HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 7048, 9 October 1900, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Monday, October 8.

The House met at 7.80 p.m. PDBLTO WORKS ESTIMATES.

On the motion of the Hon. W. HallJones to go into Committee of Supply, Mr Guinness congratulated the Government on the Public Works Estimates, but was sorry that they had not come before the House for a vote for railways and for roads to open up the back blocks. He also called attention to the practice that had grown up of the House voting money for public woiks and the departments not expending the

Mr Pirani was not satisfied with the Estimates, especially the huge expenditure proposed in connection with the huge white elephant— the Midland Railway. He referred to the Manawatu Gorge bridge and other public works that he said were necessary in his district.

Mr A. L. D. Fraser called attention to the inundation at the Western Spit, Napier, urging that, unless the Govern* ment assisted, Napier would, in course of an inundation, be out off from Wairoa and the West Coast. He urged that provision should be made on the Supplementary Estimates for that work.

Captain Russell urged that a sum should be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for the work named, which was necessary, not only in the interests of the Spit, but as a protection to Government .property. Referring to the Statement, he thought some explanation was necessary as to why double the amount voted last year should be required this year. Mr Witheford advocated that in the railway policy one line should be finished instead of going on with a lot of unfinished lines.

Mr E. M. Smith urged the claims of the local bodies to a pound for pound subsidy for road making. Mr Herries congratulated the Premier upon having adopted one of the planks in the Opposition programme, viz., the bringing down of the Estimates before the Loan Bill.

Mr Laurenson complained that his district, and the South Island generally, had not been so well treated as the North Island.

Major Steward thought that a loan would have to be raised to complete the railways now in hand, although he admitted that the present time was not favorable for raising money. Mr Bollard urged the claim of the North Island to a more generous treatment in the way of roads and railways than had been the case in the past. Mr Seddon was sorry that there was not more money for expenditure on public works. Pressure from members for more expenditure had been very great. " Give 1 Give!" had been the cry all over the colony, and no mercy was felt for the Treasury. It was impossible the country could go on at the rate some members wished. Appropriations for public works this year ' amounted to .£1,400.000; but next year, owing to the reduction in the tariff, there would be a smaller sum available. To meet their demands a loan of two millions would be needed. Personally, he would sooner leave the Treasury benches than land the colony in any such obligation. He hoped the House would not force on the Government a policy of heavy borrowing that had proved so disastrous in the past, and asked the press of the colony to sustain him in that decision. The Estimates were larger than he approved of.

Mr Collins urged that local bodies should have greater borrowing powers, with a view to carrying out local works which they could much more effectually do than the Public Works Department. The motion to go into committee was carried.

The first two clauses passed unaltered, and progress was reported. The House rose at 8.25 a.ru.