HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 August 1901, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

The House met at 2.50.

PROGRES OF BILLS

The Rhodes Trust Bill passed its final stages. The Second-hand Dealers Bill (McGowan). Opium Prohibition Bill (Soddon), and Evidence Further Amendment Bill (Seddon) were introduced and read; a first time.

An Imprest Supply Bill for £608,000 was introduced by Governor's message. ' Mr. Herries complained tfoat the lands, railways, and mines reports had not yet been laid on tHne table ,and said it was impossible to properly debate the Financial Statement without them. Mr. Laoig referred to the uselessness of the Public Petitions Committee, pointing out that it was very seldom that the recommendations made by that committee were given effect to by the Government. Sir Joseph Ward said the lands and railways reports were being prepared as rapidly as possible, and the Government hoped to present them to the House within tibia next three or four days. With regard to Mi". Lang's complaint, he said the petitions that were referred to the Govern-^ ment had to be carefully analysed and' supervised, as in some cases committees were incuined to be too generous. Mr. R. McKenzie thought the financial debate should be postponed till these reports were brought down. Several other members urged it was iiob fair to ask the House to criticise the Statement until members were in possession of the fullest information. Mr. G. W. Russell said if these reports were delayed by a block in the Government Printing Office, it should be brought up to date, and properly equipped with all modern appliances. The Hon. Seddon said it was quite true the Printing Office had not the linotypes, but he would prefer to find work for men ' rather than displace them by these laboursaving appliances. On the motion to go into Committee of Supply on the Bill, Mr. Fisher moved as an amendment, "That the order given by the Minister in charge of. the Government Printing Office directing the Government Printer not to issue reports of members' speeches from '"Hansard" is an infringement of the rights and privileges of tho members of this House." As this notice of motion was on the Order Paper, it was ruled out of order. The Hon. Hall-Jones thereupon moved, "That in the opinion of this House it is desirable that members' speeches be reprinted by the Government Printer as hitherto." ■ .

After a short debate, the motion was agreed to on the voices, and the Bill was put through all its stages witliout amendment. •

HOSPITAL NURSES. On the motion of the Hon. Hall-Jones the Hospital Nurses Registration Bill was recommitted. In commiutee, the Minister moved to amend clause 4. "Who may be registered," by doing away with the provision that tJic matron of a. hosjiital in which a nurse has graduated shall be (lierself a certificat>ed[ nurse. This was agreed to without debate, The House rose at 5.30, The House resumed at. 7.30. The Hospital Nurses Registration Bill was read a third time and passed under the title of the CNurscs Registration Bill*

