PARLIAMENT.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 207, 28 August 1896, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

At the House on Friday,

Hon Mr Seddon, in moving the second reading of this bill, said that on the 31st March last there was a sum of £45,880 to the credit of part 1 and 2 of the public works fund, which, he thought, was satisfactory, as for some i ne past the Government had been d pe iding on revenue alone for the construction of public works and aloo for carrying on ordinary expenditure. Under these circumstances he thought there could be no exception to the proposal to borrow £1,000,000 for purposes defined in the bill. Looking at the state of the Horae money market, he thought before long they would be able to borrow money at 2J per cent. The reason why provision was made in the bill for obtaining money at 3| per cent was that they might raise some of the money in the colony, and they could not expect to do that at 2£ per cent rate. With reference to the railway lines enumerated in the schedule, he said it was impossible with so small a sum as £250,000 to specifically set out the amount that was to be expended on each line. The same contention applied to the vote of £200,000 for development of goldfields and £500,000 for acquisition of native lands. It was impossible to allocate the specfic amounts to be expended on each particular item. When the total sum had been voted by Parliament the amount to be allocated under each heading would be set out in the debate on the Public Works Estimate. This intimation, he hoped, would remove any objection that might be offered to the absence of appropriations in the full schedules of the bill. He said the Government gave pride of place to the Eketahuna-Woodville railway, and it was intended to finish that line as soon as possible. He briefly referred to the work that was intended to be done on the other lines mentioned in the Bill, and went on to say that the colony had not done enough in the past to make its tourist and scenery resorts attractive to foreign ilsitors.’ The amount asked for in the Bill for this purpose would be expended in the best interests of the colony. Notwithstanding this loan the Government were not going to increase their present rate of expenditure on public works. Mr Mitchelson asked what was the boasted finance of the Government worth now ? His opinion was it had utterly broken down, and without this loan they would be unable to pay their officers’ salaries. This was a pretty state of affairs for a Government which boasted of their economy and self-reliancer" He disapproved of the Bill, but would not object to raising money for roading the country and pm chasing native lands. He contended no further borrowing should be undertaken until the electors had been consulted. Mr Duthie said under the Bill the Government would have sole control of the expenditure, and that the House ought to insist on having direct control. He did not believe the Premier himself had any idea where the £50,000 for promoting tourist traffic and opening up scenery was to be spent. Sir Robt. Stout objected to the increased indebtedness of the colony, and believed one-half the interest on the proposed loan would have to be made up by taxation. As a large part of the loan was to be applied to roads and bridges, the Government undertaking its expenditure would lead to wasteful expenditure. The local bodies should be entrusted with this work. The Minister for Public Works said they had received most complimentary reports from outside engineers on the satisfactory work done. He thought the country would congratulate the Government on having introduced the measure.

Mr Collins generally supported the proposal, but was not in accord with the co-operative system.

Mr R. Thompson protested against borrowing money to promote tourist traffic.

Mr E. M. Smith supported the measure in its entirety.

Mr Buddo and Allea opposed the measure and Mr Willis supported it although he did not believe in further loans generally.