MAJOR ATKINSON AT HAWERA.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3969, 9 April 1884, Page 3

MAJOR ATKINSON AT HAWERA.

Tlatvkea, Tliis day. Major Atkinson addressed his constituents on Monday night at Ha,vera._ After a few introductory remarks regarding the past and the conduct of the Opposition during the last session Major Atkinson said there would ho a deficit upon the operations of the last financial year—possibly it might amount to £170,000. This appeared to frighten a great many persons. No doubt it was to be regret ted, but to talk of it as a serious matter in the way in which critics of the Govcanment talked of it seemed to him to be entirely a misapprehension of the meaning of the present position of the colony. The doiicit did not equal the amount of the property tax which was remitted the year "before last, together with the cost of the Armed Constabulary, which in that year, for the first time, was thrown upon the consolidated revenue. But he justified his action in remitting that taxation, on the ground that it was the duty of the Treasurer to take from the people in any one year no more than was absolutely required. There was no doubt that the very considerable falling off in the price of wool had contributed largely to the deficit which had occurred. The Customs receipts had not come up to the estimate by about £120,000 ; the net receipts from railways were £80,000 short; the postal revenue £20,000 short; stamps had reached the estimate. The falling off need not disturb the colonists, but if they were wise they would look the question of ways and means in the face. The deficiency of the Customs was partly owing to savings on the part of the people. Theloss on wool amounted to something like £-100,000, and because all the expenses bad to come out of the reduced amount received the £100,000 was income and profit absolutely lost, and had no doubt had a depressing effect upon the Customs. If wool had not fallen the Customs revenue would have reached the estimate. The frozen meat trade had made up the loss to some extent, but it had increased the value of flocks rather than added to the revenue for the year. It had added to capital rather than to income. The falling off in the railway receipts had arisen because the tariff was undoubtedly too low, and also because of the increase in expenditure, partly owing to deterioration, which had not .yet readied its maximum, nor would it do so for nearly three years. The net receipts were less than was expected by £00,000, while the expenses had exceeded the estimates by £20,000. As to the direction in which savings could bo made there was first the Civil Service. Last session the Government promised a reform of the service, and that had engaged their attention for months. The expenditure on the Civil Service was high owing to the population of the colony being scattered, which rendered four or five governing centres necessary, and owing also to the people being desirous of having conveniences at their doors. Colonists must consider whether they would give up certain conveniences or submit to further taxation. Excluding the railways, the expenditure on salaries, wages, and certain departmental expenses amounted to about £-100,000. The three departments of Justice, Customs, and Post and Telegraph amounted to £237,000. It would be seen that there was not much margin left for reduction in expenditure. The Civil Service scheme of the Government was, however, shortly this:—To reduce the under-secrctaries to a definite number to be fixed by law—about eight— and group the whole of the departments Tinder them; no fresh department to be created without the express consent of Parliament. The clerks in the service would be divided into grades, each grade to have its maximum and minimum of salaries ; all persons to enter as cadets after undergoing competitive examination, and advance from one grade to another, to be decided on after examination as to the person's fitness for a particular office. This would secure a cheap and efficient service, and make those in it thoroughly contented. There must be pensions and retiring allowances. Something liko £00,000 a year might bo saved by reforming the hospital and charitable aid .system, and the people of the colony would be all the better for it. It would bo seen that the expenditure on education was something like £-100,000 a year, wilhout making- any provision for new buildings, on which £00,000 was spent last year and £82,000 the previous year, and in respect of which there were now demands for £100,000 to meet what were termed by the Boards necessary requirements. The education triven was not more than was demanded by the people of the country, and he saw no way of reducing the expenditure so long as the present demands were kept up. If the school age of children were raised from 0 to 7 there would bo a saving of £00,000 a year. Railways wero not returning 2 per cent., and if the low rates had been continued thero would have been a deficiency of £00,000 to £00,000 to make up. The country was determined that the lines should pay. The amount of the increased revenue from class 8, which included grain, was £10,000, while other classes inado up the increase to £110,000. The railway revenue during the current year would be but 3 per cent, on the cost of the railways, and the money to build them cost about 5 per cent. Ho ventured to say that the electors of the colony would not be satisfied with a less return from the lines than 3 per cent. As to a non-political Board, it might be necessary if Governments wore liable to be turned out of office because they framed a tariff which would make the lines yield a fair percentage upon the cost. If a non-political Board were set up he ventured to think that the direction given to it would be that the lines should he made to pay so much per cent., and that a Board acting like a company would not fix differential rates to suit parts of the colony, but would get their revenue from wherever it could be obtained. If the people insisted upon their members .studying economy, coonomy would be studied. He had said "that there was in the deficit nothing to frighten or dispirit the people, and he would add that he had come to the conclusion that there was no real depression, that the colony was perfectly sound, and the spending power of the people hadnotbeon seriously diminished. The Customs return showed that the falling off in luxuries, such as spirits and tobacco, was about 3 per cent., while on necessaries the falling off had been 10 per cent., from which he drew the conclusion that the people had become less wasteful in the necessaries of life, but that there had been no serious diminution in their spending power. The commercial depression he attributed to over-trading, over-importing, and persons taking up more land than they could profitably use. In respect to the question of the ■electoral laws, ho might state without going into details that the Government had come to the conclusion that the larger towns at any rate should bo consolidated into single electorates. The reason for that was that wuall electorates were more likely to be led

