House of Representatives.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7500, 1 July 1903, Page 2

House of Representatives.

NEW BILLS. Notice was given of the introduction of a large number of Bills— among them being—Bible Lessons in Publio Schools Plebiscite Bill (Mr J. F. Arnold), Absolute Majority Bill (Mr R. McNab), Juvenile Smoking Suppression Bill (Mr H. G. Ell), Wireless Telegraphy Bill (Sir J. G. Ward), Workers' Compensation for Accident Act Amendment, Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment, and Shops and Offices Bill (the Premier).

IMPREST SUPPLY BILL. The Imprest Supply Bill for J-575,000 was introduced by Governor's message.

Mr J. Duthie expressed strong dissent from the practice that had grown up of late years of calling Parliament together only at the last moment, when the House"was hurriedly driven to vote supply. The question was whether the House was going to rule the finances of the country or give up control to the Ministry. He urged that Parliament should have been called together in April, just after close of the financial year. Sir ,T. G. Ward said that April would not suit the f aiming section of the House. Ministers would be very glad to call Parliament together soon after the close of the financial year; but it was in response to the request of the country members that tbe sittings of Parliament were fixed for June. He denied that there had been any lessening of the position of Government, and that the tie between the Colony jmd the Old Land was in any way being weakened. If the House had lost control of the finances of the Colony, the House was to blame, as the financial proposals of the Government were brought down in concrete form every session, and it was open to the House to agree or disagree with them as it thought fit. Sir William Russell complained that the House had allowed the Ministers to become its masters, and the Ministers could now snap their fingers in the face of the House. If Parliament could not bo called together at an earlier date, the closing of the financial year should be altered.

Others members having spoken, the" Premier said that neither in the House of Commons nor in this House until of recent years was it the custom to have any debate at all on Imprest Supply Bills. The practice of challenging imprest supply had only grown up recently. The accounts for last year were not passed by the Audit Department till May 14th. How could the House meet then in April ? He went on to say that the provisions of the Bill under discussion were in accordance with appropriations made last session. He had no desire to keep back public information, Every shilling of expenditure had been shown in the Government Gazettes and tbe Opposition press had commended the Government on the course they had taken.

The Bill then passed through Com mittee.

On the motion for the second reading Mr W. H. Hemes said he noticed the sum of £10,000 was to bo transferred from the Consolidated Fund to tho Publio Works Fund, and ho wanted to know whether the money was going to be transferred now or at the end of the financial year, as was done last year.' He said he voiced the general dissatisfactipn that was felt throughout tho country, at the non-expenditure of money voted for public works. Mr W. F. Massey said he feared that the near approach of the General Election was responsible for the voting of large sums of money for public works laßt session, a large proportion of whioh had not been expended. Messrs W. C. Buchanan and J. Duthia protested against rushing the Bill through.

The Premier said that the transfer from the Consolidated Fund was the usual transfer, and in this case it consisted of one-third of last year's surplus which had not been allocated for any purpose. With regard to public works expenditure, he thought it would be found at the end of the year that the expenditure had been up to the average. This Colony could not go on spending borrowed money on public works at the rate of two millions a year. The Bill then passed its final stages. The Premier move than the House place on record its high sense of the djS'~'' tinguiehec} services rendered Colony by the late Hons. Win. Bollegtoi), George Whitemore," M. S. Grace, G. N. Morris and W. Swangon, and tenders to the respective families its sincere sympathy in their bereavement. Other members spoke in a similar etrain.

Tho Premier stated that the debate on tho Address-in-Reply would be taken at 7.30 next evening. The House then adjourned.