HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10494, 2 November 1912, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.30., / AN INQUIRY WAITED. Mr Glover asked ;the Minister for Public Health to hold an inquiry into the management of St. Helen’s ' Hospital. He intimated that he had , received a telegram from the secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Union demanding such an inquiry. I Mr Myers said he had received a similar telegram. , , • T lie Hon. R. H. Rhodes, in reply, said he had received similar mes--1 sages, and had replied to them. f . . i HOME RULE. . , , Mr Myers stated that he had reoeived a communication from the Young Ireland Party in Auckland ' asking that the New Zealand Parliament should pass a resolution in favour of Home Rule for Ireland. 1 The Premier replied that he could not see his way to ask_ Parliament to interfere in the question.

MR SCOTT - RETRACTS, In connection with the breach of privilege motion moved by Mr McOallum dealing wjth a circular re--1 oeived by him which concerned Mr Scott (member for Otago, Central), ; Mr Scott this afternoon unreservedly ' withdrew his statement made during ■ t - the" debate on the Financial Statement, that his (Mr Scott’s) opponent - at the late elections had been con- \ ducted around the electorate by , < Catholic priests. , t JOSHUA JONES. The report of the committee which . heard the petition of Joshua Jones, : .'already presented in the Council, was presented, and the debate on it '.■ ■■was postponed until next sitting day. ' THE LATE SIR WM. STEWARD. Mr Massey moved, in connection . . .with the death of , Sixr William ■ , Steward, ‘ ‘That the, House records , its high sense of the', distinguished i ’ services rendered by the late y Sir William Steward, and extends its condolencesto his wife and ; family,” The Premier mentioned that the deceased gentleman had been 46 years in Parliament, and •i 'was rightly known as' the Father of •‘vthe House. No member looked after his Parliamentary duties, or was '■. ..-more often " in his seat, than Sir ■; William Steward. He was certain, ''■.he had not one enemy in the -‘.country. , He had held the highest '■ positions possible in the Parliament ' of-the laud, and had succeeded ■ always in maintaining order and ,■ ■promoting harmony. He succeeded. ■' .in placing more' . legislation on the f Statute Book than any other private ', member. His own . feelings could be l expressed in the lines: “Honour to *' his memory; peace to hip ashes. ” ;. . Mr Russell and other members also ’ spoke in eulogy of the deceased, and -V the House adjourned as a mark of respect until the evening. The,House resumed at 7.30. THE LOAN BILL,

,The Hon. Allen moved the second I reading of the Loan Bill, which, it had been arranged, should be debated in conjunction with the Public Works Statement. The Minister stated that the financial market was j ..not very favourable at the present , time, but he hoped to approach it with confidence. He had every reason' to believe that the revenue , 'would exceed the estimate for the odrrent year. He hoped to be able to so manipulate finances. that loan money would keep! the country , going until March, 1914, without on the Consolidated Fund. , The real reaso ;for the loan was that on the 31st March last liabilities and commitments were very heavy, and s|»i»ad to be ’met. He thought borrowing should be brought down | to, ' reasonable limits, though he did not suggest that borrowing should cease altogether. He deprecated the 1 amounts annually charged to the .'V public accounts for public, buildings. such a young country as this, i such expenditure should not be enoouraged. He believed the tacts .-/.-relating to New Zealand could be so pnt before English investors that -f.t money could he raised at a cheaper i-;rate than by the States of Australia. ' He.hoped the money, to be raised would he expended on reproductive ! ' *. works. > Mr Russell said the result of the '‘"■’.l’inance Minister's visit to London v: would he‘ looked forward to with *=;! interest. He emphasised the neces- . sity for expenditure on roads in the f £ backblocks and for opening up lands. k. : ,:He quoted Loudon Stock- Exchange figures to show that New Zealand stocks had fallen since the. present £'Government came into power. Deh; .posits in ' the Savings B.anks also showed a lack of confidence in the (' ''Government. Deposits were £284,000 <'less up to- the end of September this •* year than last year, r/ * jir Malcolm said, the fact that deposits had gone down in Savings - Banks indicated that there was P greater prosperity in industrial »'■ ■ circles. - r Mr Nosworthy said the falling in ; ' stocks was partly due to the war in the Balkans.

Mr McDonald held, in connection -\vith the co-operative system of public works, that as soon as the ’ : Minister had gone round and inspected the, works, ho would he K satisfied in a great many cases. y', , Mr Brown criticised the action of the Govorumcut in closing down the I" East Coast railway works, which £ would, he said, if prosecuted, open fc-W thousands of acres of native laud. ,v. , Public Works Estimates were lv taken in Committee. ■ Progress was reported •n the first item, and the at 1.40.. ‘ j