THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 347, 23 June 1894, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

I Per Press Association]. vVkliington. J iut* 22. : Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of -the House of Representatives— It gives me great pleasure to meet you in Parliament assembled. During the present jeir I haVa been enabled to visit Baratonga ; v ; and other parts of the Hervey 0 Group indirectly connected" with v this - colony. My observations led vme to conclude that a fair opening existe there for developing a useful trade with New Zealand' The protrftc ed confusion still disturbing Samoa has induced my advisers to urge upon the : ;; : Imperial Government that England : should utilise this colony to control i and manage the Navigutor Islands^ :~ l It is so clearly the destiny of New Zealand to play a leading part in Polynesia that my advisers confidently expect your concurrence in the suggea- r tion made by them Papers relating to the Postal Cenferenco held here will - : : he laid before you. The » lmperial itn C '!'.';. portance of the Conference now ae» sembling at Ottawa has been recog- v : nised l>y Minister?, who ; have therefore despatched thither a gentleman , of approved standing and commercial ' 1 experience to represent New Zealand, : ' : Though I cannot congratulate you i either upon an abundant harvest or upon high prices to be obtained for the Colony's staple products, % never- % theless think that the position of New Zealand affords matter for rwaleatia- ■ faction Natural causes, the state of the Home markets, and the cautton instilled into financial institutions, pro- • : sumably by the late * ustralian panic, >] have undoubtedly thrown temporary difficulties in the path of rapid pro-. > gress, nevertheless the energy and the courage of our colonists and Jthe re.} : v i sources of the country have never been v more clearly displayed. Thanks to these and to the prudence and success " of the finaucial policy sanctioned by the late Parliament, the volume of our products continues to increase,, ;our:^ colony 'a credit stands pre-eminent in London, public and privatw indebtedness diminishes relatively to our num- -■• hers, and the unemployed are pro-^ portionately fewer than in almost any •: other civilised country. Figures icok-: ■; lectad at the ports of entry and departure for the last five months show ':, that the influx from Australia of men ■;- in search of employment has for the present virtually ceased.. Once more I am enabled to state the provision made last year for carrying on the Public Service has proved much more than sufficient. The accounts will show you both a gross and a net aur? plus of revenue over expenditure, of a most solid and gratifying kind. It appears to my advisers that the time' ; has arrived for the State to be no longer satisfied with carrying on as well as its finances permits a certain . shaie of the work. Without incurring 1 dangerous obligations, it may aid private enterprise to avail itself on rea- : sonable terms of the vast supplies o( "; English capital, the holders of which ! are only awaiting an opening for se- - cure investment. The scandalous mismanagement which led to the suspen- ' sion of an important company bearing ';':".' the name of this Colony has impressed upon my advisers the absolute necessity for safeguarding shareholder* and the public against loose methods/ of company management. A measure will ' be introduced for this purpose. You will be asked to take up an important work,' begun, but left unfinished by the late Parliament. I refer to the business of making the Native Land Laws simpler and the methods of acquiring Native land ' ; easier and speedier Hand in band with the steady acquisition of Native land must go the purchase of private lands for closer settlement. To this end the Land for Settlements Bill rejected last year will again be brought forward with certain extensions and improvements. You *s will be asked also to pass into law measures for enabling the Agricultural Department effectually to help and regulate the rapidly growing dairy industry by a system of grading and cool storage, and other Bill f intended to be of practical use to farmers and stockowners will be laid before you. A Bill will be brought in to consolidate and amend the licensing law and simplify the procedure at the local option polls. During the recess the term of office of $he late Railway Commissioner* expired. In accordance with what was believed to be the intention of the Legislature which passed the " Government Railway. Act, 1887," and with the wish the country as expressed at the late elections, a change was made in the personnel of the Com* inissioners. At the same time care was taken to leave yon entire power to arrange the future management of the National railways in such a way as you may deem proper. Gentlemen of the House of Bepbe* sentatives — I think it fitting to take notice of a feature of peculiar interest belonging to this Parliament. You are the first body of New Zealand legislators elected under the law granting the suffrage to women, t have to congratulate the colony on the quiet and peaceful course of the elections held under these novel conditions. In order to aid you in the conduct of your House's business Standing Orders containing highly important changes will be submitted to you. You will be asked to give them precedence of all other matters. My advisers think the honest method of safeguarding your Houses freedom will be found in the forms under 'which members will be free to dispatch business with speed and comfort.' The estimates of the revenue and expenditure of the year will be laid before you. The estimates of expenditure have been framed with due regard to economy. ■ Hon. Gkntlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the - House of Representatives— Measures will be submitted to you designed to further simplify the administration of justice and to consolidate the law on the various subjects. The moment appears fitting for re-printing the statutes at present in force, arid niy advisers recommend a commission' for the purpose should be set up. The important principle of levying rates upon '" land values only will again be urged upon your acceptance and a Bill intended to prevent loans at usurious rates of interest will be presented for your con--sideration. During last Parliament a number of measures designed especially to improve the condition under which the manual laborers of the country, work were read in the House of Rep&gsentfe tives, but only one finally became law. This is exactly what happened in the last session, before the dissolution of 1890. Then, a3uow, there followed a very plain expression of public opinion in favor of passing, not only the rejected Bills, but other measures- of the same kind. My adviser?, therefore, propose to press forward both the Labor Bills of last year ami certain new measures relating to. factories, apprentices and indiscriminate - immigration. Tho measure last referred to, involving an important question of policy, will be introduced at au early period of the session.