HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5556, 26 July 1886, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wellington, July 23. On resuming, it wss decided that private members' business should be taken on Monday up to 5.30 p.m. The Mining Bill was passed. In the Beer Duty Act Amendment Bill, Yogel moved a new clause prohibiting the manufacture of cordials or aerated water in a brewery, which was lost by 36 to 32. Yogel said he would not proceed any further with the bill. Fergus resumed the debate on the Loan Bill. He asked what had the Ministry done towards fulfilling the expectations formed when he took office. The expense* of the Public Works Department were as ; great as ever. Money was squandered in the engineering of our railways, and they were, worked at too great a coßt. He quoted from Richardson's statement in 1884 to show that he had only taken office on the distinct understanding thathe was to introducejreforms ; but two years had gone by, and he had not mqve,d ; a finger. The only effect had been to create a feeling of insecurity, and drive men like" Bach out of the New Zealand service. As to the land proposals, there would only be £1,100,000 out of it, which would scarcely complete to a pay- j able point any one of the lines scheduled ! in the bill. It would take sixteen millions to complete all the lines now n hand. He contended that a commission ought to be appointed to enquire into th« | expenditure of 'the Public Works Department. Nobody knew where the money went to. The sum of £129,182 voted for

the Otago Central had gone missing. There was a discrepancy of j>38,000 in figures of the Northern Trunk line. No do«bt it had been frittered away. He strongly condemned such lines aa the Hokitika-Grey mouth aa unjustifiable in the present circumstances of the colony. He insisted that Government would not be able t© carry out their own proposals, ,and Richardson had not the back-bone required for his position. J^Eontgomery took exception to ; the quality of the land being" purchased along the Northern Trunk line, which was poor in quality. As to the public works proposals. He contended that we were voting money for lines that had never been surveyed, and of which we knew nothing as to the ultimate cost. Hei preferred Atkinson's policy of regularly'borrowing a million a,y.e»r to this indefinite liability. He objected also to the manner in which the Treasurer had spoken of the colony's financial position. ' Atkinson twitted Ministers with sitting dumb under the accusations brought against them. He presumed they were waiting to hear all the speeches, and smother them up in a cloud of words ; but he would take care that whatever they did Bay was answered. They confessed they did not know how much they were going to spend this year on the Native land purchases. The Public Works Statement showed that the Treasurer and the Premier had been giving Richardson contradictory orders. If the latter had not changed the opinions with which he had entered the Ministry, he had no right to be sitting on those benches. Where were tho railway boards and other promised reforms, then ? Government had distinctly stated they preferred making railways to roads ; but' their actions had not borne out their pledges. They said railways were reproductive ; but what lines in the present schedule were reproductive 1 The fact was that many of them had no business in it. Only about half the money on the estimates was to be spent on railways, and they had no right there for the purpose, as the Government only went in for reproductive works, i Regarding the purchase of Native lands, he denounced the return to the commission system. There was grave reason to think that political influence had been at work, for one of the men thus employed was an exmember and an avowed candidate for the next election. The House ought to express its opinion of this defiance of law. When Government entered office they had told the House his Government had improperly applied £370,000 out of the three million loan, and obtained money to replace it. Now it appeared that £670, 000 had gone missing. That was the money to replace his own £376,000, and nearly as much more on their own account. He then proceeded to deal with the question of the £800,000 liabilities. He suggested that aa they had bought rolling stock, &c, from themselves they should go a little further and buy the earth works of the railways in progress as well. He ridi.culed the efforts of Government to get rid of these liabilities, and argued that practically half the loan was already spent. It was clear that the Treasurer had completely forgotten them. At first Government proposed to spend this year £700,000, but according to the Estimates they were aaked to spend £950,000. This would leave only for next year. £120,000 of this was already forestalled, so that they would have only £50,000 left for Native lands, school buildings, and everything else. This really meant that they were voting this year all the money that was intended to last two years. It was impossible to give effect .to., the proposals without borrowing again next : year. He urged that the Estimates should be cut down to one million. Richardson said there would be £40,000 available for the purchase of Native land next year. Atkinson knew very well that the expenditure would not come up to the estimate, and he asserted that there would be over two millions available for^ the next two years from all sources.., He would be glad when the j Estimates came on to explain how imuch would be needed to complete the railways for which votes were asked. The principal votes were for lines commenced when the Government took office. , He denied that the land purchases. were worthless. He reminded the House , -that .though 130 additional miles of lines were open the working expenses of the railways had not | been increased. Material changes had I also been made for the better. He had not altered his opinion about railway boards, but they would mean considerable expense for two or three years, and great pressure from all parts of the country. With reference to Ormond's remarks on the Napier line, he pointed out that the House had completely stopped all work on it by cutting off the L 500,000 last year. Moreover, it had never been contemplated to finish it in two years, as alleged. Provision had been made to complete the Otago Central up to a point where it would begin to open up good country, and the Northern Trunk railway would be carried on quite as fast as . the country cared for. Thehon. gentleman reviewed at length the attacks made on the Public Works Department, and defended it from the charges of extravagance and lavish expenditure. They had been accused of contemplating an unnecessary deviation of the Hpkitika-Greymouth line, but as a matter of fact "rib such thing had been determined on, nor were they going to propose lines for New Plymouth and Gisborne, as had been hinted they would do. J. C. Buckland was strongly opposed j to spending money on such lines as Te | Aroha, Grahamstawn-Livingstone branch. j Kerr arid Hobbs spoke briefly. I J. M'Kenzie moved the adjournment of the debate, and the House rose.