The Premier at Hawera

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 41, 8 April 1884, Page 2

The Premier at Hawera

— ■ — -■*> (FEB VjriTXD PSEM A-SOCIATIOir.) Haweba, April 7.. There was a large meeting here tonight to hear the Premier. Major Atkinson said he did not propose to occupy much time in discussing what was past, because they were awaiting solution of many questions of the very greatest importance upon which the electors must make up their mind if that solution was to __i_atisfactory f It was a matter of great regret that there was not an Opposition capable^ of doing its duty to the country. There would be 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. Np- doubt it was to be regretted, bat to talk of it as a. serious matter, in the; way in which critics of the Government telked^ was, it seemed to him, entirely a misapprehension of the meaning of the present position of the colony. There was no doubt the falling off iii the price of wool had contributed largely to the deficit which had occurred. Customs had not . come up to the estimate by. about £120,000. _ The receipts from land were £80,000 shorts Postal was £20,000 short. 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 in Customs was partly owing to savings on the part of the people. The loss on wool amounted to something like £400,000, because all the expenses had to come out of the reduced amount received. The £400,000 r& presented income and profit ; - absolutely lost, and no doubt had a depressing effect upon the Customs. If wool had not fallen, the Customs' revenue would have reached the esti- . mate. The frozen meat trade had ' made up the loss to some extent, bul it had increased the value of flockrather than add to the revenue . The scheme of Government was : r — To reduce the Under-Secretaries to. a definite number, to be fixed by law—r abont eight, and to group the whole of the departments under them. No fresh department to be creatediwithout ! the express consent of Parliament. i The clerks in the service would be. divided into grades, each grade 'lio have its muTim-q'm and , TniriiTpq-fn' salaries. Thia would secure a cheap [. and efficient service, and to make the service thoroughly contented there . must be pensions and retiring allowances. The Armed Constabulary might be reduced to 500 men, but itwould not be safe to reduce it below that. Charitable Aid was now costing! something like £100,000. He favored the idea of hospitals being supported as of old — partly by the General Government and partly by the district. As to the Education system, the people: of the country were proud of it. but it cost a great deal. The total cost of education from the consolidated fund was £384,000, and that was exclusive of interest on money spent on build-* ings. Since 1876 £600,000 had been spent on school buildings. The charge for interest and sinking fond on loans was between £1,500,000 and £1,600,000 a year. During the last . year by the conversion of loans £30,000 a year had been saved. He then referred to the increase of railway rates and defended the action of Government. The rates were reduced some time ago as an experiment, but the "experiment had not proved a success. The rates had therefore to be increased again, the Government being driven to this course by the circumstance that' while month by month there was a. loss on the lines, other revenue was also falling. He Km. said that there was in the deficit nothing to frighten or dispirit the people. The colony was perfectly sound, and the spending power of the people had not been seriously diminished. There waa no doubt there was severe commercial depression. The Customs returns showed that on luxuries, such as spirits, tobacco, and Enghsh ale the falling off was about B,_^'cent.j--whereas the tailing off on hece-Sara.-of life was about TO per, cent., from which he drew? the conclusion 'that the people had become less wasteful in the necessities of life, but' there hid been no serious diminution , in tbe' spending power. Fresh lands were being taken up for estivation, and large sums were .being spent on amusement; especially horse rac,in^ which ' seemed :to ' indicate that when people wanted to spend the money there was always, plenty of spare cash to be found. Tbe Government h»8 come to the conclusion that the larger towns should be. ! consolidated into Mingle electorates. ' The - reason for i ht« at) thntsma 1 electorateswere more likely to be led away by mere local consideration!*. With reference to the laud policy of Gorerhmei.', it' had been their endeavour to see whether t better title could © It found than that of the ordinary Tr.-e.iolJ tenurr*. A veiry great deal had been done in* the way of. settlement within the last three or four .... yea , up» ads f 1 1, >G0 persons havirf tak n up ioni i i the country. The pastoral Crown lands. wero yielding a very g- o 1-r- xr:. Goxp atm it; had ' come to the conclusion that it would be a great mistake to part with another acre of pastoral land, attd they would ask Parliament to prohibit the sale of any ■ more« Further borrowing at tome time would be necessary, but before, they borrow«<_. further they should look' very carefully into the; necessity for it, Well consider the means of paying interest, and also carefully, tie up the money for particular works. Thediffioulty Government had was to withstand pressure for : expenditure. On the question of Federation, he said the French Government were laying claim ter pre? y we I all the --'a ids intbe Sou h Sca^i nud had re<e>ity claimed an island named Hapa, which had a wonder. ' fnl harbor, and lay right in the path ot steamers from Panama to New Zealand.' The Panama i'n*_il would be finished in a few years, and the -*ue*tion was---Was our high road to thf Old World to be ap. the mercy of a- foreign nation? Tbe. 1 difficulty was that the Imperial Goven^ nunt would .lialen, to n-thmg but Jh* ■.-.,

maamamatmammtaaamamammmaamaammmamaaammmmmmmt united voice of Australasia. If New Zealand did not join the Australian colonies there would be Australian federation, and New Zealand would have nothing to say in the control of the island in which she was seriously interested. He next referred to the policy ot the Opposition, and said the real -power in the Opposition was Sir George Grey. So far as he could make out, the policy of the Opposition was expressed in the cry of what -advantages the _ colony would gain if the Opposition wejre entrusted . with power. He denied tbat there was any power now exercised by the General Government which could, with n»ore advantage, be exercised by local bodies.- No country in the world had more complete or efficient Ideal Government than New Zekland. The Premier coneladed by again impressing the necessity kof economy ia publie affairs* Tf they only determined to live within their means, aad to be really econmical, then they would have in the near future as great prosperity as ever they had enjoyed—much soußderprotperitj perhaps —and be nearer realizing that which the best men were ever looking for with eager liearU— -the condition of a happy, contented, and prosperous people.