The Rotorua Town Council Validation and Extension Bill was put through its final stage*. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. ■ At 7.50 the debase on the Financial Statement wm opened by CVnptain Russell, who commenced by referring to the absence of returns necessary to enable them to properly discuss the financial position of the colony and to verify the figures in die Statement. There was through the Statement a subdued tone of irony and a complete tono of insincerity, and he said the Premier has trusted the people veiy little, and in every department had carried on a policy of bribing the people. The great increase in the public debt caused the very gravest alarm throiighout the colony, and if there was one man more than another to whom was due that alarm, it was the Premier himself. It was the duty of the Premier to have taken steps to allay the alarm caused by his own statemems, which were not, as he said, misunderstood, as there was every reason to believe he was aectinvtely reported. The Hon. Seddon: I did not report them, and there was no reporter present. Captain Russell said it must have oeen brought lo the notice of the Premier, ;and if die knew it was inaccurate he ought to have had it corrected. TJie figures oi the Financial Statement were such as to lead anyone to think there was serious danger ahead, and it would have been far better, , instead of making a large increase in departmental expenditure, to have taken other steps to prevent what he himself suggested, an increase of taxation. There was, lie went on to say, a falling off of £24,148 in the Customs returns for the June quarter, or at the rute of £100,000 a year, although that was the quarter whicfli was least likely to show a shrinkage. It appeared that the Premier hud j endeavoured to mislead the House by. saying that the increased expenditure was due to the Royal visit, biu it must be remembered thai* the visit took place six weeks or so after the «nd of the financial year, which was very little affected thereby, and yet in spite of that the Premier referred to the elasticity of the revenue. He believed at no time since lie had ben a farmer hud prices been so low, and the reduced spending power must result in a general and all round reduction of Cuswnis and railway revenue. He quoted figures in support of his contention that the railways were being run at a loss, and pointed out that as most of the railway loan money cost 4 per cent., and railways were only required to pay i> per cent., an injustice was being done .to the country. Concessions, it appeared, were being made irrespective of any true finance, and were due merely to a desire to in some way bribe- the people. The impression the Statement gave was that it was the last the Premier would bring down, and that 'he wanted to show how much better things are now than when the present Government came into office. He showed, however, that the progress of railways during the ten years previous to 1891 was greater in proportion to the money borrowed than for the last lv years, while the difference was still more marked as between the past three years and the three years previous to the* present Administration coming into office. Despite the heavy expenditure by the Government, the population had not increased, and he believed the Government had unsettled every industry, and done unconscionable harm generally by their policy. The money they were now borrowing for compulsory pur-" chase of estates would be better employed in opening up fresh country, instead of driving people off the land which was already settled and paving rates He could not see how, if .existing lines of steamers could not make the Cape trade pay, the Government would achieve any greater measuro of success, but it was possible the question of cold storage at the Cape was wrfrthy of consideration. Mr. Napier, who followed, said Captain Russell 3bad accused the people of New Zealand of accepting bribes, and he submitted that the accusation was an insult to an overwhelming majority of the people oi New Zealand. He gave credit to the Government for having increased the salaries of able men in the Civil" Service as against the reduction carried out by the Atkinson Government whenever bad times came. Captain Russell was urging the cessation of public works— (Captain Russell : "No") —and the running of railways on commercial lines. That was the poncy of the Opposition—to make the- public services earn such profit that taxation would be lightened, and they would escape legitimate contributions to the Exchequer,, which they were now paying through the graduated land tax. As to the railways earning 3 per cenjt;., and being run. on commercial principles, tihiat policy meant that the railways could not be use.'l for opening up the country. The primary object of the railways ougliS to be to open up the country, which must result in a considerable advantage to> the State. As to the increase in the public debt during :t'he past year, more than half of it was directly producing interest, and a great part of the remainder was expended in permanent works, which, formed a very large asset. He defended the vote for expenses of tflie Ducal visit, Imd justified the increases in the education and defence votes. He hoped some practical proposals ■would be submitted for securing the permanency of the 'Frisco mail contract, and advocated the speedy construction of the North Island Main Trunk Railway.

Mr, James Allen urged that the Premier's own words in his statement meant, that unless care was exercised salaries -would have to be kep'j down. Bribery had been incited by the Premier in going to the constituencies and urging that they could not expect assistance unless they supported Wm. As to the Government being willing to pay for ability, he could give a long list of men who had left the service of the colony because the Government had not paid them sufficient for their worth. Referring to the surplus, he said they must deduct £70,000 excess of liabilities this year over last year, besides which the Government had for years been .putting loan money into the revenue side of the accounts. He believed the Premier made the remarks to the West Coast deputation because every word was borne out by the Financial Statement. The Premier preached prudence and economy, yet the Budget said it was proposed to increase the expenditure by £284,000. He pointed out that last quarter there was an excess of £362,000 expenditure over revenue. The excess had never before been so great. We were now unable to face the London money market, and the Premier thought he would exploit New Zealand and Australia. Since 1891 the actual borrowing had amounted to £12,649,000, and the Premier knew it was time to consider whether that policy of heavy borrowing ought to continue, but the most serious matter in the Statement was that there ought to have been a balance of £143,000 in ways and means of the Public Works Account on 31st March last, but that balance was not there. The debate was interrupted at 10.30, and the House adjourned till 10.30 on Tuesday. _^^