EXACT MR RUSSELL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14919, 18 March 1914, Page 10

EXACT MR RUSSELL.

SOME FURTHER CORRECTIONS

BY MINISTER OF FINANCE

The Hon. Jas. Allen, Minister of Finance, passed through Christchureh last evening on his way to Wellington, from a short visit to Dunedin. When seen by a "Press" reporter, Mr Allen consented to make some further observations upon Mr Russell's inaccuracies as a financial critic.

"Mr Russell," he said, "has been making the statement that there is so much cash and so much advances in the hands of the . department's—some £1,248,000 in all—but the public must, not imagine for a single moment that that represents cash. It does not do anything of the kind, for the bulk of it represents money already expended for which the vouchers are either in transit or have got to the Treasury, but have not yet been debited to their separate accounts. For this reason the money stands in the Treasury as advances; but the bulk of it has been paid away. The reason why these advances are larger than they used to bo is largely owing to the alteration in th. audit system from pre-audit to postaudit.

"Mr Russell has also been making.a big sing-song," said the Minister, "about the Treasury bills that are outstanding, and the transfer from tho Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund of £625,000. Ho has been leading the public to believe that these Treasury bills will not bo paid off, and that the amount won't be transferred. Let Mr Russell rest his soul in peace. I do not break my word, and I told Parliament that the bills would bo paid off and the amount transferred, he can rely upon it that that will be done before March 31st. As a matter of fact." concluded Mr Allen, "these transfers are never completed until the last month of the year." Asked a*» to whether he would care to reply to Mr Russell's speech at Gore, Mr Allen said that there was really nothing to answer. What Mr Russell had said was all "old stuff" which had been used over and oyer again, and to which he had replied over and over again. There was nothing new in it, and it was not worthy of a reply. Tho country must be getting sick of it, and would be getting sick of him if he answered it any more.