear more than its just share of the cost of exchange. Consideration of the Financial Statement was continued after the completion of formal business. Six more contributions were made to the debate, bringing the total number of speeches to date up to 42. The Opposition speakers included the Rt Hon J. G. Coates (Kaipara), who contented that the Budget did not present a true picture of the financial position of the Dominion. Mr Coates claimed that this year’s estimated surplus had been obtained at the expense of the Employment Promotion Fund, and that were it not for credits to the Consolidated Fund from this source there would have been a deficit. Mr Coates was followed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon W. E. Parry. He said the present Government had not borrowed overseas during its term of office. A national surplus under past Governments had not gone to the wage-earners or the farmers, but it had been used in an orgy of speculation. Although the Government had not reduced taxation it had used the surplus national income to create public services and national assets.

The House adjourned at 10.30 p.m. until today.