PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2376, 18 August 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

United Press Association,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

The House at 3 o'clock adopted the report of tho Joint Library Committee, after Borne opposition from Messrs Macandrew and Atkinson who urged that members ought to have the use of books during the receßs.

The Publio Works Appropriation Bill passod.through all stages. The Appropiation Bill passed through Committee. On the motion for its third reading, Major Atkinson said he hoped the Premier would pluck up courage, and when he said ho was in favor >of ■ limited borrowing io stick to it, and not let the Treasurer interpret his words for him. He reminded the Houso that, tho Treasurer, after taking office, had promised to make great revelations about the finances of tho country, and nothing should remove him from the benches but physical force until he had done so.

Sir Julius Vogel corrected Major Atkinson. What he had said was that they would announce their policy, Major Atkinson: " Well, you haven't announced it yet, though certainly you have not left those benches,". Ho continued quoting from speeches of Sir Julius Vogel and Sir Robert Stout to show they had promised great reductions which had not been carried out.

Sir R. Stout interjected the war scare had swallowed up tho savings they had made.

Major Atkinson said they ought to have taken that into account. Any prudent man could have foreseen It, His Govern' ment had men in training for big guns when they left office. Ministers had increased the ordinary estinmtos after making every allowance for shrunken railway returns, and the natural incroaso in the education vote by £2V,000.. Despite the Treasurer's assurance, the permanent oharges.had been increased by

no less tnan £123,000. Instead .of reltevinp, he -hod ■ really added, to : their' burdens,,' anil from the nature of tW inscription operations, they must increase every year. 'What' had become of the promise' to abolish -the Property Tax; which the Treasurer had told them . was crushing down industry ? In fact it had been increased, not diminished, and they had been asked to increase jtne Customs Duties as well. The Treasurer .had brought into force tho. first poor law they had known in New Zealand, The local Government Bills were in all essential points drawn on the lines of the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. The country was going on in the same way as in 1883, but it was on entirely distinct grounds that the Government took office : in 1884. They had not in one respect carried out tho pledges made when, they assiiined the reins of government. As to tho prospects of tho future, thoy had' entered into engagements for which they lmd no money, The estimates voted would swallow more than they had at command; and unless public works wore I totally stopped next year tlioro would have to be another loan. Tie distrusted the Midland railway contract and felt sure It would not do good. Canterbury oxpectod to got it, j ft was thiß dangling before the. eyes of members which had kept the Government in ofHco. : He ventured to say that within a few months of tho company beginning to work there would be no more unpopular man'ill {Canterbury than the Treasurer. Ho referred briefly to otlior points in which tlje s.t>vornment proceedings; did not socure his approbation. He had said onougK to upset any Government in the good old days, but the House .had got into the extraordinary way of . taking all their blunders for granted-. It was all owing t<> that Midland railway. He begged the Government to ( seriously consider the position of the colony.: Thoy had entered this session with further borrowing engagements and ho appealed to the Premier to put his foot down aud begiir tapering off. . ; . ~

. Tho Premier said Major Atkinson had devoted moro eloquence tolastsessionthan this, and it apparently took him n year togetup a speech. Ho praised the Opposition for their non-obstructive boliaviour this session; but said basing votes'of want of confidence'to lesser lights was an incon-, venient practice, which he hoped they would abandon. The leader 'of the Opposition had mentioned scandals, to which did ho refer? ,

