FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 418, 1 August 1908, Page 3

FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Speech by the Member tor the District. (From Hansard No. 6). Mr Stevens (Manawatu) : I desire to congratulate the Prime Minister of this Dominion, and the Ministry generally, upon the very comprehensive and lucid Budget which has been produced this session. Many people in this Dominion, and especially the habitues of the precincts of Parliament, the Press included, are under the impression that there is so much extraneous matter contained iu the Budget that it is rather prosaic, and might have been curtailed. I hold a different view. My view is that contained iu the Budget is a synopsis of nearly every subject ot importance with which Parliament has to deal, and it also obviates the necessity of having to continuously call for returns, which the leader of the Opposition complained about not having been produced at this ear y stage of the session. Why, if the leader of the Opposition were sincere iu his demand for the returns, he would thank the Ministry for having condensed these returns in the Budget. Now, Sir, there is nothing of moment but what has already been touched upon ; but, in common with other members, I feel it my privilege —I also feel it my duty—to add my quota towards the appreciation of what this Government has done for the people of the Dominion since they came into office. The Opposition also deserve a meed of praise. I say that there is not an Opposition in any Dominion, colony, or country, within the British Empire that has more courage than the present Opposition. They are as courageous as the band of Irish king’s followers which was described by Lord Ranfurly when on one occasion he had presented to him an address from the Irish residents of a locality where a function had taken place, which function I took some part in. And the signatories were numerous to this testimonial ot welcome which , was presented to His Excellency. One of the signatories said : “Yes, , Your Excellency, we did so-and-so'” “But,” His Excellency ; said, “ surely you are not an Irishman —that is not an Irish name.” “ Yes,” said the gentle- , man, “ yes, that is Irish.!’ “Oh, . by the way,” said His Excel- ; lency, “I do remember there was such a king in Ireland on that occasion; he had thirteen fol- , lowers, and they were either shot or hanged—none of them died a natural death,” I hope , that will not befall the Opposition. Personally I have a high regard : for them, blit politically I can only : describe the leader of the Opposi- - tioa as representing to the people , of this Dominion’s positions , which have no foundation , in fact. His fears, and ( his threats, and his temerity as to our future prosperity are such . that one can only say, “ Dear me, it must be the outcome of a belief that there are still ghosts, and that there are still spooks.” Why, ; Sir, the leader of the Opposition has gone so far even as to try and make the people of this country believe that a kehau still exists. An Hon, Member. —Translate it.

Mr Stevens. —Kehau is the skeleton of a myth. Let me say, Sir, that in dealing with the financial position each member of the Opposition has a method of book-keeping peculiar to himself. Let us see what the position is as described by the Opposition. The position is, according to their dictum, that this Dominion owes a debt of sixty-six millions and a half of money. Assuming that to be correct, that is one side of the ledger only; but the Opposition keep carefully behind the screen the other side of the ledger, or, in fact, they have a book kept for the purpose based upon single entry, and not on double entry. We have sixty-four millions of a debt. We have on the other side of the ledger what one can fairly describe as being liquid assets. I am not dealing at all with dormant assets. The dormant asset is no asset where money is required. The liquid assets are always cash, or can be converted into cash as soon as required. Now, for example, I do not think anyone will say that the railways of the Dominion are worth less that twenty millions of money. If I have overstepped the mark it is only a scintilla of error as compared to the magnitude of the errors of the Opposition. Then we come to our telegraph and telephones —leaving the post-office out of the question. What are they worth ? Are they worth ten millions of money ? I say they are. Then we come to our Advances to Settlers Office. How much has been advanced there ? Honourable gentlemen know as well as I can tell them the enormous amount of money there is there. All these securities I have mentioned are liquid securities, and they are gilt-edged without doubt. We have our lands for settlement. Take the whole of the foregoing, and if they were offered in the markets ot the world tomorrow they would easily realise more than half of our total debt. There is no question whatever about it. But I hope the day is far distant when the Government of this country will offer one ha’porth of the Dominion’s good assets of that nature to any persons in order to induce private enterprise where we should have under the control of the State all the benefits to be derived from such State control with respect to our public property. Therefore, Sir, let us assume that there can

