PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 2026, 16 September 1913, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

STONEWALL OONTINUES. IN OOMMITTEE ON ESTIMATES REPORTS WANTED.

(Ptsm Association.—Bv Telegraph. Wellington, Last Night. The House, in Committee on t'-e Estimates, resumed at 2.30. Mr Witty moved the red'ction of the vote of £10,073 for the Auckland Mental Hospital by £IOO, as an indication that the ace mmodation and r.tafl' were insufficient for the requirements of the institution.

Mr W. D. Macdonald said they were no further ahead now than on Saturday. They ha'' no reports of the Departments nnder discussion. The reports did not belong to the Minister or t'»e G vernment, but to the House If t"ey were going to prevent maladministration and corruption it was necessary to have an official report on the actual condition and needs of the'institution. He argued that irrespective of support every member of the House should be independent enough to de mand their officer's report. Mr G. W. Kussell commented on the fact that the senior medical as sistaut of the Avondale Mental Hospital reoeive 1 only £3OO a year and compared that officer with an appointment recently made by the Government at £6OO a year, the appointee having had neither University education nor degrees to support him

The Hon F. M B. Fisher said that the members of the Opposition had extende themselves on the iniquity of paying a professional £3OO a year when they themselves put an item on last year's Estimates for a juu»or medical officer for £250

Mr Kussell: I criticised t e senior officer, not the junior Mr Fis'-er stated the officerß of the institution were getting moie under Mr Massey's Estimates than nnder the Mackenzie Estimates.

IN THE EVENING.

STONEWALL CONTINUES

The Committee resumed at 7.30 p m

The argument adduced was on lines similar to that of Saturday and this afternoon No new ground is being broke -. Mr Wilfor' moved tn get the Speaker's ruling on the ruiiug of Chairman but not being present when the q eßtion was put it was lo9t on the voices, no one apparently desiring t!:e presence of the Speaker and the debate continued.

AFTER SUPPER, The f) ebate at 11.30. The proced-re was similar to that which ».as irevailed throughout the extended proceedings. All sorts of peculiar arguments have been advocated in support tf the contention tat the House soul- be sup lied witli departmental reports before going on wifcn the Estimates.

in t-ne meantime the Government sit silent.

A special press telenbone message at 3.30 a.m. from Parliament to the Times last evening was to the effect that the stonewall may continue for a week unless the Government give way.