HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Bush Advocate, Volume XIX, Issue 778, 27 July 1907, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

In the House a month's leave b$ absence was granted to Mr Rhodes on account of ill-health. The Imprest Sopply Bill was brought down by Governor's message. The House adjourned at 5.30. On the House resuming at 7.30 a long discussion ensued on the motion to go into committee on the Imprest Supply Bill, which provides for £623,---000. It was' eventually put through nil stages and passed. * The Council passed the Bill through all stages without discussion. PUBLIC WORKS FUND. Arising out of a petition for the erection of a bridge in the Waitemata at Riverhead, the A to L PetitioTts Committee reported that they had no recommendation to make, and advised that all future petitions for expenditure from the Public Works ' Funds should lw» referred direct by the Classification Committee to the Government. Mr Massey advocated setting up a Public Works Committee to which all applications for expenditure of public works money should be referred; The Premier said that no matter what a committee said or recommended, the Government had to allocate the amount available for public works to the best advantage and be guided by their officers. The Government would not be forced into taking in hand any particular work because a petition was sent and favorably reported on by a committee. The responsibility was on the Government, and the Government accepted it. The proper quarter to which to address such petitions was to the Minister for Public Works. If the Government acceded to the demands now being made, they would require a loan, of three or four millions. He further added that no new railway works would be undertaken, as there were 17 or 18 lines now in hand, and to open up new lines meant allocating public works money in driblets, to convey an impression that new railways were being constructed in particular districts. He contended that the whole tendency was to press matters on the Government in a manner that was* neither fair nor reasonable. Ministers should not be required to stand up day after day and resist from all sides of the House applications for extraordinary expenditure. No Government} unless they desired to ruin the colony, could meet anything like the number of applications which were being made for public works. He could not agree to Mr Massey's suggestion for a Public Works Committee, as the members of such committee would have to travel all over the country during the recess inspecting and taking evidence. They would require to be paid, and the cost to the country would be enormous. The report of the Committee was adopted. The House adjourned at 11.50.