HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Northern Advocate, 22 August 1913, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

YESTERDAY'S SITTI.N'G THE BUDGET DEBATE.

(By Telegraph.—Press Association. >

WELLINGTON, Aug. 22. The House met at 2.30 p.m. The debate on the Budget was reMr. Ell (Christchurch South r, who justified the time devoted by him to the discussion of the finances of the country. The most remarkable feature about the Budget debate was the complete backdown on the part of those now occupying the Government benches, in this respect one of the most remarkable instances was their present attitude towards the State Fire Insurance Department, which they condemned at its inception. It was how held up by the Government as one of the most successful institutions in the Dominion. The prospectus used in connection with the recent loan was a complete vindication of those who had been conducting the affairs of the country for the past 21 years. The Budget a , so was remarkable for the laxity of new matter. There was no new humanitarian legislation. The Government' was simply building upon foundation laid by the Liberal party. The question of developing the water power of the Dominion remained where the Governments predecessors left it. He compared the increases in the Graduated Land Tax made by the respective Governments, declaring that —- the last increase of the Reform Government was infinitisimal against that made by the Liberals. He defended the expenditure on public buildings by the Ward Government, contending that the growth of the Public Service made that expenditure imperative. He commented upon the unfairness of speakers who . failed to point out the large proportion of public debt that was interestbearing, or to draw attention to the concessions made to the public through the Customs by the late Mr. Seddon, and by Sir Joseph Ward, amounting in the aggregate to £ 570.000. Had a slump not come in 1909, more even than that would have been done.