EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12014, 15 October 1904, Page 8

EVENING SITTING.

The House resumed at 7.30. The debate on tho third reading of the Shops and Offices Bill was carried on until 8.40 p.m., when Mr McGOWAN moved the adjournment of the debate, whicu was agreed to. COMMITTEFi OF SUPPLY: At 9 p.m. the Hoiwe went into Committee of Supply for the further consideration of the Estimates. The iirst class talu?n was that of the Colonial Secretary—total vote £56,786. Mr HERDMAN moved tho reduction of tho vote by £1 as ap indication, that the House was in favour of the appointment of a Public Service Board. He" urged that such a Board would bo iiUinitdy better than the present system. Sir JOSEPH WARD, in .opposing the proposal, contended that it. was safer for the people to have, a system under which their reprewntativts were able to criticise individual apjTointments. No {x-tition.s had been received from ex-Civil Servants complaining of the treatment thry had received while in the public servici". Mr said they- couhl not have a worse sy.«tem than that now in existence of making appointments.. Ministers mads appointments at their own sweet- will, and .•••imply because they had political influence behind them. — -er a lengthy discussion Mr Herdman's motion was lost' by 34 to 23. •Mr MASSEY moved to reduce IJvp vot? for the Audit Office by £1, as an indication that tha revenue of the CuHonr l , Railways, and Lands Departments should audited by the Audit OlKeer of the colony. Sir J. G. WARD said the present- system was a cheek upon every detail of tho business of the various IVpartincnt? , , tmtl th<- application -of the ordinary system of audit, would mean very great delay and an onormous increaw in tho .uulit staff. The motK>ii was lost by 33 to 22. The motion by Mr Ja*. Allen to strike out the item "Copies of work, Mr Ojcha's Last Discovery, £125,*' was lost by 27 to 18. Tho Hou.«o was still sitting when the Telegraph Office closed at 2 a.m.