MANAWTU EVENING STANDARD. AND POHANGINA GAZETTE. MONDAY. JULY 21, 1902. A CONTRAST.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7352, 21 July 1902, Page 2

MANAWTU EVENING STANDARD. AND POHANGINA GAZETTE.

MONDAY. JULY 21, 1902. A CONTRAST.

Circulation, 2,500 Copies Daily

In the course of the debate on the Loan Bill on Friday night, the Minister for Public Works attempted to make a point of the advantages of the Government administration over that of Sir Harry Atkinson in regard to provision for tho unemployed, in the course o which he referred in a very nasty manner to tho provision of soup kitchens for the necessitous people. He was rather sharply taken to task by the member for JPalmerston for resuscitating ancient history ard attempting to fasten on the opponents of the Government any blamo which might be attached to the previous administration. Mr Pirani pointed out that whiteyer might be said about the provision of soup kitchens the comparison with the action of tho present Government last year vras not to the disadvantage of Sir Harry Atkinson. For instance the distress exis.ting at the time" complained of was not duo to the discharge of men froar public works/ but still every effort-was made to alleviate it; while the distress prevailing last December was entirely caused by the action of the Government in discharging hundreds of men from the co-operative works on tho ere of a " Merry Christmas," without the slightest provision being made to prevent distress to their families and themselves. It .was no excuse to say that tho authority to spend money was exhausted, for it was the duty of the Government to ask Parliament to make the necessary provision, and if that were not done they must be blamed for the incapacity: shown by tho fact that witiiiu one month of the rising, of Parliament the available funds were exhausted. : . ; ■ !