HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1568, 26 May 1887, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wednesday, Mat 25.

The House met at 2 30 p.m. NEW MEMBER.

Mr Wiremu Katene,' the new mst-tber for the Northern Maori Eieotorate/^took the bath and his seat. r.

NOTICE OF MOTION.

Major Atkinson gave notice to mora on the question for ..the second reading of the Customs Duties Bill—" That the tariff and other financial proposals of the Government are unsatisfactory." -' QUESTIONS. Replying to questions, Mt wasrstated that it was not advisable to make expansive alterations m the heavier railway engines with respect to burning firewood on the lines of : railway ; that the conditions and terms nnder whioh banks are authorised to issue bank notes were set forth m private bills at various times.

COBTOMS DUTIES BILL. : . „; ! Sir Julius Yogel moved the second reading of the Customs Duties Bill. It was proposed to allow -sir niO-rthi.' to elapse before bringing into eff.at the duties oh under-proof spirits and pictorial cards and almanacs. Speaking generally of the tariff, It would fall lighter on the general body of oinaumers than> tariffs had m the paat. It was intended to increase the revenue and foster local Industries. He did not object tp Importers being heard m defence, but it appeared to him that the object. of an association ol that kind which had moved ln the matter wbb to throw the bu'k of taxation on the laboring classes. He did not propose to apeak at length, as no doubt the House waa anxious to hear Major Atkin* son. He finiehed a brief* speeoh by quoting Mr Goaohen's remark that every morning he received heaps 'of letters advocating changes m taxation by people who would not be affected by the schema they opposed.

Major Atkinson moved—?' That m tbe opinion of this House the tariff and other financial proposals of the Government are unsatisfactory." The Treasurer had not grasped the oondition of thd oolbny, and was not going to provide any satisfactory remedy for the present state of things. He withed to show the Home what the real position at present was. He did not believe the Treasurer desired that they ehould underatand it. Not a single saving had been effected ln the votes of last year, although Sir ' Julius Togel claimed to have saved £98,000. They had managed to save on one vote and to spend on another, but there waa no real economy. Whon the Govenrment took office the Land Fund was £50,.00 m credit, but there was last year a deficiency of £56,000. Yet this was' paised over with a. Bimple reference of four lines. The total deficit was £325,000. Tbe usual remedies were to be applied. "They- Trero—tt. borrow -against the deficit, but it would not be aati-factory. He quoted at length from the Financial Btatement of 1884 prone iung progreßß by "leaps and bounds." To see, aa he said, how a master band' m finance had conducted their buaineaa, and how completely the statement of this se.s.on belied the former one, there had actually been received £65,000 more re* venue this year than m 1884, yet the deficit was £92,000. £294,000 more apptoprlation waa a_kod for tbia year than m 1884, not inoluding the supplementary estimates, whioh were still to come. Ana this was Sir Julius Vogel's idea of economy. The stagnation of business was far worse now than It was when the Treasurer took office. Notwithstanding all the promises he had made, and after these years of unrest, came fresh taxation. If the Fro* party Tax waa so crashing ln its effects, how waa it that he now proposed to make a graduated tax? None of Sir Julias Vogel's proposals would hnrt him more than thia m the eyes of the colony. People would never know what the House waß going to do. He quoted a letter from Sir Julius Yogel to the Hall Government denouncing their proposal to tax Civil Servants ten per cent. The letter was a oomplete condemnation of the similar proposal m the Financial Statement. He did not propose to discuss the tariff In detail, but gave it as hia op_n.cn that it would not provide tbe money required. ' He hoped the House would reject It bodily, or have nothing to do with it until Government came down with a dear scheme of retrenchment. It was not the duty of tbe opposition to frame a policy, but it was the Government's duty. He wonld bono party to permitting the Government to borrow to put the Land Fund m oredit. He believed that the village settlement scheme would be a great failure. The Government might aak for a dissolution, and he hoped they would get one m order to go to the country at once. They were m a difficulty through the Representation Act not having been paaaed last session. If tbd tariff were rejeoted they oould not go to the oonntry upon the present BUI, and the new Bill could not come into force till half the financial year was over. The' House should, however, vote irre« epeotive of the consideration of cauaing a second session. He called on the Hoqse to refuse to submit to farther taxation.

