LIVELY DISCUSSION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17606, 23 October 1931, Page 9

LIVELY DISCUSSION

FIRST OF THE ESTIMATES PROCEDURE RESENTED CRITICAL LABOR MEMBERS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The House of Representatives went into committee to-day on the estimates. The vote of £SS,SGB for the Legislative Department was discussed as the first item. Members raised objection to the estimates being considered in their iecent form because it had been stated .in the supplementary budget that economies were to be effected to the extent of £1,000,000. Sir Apirana Ngata said provision would bo made in the supplementary estimates for the reduction. Mr. P. Fraser (Labor, Wellington C.) said it was farcical te ge on as the Government proposed. No one knew what the ultimate votes Would be. 1 The Hon. W. Downio Stewart said the supplementary estimates were for the purpose of covering all matters that arose subsequent to the main estimates, whether they involved reductions or increases in the votes. It was impossible at this stage to deal with such matters, because all aspects could not yet be taken into consideration. It had been intimated that economies would be effected. No rule of thumb method was being pursued, it being realised that there were some departments where is was almost impossible to reduce expenditure, while in others services could be curtailed without serious injury, or because they were absolutely necessary. The Leader of the Opposition, ML H. E. Holland, said the House was entitled to know what economies were proposed "before it passed the main estimates. Ho moved to report progress to enable the Government to provide a schedule of the reductions which it proposed to make in the estimates. “I think the House desires to have the whole facts placed before it,” he said. “CAT OUT OF THE BAG”

Mr. J. & Fletcher (Inti., Grey Lynn) said Mr. Stewart’s contention that the supplementary estimates were for the purpose of covering matters arising subsequent to the main estimates really let the cat out of the bug, because economies were certainly not a matter arising in that, manner. Mr. Stewart: They arose long after the printing of the main estimates. Mr. Fletcher; But long before consideration of the main estimates. Mr. Fraser: Hear, hear.

Mr. Fletcher said it liad been stated'in the supplementary budget that the expenditure would be reduced by £1,000,000. He asked what was the Use of the House adopting votes when it was known that the money would not be there to spend. Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Labor, Avon) said the matter before the House at present was only a pretence Of the estimates. The Minister of Finance would, if he were in Opposition, be just as insistent as Labor members and others that the House was being asked to adopt an utterly foolish procedure. Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Lid., Egmont) asked why it was that the Public Accounts Committee had not been set up until a few days ago. He also wanted to know why last year’s chairman, Mr. J. T. Hogan, had been dropped. He himself had also been dropped from the committee. Mr. A. M. Samuel (Ref., Thames): You have joined the Labor Party. Mr. Wilkinson: I am not worrying about myself, but what about last year’s chairman? A voice: He has joined the Labor Party, too. t LABOR AND ECONOMY Mr. Forbes said the Labor Party could not be expected to take up any other attitude than it had. The estimates the House wore working on were the estimates for the year, and it might not be necessary to alter them. It was not possible to bring down any statement yet as to what might happen to them. The Labor Party was opposed to any economies that would bring the country out of its present difficulties. Labor members: That is absolutely incorrect.

Mr. Forbes, replying to Mr. Wilkinson, said it was a recognised thing that a member of the Government should bo chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Mr. Hogan had been elected with United support, but had gone over to the Labor Party. Mr. F. Langstone (Labor. Waimarino) asked whether the Minister proposed to effect "any saving of expenditure by a reduction of interest charges. Did he propose to reduce public .works expenditure? What was the Government’s intention about education? Mr. Langstone insisted that the House was entitled to know who was going to be sacrificed when the economies were effected. Sir Apirana Ngata pointed out that it was not usual to discuss such questions of policy during consideration of tho estimates.

Mr. M. J. Savage (Labor, Auckland W.) said tho Government appeared to want a blank cheque. It seemed that a reasonable thing would be to agree to postpone consideration. Mr. H. Atmorc (United, Nelson) said there were grounds for fearing that the £400,000 saving was to be effected at the expense of education. He declared that there was no scope for savings in that quarter, and such action would be opposed to the principles of Liberalism. Mr. C. E. Macmillan (Ref., Tauranga) suggested that the proper pro cedure .would be for the House to deal with departmental estimates one by one. In that case members could ask the Minister in charge of each class what economies he proposed to effect. It would then he possible for protest Disapproval to be recorded. The House adjourned at l pun.