away by mere local considerations, and he believed that the step proposed by the Government would be taken with the entire approval of the different divisions of the towns, and would give more general satisfaction than the present .system in towns. It was recognised that the electoral rolls ■were in a very unsatisfactory condition, and proposals -would bo made to Parliament to secure the periodical purging of these rolls, and to make better provisions for striking off those present who wore not entitled to be on. It had been the endeavor of thr Government to see whether a title could not bo found than than of the ordinary freehold tenure. What would be the ultimate tenure it was impossible to say. Land would not bo cultivated unless the cultivator had an absolute title. He must secure the whole of his work on the land, and ho must have such tenure that lie could not be dispossessed so long as he was doinff liis duty by the land. Sentiment had a good deal to do with the matter, and there must be very careful consideration before a determination one way or the other could be come to. A very great deal had been done in the way of settlement within the last three or four years, upwards of 11,000 persons having taken up land in the country, a very satisfactory result, lie thought-, of the land system to which the Minister of Lands had given such attention. The pastoral Crown lands were yielding a very good rent indeed. There would be no difficulty at all in selling them to-morrow, for they were much appreciated, but the Government had come- to the conclusion that it would bo a great mistake to part with another acre of pastoral land, and they would ask Parliament to prohibit the sale of any more. If a better tenure were given larger rents would be received, and by that means a very grateful addition to the revenue -would accrue, and taxation of the people be relieved. The Government believed that the present mode of dealing with native land was most nn- ■ satisfactory, that it had altogether failed in the object which Parliament had in view when it threw open the native lands to •rciicr.il purchase, and that the only solution of the difficulty was for the Crown to resume the pre-emptive right. The Government would therefore ask Parliament to resume the riirht under certain conditions, of which tho Native Minister would speak before long. The general idea was that the natives should be permitted to soil their land through the officers of the Government who sells the Crown lands generally, or that they should be allowed to sell to the Government direct, but that the payment should not all bo made in cash, that some of it should be deferred. This would bo a great revolution in the N.orth Island, and was a matter on which parties might ho divided, and on which parties might fall. It seemed to him, however, to bo the only means by which they could get rid of the present difficulties, and at the same time get the North Island settled. The question of further borrowing had not yet been con - sidcred by tho Government. They should look very carefully into the necessity for borrowing, as well as consider tho moans of paying interest, and also carefully tie up money for particular works. The difficulty tho Government had was to withstand pressure for expenditure. A coining difficulty was tho menus of keeping up the expenditure required on opened railway lines. If money was not to bo borrowed for this purpose how was station accommodation to be increased or rolling stock obtained ? As to the main trunk line to Auckland, as yet no Minister had made up his mind on the subject. The Ministry were simply anxious to find the best line for the country. Some provision would have to be ma do to meet the deficit, as the time had gone by for adding the deficit to the permanent debt. The difficulty as regarded federation was that the Imperial Government would listen to nothing but the united voice of Australasia, therefore it was desirable for the colonies to felerate to prevent the islands being seized and populated with French criminals. Though Mr Montgomery was to speak on Thursday evening the colony would be none the wiser, for undoubtedly the real power of tho Opposition was Sir George Grey. Ho ridiculed the idea of an united colony with financial separation. There could bo no finality in such a proposal, as it would result in the colony being divided into smaller divisions. No country in the world had more complete or efficient local government than Now Zealand. Ho had no intention of seeking any other constituency than Egmont. Major Atkinson concluded by saying: If they only determined to live within their means, and to bo really economical, then they would have in tho near future as great prosperity as ever they had enjoyed— much sounder prosperity, perhaps—and be near realising that which the best were ever looking for with eager hearts—the condition of a happy, contented, and a prosperous people. Major Atkinson, in answer to questions, said the colony would revert to denominationalism in the large centres of population, but the country was not yet ripe for the change. As to tho totalisator he disapproved of any public recognition of gambling. Tho usual vote of confidence was accorded.