HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 195, 17 August 1912, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30 p.m. t

THE OTIRA TUNNEL

In connection with the petition sPresented by McLean Bros., praying to be relieved from the Otira tunnel contract, the Chairman of Committees reported that in view of the urgency of the matter a special Select Committee should be set up to deal with the petition. This was done, on the motion of the Prime Minister. THE ESTIMATES. | Mr HINE (Stratford) presented the l-eport of the Public Accounts Committee on the Estimates. • THE HINE CHARGES. Speaking on the item of "£504, Hine charges, law expenses," Mr HINE said that an idea had got abroad that he had received from the Government an amount for paying his. expenses in connection with the ■charges made by him two years ago. He had received nothing at all from the Government for his costs. Apparently there had been an understanding between the Ward Government and those charged that if the latter did not pay their legal costs the Government would foot the bills. Payment of the amount was sane- : tioned by the Ward Government the day before they left office, and , the money paid by the Mackenzie Government.

Sir Joseph WARD said that the Public Accounts Committee took no exception to the amount of the :account.

Mr HINE: "I stated that it was ;an improper payment." Sir Joseph WARD said that Mr Hino simply took objection-to the whole procedure. He had been approached by Mr Hine's counsel and asked to pay Mr Hine's costs, and .on the spur of the moment he had .refused. Mr Skerrott had been aprproached by some of those . against whom the charges had Been levelled, and asked to conduct the cases for them. Mr Skerrett had approached the late Attorney-General and informed him that he was not sure that he could get his expenses from the men. He could not take up the cases unless he could be sure of geiting his fees. The then Attorney-General consulted Cabinet, who came to the conclusion that in the event of Mr Skerrett's costs not being paid, the | Government would be responsible-,. Though the charges were not laid against the Government, it was indirectly concerned. Later Mr Skerrett had informed -him that his costs had not been paid, and as a matter of honor ,the Government had paid them. He had sent for Mr Myers, Mr Hine's counsel; and told him that ho was prepared to pay a portion -of the costs on the other side; but Mr Myers refused. Mr Skerrett had not been employed by the Government at all. He.wished to make that quite •clear. The Government did not stand in the way of the fullest information 'Jbeing obtained in connection with th© Hine charges.

Mr MASSEY said that the matter fiad not been brought up for political capital to be made out of it. It was ajot a question of whether payment .should be made, but whether Mr Hine and not the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee should be able to clear himself. It had been published in the papers that Mr Hine had had part of his expenses paid by the j Government.

Sir Joseph WARD : "I/could have contradicted that on the first day of the session if I had been asked.*'

Mr MASSEY said it was an improper and iniquitous payment. Why had they waited nearly two years before pajung the money? Sir Joseph WARD: "I had not been asked before."

Mr MASSEY: "If the money had not been paid up to the present it would not be paid now. The, Government should not have given a guarantee." He regretted that payment had J.«een made, and the Government had done a very wrong thing in paying it. Mr RUSSELL (Avon) said that the Ward Government had every right to guarantee the amount to Mr Skerrett. It was the function of Parliament to protect its members. Mr LEE (Oamaru) held that as the Government had paid Mr Skerrett's account, they should have done the .same with Mr Hine's counsel.

Mr HINDMARSH (Wellington South) said that as Sir Joseph Ward lmew that Mr Skerrett's costs would be paid by the Government, it was his duty to go once to Mr Bine's counsel and inform him that the Government would pay him too., ,Had MiBine known that his costs would be paid, it might have completely changed his case. Sir Joscph^WAßD said that when Mr Myers approached him he had no idea- what the costs would be, nor whether they would be paid by those Mr HINE, in replying, said that lie appreciated the remarks of Mr Hindmarsh. His costs for the inquiry tad amounted to £325. The report was laid on the' table. BUDGET DEBATE. Mr SIDEY (Dunedin South) continued the debate on the Budget. He referred to the prosperity of the Dominion, and said that the Budget ignored all that had been done of a most remarkable and unprecedented kind during the past 20 years. He suggested that any immediate curtailment of expenditure might react very unpleasantly. He also pointed out that the Government had made no statement in regard to carrying on j the construction of railways on the i -co-operative system, which ho urged would be very useful if. the unemployment difficulty arose. The Government had a great opportunity to show whether it deserved the title of progressive. Not only land monopolies, but other monopolies had to be dealt with. Every reasonable opportunity should be given the Government to show what it could do.