HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12199, 25 July 1925, Page 5

HOUSE AND LOBBY PARLIAMENT IN PARAGRAPHS

There were fairly full galleries in the House of Representatives last night, when the Hon. W. Nosworthy delivered his Budget. The reading of the statement occupied an hour and threequarters . *** * . BORROWING IN LONDON

“The prospects of borrowing in London on oasy terms in the near future are not good, and it is advisable to look carefully ahead to ensure that the purposes for which we borrow money are directly interest-earning,” says the Budget. “The present condition may be temporary, hut the indications cannot be disregarded, and I wish to emphasise again the danger of outside borrowing on a large scale* while there are signs that the excess of exports over imports is nob sufficient to cover our charges for interest payable overseas.” * * * * Mr W. A. Yeitch made a confession of faith yesterday. “It is my honest belief that between the Tourist Department and the Forestry ,Depar4menfcwe will pay our national debt many times over in the years to come, I see the Minister smiling, but I believe that.” . Sir Heaton Rhodes (Minister for Forestry): If they’d give me a free hand! “Last, year’s Financial Statement referred to toe purchase at a profitable disoount of £260,000 New Zealand. 4 per cent, stock maturing 1929. A further £IOO,OOO was subsequently obtained on advantageous terms, and the whole cancelled on March 31st. This reduction in the debt represents a saving in principal and interest of about £94,000.” —Extract from the Budget. FUTURE BUDGETS * * The Hon. W. Nosworthy, one of the retiring type, who does not like the limelight, expressed the opinion last night that in future the Budget should be laid on the table without a formal reading. , • • • * Says the Budget :-—“ln order that more reliable information may be available regarding the borrowing of local bodies, .proposals are under consideration with a view to cancellation, of unexpired authorities in respect of works which li&ve been, completed. The borrowing of local bodies, as members are aware, has increased considerably in recent years, 'and the elimination of loan authorities’ vvhich are no longer required will ensure , a clearer view of the- position. It ’ will also, I hope, assist in- directing attention. to the desirability ofurestricting borrowing as far as possible to revenue-earning purposes in the interests of ratepayers generally.I'’ 1 '’ ••• * ' •

“The, limit of expenditure that may be charged in any ,one . year to ■unauthorised,* apart from railways, is £360,000, ®n amount considered, to bell igher than is necessary to provide for unforeseen expenditure, . Now that more normal conditions are. obtaining, the amount available for unauthorised expenditure should not exceed £160,000, and it is proposed to amend the Public Revenues Act in this direction,” says the Hon. W. Nosworthy in his Budget. • •• . • • ■ «. BOBEjING UP AND DOWN Mr* W. D. Lysnar became tired of rising in vain attempts .to catch t*S|! Lysnar’a patience ran out, and He made the familiar call of **a point of order.” He pointed out* that he had risen several times, and quoted a section of the Standing Orders to show that he was entitled to receive preference. Mr Speaker, however, showed no signs of yielding. He detailed his pro-, oedure in the case of a motion emanating from the Government benches, Wmch was to allow the Leader of- the Opposition to follow the first speaker, then another member of the Government, and then , a member of the Labour Party. This secured a fair and equitable, hearing for all sections of the House. He knew that there was such a section in the Standing Orders j but it was old and had failed into disuse. A debate of this kind permitted a mem* her to speak four times. They had only to multiply four by five or six (when members rose together) to see what position they would, reach otherwise. He was in the Jnands of the House, however. A Minister was entitled to speak before a member of his party both; by courtesy and by precedent.

The Leader of the Opposition concurred. That bad been the' practice during 25 years, in the House, to his knowledge, he said. Any member of his party would give way to him.

Mr Lysnar, nevertheless, was unconvinced. He held that it waß hia privilege to be heard. He had been sitting there all tie afternoon since the hrst speaker and had not been called upon. . An Opposition member: Well, you’re not the only one. Mr Lysnar: I inay Bay that I had to do the same thing when Sir Frederick Lang was Speaker, and he agreed with my ruling and followed it afterwards. (Laughter.) The Speaker had the final thrust. “As the hon. gentleman sits in the front row he was hot aware that the other hon. members were standing up at the same time,” he said, and the incident closed. The Hon. C. H. Izard was yesterday granted a fortnight’s leave of absence from the Legislative Council, through illness. The Hon. G. H. Clark, who is also indisposed, was granted a week’s leave. • • • • • Half a dozen new Bills were introduced into the House of Representatives yesterday—the Mutual Fire Insurance Bill, the Life Insurance Amendment Bill, the Apprentices Amendment Bill, the Popular Initiative and Referendum Bill, the Rotorua Borough Amendment Bill, and the Counties Amendment Bill. • * • * • One of Parliament’s old friends reappeared in the House, yesterday afternoon—Mr J. McCombs’s Popular Initiative and Referendum Bill. The title indicates the idea behind the Bill, which is to give the people the right to initiate legislation and the right to veto acta of Parliament, The Bill has been before the House on a number of previous occasions without securing the assent of th© House. Mr McCombs expressed the hope yesterday that this time it would be given a more friendly reception than had been accorded it in the post, but hie colleague, Mr Sullivan. though advocating the Bill, expressed the opinion that Mr McCombs would need something more than the faith sufficient to move mountains to make much headwav with the measure. * * • ' 4» * . MR WILFORD’S LITTLE BILL. Mr T. M. Wilfbrd gave notioe in the House yesterday of his intention to move to introduce the Agricultural Bank ,Bill. Perhaps the debate on. the Bill will reveal whether this was one of the policy planks the ox-Liberals were willing to throw'overboard during the fusion negotiations. Anyhow, what does it matter; Mr Wilford has nothing to do with Liberalism now. • * . # ■ • The Speaker if the House of Representatives (the Hon. O. E. Statham), accompanied by members and the Clerk of the House, proceeded to Government House yesterday and presented to the Governor-General the Address-in* Replv. “I thank you,” said- Sir Charles Fergusson, "for your Address, and'for the kind words of welcome to mySelf. I thank you also for your assurance that the measures submitted to you will receive your earnest consideration.” • * • «'■ • Waitomo Caves have yielded almost £14.000 towards the country’s revenue :in the mist six declared Mr J. C. ’Rblfe&tbn' (Waitomo),' and in the ,1#22-23-24 seasons 7400 visitors passed During the season _ just passed he thought that 10,000 visitors had gone through. Even so the caves were not properly advertised, and many times tourists had remarked that they had heard about Rotorua, but had never heard of Waitomo until they came i and found it out for themselves, • * * # * The work on the new accommodation house at Milford Sound was ready to prooeed, stated the Hon. ; W. Noswovthy (Minister for Tourist and Health Resorts) yesterday, but he ooiild not say that it would be completed in, time for the coming, season. They had a great deal of work proceeding on the Milford Sound traok, a.t Glade House and Te Anau, and at Wav tomo. He could, not ask for more money; but- they had the site ready and the work was being kept in -view. The Government had a good deal more in hand this year in the development of tourists’ resorts than ever, before, not in building alone but in reading also. • H • • • *

Natives of the Arawa tribe at Pukeroa, Rotorua, have been very generous in the presentation of a B'ceni/i reserve to the State. Yesterday, Mr FF. Hookly (Rotorua) suggested that as a recognition : of the natives’ action in handing over land worth at least £21,000, the Minister, of Tourist Resorts should have the Maori Cemetery on the hill put in proper order.