The Colonial Treasurer at Oamaru.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 341, 16 June 1894, Page 3

The Colonial Treasurer at Oamaru.

(PKE FBESS ASSOCIATION.) Oamaru, June 15. Tho Hon. the Colonial Treasurer addressed a large meeting iv the Public Hall here to-night, and met with a very favorable reception. In the course of his address he said up to the end of this year the annual saving of interest made by the Government was £141,000. He made special reference to the balance-sheet of the colony's revenue and expenditare issued by the Auckland National Association, and said that the balance, sheet was totally misleading for he asserted that instead of a deficit of 1*03,000 there had been a surplus of L 283 000. Referring to tfa e sub] ect of protection, he said he was not in favor of "retaliatory measures, but he might say that he had learned that the other colonies intended to still further in crease the barriers that had been rais •d against their produce, nnd it was the duty of the Government to take some measnres to. protect the people of this colony. He referred to the question of land settlement, and said that Mr McXenzie had put over 7000 people on the land since he took office. On the subject of cheap money, he said the colony's prosperity to a treat extent depended on a sufficiency of money, and if that was withdrawn there was a wa at of prosperity. Ihe Government intended that the colony s principal industries would not languish for want of money, and cheap money too. These proposals are not revolutionary, and would not hurt the colony, but he could not at that time disclose the nature of the Government's proposals He would have to exercise discretion in regard to some matters, and they would have to wait till the Financial Statement was made to learn the details of the Gove »- ment's intentions. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Ward.