THE LOAN BILL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 15160, 2 October 1913, Page 7

THE LOAN BILL.

OPPOSITION CRITICISM.

FINANCE MINISTER'S REPLY.

Pee Pbess Absop'utio3t,

t «. WELLINGTON, Oct. 1. in tne .House this evening, in com%s"? "fA. Aid i>ubiio Works and Land Settlement Bill, the Opposition criticised the pauoity of infSrma■li S o^ in the schedule, and twitted Ministers and Members of thei J arty with adversely criticisms the borrowing policy of the previous bovernments and yet aoquiescin<* it ex m y slulilar Procedure The Hon Jas. Allen defended himself against the charge of inconsistency m connection with the loan of 1909 when he moved to reduce the item In respect of othe.- public works." ±lo did so because they were asldna tor an abnormal loan of over two milZf4° ? **»*«» ww for public works. Both amounts he thought excessive. It waa not possible to give ail the details on which , the monev was required at this stage, but he could give them some—liabilities £673,000; additions to open lines, £500,000: publio buildings, £400,00!); roads and bridges would probablly require half a million; te.egraph extensions, £150,000 lhat was as much as he could tell the ■House, because until tho system of public accounts was reformed information could nob be given ' These amounts never had been "allocated when a. loan Bill was brought down. He ' thought the amounts should be-first | allocated, but all these changes could not be offeoted a* once. The reason the Loan Bill was being brought down thus early was that he did not want to help out the finances by c'ssuine Ireasuiw bills. , At 11.30 p.m. Mr Hanan moved to reduce the item of £150.000 for "other publio works," by £IOO,OOO, as an indication that it was -not fair to submit a rote to the House without any indication as to what the moneywas for. The Hon, Mr Allen said the money wis required very largely for post and telegraph extension. Tho amendment was rejected by 58 to 5. Bill was then reported. OTHER BILLS. THE POLICE FORCE. Tho Police Force Bill was further considered in, committee. Oh the clausa providing for suspen*. agreed to the suggestion by Mr Veitch spoke ' against ' indiscriminate power being given in that direction to a superior. . officer, and Mr Herdman agreed to the suggestion by Mr Veitch that after a man has been suspended foi 20 days his pay shall continue. Sir J. G. Ward asked if the Minister were in favour of establishing a board of appeal, similar to that operating in the railways, and tho post and telegraph departments. Mr Herdman replied in -the negative, holding that it wag essential that the police should be always under- the strictest discipline., Sir Joseph Ward held that as the principle was recognised in the country it should apply -to any branch" of the service, and later he would move an amendment in that direction, v On a clause dealing with the constitutioa of the Appeal Board, Sir J. G "Ward moved to provide that' the Board shall consist of a Judge or -a. Magistrate as chairman, _ an outside member appointed 'from time to time by the Governor, one commissioned officer, and one non-commissioned officer of the Force. , . . The Houso divided, and the amend ment was lost by 33 to 25. Mr yeitch then moved to make th« Board's decision final, and that was .lost on the, voices. "The House - divided on a motion'to oarry the original clause—Ayes 32, 1 noes 22. "- - '' . ■* - |-' (Left sitting. '