COMPREHENSIVE AMENDMENT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 264, 7 November 1912, Page 5

COMPREHENSIVE AMENDMENT.

MOVED BY ME HANAN.

Mr Hanan (Invercargill) moved an amendment to the Public Accounts Committee's report that the findings and recommendations in the Committee's report be struck out, with a view of inserting other words. These are to ;the effect that the evidence, taken by the Committee and the records of the Department examined by it conclusively proved' (1) that ;the statements in the.Board's resolutions that no political of other influence was at any time used to.influence the Board were true; (2) that members of the Board were justified in asking for an inquiry into the grave reflections on their probity and administration made in the House and Press of the Dominion that money was lent for the purpose of influencing the general election of 191.1, the inquiry having completely exonerated the Board from having been subject to or moved by political influence in the discharge of its duties; (3) that no discrimination on political grounds had been made in the granting, or refusing of loans to local bodies in any electoral district; (4) that no losses had been sustained through want of security under the State Guaranteed Advances Act, and that the losses, amounting to £23,000> had been incurred (a) by the Board's difficulty in finding immediate investment for the funds at credit, (b) to the remission of 10 per cent, allowed to the Department being insufficient to cover expenses and loss of interest whilst moneys remained uninvested; (5) that the losses referred to in clause 4 were a' trifle compared with those made under the old loans to local bodies system ; (6) that the commitments made for payments of instalments extending over a period of years were in accordance with regulations under the Act, and the Crown Law Officer having now advised that such grants were illegal, the Act should be altered to permit of these instalments of advances being made as in the past; (7) and that had the _ post office fulfilled the promise made in June last to lend the Government £1,500,000 there would have been more than sufficient to meet all engagements. Recommendations: —(1) Now that moneys may not be obtained from the Post Office the Act should be. altered to make the interest payable to local bodies the same as that at which it is raised when- moneys are payable to local bodies, plus a reasonable amount for costs of administration;

(2) that preference should be given to ; local bodies whose financial position | and difficulty of carrying oK their i works entitle them to preferential treatment, and the Act should be ;. amended in the direction of classify- j ing the local authorities accordingly. § Mr Hanan, speaking to the amend-! ment moved by him, said if the Committee had. desired to be fair they should have specifically stated that there had been no political influence in connection with the operations of the Advances Board. The report ought also to have stated there had been no ,losses through the lending operations of the Board. ,