SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 397, 13 June 1908, Page 4

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

The Political Situation. Programme of Coming Session. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), iu his speech at Christchurch on Monday evening, said that the revenue for the year was ,£9,065,000, the highest on record, the chief increases being ;—Customs £162,000, railways ,£143,000 stamps £185,000, land and income tax £117,000. There had been transferred from revenue to assist public works the sum of £BOO,OOO, and £150,000 had been paid off the floating debt. He referred to the unwarrantable attacks that had been made concerning the financial position of the country, and at the time of the American financial panic, and claimed that such unjust and unwarrantable attacks were apt to injure the credit of the Dominion. The Government, he continued had not suggested any increase in taxation, tor they did not believe that it was necessary. During the last twelve years the Government had only put one law on the statute book increasing taxation, and every member of the Opposition in the House, including Mr Massey, voted for that law, and that increase of taxation was the increase in the graduated land-tax on estates beyond £40,000 in value, and that was done for the purpose of inducing owners of large estates to cut them up and so dispose of them so that more people could get on the land. The Premier then quoted figures showing the solid progress the country was making, and claimed that alarmist statements were quite unjustified. It had been said, he continued, that the Government by its large borrowings in the country was responsible for the shortness of money during the last five years. The Government had borrowed in Australia £3,600,000, and in New Zealand £1,966,000, an average of £393,000. During the same period, however, the increase iu the public batik deposits was £16,360,000, and in the Savings Bank £4,200,000, In reply to criticisms relating to the financial administration of the Government, the Premier said that for the last four years the increase in the revenue had been £2,034,560, while the increase in the expenditure had been £1,779,684. The Prime Minister replied at length to statements made by Mr Tom Matin, and asked if in any country that Mr Mann had visited they had placed upon the statute book legislation connected with land matters as drastic as the New Zealand legislation. The Socialist theory propounded by land nationalises was that the whole of the land in the conntr}’ was to be repurchased by the Government, but he wonln ask the Socialists how that could be done. The land and improvements in New Zealand to-day were valued at 160 millions, and where was the money to come from ? The Government had been told to nationalise all the land, steamers, coal mines, flour mills, and bakeries in the country ; but, at the same time, they were told that they must not borrow any money. It the Socialists tried to put their theories in practice they would burst the country before they could make a start. In New Zealand today there were no unemployed if a man wanted to work, and the unemployed difficulty did not exist here, and it was the business of the Government to see that there were no unemployed. Sir Joseph said he wished to call attention to the peculiar political position in New Zealand to-day. Since the death of Mr Seddon there had been a continuation of advanced laws put upon the statute book by the same party under a new head as was carried out prior to that, yet to-da} r there were some people trying to create a new party. Yet if these people had their way they would stop the progress of advanced legislation instead of helping it on. It was ot far greater importance that the Government should adapt their legislation to the circumstances of the different people in the country than to try and achieve the impossible. In New Zealand to-day the Government were carrying out a land policy that was enabling a large number of people to get upon the laud, and they believed that the policy was a practical one, and they felt it was better to do some good in their day and generation than to try and achieve the impossible by supporting the theory of the nationalisation of the vyhole of the land iin the country. The Premier then replied to Mr James Allen’s recent speech at Dunedin, explaining that the policy of the Government had never suggested the adoption of a single-tax system. He pointed out that during the last year the railway expenditure on three lines on the West Coast had totalled £41,799. while the expenditure on three lines iu Otago was £72,378. On the.subject of the coalition rumours, he said that at present the Government had a large majority, and it was not their business, and it certainly was not the business of any member of the Ministry, to ask their Opposition friends to effect a coalition. Nothing of the kind had been suggested by him, and he was going to suggest nothing of the kind. ’ In further reply to Mr Allen, the Premier stated that since 1902 the whole of the new railway rolling stock required, with the exception of seven locomotives, had been made in the colony. He claimed that more work had been done last session than had been done during any previous session with which he was acquainted. Sketching the future policy of the

Government, he said that it was intended— To amend the Civil Service Act. To introduce an amendment of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. To amend the Mining Act. To bring down a system of national annuities for the people of the country generally. To introduce legislation providing superannuation for the employees ot all local bodies and all other classes. To introduce the second ballot system. To amend the following Acts : Shipping and Seamen Act. Slaughtering and Inspection Act. Teacher’s Superannuation Act. Tramways Act. Worker’s Compensation Act. Education Act, as far as teachers’ salaries were concerned. Police Superannuation Act. Contractors and Workmen’s Liens Act. Corporation Contractors’ Act. Destitute Persons Act. Friendly Societies ActAlso the system of audit in the direction of having a post-audit instead of a pre-audit.