THE HOSPITAL SHIP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8269, 14 October 1915, Page 2

THE HOSPITAL SHIP.

QUESTION OF CONTROL OF I FUNDS. \ (From Our "Wellington Correspondent.) .WELLINGTON, October 12. There was an interesting debate iv the House of itepresentatives'' to-day with regard to a clause in the Appropriation Bill relating to the Hospital Ship. 'ihe clause provided that his Excellency the Governor should have power to divert any surplus money from the Hospital Ship fund to other purposes, such as the purchase of comforts for tho sick and wounded soldiers, the maintenance of hospitals or "any other purpose that he considers a fit and proper purpose." The clause was to operate retrospectively. JJr. A. K. Newman (Wellington East) said that when the original appeal had been made for funds for the equipment of the hospital ship Makeup,, the-public had subscribed enough money for two vessels. Some of tne surplus money had been used for quite other purposes, and now the peoplp were being asked to subscribe again for a second ship. The claifse provided that if there was a surplus on J the present occasion it could be spent at tho discretion of the Governor. It was a most. extraordinary clause, and he did not wonder that the people were showing unwillingness to subscribe on the second occasion. The subscriptions were coming in very slowly. The Minister of Finance (the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) said that his Excellency the Governor did not hold or control the money either officially or privately. The money had been paid into the public account and was administered by the Intornal Affairs Department. But as the whole appeal had been made by the Governor, and as the Governor was responsible in the first instance for the hospital ship being sent, authority to deal with the money under an Act of Parliament was required. Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton) said that the position was strange. He understood that a sum of £5000 from the fund had been used at Trentham camp. ■Was this money going to be refunded and tho charge placed whore it should belong, on tho Consolidated Fund? The public had been invited to contribute to tho fund for a specific purpose, and the money had been sent in other directions and now tho people were being asked to contribute again for the second ship. The Minister of I^inaiice said that after the despatch of the Maheno ,a sum of £35,000 had remained in hand. From this £10,000 had been sent to England for the New Zealand hospital, £1500 had been forwarded to Egypt to buy comforts for the New Zealanders there, and £500 had been used to provide comforts th.at were needed at Trentham camp. A balance of £2-3,000 had remained in hand. "This is not Government money or public money," said the Minister. "It is money raised for a special purpose by his Excellency tho Governor. Parliament does not control" the money directly. This clause is the only way in which the case can be met."