Major Atkinson said to the Stark purchase, 'Major Steward's case and of 'Government Insurance sites. He'hold tho Government responsible when scandais arose in their departmerituntil thoy discovered and punished tho guilty persons. The Premier denied there woro scandals at all. 'lf thoro wero aiiy guilty persons iu tho Stark purchase they were outside tho Government Officials,.for it had been shown they were not to blame, evldonco of those cases equally secured the Government. He denied they liad boen extravagant." On the contrary they had made savings despite, heavy defence charges and an Increase of population, in working expenses, stamps justico and other ways. A poor law was one of the Hall Ministrys petmoasures but they had never dared boldly to faco the question for when voices were raised against it it waß quickly Shelved. They had resolved to throw the responsibility on tho local districts. They know it to be unpopular, and must have had courage to face tho oposition. He laughed at the idea of Major Atkinson objecting to Canterbury members supporting tho Government in preference to accepting his (Major Atkinson's) ideas of constructing the lino gradually as ho had proposed. If Major Atkinson really did intend to construct the line, why had he not supported the Government in tho proposal to make .it .last year, As to borrowing tho first thing lu " order" to taper off was to make country districts understand they must provido funds for roads, eta;, thomsolves. They had too much oil the estimates for roads. If the Houbo was to become * huge Board of. Works, thoy could not expect good povornment and good lawß, While lneinbors camo up clamouring for what they could get, they could not expect economy. And a spirit of self-sacri-fice must bo infused Into tho district before tho expenditure could be reduced or Parliament freed from tho conflict of petty local interest. The House adjourned at 5.30.

EVENING SITTING. On rosuming at 7.30, Mr Moss said ho had received a telegram from Auckland, urging him to get some assuranoo from the Premier as to the course he intended pursuing in rogard to the Stark purchaso Sir Robert Stout said the Cabinet had not yet considorod whether furthor enquiry should be mado. Mr Moss went on to refer to some previous remarks of Sir Robert Stout's concerning him, and objected to bo called an irreconoilablo. What had thePremlor. done for the country that he should take such a tone towards members. The Premier could not point to a single Liberal measuro which ho had voted against. He asked how had. Government kept its promises about Property Tax, : the Encouragement of Local industries, and several other matters. When he saw Ministers voting against the Premier he gave up all hopes of sound policy being carried out. North Island members would not be doing their duty unless they insisted noxfc session on thi Representation Bill being passed before any other business was done.

Mr Hursthouse took exception to tho Premier's remarks about tho great reduction in railway rates. It was only favored bfa few who were relieved by them. ' Did the Government believo the policy they proposed would bring railways to a paying point. He warnod the Premier if he persisted in forcing tho Representation Bill on a population basis ho would be unable to carry out. Sir J. Vogel said Major Atkinson was always harping on alleged differences between himself and his colloagues, and on the Government not haviug fulfilled their promises. He pointed out that they had many difficulties t« contend with in the falling revenue and tho depression of trade. With regard to Property Tax, ho had tried to free it of some of its objectionable features by exompting agricultural improvements, but it waß the member for Egmont and his friends who defeated it. He denied lie had framed tho local government measures oq the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, ©n the contrary they differed altogether with that measure. He referred at some length to tho Midland railway, and asserted that the first arrangement proposed with Meiggs & Co. was better for tho Colony than the present one, He had beon informed by Mr Fell himself, a relation of Major Atkinson's, that Meiggs was prepared to carry it out. To show thnt Government had done good work this aesßion, he mentioned a number of Bills passed, such aa the Native Bill, Mining Bill, etc., which would effect much good. Government did not look on' railways as a taxing machine like the last Ministry, and had not sought to use them to make up deficiencies from other sources. He believed there were many local industries languishing for want of encouragement from Government, It was a delicato subject for any Goternment to handle, and if it were done, it would have to be on a comprehensive scale. His Government always kept the foßtering of such

industries in- view,.but/,fed not, Viable to .deal: with it, and: lie 'aathitbd position of the. ftrtisafi:'claii'iil .Vas in corisoquenMlnpt 'so, Mtisfaototym h» 1 could ?wiah.' ; had ' progressed as tfel) as cotlld blji desired on the whole, and hi: had no', reason to be , dissatisfied, fie only hoped Qtiyairifeent would. be :as a Uccessful ia thefiituifflfi in the pnst. t\ .* •• The Bill Was read a third time, and oa the tnoiioh'that it do pass, Mr Wakefield romarkcdSir J. Vogel's speech, like the scorpion, hud its sting in its toil. He., had virtually .confessed the salient point of their future be a ' thoroughly protective one. Sir Julius VogelYl didn't say that. Mr Wakefield said if the Treasurer did not say so in words, the inforj"°° was olear. He would tell him that UiLjthe ' House and the country would defeat such a policy. The motion carried, and tho IJouso adjourned at 11.15.