STRICTER CONTROL

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 293, 11 December 1929, Page 8

STRICTER CONTROL

PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

UNITED GOVERNMENT'S WORK

MR, COATES' ASSERTION REFUTED.

(By Telegraph.—Press Asß6ciation.)

WELLINGTON, this.day.

I "The Leader of .the Opposition/' said the Prime Minister, pir Joseph Ward, "to-day, "is reported in the Press as having made the following statement ill the course ,pf bis remarks at- Eastbourne last night: 'The united party have taken definite steps to undermine what should be a clearly-laid-dowu principle. They have altered or, rather, they propose to alter, the system so as to allow the Minister to have a greater amount of money at his disposal. They are altering a definite, carefully-de-signed and what I believe to be au honest scheme for the allocation ,o£ public money. It is not right, and it will work out to the detriment of the people of New Zealand.' •

"1 am at a loss to understand what the right honourable gentleman had in his mind, in making tliis statement/ said Sir Joseph, "but far from taking any action in the direction, indicated, the Government has been active in tightening up and making more effective the control of Parliament over the expenditure of public moneys. For -instance, prompt steps were taken to .institute better control of expenditure for public works. To enable members of Parliament to, see the position of works under construction, the form of tho estimates was amended to show in respect of each undertaking the original estimated cost of the work, the amount spent to date, aiid the estimated amount required <to complete the work. Further, in order that various proposals might be subject to expert review from the financial aspect, arrangements were made for the Public Works Estimates to be submitted to the Treasury for investigation before being finalised for submission- to the House. v ln addition, it was found;that permanent appropriations existed for the expenditure of loan moneys on railway improvement, swamp drainage, school buildings and certain other works; that is to say, the expenditure on these works was no.t subject to annual review by Parliament. This matter was remedied last session by a section in the Finance Act, and in future such expenditure will be subject to annual appropriation by Parliament.

"Another matter that was attended to was the overhaul of borrowing authorities. I found that authorities amounting in the aggregate to about £8,000,000 still existed for such purposes as war, settlement of discharged soldiers, and naval defence. Where no further loan moneys were required, all these unnecessary authorities were cancelled by a section in the Finance Act. "As a matter of fact, the Government has endeavoured in every way to improve and strengthen control over expenditure of puujtic moneys, and the statement which is reported to have been made by the Leader of the Opposition is absolutely contrary to fact."