SUPPLEMENTARY FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 105, 27 August 1880, Page 2

SUPPLEMENTARY FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

In the House of Representatives on Monday last, the Hon. Major Atkinson, in moving the second reading of the Beer Duty Bill, made a supplementary Financial Statement. Aj reported in theN. Z. Times, he stated that the Estimates calculated the expenditure at £8,473,000 hut the Committee of Supply had made reductionsto the extent of £167,000 which included the Audit Department. Then taking the ten per cent., the total reductions amounted to £218,000. But the total net saving for the year was £197,000. The total amount put down on the Estimates for expenditure for the year was £8,100,000, hut, as calculated, there would be a surplus at the end of the year of £184,000. He believed that the whole of the estimated revenue would come in, though perhaps the railway revenue might have'been slightly over estimated. The savings effected this year, if carried out next year, would amount to £252,000. It might be said that the ten per cent, reduction was a permanent one inasmuch as there had been changes and : amalgamations which would reduce the expenditure of the country to that extent. With regard to the Local Government and Eating Bills he was sorry there was no chance of their passing that session, although they were of very great importance. Such

important measures could not be passed without proper consideration and discussion, and in the present session it would be impossible to give them that attention ivhich was so desirable. They would take at all events six weeks to give them the^ attention which they ought to receive, and it would be unreasonable to prolong the session to this extent even for such a purpose. The Government abandoned the Bills with very great regret.* • The Government desired to do a great deal more important work than they iio"w foundthey dbWdffthiffsesston. There .had been more talking and wasting of 'time than had teen anticipated, but it was not the. feult of. the Government, and he had no shame in the matter whatever. (Oh, oh ! and hear, hear !) He repeated, that he felt no shame. It would have been more objectionable on their part if the Government had tried to coerce the House, and keep it in session for the lengthened period he had mentioned. Now, perhaps, the House would like to know something about the subsidies. (Hear, hear.) Looking at the necessities of the local bodies the Government proposed to pay one half for , the remaining nine months of the year. That would amount to £100,000. The Government was only exceeding what had been proposed by the Looal Bills by £80,000. The Government proposed to take 20 per cent, from the land fund. He hoped the proposals of the Government would meet with the approval of the . House. (Hear, hear.) Under the circumstances they had done their bes£,andhe hoped the country would agree with them. He still hoped and maintained that they were going to be a great country. (Hear, hear.) They were never satisfied with doing the work of the present year, but they always wanted to look three or four years ahead. With regard to the Bill now before the House, he would now say a few words. It was the Act of 1878 with a few alterations. . It was similar to the American Act, which was declared by Mr Gladstone to be beautiful in its simplicity. Exception had been taken as to the estimate of the Government as to the amount which the tax would bring into the Treasury. According to the brewers themselves, the amount which the tax would produce would be £185,000. His experience, however, went to show that it was not reasonable to expect the full estimate to be com 6 up to. Up to the present time, they had only received revenue on the beer tax up to the rate of £58,000. ? Be very much regretted having to introduce the Bill at all — it was a form of taxation which was very objectionable ; but they were in such a condition that they could not help themselves, notwithstanding the reductions which had been made in Committee of Supply. He moved that the Bill be read a second time.