THE RETRENCHMENT AGITATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 160, 9 July 1890, Page 5

THE RETRENCHMENT AGITATION.

MINISTERS, NOT PREPARED TO EXPLAIN.

WARM DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE.

(BY TELEGEAPH. —OWN REPOBTEB.)

Wellington, this day. After the agreement arrived at between the retrenchment party and the Government as to the reduction of the estimates by £50,000, the next question of serious moment was as to how the members of the Opposition would regard the transaction. The matter was not long in doubt, and upon the House assembling yesterday afternoon, both the Government and che retrenchment party were subjected to a most severe attack from the Opposition benches. Mr Monk, a3 the leader of the retrenchment party, gave notice that in Committee of Supply he would move that the first item be reduced by £1, as an instruction to the Government that while recognising with satisfaction the decrease already effected in the public expenditure, this Committee is of opinion that a further reduction in the estimates of an least £50,000 could be made without being injurious to the intorests of the country. Mr W. C. Siriioh rose shortly afterwards, and intimated that when Mr Monk's amendment was moved he proposed to add to it the following words, "That the retrenchment shall not apply to the Post and Telegraph Department, or to any salaries or wages under £200." , Mr Guinness (Greymouth) threw discord into the House by asking the Government whether ifc was true, as had been reported, that they had agreed to the proposal from a certain section of the House to reduce the estimates by £50,000. The Hon. Mitchelson : You had better give notics of motion. Mr Guinness : I object to give notice. Hon. Mr Feigus :• Then we object to answer it. Mr Guinness : Well, I will move the adjournment of the House to have the matter discussed. He went on to say that the House was debating the Financial Statement, and the estimates had been submitted with the statement. Certain members had gone to the Government and had expressed dissatisfaction with the amount proposed to be appropriated, and had intimated to the Governmont that they could not support them unless a large reduction were made in the estimates. The Government having considered their position, had come to the conclusion to reduce the estimates by £50,000 if the majority of the Houso elected to do that. Mr Samuel (New Plymouth) said the position taken up by Government was a very unfortunate one for the good Government of the country. A number of members, small in comparison -with the si*,e of the House, had waited upon the government and virtually informed the Government that they would vote against them unless some demands which they made were acceded to. A very important step had been taken, and it was of the greatest importance that an answer should immediately be given to the question asked. It was disgraceful that a Government, which had just escaped defeat on a division as to whether they should stand or fall, should have been at the mercy of a small number of persons, and should have acceded to their demands for fear of their majority being taken from them, and turned into a minority. If duch a small number of persons as this could obtain the granting of a request euch as had been made in the present case, how could they tell that any number of persons crtuldaiot in the samo way enforce some demands, the concession of which would be unfair to a large portion of the colony, in order to enable the Government to stick to thoir seats? Sir George Grey said he would have preferred that this motion had been made in the form that the House do adjourn until the Government return an answer to the question that has been asked. ("Hear,hear," from the Opposition.) He had carefully considered thia subject, and he felt that a majority of the House would not allow such a. proceeding to continue as the Government had contemplated. He believed it was their wise course to allow nothing to be dpne that might embarrass the future in any way, bub to insist upon an immediate end being put to the present session of Parliament. (Opposition cheers.) When he first heard that something of this kind was to be attempted, the full enormity of the transaction did not present itself to his mind, but he now realised that what was proposed was nothing more or leas than for a bribe of £50,000 to a certain party in the House for them to consent to aliow the Government to occupy these benches until June next (Opposition cheers), to shut their fellow countrymen out from their undoubted rights from the assembling of a new Parliament without the lease possible delay. He believed the memberfor Waitemata had nob fully realised what the result of his motion must necessarily be. It was nothing more nor less then to proclaim tho people of New Zealand that a Parliament that represented nobody should determine the expenditure of the country for the financial year, and thab the present Ministry should sit undisturbed until the month of June next, and perhaps for a longer period. Whether the House would say that a new Parliament would nob, make a larger reduction than £50,000, and in a much fairer form, by a new modelling of public services and by securing for New Zealand a far more effective system of government than at present, and by a new constitution of the Civil Service by the adoption of a new form of conducting the correspondence of the Departments!. The Government could nob succeed in this attempt, and he warned them that it was impossible. They might enter upon it, bub they would simply keep the Hodse sitting there for many weeks where nothing would be accomplished. Additional expense would be incurred and disgrace mueb fall on innocent men, who, he believed, had no intention whatever of -bringing about such a state of things. He therefore moved, "That this House ad journ until ib receives a. reply to the question which has now been put to Ministers." If Government would not give an 'answer, till to-morrow the House should not consent to legislate further in the dark. Honest men had no objection to tell the truth. Nd breach of confidence was asked for. The Government did nob deny that some arrangement had been made, and he urged the House nob to consider the estimates until they knew what that arrangemenb was. (Opposition cheers.) Mr W. P. Reeves said ib was notorious that the Government had already answered the demands made by the retrenchment party, and he asked why should the same information be refused to the House. The course adopted had been neither decent, proper, nor becoming. It amounted to a complete reversal of the Government policy, the policy which they were so determined about a few days ago, all on account of Ministers having the backstairs influence of a little coterie for fear of losing a few votes. It was worse than a reduction of the estimates, for ib meant that the Government were to make reductions in the recess, when they would no longer have the fear of having to meet the House to give an account of what they had done. The whole face of bhings had changed, andib was useless to attempt to go on with business until Ministers gave the information asked fq?, The Hon. Mr Mitchelson said, he was~ not in a position to answer (be question that day,'