The Premier expected better things than the Bpeech they bad just heard. He thought Major Atkinson would have ihown he was more than the mere leader of a band of discontented men, who were only anxious for office. He quoted from Major Atkinson's Hawera speech to show that he was m favor of a tariff whioh should give them revenue, and should consider the Interest of the consumer as well as the retailer. Be ridiculed tht idea of the leader of the Opposition refuaIng to say what items of the tariff he objected to. He would ask whether Major Atkinson's attitude was not owing to an understanding with the member for Napier, whose remedy for all their difficulties waa to sell the land. He defended the special settlement-, and said it would be a bad d.y when they sold all their land outright, and hoped the House would never agree to it. The deficit, despite all that Major Atkinson had said, was only £9_,0C0. Compared with other ooloniea New Zealand was well off New South Wales had a heavier deficit, and a tporg stringent tariff m many reapeota than tho one row proposed. South Auatralla and Queensland were m a similar position. The only oolony that had been sound ln its finances and shown a large sorplng waa Yictorta, where the tariff waa m some instances as muoh aa 40 per oent. Tha only difference between the Government I and Major Atkin_on as shown by bis own Bp.e.li.s, waa as to what artioloa ahould be taxed. If he wantei retrench* mant why did he not take the estimates and cay how muoh ought to be taken off each class. The debate v. as interrupted by tbo 5.30 p.n»: ftdjmrhjnejjt, "' *" *' |gii^|

The Houae resumed at 7 30 p m. ' The Premier continued: The previous Government had done nothing to provide subsidies for local bodies, while the present Ministry had done so without Increasing taxation. Who were the men who wanted tbe duty Increased on tea and sugar? Why, those who had been bnsy during the last three weekß olearing ont huge quantities of those artic'ea. Major Atkinson's objection to a graduated Property tax were not those of acme of his followers, as their previous utteranoea proved. Tbe very faot of there being an exemption made the original Property Tax a graduated one It was right that the big money companies and institutions should pay more ln proportion, and If they went to the oountry they would find the small farmers and settlers thought so too. As to the Civil Servantß, members oh both sides of the Houae had repeatedly spoken m favor of reduotion, and it was as just that publio servants Bhould have their salaries reduced aa those m private firms, Major Atkinson had repeatedly refused to out down his estimates when ln power, though be now urged Government to do io. All he seemed to ba able to suggest m plaoe of tbe Government proposals was to kill rabbits and sell land. Acoeptlng the amendment as a motion of want of confidence he proceeded to defend the aotlon of the Government on general f rounds. He pointed to the Loans to ■ooal Bodies Bill, no bad substitute, as Major Atkinson had admitted, for the Heads and Bridges Construction Aot, and to their lucoeti.ul handling of poBtal ! services and other matters. He likened ! some of Major Atkinson's remarks to klolcing an opponent with hobnailed boots, •nd called up reminiaoenoeß on the way In whioh the Opposition had been treated when the member for Egmont was m power. In conclusion he insisted that no Government had ever to administer th. government under suoh difficulties as thoy had. If the House",thought their Eolloy was unsound, they oonld tay so, ut there .was someone beyond them tn whom they oould appeal* He warned them that, as m larael of old, if the Government were changed they might find a Reboboam following a Solomon •—(laughter)— and the.taxatlon mw asked for was nothing to what they would have to endure.

Mr Taylor spoke briefly. He did not consider the last Government better than thb one, bnt he thought a change cf ad ministration necessary.

Mr. Fisher asked the Treasurer to con-ie-B that Ihe was no magician, though he had twitted his opponents with being babiei m finance His views had shown A remarkable ohange since he wrote to the Hall Government characterising their 10 per oent reduotion of Civil Servants as only fit for Turkey. In the last six years .tight millions bad been added to the national debt, bnt there had been no corresponding increase m revenue or population. He quoted statistics m proof of his assertion, and also to show tbat of all the British dependencies New Zealand was the- most seriously taxed. He eevere'y erltloised the Native Department, which should now have ceased to exist. There must be a reduotion m educational expenditure, and m the cost of the publio ■ervlce, though he admitted that the latter was a most disagreeable task to E inform. Tbe policy of the Government id been one of expediency from beginning te end. Mr Joyoe oongratulatad MrFi.her npon the zeal with which he had got up his figures, and said be waa evidently anxious to pose as an alternative Treasurer to the Member for Egmont. Ec pointed out tbat the Treasurer conld not be held responsible for falling prices and decrease In revenue, and defended Sir Julius Yogel from the attacka upon bim. He did not give unqualified approval to the Financial Statement, as it was too much of a compromise, For himßelf he was a Protectionist, and favored an Income Tax. Btlll It was a step la the direotion he desired. r On the House resuming after Bopper adjournment no one rose to Bpenk. Mr Turnbull moved the adjournment of the debate bs so many members were absent.

Major Atkinson did not object, but wished it to be understood that the request did not come from hia side of the House. F The motion was lost by 29 to 25.

Mr Mors said that retrenchment waß badly wanted, bnt no Government dare do It. Ho had see Treasurer after Treamrer I tying and fail. He went tlrorgh the heads of expenditure, item by item, and asked m whioh of thf m the Hou_3 would be willing to decrease the estimates. There never would be any ■aving while Government was centred iv Wellington, but he thought tho same amount plaoed m private hands would go much fnrther. He dwelt at considerable length on this question, and was glad to hear that tbe general feeling wbb against making up the deficiency by borrowing.

Mr White moved the adjournment of the House.

The motion was lost on tho voices. Mr Beetham moved the adjournment of the debate.

The motion was carried, The House rose at 11.30 p.m.