PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2308, 29 September 1908, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

AFTERNOON BITTING

WELLINGTON, Sept. 2S. Tlio Council met at 2.30 p.m. In replying to Hon. W. F. Carneross, the Attorney-General stated that it was not intended to introduce legislation this session offering facilities to local bodies to borrow money for the purpose of erecting gasworks. The Police Offences Amendment Bill was further considered in committee. Sub-section 2. section 10, was amended to provide that the period of detention of women in institutions for fallen women shall not exceed twelve months. Clause 19. which gives a governing authority ot the institution power to make byelaws providing for the mode ot employment. and the hours of labor, was amended io provide that bye-laws emld be made fixing the rate ot remuneration of detained persons, it :mv. The Bill, with amendments, was reported, read a third time, and Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill- rtom the House, was read a first tune, and the second reading is set down tor toThe" Attorney-General, in moving rbe second reading of the Heavy Trat|\c Bill, said it. was introduced m response to applications from local bodies and the petitions of drivers ot vehicles. Provision was made to protect local bodies’ roads from damage by ychicles, but, on the other hand, complaint- was made by the drivers of vehicles that they were taxed by every local body over whose roads they travelled, and this heavy tax was driving many men out of the business. The Bill provided that magistrates shall apportion among the various local authorities concerned the amount of licenso fees for vehicles in ouch portions as he thinks just, his decision to bo final and conclusive. lion. J. E. Jonkinson expressed surprise at the introduction of such an important measure so lato in the session.

Hon. ,T. Anstoy thought the measure would bo very harsh. Ho a. Mr. Kelly said he. considered that not a single body in Taranaki would adont the provisions of the Bill.

The second reading was agreed to, and the Bill was referred to the Agricultural and Stock Committee. The Harbors Amendment Bill was read a- second time, and the Council adjourned until 8 p.m. EVENING SITTING. The Council resumed at 8 p.m. Tlio Hamilton Domains Bill and the Counties Amendment Bill were passed. The Harbors Amendment Bill was read a second time. The Council rose at 9.30 p.m.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AFTERNOON BITTING

The House met at 2.30 p.m. Tlie Speaker intimated that, alter to-day the Standing Orders would be suspended during the rest of the session, to enable Bills to be put through all stages at one sitting, anil to enable new business to-be taken after 12.30. On a motion to <£o into Committee of Supply on the Public Works Estimates, Mr. IV. F. Massey said the most important feature of the Public Works Statement was, unquestionably, the announcement of the early completion of tlio North Island Main Trunk Railway. It was a lino destined to be a very great success, and to open np magnificent country between Waiouru and Taumarmuii. The most notable fact in regard to other lines was the very small amount voted in many cases in proportion to the total vote. The vote's for the North Island Trunk and Midland had been exceeded, and why then was not the same possible regarding the other lines? The same under-expenditure occurred in regard to roads, and on ordinary ,roads 7 tourist roads, and goldfields roads the total votes had been underspent bv £193,331. “What,” he as'ked, “was the good of voting large sums if it is not the intention to spend them? It only means disappointment to settlers, who were entitled to better treatment, and moreover, 1 it detracted a good deal from the value of the proposal to spend £250,000 on back blocks roads. The Government’s behaviour in regard to these votes savoured of thimble rigging, and ho felt that little faith was to bo attached to these election promises, which cropped up with clockwork regularity every three years. The fact was that Parliament had no real knowledge what was done with money voted, and since the House bad given over the control of the purse to Ministers, it had ceased to be a dignified Legislative Assembly, and had become nothing movo than a great unwieldy Road Board. He contended that the local government system should be revised, and local bodies given what the late Premier called “assured finance.” Speaking as a representative of a backblocks constituency, he felt strongly that settlers in tlio backblocks wore not getting what they were entitled to. Referring to the appropriations for the year 1908-9, lie said these amounted to 21 millions, which was a very large sum for a small country, and wo should bo careful of extravagance. Mr. A. W. Rutherford said ho failed to see what Mr: Massey had to complain of. An analysis of the roads votes showed that of a total veto of £600,000, Auckland had secured no less than £235,000, while the North Island had secured a large bulk of the total appropriation. Hon. Geo. Fowkls said that when the hon. member referred to the sums voted for the Auckland province, he ought to bear in mind that they were dealing with a. province comprising a quarter of the area and a quarter of the population of. New Zealand. Mr. Massey’s contention that Parliament had lost control of the purse was hardly borne out, by the 'keen criticism of the Estimates heard every year in the Rouse. Mr. IV. Herries said that as the Minister had declared that Auckland was a quarter of the whole Dominion it ought to get a quarter of the total votes, but nothing like that sum was appropriated for Auckland. He regretted to see no money on the Estimates for the utilisation of waterpower. With regard to the extra vote of £250,000 for backblocks roads, it was to lie observed that the vote for other roads had been curtailed by something like £175,000, so that the real extra vote for roads this year was only £75,000. Frequently not half the votes were sent on roads, the rest going in salaries. Ho objected to the inclusion of salaries and to surveying fees being included in roads votes,' as this Was especially hard on the backblocks roads, owing to the heavy travelling expenses. Mr. Janies Allen asked why the Government, does not expend the sums allocated by Parliament. EVENING SITTING. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. Mr. James Allen, continuing, saiil that there was only one of two possible explanations for the non-expen-diture of votes, either Parliament was asked to vote too much, or the administration of the Department was bad. Referring to the expenditure, ho. said it.liad increased by over two million annually since 1891. This largely, if not entirely, was on borrowed money, a state of things which could not go on. If was shameful that 10 per cent of the railways votes should be spent on building a railway which we had had to take, over from English speculators, while the Otago Central had apparently been dropped out of existThe Premier twitted Mr Allen with anomalies in his speech. He said lie complained of under-expenditure, and but from the first page of the Financial Statement ho would find the Government’s average annual expenditure was £255,000 a year, more than the average expenditure of the Setldon Government. Then Mr. Allen complained of the expenditure going up by leaps and bounds, but overlooked the .increase of revenue.. Referring to- the Opposition criticism of -extravagant expenditure on public buildings, members usually did so expect, so far as their own district was concerned, but with respect to tlio later they were ever knocking at the

