HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7822, 15 June 1909, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WELLINGTON, June 15. The House met at 11.30. On a motion by the Premier—" That returns showing loans to local bodies be laid on the table" —a discussion arose on the general question. Sir Joseph JVard said that he recognised the importance of the subject, and, when he was in London he would try to arrange for loans to local.bodies at a low rate of interest, but could do nothing now. THE CAUCUS PARLIAMENT. On the motion i»f the Premier, it was agreed that a report of the lp informal meeting of Parliament should be added to Hansard. THE PUBLIC FINANCES. Mr Massey asked the Speaker for his.ruling on the point as to whether the Finance Bill introduced by the Premier last night was an Appropriation Bill. - I The Speaker ruled that the Bill was in order. Mr Massey said that there were certain /proposals in the Finance. Bill to which he strongly objectedi and would oppose when the Bill entered the committee stage. In addition to the million and a-quarter mentioned in the first part of the Bill, £75,000 was proposed to be raised, and" this meant increasing the debt by £1,400,000. The House had not had sufficient information regarding the financial proposals, and he objected to extending appropriation till the 14th of October. The House was, given to understand that it would meet again in September, and the proper thing to do,was to bring down ah Imprest Bill when the House met again. It was proposed to extend the unauthorised expenditure to £200,000. Regarding' Clause 8, he interpreted it to mean that the Government were empowered to start roads and bridges without the authority of Parliament. The Bill would' take :a week to consider, as it opened up the whole question of administration. The finances of the colony were not in a satisfactory state. While we had a surplus of £184,000, we had liabilities of £287,132. Parliament .had a great deal more responsibility this session than usual: our prosperity had gone, and Government was not facing the position, but was shirking its duties. He hoped that no attempt would be made to raise money by short-dated loans, which would seriously embarrass 1 the country. He referred to the exodus of settlers from the dominion to Queensland. This was caused by the'Larid Act of two years ago, for when settlers found that the land thrown open for settlement was set, apart for endowment purposes they went away in disgust. Mr Massey said that the railways had a capital of 29 millions invested in them, but were returning only £800,000; consequently there was a very serious loss on the railways. Mr Buchanan deprecated constant railing at capitalists. Within the past day or two people who had money invested in land were called criminals. The Government placed obstacles in the way of settlers acquiring the freehold.