FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 14 August 1912, Page 3

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

FIRST REFORM BUDGET.

The first Reform budget was pre* sented to the House of Representatives on Tuesday August 6th. Generally speaking it has been well received.

The statement opened by giving the revenue for last year, at £11,932,544, and expenditure £10,340,368. The gross public debt at the end of the financial year, amounted to £84,353, 913. The public debt being increased by £3,272,591 during last year. A loan of £1,750,000 fcr Public Works is proposed. An experiment is to be made with a cheaper form of railway construction; applications are to be invited in London for the position of general manager of railways ; the Government intend to have acturial examination made of the Railway Superannuation Fund. The Government intends to introduce another method of election for the second ballot which proved unsatisfactory. A new workers' homes scheme is sub-* mitted to draw the population from the town to tho country, Military detension is to bo substituted for imprisonment in connection with offences against the Defence Act. The Government is in future to bear a greatershare of the cost of providing telephone offices for country settlers. The workers' homes schemes are to be extended by empowering county councils to borrow for the purpose oi building homes for workers. A number of sections of gum lands aro to be surveyed and diggers given the op* portunity of taking them up for the purpose of [fruit growing. Every effort is to bo made to push ahead with roads and bridges in spite of financial difficulties ; if there is curtailment it as ill be in another direction. It is the intention of the Government to provide for the talcing up for agricultural or pastoral purposes land ""in mining districts not required ior mining. The land tenure question is to be dealt with next session ; lease in perpetuity holders are to get the right of purchase, ui:l holders under" renewable lease are to get the samo right at acturial valuation. A short land bill is tote introduced this session providing a new method of acquiring land for settlement, an alteration of the ballot system to check speculation and the purchase of land iv localities where railways are to be constructed before the construction is undertaken. Loans to local bodies under a new scheme aro to be confined to the smaller and more impecunious local authorities, and only for urgent works connected with roads and bridges; tho advances arc to be at low interest, the State bearing a share of the burden. Next session proposals will be submitted for tho purpose of ensuring a steady settlement of various blocks of native lands,

(Continued from Page 3.) our of the application, with tho result that an adverse motion was Lost and the Wellington Boxing Association still conduct their contests in the Town Hall Sportsmen in the past have been too careless regarding' the protection o£ their rights,'and for want of proper 0 ganisation have allowed the enemy i iiside their ramparts. With some controlling power to direct their eft. orts and energies it only means the question of a short period when the extremists will be routed, and for this purpose it behoves every person who takes an interest in the furtherance of good clean healthy sport to join the League. Tae League is already a power, and though it. was decided not co take any definite action in the recent elections, many candidates for Parliament were gieatly influenced by the inauguration ot ihe League. Tho elections gave I tlii! cxirenasts thoii iirst set, back | v,inch gives an inciita-ioti of what is I to follow, ; !Sir George Clifford stated on behali' :of l In; Loan! of (Joiit.r■■] in ""ep'y to a j <:V.esi:on j'l-ciij the Wellington Centre | fis to tui! lea. Miii ihar piompted the j -board uot to take niiy organised pare !in the cJueiu'iJius. ;- J. rugii-l that the | League has not been in existence a siiilKJi'-'u: tiuu ,\>r its org misation to |he perfected. IT it had been, we ! sh-.;ald have classified IHo contest into iwo classes, (a) Those in Avhicl; both candidates are favourable to tho j Leagues policy in wluuh eonsequontiy ! ilia Lcaguo must V)« alkioiutoiy impartial, (h) Thosn in whi-.'h tJiL; 'Van--didates have distinctly diverse views as to our policy, and n; which therufnre thy League would exercise it^ whole iuliiteuco m favour ot its supporter agaiust its opponeut;. A' Jti. ill 1a r guchas acquired the necessary stability of organisation, its politics will ho one of careful, watchluiness of proceedings in Parliament, and of stimiy opposition irrespective of purty, of all those who are not whole henrtedly with us." In concluding Mr Paape vsaid that in order t" make our League a potent luc'.or in the .Dominion wu must coutine ourselves t.o the protection of sport i tiinl to that alone. In any ono branch lofspoitwo have a good tnauv men | engaged who hold entirely diJl'ereiiG views on other questions. We do not want t.) concern ourjolvi'S with politico except in so far us an issue- may j u-.j ioreed upou us witii regard to some l form of .sporr or ji atuieMc exercises. Uur o'ljßct at present is to prevent any lai iher i.,tu:si'>u or interference with out ,'ilier'ty, to pursuu our pleas un.s and p..sti:ues as seem lit to us unaer proper and honnst regulating, \\ c i!i-airi' iju-u ih-iD our ioaguc shui.l .e,d tui'i way in preserving our inter i.-.^t-j. \V v an! handing together ihe f.uimiii'J.ed niHU and women against. I ti.e prejudiced, and ihe good fellows I aga.Jift liie dulJards. (Applause).