HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12867, 27 July 1907, Page 9

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

FftIDAT, J-UIT 20.

AFTERNOON SITTING. Tbo House met at 2.30 p.m. LEAVE OF AJi&BNCE. One month's leave of abeonoo wm Granted to Mr It. Heaton Rhodes, member for iiUoeniere, on acoount ot EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIO Reporting on an Auckland petitio*. the i'uulio I'etitioni* Committee advised that all future petitions tor expend!tiu« out ot the fublic Works J<'und snouki be relerred direct by the Class*ncataou Ooinmateo to the Government, Mr MAtiSHul advocated setting up ft Public Work* Committee, to which all applications for expenditure of Pubuo Works money should bo referred. The rithaViiKll said that no matter what the committee eaid or recominoudod, the Government had to allocate the amount available lor public works to the best advantage, and, guided by ite officers, Cabinet went to work in, &he process of selection irrespective of anything else. The Govern- ' ment would not bo foroed into taking in hand an? particular work beoauM a petition was »ent in and favourably reported on by a committee. T<ha responsibility, wias on« tor the Government, and the Government accepted it. The proper quarter to wbieh a. petition should be addressed wm the Aliuister. lor Public Works. If tho Government aooeded to tho demands now , being made, it would require • Joan Of three or four million*, iair Joseph added that no new railway works would be undertaken, as ther« wore »«Teateen or linos now in baud, and to open up new iinee meant allocating publio works money in driblet* to oouvey the impression unat a new railway we* beine oonetruoted in ft partioukr diatriot. M» oontend«d that the whole teudenoy waa to press the matter on the Government in a mannor not fair or reasonable. Minister! »hould not bo .required to stand up d*y after day *ud resist from all eidee of tho House applications for extraordinary expenditure. No Government, Unless it desired to ruin the colony, could meet anything like the number of applications made for publio works, tie Goaildi not agree to Mr Moasey's suggestion to set up a Publio Works Com* mittee, as the members of it would have to travel all over the oountry during the recess inspecting and taking evidence. They would require to b* paid, and the oost to too country; would be enormous. IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. An Imprest Supply Bill wee broafht down by Governor's message. Mr HERRIES, referring to the railways, oontended unat if the Depmriment had been properly managed, Uμ buoyancy of the .revenue boasted of in the railway* eUtement would hftf« blftn greater than it was. He did not warn any indication of greater effort being made to increase tbe rolling stock, and he obarged tiie Department with.sbortsightedniess in that respect.' He waa •ure tiiat if the Premier asked tor £600,000 to inoreaee the rolling etoo%; the House would gladly giro it. The discussion was interrupted fay tfea + 6.80 adgournment.