BUDGET ATTACKED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 271, 15 November 1935, Page 10

BUDGET ATTACKED.

"DEBIT, NOT A SURPLUS."

CHARGE OF FAULTY .BOOKKEEPING

(By Telegxaphi—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. A reply was made by Mr. H. T. Armstrong, Labour candidate for Christchurch East, to-night, to the statement of the Postmaeter-Geperal, Mr. Hamilton, criticising Mr. Armstrong's strictures 011 the Government accounts. Mr. Armstrong, in answer to Mr. Hamilton's statement that he had not made his criticisms in the House, said that reference to Hansard would show that he had drawn attention to many irregularities and faulty methods of bookkeeping, declaring that if an honest Budget had been produced it would show a large debit balance instead of a surplus. He agreed, that the Controller and Auditor-General would quickly report irregularities. Actually the AuditorGeneral did so, but the Government took very little notice of him. The AuditorGeneral drew attention to irregularities, manipulation and maladministration in the Native Affairs Department for three years or more before the Government would act. The Government set up a Royal Commission when it could no longer smother up the irregularities. "Will Mr. Hamilton say," asked Mr. Armstrong, "that confiscating reserve funds belonging to special accounts amounting to millions, and grabbing £500,000 a year from the highways fund for the purposes of the Consolidated Fund is an honest way of balancing a Budget? I repeat that if a town clerk or company secretary had done this he would find himself before a judge." • Mr. Armstrong also mentioned the curtailing of pensions, and the AuditorGeneral's report that the action of the Government was illegal. The reply of the Government wae to put a clause in the Finance Act legalising its illegal act. Mr. Armstrong added that it would be possible to quote scores of cases tin which the Auditor-General reported to the Public Accounts Committee, but the Government took no notice.