EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEYS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 305, 11 December 1929, Page 7

EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC MONEYS

ALLEGED STATEMENT BY MB COATES. SIR JOSEPH WARD’S COMMENT. (Per Prpßi* Asuortation ) Wellington, Dec. 11. “The Leader of the Opposition,” said the Prime Minister to-day, “is reported in the Press as having made the following statement in the course of his remarks at Eastbourne last night: ‘The United Party has taken definite steps to undermine what should be a clearly laid down principle. They have altered, or rather propose to alter, the system so as to allow a Minister to have a greater amount of money at his disposal. They are altering a definite, carefully designed and what I believe to be an honest scheme for the allocation of public money. It is not right and will work nut to the detriment of the people of New Zealand.’ “I am at a loss to understand what the Rt. Hon Gentleman had in his mind in making this statement,” says Sir Joseph, “but far from taking any action in the direction indicated the Government has been active in tightening up and making more effective the control of Parliament over the expenditure of public moneys. For instance, prompt steps were taken to institute a better control of the expenditure on public works to enable members of Parliament to see the posi tion of works under construction. The form of the estimates was amended to show in respect of each undertaking the original estimated cost of the work, the amount spent to date and the estimated amount required to comnlote tho work. Further, in order that the various proposals might be subject to expert review from the financial aspect, arrangements were made for Public Works estimates to be submitted to tho Treasury for investigation before being finalised for submission to the House. In addition, it was found that permanent appropriations existed for the expenditure of loan moneys on railway improvement, swamp drainage, school buildings and certain other works. That is to say, expenditure on those works was not subject to annual review by Parliament. This matter teas remedied last session by a section in the Finance Act and in future such expenditure will be subject to annual appropriation by Parliament. BORROWING AUTHORITIES. “Another matter that was attended to was the overhaul of the borrowing authorities. I found that authorities amounting in the aggregate to snout £8,000,000 still existed for such purposes as the war scttleifient of discharged soldiers and naval defence. Where no further loan moneys were required all these unnecessary authorities were cancelled by a section In the Finance Act.

“As a matter of fact, the Government has endeavoured in every way to improve and strengthen the control over the expenditure of public moneys and the statement which is reported to have been made by the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates is absolutely contrary to fact.”