PICKINGS FROM "HANSARD."

Timaru Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 5195, 16 July 1891, Page 4

PICKINGS FROM "HANSARD."

OHEOKIN& PUBLIC BDSINES3. Mr O'Conor — Xhe^ Government had made inquiries into tho, i"ublio Trust Office, and had fonriH thereby that there were a groat many things done there m error, done wrongfully ; and hs' could tell the Government that they would find faults ia every; department if they would only use proper means for making searching inquiry. He would tell them why. Because the practice of 'Governments had been to appoint officers by I favouritism— nearly always by favouritism — and then they had opposed almost everything m the way of interference with the, depart ments, and this had tended to farm the officers into rin'go, to guard each other from the effects of wrongdoing. How did ja bank guard againßt. this . sort of thing?' .By periodical iuspections. If a bank-manager were m .charge of a branch for, nayj twelve months, 'he ' was then relieved for; three months, and some trustworthy person wos -. sent to pick up the threads aqd report upon : tho business. Something of the same sort should be done hero m connection with the colony's business, No man should bo allowed to remain ia office year after year without having his work inspected. THH ATE OP WBZIXSQTOIt. Mr Bauridei?fl.— They all knew tbat ovovy newspaper m Wellington was pledged to '•! support the Civil Service through thick and thin, and that when any man was dismissed from thatServioe thsre wag a general h wl id those papers, and also on the part of thn members for Wellington. He hoped that when they came to consider the necessary proposals of the Government they would bear m mind such recommendations as this, and . be thankful to the Minister of Publio Works for carrying out real and substantial economies. He only hoped that the Wellington air would not have the same, effect on that honourable gentleman as it had had on others who had been his predecessors m office., Mr O'Oonor : Shonld he be told, nfter the experience tho colony had had, that this Publio Works Department, centralised m Wellington, could spend money economically F If any gentleman m that House thought that that was so, let him inquire into the history of public works on tho West Coast, and ho would see, that m every bridge they had made, and m every work they had carried out, they had buDgled m a most atrocious manner — in. a munner that retarded the progress of the district, and had caused no end of expense to the colony. .• . . The system of the Public Works Department had been one of secrecy and of misrepresentation to the representatives of the people m this House, and the public could never arrive at the way m which works were done. Most iofamous reports had been presented to the Eouse from this department — reports wrong, and misleading tho Oouse m every way. WHBBB DOES THE lIONBS BO? Mr t'cobie Mackenzie- How is it that, when money derived from wool, which apparently goes into the pockets of the people who may be comparatively few m the community — I want to know how does it coma about that tbe rest of the community manage to participate m the benefit ? It is needless for me to cay that tbe process is exceedingly simple. The money goes into tho packets of ihe particular producers or growers, but dnes not remain there. These individuals immediately begin to opend it iv improvements, '.they build and fence and ditch and let coqtruc.s. And what is tho result ? To put money into tho pockets of the labourers. The labourers fall back upon the local storekeepers ; tho (storekeepers fall back upon tbe merchants, tho inerchantß upon the importers ; and so the wave of prosperity goes round the colony, "and people' say, "See how largely we are,importing . il exporting ; look at the prosperity which seems to be eottling upon this colony — how scarce labour ia and how. high wages arc." If, then, money going into the pccketß of individuals benefits th<i community by some indirect process, is it not morally certain abasluteiy nnd logically certain — tbat mensy unnecessarily taken from those individuals must injure others ia the community beside? themselves ? It is not . possible it cjuld bi> o'.berwiee; ■ . , , ' A GIGANTIC SHAM. Kr ccobio Mackenzie — The people may be pulled with the idea that eomothiig of the sort, is being dona ; but rest assured there will bo no bursting up, though, tho country may think that the eotutes are " g->iog "at a prodigious rute JToncy tbo, Attorney-General n-ritiug to hi* principals eomowhat after this tlyie : " Dear S'ira, — 1 very much regret to inform you that the Government of \fhich 1 am a member have decided to burst up jou:Globa Assets, and genorully to smash up the capitalists connected with the Bank of Sew Zealand," and then he signs himeelf " fiolicifor tor ths said Globn Assets and for the Bank".' Ob, dear, no! Sir ! wo shull not see that sort of thing., Tha whole businers is v gigantic sbam from beginning to er.d, intended to impose upon the psople of New Zealand, and, credulous a3 the mass of people aro, thoy will doubtless believe the ituposturo until they find that tbe eßtalea are not burst up. ' , A PIECE OF LOGIC, Mr Saundera— The honourable gentleman gave utterance to another extraordinary piece of logic. He. tells us that this policy, which is now proposed cannot be successful because, if the large estates ure broken up, it will produce no revenuo from the progressive tar, a':d if they are not broken up it wili not pro luce the beneficial effect that is intended. Well, Sir, I' can only say thia : that, if tho iarga estates are broken up m the sense that they are occupied by industrious settlers, I care nothing about revenue — the revenue would come m a great deal better from thriving, industrious settlers that it will ever do from uncultivated wastes. TOWNS AND PKOPEBTT TAX. Mr Sounders— By exempting improvements m towns you exempt the great bulk of the property j and I say, if you err on noy side, you should err on tho aide of tnxicg the towns overmuch rather than over-little. If you drive men out of the towns, you do no barm ; if you make one distributor do the work which haf been done by two or three, you do no harm ; but, if you put burdens on oar farmers, and drivo them out. of the country, then farewell to any prosperity m this colony. The towns can never keep tba farms, but prosperous farms will soon make prosperous towns, DtTMinr BBTBEHOHMBHT. Mr Buckland — My constituents said, " Theso are splendid people ;" and I came down and said, " I have a good mind to sup-; port them if f.beso things are carried out," But after all what do I see on going through tho estimates ? Looking nt the expenditure of last year I sco that it is £30.000 leaa than what wo are asked to vote this yeur. And flii* is retrenchment — this is all tho proof I can look at. Ido not care how you twist the figures about, we aro esked to vote £30,000 more than we spent lust year. Thiß ia the result of all the banquets and chn.ropiignedrinking and tho addresses throughout the colony. When I siw theso Liberal Ministers being led round — B^mething lika Iho unfortunate Bunthornc — with fioweri) and roseß about their head*, I thought their admirore were exhibiting them like gome now hind of wild beiuU. It na> grand to see Ihirn going übout thn country— Uib first now Liboni) Govorninent And wha'. has tbo retrenchment cometo? 'J'hera it only «no answer. My conelituenln will -*ant to know how much we b«v-.- voted. Wo mutter how tho sums are l.wUlvA übout. horo or thero, we aro [joing to be usked to vote £30,000 moro than last yi-iir ; nvA thin is tbe only answer I ein give ilnin. -Ujd this ia all that tho Government i whoso great idea was retrenchment cun do.