BUDGET ESTIMATES

Gisborne Times, Volume LIX, Issue 9575, 28 July 1923, Page 5

BUDGET ESTIMATES

CLERICAL ASSISTANCE FOR LABOR LEADER URGED.

EXPENDITURE ON SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

AVELLINGTON, July 27. The House went into Committee of Supply on tlie first item, Legislative Departments, £63,035. Air. Sullivan urged that clerical asistanco should he given tlie leader of the Labor party during the session, as was done for the Leader of the Liberal party. Tlie Prime Minister replied that formerly the Leader of tlie Opposition had no such assistance, but times had changed. The difficulty was that there were two parties in the House which aspired to bo recognised as tho Opposition, but times were changing and the suggestion was one deserving of consideration.

The Alinister of Education, replying to criticism of the school building policy, said that seine schools though old were not beyond repair, and could be made serviceable for another ten or twenty years. It v as impossible to renew all old buildings at once, but the Department was not neglecting this matter. In the course of six or seven years, taking them one or two at a time, urgent re-buiklings in tlie chief centres could be carried out. Tho average expenditure on school biuldings during the past three years was £44(\000 per annum, while before the war the average was about £IOO,OOO. The cost of building to-day was about double what it was ten years age. and the Minister considered it essential that better value should he obtained for tho money expended. Ihe backhloeks must got consideration, and those took half the money at Iris disposal. Tlie Hon. D. Buddo suggested that if education boards were given larger grants for the maintenance of schools, the buildings would last very much longer.

Air. G. W. Forbes appealed for a comprelmsivo and systematic soil survey to be made, as a means of increasing tlie country’s primary production. When the House resumed at 7.30 Mr. Holland protested against the proposal of tlie Government to call tenders for railway construction m Australia, Canada, Britain and America. Not only was it a departure from the system of railway construction which had been in force in the Dominion for tlie past twenty-five years, but it was a complete change of front on the part of the Government for when tho Premier of Queensland went to America Up hot row money when he had been refused by the British money-lenders he was declared to bo disloyal by the Reform Party. Now they were doing much the same tiling themselves. He would like to know if this change in policy was due to dictation of the British financiers, so that they might tut out the expenditure. Air. Holland was proceeding to develop his argument; along the above lines, when a point of order was raised that it was not competent for him to cliscuss the public works policy on the first item of the Estimates. Ti le chairman of committees ruled that the speaker was not in order.

Air. Holland claimed that the matter was one of such vital importance that the ruling of the. Speaker should lie taken on tlie point. This was done, tlie Speaker upholding the ruling of the chairman, and the subject was dropped. Replying to criticism by Air. AleCombs on the subject of telephone charges, the lion. ,J. G. Coates said that, after all was said against tlie proposals of the Government, New Zealand’s charges were still the lowest m the world, and it was only just that they should have at least twelve month'’ trial. if the charges could then be reduced, they would be, but at present it was/more important that people should, have ' postage rates reduced to a penny. Telephone charges only amounted to 5 per cent, on the capital invested, which was not extortionate, and in sparsely populated districts the people were only lining ashed for a fair share of the cost. The subject of the debate at once turned by Air. Poland front public works to education, the speaker complaining that insufficient provision was made for education in country districts. The discussion then circlet’ round schools and buildings in all parts oi the Dominion. The Alinister in reply said the Government was doing as much a» tlie funds would allow pointing out that during the past four years £1,581,103 had been spent on school buildings. Ho declined to he acid responsible for decaying buildings erected by previous Governments. After Si hours’ debate on tin: first item "of the Estimates, Mr. H. Poland moved that /the item be reduced by £2 as an indication that old age pensions should be increased. It is understood that the protracted discussion 'is a protest against the Government proceeding with tlie Estimates before certai n departmental reports have been brought down.

The 1-lon. G. J. Anderson maintained that the pensions system could not be reviewed this session, because the Government was pledged lo first reduce taxation, and, when the system was reviewed, it must be done thoroughly and would take some time. The Hon. W. Nosworth.v ha id it was quite apparent what the move was. “It looks like an attempt to held up the business of the country. Mr. Massey, at this stage, entered the Chamber and wanted to know what motivo was behind Mr. Poland’s motion. If members desired to prevent him from going to England, ho would like to know where lie was. Continuing, lie said: “4 do not like going to the couutry more than anyone else hut, if this sori of thing is going on, we will have to do so.” Mr. Atmore: Let us take a vote. A division was then taken, when the motion was defeated by 29 votes to 24. Tht discussion is proceeding. (Left sitting.)—P.A.