THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1912 PREVENTING WASTE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 46, 7 February 1912, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1912 PREVENTING WASTE.

Di king almost cteiy session of Par liament for many tears back the Press of the Dominion has almost iinanirnoiislt condemned the action of the Sedrlmi and Ward Governintnts in Lashing through the Estimates during Ih<. lying hours of a •.ivsskm. Time after time we. have witnessed hundreds cf thousands ol the people's mi.ru-y voted with the most scandalous indifference. Mini«tti.-. Lave again amt again been taken to task for bringing down the P'.l.in Weik.-, imates nt the cloz. of a 9 ng sm-i -m but criticism from h Ministerial and Opposition journals has l<-ft Government still wedded to us evil practices. 1 The bringing down of the Estimates at end of the session though disadvantage 0..- t<> th” country in a twofold .advantage for the Government. In flic first place it the Govern iiv-nt members who are inclined to be independently critical in a prcpci state of subjection, because they know full well that any unpleasant candour regarding the shortcomingof the Administration would be punished by the lopping off cf a cherished \ on the li'-t of annual urizes. Secondly, at the end of the session members in the Opposition are not so keen on criticism. ‘ They have said all they want to say in condemnation of the Government, and arc only too anxious to get the votes passed and return home to their families and private occupations. Thereupon the taxpayers’ money is voted away with a very cursory scrutiny. Members of Parliament have been freely blamed for this indifference, and rightly so. but it is the sy.!i.m which is primarily at fault. With a view to alteration we might, well give close attention to what u proposed to be done in the Imperial Parliament. In reply to representation made by 244 members of the House cf Commons the British Premier appears to have agreed to the appointment of an "Estimates Committee." The functions of this committee would not in any way come into conflict with the "Public Accounts Committee" which exists in New Zealand as well as in the Commons. The wo'-k of the "Estimates Committee" would be to review current expenditure and make the control cf the House absolute over public documents. It is not proposed that the Committee should have control over the Ministerial policy. Such, would, naturally, be impos-

sible. In reply to the lions made to him Mr. Asquith said :

“That such a committee, in order to be successful, must he subject to certain limitations in the scope of their powers—viz., that all consideration of policy must be excluded, that the control of the House of. Commons over the Estimates must be strictly unimpaired, that Treasury control must not be interfered with, and, lastly, that Ministerial responsibility must be in no way diminished. Subject to these considerations .the Government would be prepared to accept the suggestion contained in the memorandum for the appointment of an Estimates Committee.” The suggestion for the formation of such a committee does not in any way. so far as we can see. carry with it the possibility of impairing the control of Parliament. Rather does it place more fully in the hands of the members the power to check waste and curb the desire of Ministers to use the ‘‘public grant” for vote-catching purposes. The committee would, to a great extent, be a deliberative body, the responsibility of Ministers would, like the control of the House, be unimpaired. Home report says: “It is understood that the new Standing Committee will be set up at the beginning of the next session on the initiative of the Whips, and will at once commence their work. The committee will probably be comparatively small in number. A membership of 15 is suggested, and will be similar in constitution to the Public Accounts Committee. Members of all parties will be appointed in proportion to their strength in the House, but as questions of policy are to be excluded from consideration, and the only object will be to a\ oid extiaiagancc and waste, it is not expected that divisions will take place on party hues.” Although it is hardly likely that the New Zealand Government would approve of such a change it could undoubtedly rely upon a hearty welcome from the people of the Dominion. The waste and extravagance which goes on every year under our public grant system is enormous, and a sound non-partisan committee could work wonders by carefully reviewing proposed expenditure and making recommendations for economy and efficiency. It would keep the pump politician with his sheaf of petty requests off the Ministerial door mats, it would give the independent thinker who now has the Estimates bludgecn held over his htad a chance to speak freely up..n Government legislation, and it would also, in a big measure, regulate the distribution of Ministerial rewards for services rendered. In default of a thorough reform of local gova rnment law wherein the obnoxious public gram could be dr ne awn;, with, the Estimates Committer' is the best business proposition which could be put before Parliament. The constitution of the committer: is a comparatively simple matter, whereas many sessions may com” and go' before Parliament presents the country with a comprehensive Local Government Bill.