Ib was quite true thab negotiations had been going on between certain members of the House and the Government, but at the present time he was not fully aware what the result of these negotiations were. Ib was therefore reasonable for the Government) to ask that notice of motion should be given, and ab the proper time he would fully inform the House of the circumstances of the case. Dr., Fitchetb commented significantly upon bhe ignorance of Government affairs professed by the leader of the House, and remarked that this was, no doubb, a nabural resulb of bhe presenb system of dual premiership. Mr Walker urged thab the PostmasterGeneral oughb to be in a position bo make a statement as to what had been done. Mr Seddon suggested thab the objecb of tho retrenchment party was simply to set themselves righb wibh bheir consibuents, seeing thab bhey had opposed Mr Ballance's motion for the abolition of tho primage duty. He recommended the Governmenb bo agree to an adjournmenb until the evening, as Ministers might bhen be able bo make a statement. Mr Moas appealed bo Mr Monk for information, and thia sally was received with laughter. The Governmenb, he said, had virtually abrogated their position, and ib had been baken up by cerbain genblemen whose names were unknown, excepting one, the memberfor Waitemata. Other members of the new Government party he did nob know, although he knew thab the majority of them were Auckland members. Aucklanders, singularly enough, availed themeelves much more freely than other members of the opportunity of going up the backstairs of the House. (Mr Monk: "We adopt a moderate way of making our demands.") Well, others were not so moderate in their demands, because they believed the estimates could be cub down by £200,000. Mr Moss also urged bhab the cosb of a second session had been greatly over-estimated, and asked bhe member for Waibemata if he knew how the proposed economies would be effected. Whatever retrenchment was made under the presenb circumstances would, he said, be arranged by bhe Under-Secretary sitting in secret conclave, as was the case when a similar movemenb was in progress several years ago. Mr Fish said the Governmenb occupied an ignominious position. A fortnight ago they told the House and country that they could go no further with retrenchment, and that bhey musb have further taxation by the re-imposition of tho primage, duty to enable them to carry on ab all. Now, in order bo save their wretched seats, Ministers had agreed ab the dictation of a small party to do what they had declared to be impossible. Ministers were discrediting themselves, and must now see thab bhey ought to have made an immediate appeal to the country as recommended to them at their own caucus. Mr Fisher asked how much further the House was going wibh this solemn farce. This was a parody on Responsible Govern menb. Ministers stated in the Financial Statement: We are convinced bhab ib is impossible to make any further reduction in public expendibure. And yeb one section* of the Government party representing to the Premier their convictions thab expenditure could be reduced, bhe Governmenb promised bo do ib. Ho did not object to the retrenchers making themselves as ridiculous as they chose, bub he did protest against them making Parliament ridiculous. Ministers should nob consenb to be dragged through the dirt in this way by certain honourable members. He urged thab bhe Governmenb should give a disbincb answer to ;the question asked. After some further discussion, the motion for the adjournment of the House was pub and negatived.