PARLIAMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 69, 21 March 1912, Page 10

PARLIAMENT.

THE NEW BUILDING. J QUESTION OF EXPENSE.. , " Ono of the last acts of tho Cabinet, which will go out of office at the cud of r.pxt week, is the passing of the plans of tho new Parliament Buildings," is a quotation from your issue of Saturday laet," writes a correspondent signing himself "Worker." "And in these few words, baro of any comment, you chronicle the completion of one of the most barefaced acts of autocracy that even the dying Cabinet, soon to reappear under another name, ever perpetuated. "Tho representatives of the people m the late Parliament, a considerable ma, jority of whom were Government supporters, twice carried amendments to 'votes in supply, 'as an indication lo the Government that tho Parliamentary Buildings should be restored on tho old site.' It would bo difficult to find a member of the late Parliament who, as a private individual, approves of tin's waste of the workers' money. And yet the twice-expressed views of tho peoples' elected representatives * count for nothing. The Hutt-road railway job was 'estimated' to cost £100,000, 'and no more.' It co>t £330,000. The new Parliamentary Buildings is 'retimated' to coet £110,000. If it only cost* a quarter of a million the tax"payere will be lucky. One cannot help wondering what the leaders of Labour, othor than Mr. M'Laren, aro doing m this matter—Mr. Veitch, for instance, Mr. Carey, Mr. Ilindinaivsh, Mr. Reardon. Mr. M'Laren'b views .are known. Ho voted in favour of tlm waste of money. The Labour Party has- a unique opportunity of showing that it wiJl act up to its professions of economy, for with one word-it can kill this waste." A brief resume of the history of Parliament Buildings since the fire of 1907 will be of interest in view of our correspondent's letter. Ac soon as the, flames which destroyed the olti pile had been extinguished the Prime Minister and those associated with him considered tho question of providing a place of assembly for the Legislature, which, in tho ordinary course of tilings, wae due to meet in June of 1908. Hie Excellency the Governor consented to give up his occupation of Government House, and when Parliament met in duo couree it found that accommodation, which was always regarded ac of » temporary chad-acter, had been provided foi> it in that building, and that a tube had been erected to connect the new legislative abode with the General Assembly Library—the only portion of the old structure which had escaped the ravages of the fire. " b The change from th© old, fairly comiottablo, and decidedly historic quarters to tlie limited conveniences of the new House was so great that members seized an early opportunity of taking the first steps towards repairing the damage that had been done. A committee composed of members of both branches of the Legislature was -set up soon after the meeting of Parliament "for the purpose of enquiring into and reporting upon the most suitable site for the erection of Parliament Buildings," and its report is contained in Paptr I. 14, 1908. ' It examined a number of witnesses,, whose evidence- is attached to the report, and that evidence., th& committee-.expresses the opinion, "clearly shows that tho site presently occupied-bv Government House, and now temporarily used by theLegislature, has great advantages over tho site bounded by Hill-street* Moles-wortk-6tr«c-t, and Sydney-street . . . and that no. other available site in the city _ of Wellington is equally suitable." Finally the committee expressed the opinion that "the new Parliament House, including a new library building, should be erected on the Government flouse site, and that the Molesworth-strectsit*, including those portions of the old Parliamentary Buildings not destroyed by fire, should be utilised for departmental buildings,and oilices, and the old Parliamentary lawn tennis'ground as a site for a building- for the Museum, tho Lambton-quay block to be eventually dealt with as above indicated" —leased to the public, that is for building allotments for a total rental which would provide interest on a large capital sum, the value of the land being estimated at £264,000. The report was debated by the Houso at considerable length on sth October, 1908. and Mr. Lang moved an amendment to provide that the new Parliament Buildings should be erected on the old site fronting Molesworth-strect. This was lost by 33 votes to 19, and the report of the committee was received. On the next, day the Legislative Council also adopted the report. Tine question of the site of the new buildings wa& lei'erred to mom than once. When the Estimates were under consideration in 1910 Mr. Hussell movad that item "Old Parliamentary Buildings, £560," ,be reduced by £50, as an indication to th« Government that tho Parliamentary Bnildings. should be restored on the old site. - Tliis was lost by 28 •votes to 23. Then Mr.' Fisher moved to reduce the item by £25, and that .was lgsfc by 39 votes to 21. In 1911 (the last session of the kite, Parliament) a vote of £20,000 was pasi-, ed for the tirat portion of the work, competitive designs having been by that time sent in and adjudicated upon. ; That vote was agreed to-without a divi-, sion, and it is on the authority of that vote that i the Government is incurring \ the oxpendituro involved in making the ■foundatiouc ready for the laying of tht> foundation stone on Sdtuzday afternoon.