PARLIAMENT.

Waikato Times, Issue 12181, 16 September 1911, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

FRIDAY'S PROCEEDINGS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

(Per Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Friday night Th-3 House met at 2.30 p.m. BUDGET DEBATE.

The debate on the Budget was resumed iby Mr Arnold (Dunedin C.) who pointed out that the main questions had nottifceen touched on except by the first two speakers. He looked upon -the' Opposition as being a® dead as 'Julius Caesar, and thought the Government would do better to watch (the under currents running through the Dominion than pay such attention to the Opposition. Personally he would always be found with the progressive party i© the House irrespect&vei of its title. He considered the Budget the most progressive for many years past and wouLd 'heartily (support it. Referring to/* the labor problem he held that what workers required was the right to work and not charity and unemployment. The insurance scheme did not cover this matter.

Mr Allen (Bruce" 1 argued that the Oppositioni so far from toeing dead would come back from the country a strengthened reform party. In reference to insurance against unemployment his party would make an honest endeavor v to do something tangible tn the matter. He pointout the necessity for something bein<_ r done for Central Otago. The appropriation's made had never heen expended, and now on the eve of an electj'oini the GO'Vemtnemt prqppseri to do something. He expressed regret at the waste of money in railway construction all over thie Dominion, mairibadninig that lighter lines should be 'built in a new country. The extraordinaryl haste with which the Budget had been framed resulted in inaccuracies and misstatements, and the Premier bad misrepresented to the public the amount of the nation>al debt. The Premier had put the debt higflnen than it 'actually , wias, stating it to 81 million instead of 77 millions. It was not his duty to show it lower than it was, but these figures served to show the inaccuracies in the Budget. He took exception to thle statement th,qt the treasury 'bills had beem paid off, inasmuch as they have been renewed a few weeks after being cleared. Errors usually occurred to make figures appear in favor of the Treasurer, and such things dttd not give confidence in the completion of the figures. Mr Russell (Avorf) replying to Mr Allen's speech said it might be characterised as fault finding and nagging on, minor details. He was convinced that the country was sound and prosperous, which would not be the case with a change of Government. The Budget generally was optimistic with 'a supreme confidence in the people and a broad humanitarian view of all imatters. Opposition members were calling out, out, "What is .yiO'M land policy?" "Why," said Mr Russell," it is all in the present law. That is the policy" To pcJint, hie remark he mentioned that for ttihe year lending, MiJtfroh 1911, 1,412,742 .acres of land had been taken up by 2267 selectors. EVENING SITTING.

On, the iHoufse resuming in the evening, Mr Herdtman (Wellington North,) continued the debate. He declared that the whole of the srbaibeanenit regarding/.' the -treasury \ Ib&lls was slippery. He averred that the cost of railway construction materially increased between 190& and 1911, the difference baring £48,000 per mile. The Budget he described as a deliberate atitempt on the part of the Government ito rehabilitate themselves. It showed nortMng as to* how the Native l a nd could be settled, nor was there any reference; made toi that "expensive superfluity," the Legislative Council., The general tread of the legislation and the manner of taxation was 4iavin>g a 'disastrous effect on the working man. Mr LauriwiQioin (Lyttplton) maintained ttfhat the Budget contained more far reaching humanitarian proposals thani ever put before the country in 'any previous Budget. With refinance -to Mr Okey's contention that the leasehold should be the stepping . stone to the freehold, he reminded him that the Government had to legislate for posterity, not for this decade. He urged the Preknier to concentrate attention on the proper education of the young to fit them for the world of usefulness and self reliance and also upon a sound land policy with an, increased graduated, tax.

Mr Fisher (WeMdngiton Central'), characterised the' Budget as an electioneering; ene pure and simple, and provided for •v#rytMng exi lunatics and collectors' of maa bones. On the matter lof 'taxation he contended that the increased i cost of living and many other conditions imposed ladid&ticmial' on the man least able to bear it.

The debate was adjourned and the House rose at 11.30 p.m.

RAILWAY COMMISSION.

ABOLITION OF CENTRAL BOARD

POSITION OF COMPANIES

(Per Press Association.—Copyright.)

(Received Sept. 15, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 15

The assistant manager of the London and North Western Railway admitted that thore was some delay in the creation of boards was due to the companies desiring to * undera: said the working before starting th e machinery. A section of the men had been) educated to referring everything to the Conciliation Board instead of to the directors.

In reference to the cost of the scheme, his company offered to bear the cost, but the Railways Society refused, and the Unions demanded the abolition of bonuses in order to limit individual output, thus depriving the men of two to five shillings weekly. Witness suggested abolishing the Central Boards thus increasing the importance of the, sectional boards and the annual appointment of permanent arbitrators.