ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19124, 16 September 1925, Page 14

ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.

NO POLITICAL INFLUENCE. LABOUR LEADER'S QUESTION. PROMPT DENIAL BY MR. COATES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. An emphatic denial that political considerations have anything to do with the allocation of public funds was given by tho Prime Minister. Hon. J. G. Coates, in tho House of Representatives to-day, in reply to a suggestion quoted from tho newspaper, tho Northlander, by the leader of the Labour Party. Mr. Holland gave notice to ask whether the Prime Minister's attention had been drawn to an article in the issue of the paper for Septembor, containing tho following passage"Colonel Bell is the Govern' ineni noihineo and ho has tho oar of the Prime Minister, who is also a representative cf this Northland Peninsula. There is no use mincing matters. A sitting member who is also a member of tho Government Party will get more for tho people whom ho represents than any other. It is very evident that it has boon so in tho past and it will bo so in the future." He asked whether the Prime Minister would repudiate this attempt to bribe tho electors and whether he would give ail assurance that if the Labour candidate, Mr. Bissett, or any other candidate wero returned the electorate would not suSer from the fact that it was not represented by a supporter of the Reform Party. Mr. Holland said the imprint of the paper showed that the publisher was Allen Bell. Mi. Coates rose as soon as Mr. Holland sat down, remarking that ho would answer the question straight away. Ho took it, ho said, that the paper referred to the allocation of public funds. The .policy of the Governmont was to allocate them" according to merit. Any method adopted to Grid out tho rolativs merit, of different claim's was open for discussion. The Government considered that its method of dealing with the question was a good one. It was the first Government, he believed, that had adopted a dofinte system. Mr. Holland: Would you repudiato the statement ? . _ . Mr. Coates: I am replying to the question. Mr. Holland; Would you repudiate it? Mr. G. Witty: Mr. 801 lis not here. Mr. Coates: If this statement alleges that we allocate public expenditure according to tho amount of support wo receive, I absolutely repudiate it. Mr. Holland: Hear, hear. Mr. Coates: Hon. 'members know just as much about tho allocation of public funds as Ido myself. I have always put all my cards on the table. It does not matter whether a Reform, or Liberal, or Labour member represents a district. AFTERMATH OF WAR. PETSTIONS FOR RELIEF. REPORTS BY COMMITTEE. APPLICATIONS FROM AUCKLAND. [BY TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. In the House of Representatives to day tho Defence Select Committee reported upon a number of Auckland petitions which had been referred to it. The committee recommended that the following be referred to the Government for consideration: —Zillah Stevens, of Heme Bay, praying for a war pension m recognition of the services of her late husband. Edward Walls, of Devonport, praying for a renewal of war pension. Trevor Noel Holmden, of Auckland, praying for the payment to him of differences in pay and gratuity between the Imperial and New Zealand rates. With respect to tho following the committee had no recommendation to make:— Christian Kienle, praying for compensation for physical infirmities alleged to be duo to want of medical attention while he was interned on Somes Island. Myrtle Evelyn Peacock, of Rotorua, praying for a compassionate allowance in recognition of the services of her late husband on the staff of the New Zealand Defence Forces. Wilfrid F. Cox, of Namata Road, Onehnnga, praying for compassionate allowance as recompense for a permanent disability incurred while on active service. George Wells j Smailes, of St. Heliers Bay, praying for a compassionate allowance for disabilities incurred while on active service. Norman Edwin Wilson, of Hillsborough, Onehunga, praying for a compassionate allowance in respect of an in jury'he received while a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. VOTING QUALIFICATION. THE TRAVELLING WORKER. RESIDENCE REQUIREMENT. [BT TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. r A question whether certain railway workers whose work took them to a number of places would inevitably be disfranchised by the new three months' residence requirement was raised in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn). The member cited the case of two men who had been moved from Wanganui nine months ago, and had not since been more than two months in any one place. The Prime Minister replied that if the men were married and domiciled in an electorate, they would not have any difficulty about voting, but ho recognised that there was at present a difficulty in regard to single men. However, the question was being looked into generally and he would give a definite reply later. USE OF THE LIMITED. t _ WAIKATO PEOPLE'S FEARS. POSSIBILITY OF EXCLUSION. [BY telegraph.—special reporter.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The member for Waikato, Mr. F. Lye, is very anxious that the right of his constituents to travel from Auckland to Frankton on the limited express should not be curtailed. In the House of Representatives to-day he drew attention to a newspaper statemont that in a short time the limited would cease to carry such passengers. He asked the Minister for Railways, Hen. J. G. Coates, whether he would make a statement on the matter, which was causing much concern. " I, am not acquainted with what the department proposes to do," replied Mr. Coates. " I have not been informed. Usually the train is full passengers for near districts are cut out and must- take the next train, which leaves in about half an hour.' 1 ' Mr. Lye: They were carried all last summer. Mr. explained that the train was limited to a certain number of carriages and it would be inadvisable to put on more fur the accommodation of passengers for Frankton. If the train was fully booked up they would have to travel by the next one, but he saw no need to prevent their using the limited as long as accommodation was available. Ho would look into the matter and let the member know just what happened when all the accommodation was booked up.