PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 186, 19 August 1901, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY GOSSIP

(By Telegraph—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day. THE BUDGET.

The Financial Statement was delivered to crowded public galleries. It occupied two hours and twenty minutes, a record for length. Tho, tone of the speech at the outset was distinctly sarcastic, especially when the Treasurer ridiculed the "pessimistic Opposition" and the vagaries of penny-a-liners, directed against representatives of anti-Ministerial journals. JTe seemed to regard ihe hasty clearances of tea, sugar, kerosene, etc., as a rich joke, revelling in the grist thus brought to the Treasury mill too soon. Opposition prophets of ill-omen arc keenly disappointed. T fake some credit for indicating several days ago that the Budget would upset absurd prediedictions circulating in the lobbies and prove a subject for ridicule. As T then explained the Premier's allusion to the fund which needed 'strengthening referred "not" to tho Consolidated. Funil but Public Works Fund. The debate on the budget will last probably a fortnight. UNAUTHORISED EXPENDITURE. Unauthorised expenditure for the pa-st financial year totalled £107.330. BUDGET CRITICISMS. The probabilities are that the Financial debate will occupy a fortnight, and some Ministerial supporters, particularly those representing' town constituencies, are expected to speak strongly regarding the. bid made for the country vote. The estimates promise to be keenly criticised. The points of attack will be the allround increases made to heads of departments, while the Statement preaches the necessity for economy throughout, and the grant of £22r>0, to reimburse the Governor for expenses connected with the Royal visit, this being deemed by the critics nn unreasonable, figure in view of the increase voted in His Excellency's salary last year.