PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 6 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

ARTERIAL ROADS AND THEIR UPKEEP.

[Br Telegraph—Special to Star.]

T , r WELLINGTON, Sept. 5. llie Government, according to the Minister of Public Works, is considering the advisability of taking over theThe question of motorists taxing themselves specially to improve arterial roads was also touched on in the Housoc ; to-day. Mr G. T\. Russell showing somes anxiety to know if the Government s long expected motor tax would soon be announced. Under this arrangement, he remarked, the numerous Mould have the opportunity of paying to keen up remote roads in Tauranga. I lhe Hon. Mr Fraser said that motor car owners were willing to be taxed so long as the money was spent on. loads they used. "I don't know that it is a bad plan," continued the Minister; "if people like to tax themselves to make the roads comfortableto travel over what harm i s there?; J ut I doubt .if it will benefit any back-blocks roads." THE PUBLIC TRUST REPORT. A notice by Mr Laurenson of intention to ask the Minister of JusticeS &-J? ad llot laid th» report of the luolic Trustee on the table of the House produced some severe criticism from the Hon. Mr Herdman this afternoon .'I take entire responsibility for not laving that document on the table or the House," said the Minister in expressing his readiness to answer the question there and then. He denied as before that it was the custom totable any document relating to the Pubic Trust Office. In the 32 yearn ot the history of the office only 15 reports had been tabled. "This particular report," went on Mr Herdman was addressed to the Minister,- and was a confidential document. A report handed to a Minister of the Crown for tablmor should .contain nothing else but a review of the transactions of thepast year. Now the report handed to me contained references to matters of policy Among other questions the West Coast Settlement Reserves was discussed by the Public Trustee; he had not the right to discuss them in a paper to be laid on the table. He also discussed questions relative to the investments of the sinking funds of local bodies, while another question, discussed was the finances under the Lands for Settlement Finance Act. He made references to that matter which I consider should only be made to the House by the responsible Minister in charge of the Department. He pointed out that the finances in connection, with that Land Settlement FinanceAct were absolutely rotten —he did not use those words but words to that effect." The Minister went on to say that a further question discussed m the report was the legal work of the office. He (the Mmister) entirely differed from the Public Trustee regarding the legal work of the office; in fact, he was not at all certain that the expression of opinion by the Commissioners that the gentlemen on the legal staff should confine their attention to doing the work of the officeshould not be strictly carried out. There was, added Mr Herdman, a more serious aspect in connection with this report. It was obvious from what had recently taken place that either in the printing office or in the Public Trust Office somebody in a responsible position had committed a. gross breach of faith by giving information outside. "I think the hon. member for Avon and the gentlemen on the other sidecan congratulate themselves upon having proved that the printing office or the Public Trust Office is not to be trusted." declared the Minister. Messrs Russell and Laurenson raised a, point of order, the former asking if he had any right of reply. Upon being assured that he had" no such right he objected to the Minister giving a lengthy answer, itito which he introduced a most controversial statement. The Hon. Mr Herdman thereupon stated that he would seize another opportunity to revert .to the question, and the incident closed for the moment.