8 November 1901
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2032 Questionz. [SEBY]N[ASSEMBLY.] No Confidence.ofdne Standing Orders in order that the House was appointed on the 14th .Tune last, and may sit to-morrow ? is intrusted with the supervision of THE SPEAKER:t No. The order as to erection of einploy~s cottages at pump- sitting days is merely a sessional order. ig stations. He is paid wages at the Therefore, it is not necessary to move the rate of l16s. per day. suspension of the Standing Orders. THE: PREMIER: I move, then, that IBIOTION-NO CONFIDENCE IN THE the House at its rising do adjourn until UOVERNMENT. to-mnorrow, at half -past four o'clock. SEVERAL MEMBERS: No; bali-past two. DEBA&TE, FIFTH DAY. THE: PREMIER: Very well; I wake Resumed from the previous dlay, on the my motion that the House at its, rising motion by Hon.- F. R,. PiEssu, " That tbe do adjourn until to-morrow at half-past Government does not command the confi- two o'clock. dence of this House." Question put and passed. Mu. TEESDALE SMITH (Welling- The House accordingly -adjourned at ton):- I am glad, after all the epithets 11-63 p.m., until half-past two o'clock the that have beeu hurled at myself and my next af ternoon. company, that I am alive to tell the tale. At one time I thought I wa~s going to be thoroughly annihilated by the Premier. Still, I am here to answer the charges that he has levelled. at me and my company, to the best of may ability, and also to state to this House and the country why, in my opinion, the Leake Ministry have forfeited the confidence of the House. I think the principal plank in the Governor's Speech was one of economy. Right from start to finish, it was economy pure and simple; not the lavish expen di- ture that had pertained to the former Friday to Saturday, 8it and 9th Government, but the present Government November. were to bring in such economical measures and such reduction of expenditure as the CAr.L-NIOKT SITING.J country would approve. If we look at the Budget, we find there is not one itemn Questiou: Coolgordie Water Scheme, an Inspector- regarding -which it can be said that any Motion- 2Jo-Conhidceo in the overnment; debate (fith day) concluded, Divlaion-Adlournnnt. economy has been effected. The Ministry were supported by all members on both The SPEAKER took the Chair at 2830 sides of the House who spoke on the Address-in-reply, and were backed up to o'clock, p.m. the heat of the speakers' ability in their SrogrAmrne of economy. The Ministry PRAYERS. ave failed to carry out that policy. The Premier says " Give ate time." I QUESTIO2N-COOLGARItDW WATER think five months should be ample SCHEME, AN INSPECTOR. time for the Premier and his Ministers Mn. RASON asked the Minister for to have conferred with one another, Works: i. Whether it is a fact that Mfr. and to have haid before this House Rowland Rees bas been appointed as an some definite scheme whereb:y they were inspector, engineer, or in ay other going to effect this great economy fore- capacity in connection with the ICoolgardie shadowed in the Governor's Speech. Water Scheme. 2, If so, the date of his Yet there is not one single reference appointmenit, the nature of his duties, made to itin the Budget. Theonlything and the amount of remuneration he the Premier said, when speaking on the receives. question of economy, was that he thanked THE MINISTE)R FOR WORKS the member for Suhiaco (Mr. Daglish) replied; z, Yes, as a supervisor. -, He fur his suggestion. And what, may I No Confidence;: [ NOVEMBER, 1901.] Debate, fifth day. 2033 ask, did that suggestion amount to? It took charge. I say that up to date he was the saving of salary for one stipendiary has made no special effort to reduce that magistrate out of three; that instead of huge expenditure; and I also go so far baying one at York, one at Newcastle, as to say he does not give that depart- and one at Northamn, two would have to ment proper supervision. If he does, do the work, and the other I suppose how can be reconcile the fact of the would he sent to Subinco! departmental head of that department MR. GEORGE: No employment for him writing to the Press commenting on the there. actions of a gentleman who was about to Ma. TEESDALJE SMITH: Instead of stand his trial V That was a thing which the Premier waiting, as he has done in my should have been deprecated, -and the opinion, for suggestions to come from Minister for Works should not put up private members, it was his duty to bring with it. Nothing has been done to stop up measures whereby lie was going to the waste of public money. If you were make this saving. The Premier will tell to take the question of day labour as us that a reform of the staff has been performed in this State, I do not think effected by the Commissioner of Railways one mnember of the House would vote for in mnaking this saving. If he approves it as; it is at present carried out. I do of the hon. gentleman's action, does he not mean to say men will work any better approve of the Minister for Works' in- or harder for contractors, but I do say"i action, because, as far as I can see, the that contractors who are brought up to Minister for Works has not up to date the work will arrange to give their men made ay attempt. He will also tell you such facilities that they can carry out be has in~creased the hours of the staff by their work for half the cost at which half an hour. That is like putting sugar it is at present done departmentally. on jam, becau 'se if the staff as a whole Departmental work, while more costly. were divided by two, and the Premier has not even the virtue of being any were to say to one half of them, " Go better than contract work; indeed, it is away for a holiday for six months," the not even as good. We have only to look other half instead of taking the extra at the reservoir dlose to our own doors to half hour now put upon them to do the see faulty construction. Another instance work, could do it quite easily by noon; so of bad work is to be found at the Fre- that although the Premier may take c:redit mantle wharf, which the Works Depart- for the extra half hour per day for the ment are now tying back for fear it will work of the staff, in my opinion the fall into the river. On the opposite side staff could do the work if there were of the Sv an is a wharf built by contract only half of them. There is another at, I should say, not much more than thing. I think it would have been only half the cost of the departmental work; fair to the Public Works Department and that wharf is standing all right. and the civil servants generally, if they THE PREMIER : But that is not the had been given timely notice. I would fault of this Government: that is the have sided with the Minister if, in fault of your Government. bringing forth his expenditure this year, MR. TEESDALE SMI1TH: The fault he had notified to the House that the lies in this, that the Minister for Works salaries were to be paid this year to such knows, and has for a long time known of the staff as would not be required perfectly well, that departmental work is after 12 months, and would have to get not at good thing for the State ; and yet their dismissal. That would have given he has not, so far as I can see, made any these gentlemen time to look for employ- attempt to stop it. Whether instances meat elsewhere, and also, in case they of bad departmental work happened under could have found employment before, the present Government or my Govern- they could have been paid their salary up ment, does not matter. I do not know to the end of the year, and allowed to go. that 11,personallY'i, have had a Govern- The Minister for Works rules and con- ment. At the same time I will say that trols the largest expenditure of public the Government which used to sit on money, loan moneys any way, and no those bencese~ certainly did allow the one knew it better than the hon. member, Engineer-in-Chief to carry out a great the head of that department, when he deal of work departmentally. The pre. 2034 No Confidence: EASSEMBLY.][SEBY] Debate,Dbtffhdy fifth day. sent Minister for Works has, however, I am perfectly well aware that the bon. not once but a dozen times, said he would gentleman 'knows the articles to be stop this departmental expenditure. I correct. therefore looked to him to see that it was Tan MINISTER TOR WoRESa R OW do stopped. you know I have read them at all?' THE MINISTER FOR WORKS: When? MR. TEESDAL4 E SMITH: Take the MR. TEE SDALE SMITH: The sooner case of the Leonora Rtailway, which is the better. being constructed departmentally. Here, THE MINISTER FOR WORKS: But when eight months after the construction was did I say it? started we see a tender let for 15,000 MR.