PRIME MINISTER'S HOMEGOING

Evening Star, Issue 14530, 5 December 1910, Page 6

PRIME MINISTER'S HOMEGOING

CONFERENCE AND CORONATION REPRESENTATION. When (lie item of £1,500 for the Prime Minister'.'! expenses in connection with liis visit to the Imperial Conference .-it the Coronation was under discussion in' the House on Saturday afternoon,

Sir Joseph Ward said that, he had always been obliged to pay more than tho amount, authorised by Parliament when attending the Premiers' Conferences and the Postal Conference at, Rome. On the last, occasion he asked Parliament to vote £BOO, and his actual expenses had been £1,644 10s. He felt that he could not ask for extra expenses, as he had always to take members of his family with him. and for that reason he though!, lie should pay portion of his cxpen.-es. On more than one occasion lie had to pay as much as £SOO for an ordinary ollicial entertainment in return for couTUsics extended to him in his official position. These expenses could not he avoided. No ollicial invitation to members of the House U> proceed to England had Teaehed the Oovenmient. 11.' was not at Jibeity to disclose confidential information in his possession, but it. might he that after the British elections weie over an official invitation might come. If it did he would then communicate with members. The only communications he had received so far were of a strictly confidential character. Ho would have been glad to have, been accompanied to tho Coronation ceremonies by the Leader of the Opposition, and he had conveyed an intimation io that effect to Mr Massey, who had Tcnlicd that owing to pn'vmo affairs lie wild not see his way to make tho trip. Ho hoped, hewever, that on another occasion Mr Massey might lind it convenient to visit the Old Land.

In reply to other (iuwtior.fi, Sir Joseph said ho iiad hoped that tho life of tho present Parliament could have extended (■> Febiiaiy, 1912. .so that the elections could haw been delayed, and that. Mr Massey and the whole'of the, members whom desired could have gone Home, but .Mr Mafsey could rot sco his way to agree. Mt '.Ma&sey said it was out of m discourtesy to "the Imperial authorities tha* he had" not seen his way to go Home. Urgent private reasons had prevented him. Replying io Mr Allen, the Prime Minister «iid it was imjossihlo to discuss Hie business io come before the Premiers' Conference. To do so properly occupv several davs, and members were wearying 1o get back to their homes.—{Loud hear, hears.) He could assure the member for Bruce that ho was fully sedaed of the facts about the New Hebrides, and he wou'd undertake to bring that question l*fi<:e the Conference. The House unist allow tho matter of the Conference's businasK to rw.t with the tabling of the resolutions that New Zealand wished to appear on tho agenda paper. Ho would strive his ■utmost to have the Conference's proceedings thrown open to tho Press, and from day to day the people of the Dominion would lcam tho trend of tho discussion*;, and in that way public opinion would be best educated on tho ireues dealt with by the Conference. When ho returned he would prepare a special report on the Conference's proceedings, on which there would be a full debate by tho House, if desired. But he could assure the country that whatever decisions were reached by the Conference, woild have to be confirmed by the Parliament of New. Zealand.—(Hear.) ,*•-"""