STATE POLITICS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11482, 2 September 1915, Page 5

STATE POLITICS.

NEW SOUTH WALES. CENS'JRE MOTION NEGATIVED. | JJy Telegraph—Pre?# Atwodfttioi 1 •—Cojiynifh". i (Received. September 'J, 9.3-> a.m.) SYDNTA 7 , September '2In the Assembly. Mr Wade, speaking j to the censure motion, said thai the j agreement, with. Messrs Norton, Giiilitlis and Co. was unsatisfactory, since it was fraught with grave danger to the State. He pointed out that the. contract bad been condemned two years aao because supreme control was given, to a. contractor U» strike a blow Mtal to the principle of day labour. He referred to the absence of fair competition, and said there was no limit stipulated as to the amount/ the company spent and no guarantee that itwould not l>e behindhand with its contracts at the end of five years. He thought that tho proper thing for the Government to have done was to borrow £10,000,000 over five years. Mr Holman, replying, said that in December last 23,000 men dependent on public works, the Broken. Hill mines were closing down, an there were clear indications impending industrial calamity. Tho necessity o the hour was tho continuity of woik. There was a.u embargo on loans, except for war purposes. Government and the people had lived literally from baud, to mouth for four mouths. 'I he. firm offered, the only financial service possible to keep the workmen from .starvation. There might be good reasons for coudemmng the scheme, but there were better ones for applauding it. Me deplored the abandonment of the day labour principle, but accepted the lesser ; of two evil*. The fact that the Government entered into the scheme I in face of serious labour opposition ought to guarantee its, honesty of purpose. The motion was negatived by 37 to j 2s.