Treasury door. Continuing, Sir Joseph 'Ward said the Opposition criticism on the expenditure on backblocks fronds was unfair and misleading. Tito h'nct was, the Government had clearly earmarked a quarter of a million annually for backblocks Bottlers, and when! it was stated that with tlio amounts on tlio Supplementary Estimates £725,000 was proposed to bo expended on roads and bridges, ho asked what more was expected of the. Government. Referring to the tourist roads, Sir Joseph Ward said they wore always built with a full, regard to the requirements of settlors. As regards tlie Otago Central railway, £1,279,500 had already been spent on that work, :,mi iie wished to say that a great deal of railway development in all parts of the country would be required for many years to come. As to tlio borrowing policy of tlie Government., ho refused to toll the House how tlio Government was raising money. It would lie wrong to do so, but everything in connection with the loan operations wore most satisfactory. Concluding, lie said that the public works policy was progressive, and was developing the country an the best interests of all concerned..

Mr. W. Fraser urged that the public works should bo\ carried out with more outside capital. Wo wore rolying too much oil our own capital. Dr. Chappie thought that the sturdy old pioneers of tlio South had a prior claim to public money over tlio newcomers of the North.

Hon. C. IT. Mills, speaking in all nrobability for the last time in the House, urged the completion, of the main trunk lines as a statesmanlike policy. Mr. ITanan.-looked upon the whole debate as a demand for increased borrowing, and wondered whoro it was going to land the Dominion. Mr. T. Iv. Sidcy advocated irrigation in Otago anil the prosecution of tlio Otago Central railway. Hon. W. lTnll-Jones said the Government had adopted a prudent policy. It had started no new railways in this Statement, but was vigorously driving to completion the railways in hand. Next year only ton items would remain on the list, and then the Government could consider what lines to prosecute, whether the Otago Central or the Auckland-East Coast. Ho justified the Government’s railway construction policy, and said that in a few years the productive powers of the railways would ho enormous. Hon. W. Hall-Jones said that, excepting the DTain Trunk line. _ more mileage had been opened by him on the Otago Central than on any other line.

Dlr. Flntnan said the paying point on the Otago Central was always ahead of the line, and always ‘would be.

Mr. Alison was continuing the debate when tlio telegraph office closed.