PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1649, 7 October 1903, Page 58

PARLIAMENTARY NEWS.

THE PUBLIC DEBT. A return ay as presented to Parliament on Thursday showing the average rate of interest per cent. paid upon the public debt outside the colony from 18-92 until this year as follows :—IS92-93, £i 3s 4d; 1893-94, £4 3s 2d: 1894-95, £4 0s Id; 1895-06, £3 18s 6d; 1896-97, £3 18s 2d; 1897-98, £3 17. sßd ; 1398-99, £3 17s 6d; 1899-00, £3 16s sd; 1900-01, £3 16s Id; 1901-02, £3 14s lOd; 1902-03, £3 14s 2d.

UN AUTHO RISE D EX PE N DIT U RE. The Public Accounts Committee, to whom was referred the correspondence between the Audit Office and Trousuiy relative to the payment of unauthoi isod expenditure for telegraph extension, reports that as this difficulty is likely to be a recurrent one, legislation should be introduced to meet it. The evidence of tho Premier showed that to enable •the Treasury to carry from March 31st till Parliament meets, the appropriations of the year arc extended by hvw for three months. _ In many departments, notably Raila\ ays, 1 ostal, Po lice, Defence and Lands, the amount so authorised is insufficient for tne three months, as four-monthly Imprest issues have to be made Avithin tho three months, Avliilo only three months’ expenditure is provided for; that is to say, as the law stands at .present. This entails on the Treasury die necessity for conserving the “unauthorised” tor tho fir.sk quarter of the year Mild l Imprest Supply is obtained; otherAvi.se the railway or other employees Avould have to go> Avithout their pay. Although Government has the extension for the three months, practically there are dm four months’ Imprest issues that have to bo met, and co enable this to he clone, Government has to consider the “unauthorised” as far as it can. This has occurred from time to time, and the Premier thought there ought co be an amendment of the law. In the present case, had the vouchers been entered up against the telegraph extension vote they Avould have had to be charged against-the “unauthorised” account, and raihvays or some other department must have suffered. The claims had already been paid. It Avas simply ci question of charging them to tho vote. The payments were made, some out of funds in hands of the Post Office, others by the Agent-General. It did not folloAV that the department, when making the payments, AA'as aAvaro that it AA'as paying in excess of the A r ote ; in fact, at the time tho payments are made, the A r ote may be in furyls, hut by the time the .vouchers reach the Treasury and Audit for entry, an Imprest issue may have been made Avhich Avill alter the state of the vote and preA'cnt the entry being made except as against “unauthorised.’ MORTGAGE INVESTMENTS, According to a return presented on Friday the folloAving amounts Avere invested on mortgage by Government departments: —Government Life Insurance, £1,396,609 (amount of mortgage tax unpaid, £5022); Government Advances to Settlers, £1,748,158; Post Office Savings Bank. £6000; Public Trust Office £794,986. In the case of the Post Office "Savings Bank, the amount of mortgage tax which Avould have been paid if the moneys had been lent by one individual Avould have been £25 ; if by more than one. the amount would A'ary. In regard to the Public Trust Office, tho money forming the common fund of the office out of which the moneys aro advanced oil mortgage -is derived from other sources as ay ell .as thyj estates of deceased persons, i.e., ’Land Assurance Fund, etc., Avhich is not taxable. In other cases the balances at credit of estates not specially invested fall into the common fund, and interest is allowed accordingly, while some of these estates are paying land tax on land and mortgages specially invested. With respect to the Government Advances to Settlers, it is not possible, says the Under-Secretary, to gh*e the amount of mortgage tax which would have been paid had the moneys been lent by individuals or companies because of the exemptions gi\ r e.n to individuals under the Land and Income Assessment Act, but had the above amount of £1,748,158 been advanced by one person the mortgage tax Avould have amounted to £7284. An approximate estimate of the amount of mortgage tax paid by individuals and companies can only be given for the reason that money lent on mortgage is so inextricably mixed up with land values that it is impossible for the Land and Income Tax Department to separate them. The estimated amount of the tax oil mortgages, howe\’er. is £100,000; license fees paid, £19,823. GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING. Recently a return AAffin presented to Parliament showing tlik? cost to the Government for advertising and printing for the year ended March 31st,

1902. For the 1903 period the amount paid AA'as £19,440. Tho principal sums (including weeklies issued from the same office) were :—Auckland “ Star ” £1294, Auckland “Herlad” £9Ol, “Evening Post” £896, “Lyttelton Timas ” £B2B, “Otago Daily Times” £717,' Christchurch “Press” £740, “Southland Times” £613. “New Zealand Times” £557, Dunedin “Star” £444, “Grey River Argus” £371, “Auckland Observer” £364, “Southland Daily News ” £330, <£ Marlborough Times ” and “ Express ” £309, “ Free Lanoo ” £279, “ Greymouth Star” -1*248 “ Nelson Chi on Ist ” £240, W anganiu Herald” £266, “ Timaru Post” £221; “ Taranaki Herald ” £2O/ - THE ESTIMATES. It took Parliament o\'er five horn's on Friday afternoon and evening to discuss the public and school buildings and domains \ r ote. From a statement prepared by Mr James Allen, tho Opposition delivered thirteen speeches on the vote and tho Government supporters tv/enty-one. Tho Premier challenged tho statement, Avhereupon Mr Alien verified tho figures by submitting to the-House a tabulated list cf the speakel's. Tlie Opposition declared that they Avere aware of the game that was being played, but, said Mr Massey, “ everything comes to him avlio ay a its.” They had Waited all the evening (it Avas then 10.35 p.m.) for the Defence Estimates. They had Avaited until two o’clock last Saturday morning for them, and until 1 a.m. on the previous Saturday, '“but,” added the leader of the Opposition, “ they w ill be lucre presently, and no doubt they will have justice done to them. But after Avhat has taken place tills evening the Premier Aviil never bo able to aoauwe members on this side of tho House of obstruction.” The Premier said the Opposition had added insult to injury. They had deliberately blocked business on Imprest Supply, until the midnight hour had arrived, and then the papers avlio supported the Opposition said that they had by their action taught the Premier a lesson. The Government supporters had, ho thought, shown great moderation, and lie AA'as almost inclined to say “Up, boys, and at them ” —(laughter)—with a view to extermination. When the avool Avanbed clipping they Avould not- get tho Opposition side cf tho House to stay, but if they Avere kept till Christmas it Avould sierve them right.