THE TREASURER AT TARANAKI.

Evening Star, Issue 4001, 21 December 1875, Page 3

THE TREASURER AT TARANAKI.

[By Taleoraph.] Th« Hall. Major Atkinson addressed a large meeting at the Oddfellows’ Hall, New Plymouth, on Saturday night, when ho wai enthusiastically received. Messrs J. Kelly and F. A. (larrington were on the platform. Major Atkinson spoke for about an hour and a half, and in answer to questions be fore the close of the meeting, be said he was opposed to anyone employed in the Government service dealing in Native lan is. With reference to the amount of money spent in that Province out of the nine million loan there had been L 73.000 for roads, L 65.000 lor railways (already made), L 38,000 for the one in progress and 125,00() for the purchase of Native lands. According to area and population the Province of Taranaki was a sixtieth part of the whole Colony. If they mult pU -d the L 200.000 specif! d by him they would find that the loan should have been L 12,000,000 to mtitle the Province to the amount. There were completed in the Colony 277 miles of railway, of which Taranaki had II miles. By the same mode of calculation it would ba found that they should have G6O m»’lea of railway completed in the Colony to Taranaki to what it already had. He w«s now in favor of altering the incidence of taxaM'R It was not the intention of the Gover'msnt to cense purchasing Nrtive lands. The reiu-rka made by Sir D, M'Lean in the Hou.-e were wrongly construed. They referred purely to certain districts in which it was thou-ht thee Government would get the land quicker by suspen ling for the time the purchase of land till the rsati\e3 in those district* became more unanimous in their desire to sell. The Government were anxi u-. ana would, as soon as it could be done with safety, opt n the Mokau. With regard to the telegraph, they were doing their best to connect, it by ths coast; failing that, the me 'Would be erected at the back of the mountain during the summer. ... Mr Crompton, Speaker of the late Provincial Council, proposed tie following resolution “ 'lliat this meeting desires to expreas its full confidence in Major Atkinson, and pledges itself to support him in the coming election. * This wits carried unanimously.