THE HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 7

THE HOUSE.

'" > FIRST READING. •The/ H6nso mot at 230 pm. yesterday. The Dock Trust Merger Act 1908 ! Amondnlont Bill (Mr/ Clark) was introduced 1 Bud vead i. first time. " '' IMPREST SUPPLY BILt. The Imprest Supply Bill was received bj GeTernofs lless&gc. , The House then went irto Committee 61 •Ihi Prime Minister meved' /'That ft sum not exceeding .6723,000 be granted to his Ma way of Imprest lor services lor tut yc ar "ending March SIJBM." ! The motion was wfcd to » n ? J he Hous( i went'into Committee of Ways and Means. Ml. MASSEY, speaking on tho second read intr ot the Bill, contended that the Govcrnmcn should' have given more information Üboul the letrenchnient scheme, the Defenco Confer ence, tile finances, the piumiMd Land Bill, am the tffitive Land Bill. It was understood th_a i n Bill, to increase taxation was coming. Hi was £Oily if that was «o, as it must have t "> prejudicial effect ou -the country, but if l hncl to come, it hiid better be introduced »■ soon in possible. The delay in bringinc dowi the i'manclal Statement was alio voiy re erettable. In connection with retrenchmen the Hotise should bo informed whether then was any foundation for the rumours that gros ' fnVotirittsm had been shown, no would sue lest to'the Vrlme Minister that the Publu Aecounts Committee should bo convenei nt at onrlv data to deil with the portion relating ti the local bodW subsidies. Mr P. M B. nSnCB (Wrllinrton Central twitted Mr. LaHrenson (Government Whip) pi 1 bavins changed hie political attitude since th days of the "Now Libeial partv," o wh.cl Jlr. Laurenson nnd Mr. I'ishoi weio both mem ) beia. 'i

(Lyttottonj* implying to ■Mr;' Fisher, 'outlined of : ,the,New During .the. wholecajgn.lio'had.not touched upon*personalities, i'liey'.'achieved what they aimed at, an'd.ywei'e now,urgiftg 'further reform.' 'If the Opposition were; in 'power they ,'wonUl soil every .foot of land in the country.;.; Some of the Wellihgtoh members'/had' complained that onough public hi6n6yAwa3" not 'spent in the city.'., He would like to remind them as to how\ milch money was spent in Auckland-yrhich was a much greater city. ,'A feejing "was' becoming more pronounced that a -great mistake was 1 being made in continuing': with the capital in Wellington. :'■;..'• '■'.-■■' '.'.'. .".'."" : Mr. EOSS (Pahiatua) said it was merely a matter of expediency that Mr. Fisher . cas,t in his lot with the Opposition. ■ ■.Mr.- HURRIES (Tnuranga) said that.although two Imprest Supply Bills had come hofofo the Houso, the Financial Statement had not'yet boon ■■presented* When Sir Josoph ,waspretSaring the Financial Statement, he hoped that f nil'. information'with reference to; the 1808 loan .wbnlcl.be given. ■'.". .. '.'.■' '; ■ ; ; The PRIME MINISTER said : that details asked for by the Opposition,would be provided by the Government next week. . He .denied that there had been gross: favouritism in regard to retrenchment. The Public Accounts Committed would be set upnext week* ; In the Financial' Statement, ho,would give iIU information ! hb could regarding such portions ,6f tho loans is had .been-completed. Thero was no .'advantage; to, tho Minister for .Finance in keeping'atlything: back which .he could before the 'House;- Every, jitfs. delay that took ilaco.ihthe raising.of thelpanjust authorised iwould' mean 'that tho -Dominion, would suffer, tit woiild have been, incomparably betteyf the debate'had beeh confined to the Bill.. He. Hdd ihopedo that:■ theV. State-;; Guaranteed,; Loan Advances .Bill would haVe, : been passed that ! dTy; tod that a certain'.amount of money : would have""beea-obtained ■■ ;by,:^Thursday.next "The': Bill 'passed 'its' fitidl '.reading .at 11:40 ip.m. I ; :drid:th6;;Hpuse;adjourned. : !,;■.;... ,; : ; .