be no question that it is a reasonable thing in all commercial transactions to state what your assets , are as well as your liabilities and this the Opposition has not done. As to our roads and public buildings and vatious other properties, leaving our landed property out of the question altogether, I say that those are dormant assets. But though they are dormant assets, in the matter of land at least the laud is becoming year by year a liquid asset. The reason lor this is the great advance that has been made in settlement. That settlement produces revenue —produces wealth for exportation, and which could not otherwise be produced unless money was expended to give access to the holdings of our present and future settlers. After I had spoken on the Land Bill of last session, the honourable member for Wakatipu said that because I. intended to vote with the Government on clause 2 of the Bill, although 1 was an ardent freeholder and liked the freehold, I liked the Government better. Now, let ns see what the position is. lam quite aware the honourable member for Wakatipu is a gentleman of studious character, that he is also very cautious, and that he would do nothing rash. I therefore followed his example on that occasion. I did nothing rash. I said that a fair compromise had been arrived at between leaseholders and freeholders who are supporters of the Government, and consequently I did get what I believed was a fair or reasonable proportion of what I required as a freeholder. I did therefore accept it as a substantial instalment. I accepted it as an instalment with what result ? With the result that I have disappointed that honourable member by having induced the Government to grant more freehold than the Opposition possibly could have given, even if they were iu power. The proposals to bring into close settlement the surplus lands of the large estates of this Dominion by means of the very liberal terms which the Government will offer to intending settlers were infinitely preferable to having the whole of the remainder of the mountaintops, the hills, valleys, and gulleys offered as freehold. Although there are ten million acres of laud of that character still open under the optional system, there will also be about one million acres of Native land which will be open under the optional system. And, such being the case, we hope the surplus lands will be cut up and settled under the proposal which is suggested by the Minister of Lands. Now, Sir, all these large estates, with few exceptions — nearly every acre of them —the urplus of which is proposed to be old will, by reason of its having been selected twenty, thirty, or forty years ago, contain land eminently suitable for close settlement, as the crignal selectors had ' the opportunity of picking the eyes out of the vast areas of Crown lauds open for free selection iu those days. All these lands to be offered will be suitable for close and small settlement. There can be no question that the progress which has been made, and is likely to be made, under the present landadministration, is one which this Dominion should be proud of. I am certain, Sir, that as time progresses, even the most ardent freeholder—lf he be more ardent than lam myself—will admit one thing: that those honourable members who are just as ardent in the direction of conserving our lands for the State deserve the thanks of this community for the very reasonable, rational, and practical manner iu which they have dealt with, and intend dealing with, this very important question of land-settlement. They have come to the conclusion that it is better to have the laud settled as freehold than not to have it settled at all. And, although they have a fear in their minds that when it once becomes freehold it will be difficult to nationalise it in the future—more difficult than if it were nationalised at once —they realise that which I realise also—that they are not going to achieve the object which they desire by precipitating matters. They will achieve it by evolution rather than by revolution ; and, such being the case, I am confident that there will be that harmony of feeling between all members an this side of the House, between all members who are supporting the Government, there will be that harmony of feeling which is absolutely necessary to the prosperity of a party, or the prosperity of the Dominion. Now, touching the question of labour, I think it can be truly said that since the institution of the labour laws in this country down to the present time there have been very few causes of complaint. Recently, of course, there has been some dissatisfaction. The dissatisfaction was not only on the part of the workers, but also on the part of the employers. The worker should consider this : that no Government, even the predecessor of the present Government, has been more anxious to do all in its power for the purpose of assisting the worker than the present Administration. The way in which the worker can attain his object is to be friendly with those whose only desire is to befriend him, consistently with doing all that is fair to all sections and classes of the community. The position is a plain one —that equality of physique or intellect cannot be brought' about by any legislation that we may place on the statute - book. The Go-

Speech by the Member for the District. (From Hansard No. 6).

vermnent have tried and are trying, to do all in their power to enable the workman to receive fair wages for his work, consistently with conserving the rights of those who provide work for the workmen. It is necessary to have an architect to design a building, and it is necessary also to have the wherewithal in order to purchase the material with which to erect the structure. So it is necessary to have the capital for the employment of the worker. That the condition of the workers has been improved during the past sixteen or seventeen years goes without saying. There is less distress or poverty now than there was seventeen years ago —that is, taking into account the increased population. I hope that the labourer will see that he does not now kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Since I have had the honour of a seat in this House I have always supported such labour legislation as I believed to be in the best interests of the worker, consistent with what is fair and right towards those who find the capital with which to provide work for the workers. As to the farm labourers of this country having no consideration, this, I think, would not be equitable, as there should be a protective law for the poor as well. As for the rich, these laws should extend to every person, but in such a modified form as fo meet the exigencies and circumstances of varied kinds of employment. And when this has been brought about, which I have little doubt we will be able to do, we shall start on a fresh era, with probably another twenty years and prosperity and contentment for the workers of this country as well as to the employers. Coming, Sir, to the question of superannuation for the Civil servants of this country, I gave notice last session to move that, in the opinion of this House, all public-school teachers in the Dominion should receive the benefit of any future legislation which might be placed upon the statutebook for the purpose of giving an annuity to the Civil servants of this country, The school-teacher, in my opinion, is just as much a Civil servant as is any secretary employed in any definite office in the service of the Government. The fact that the payment of the teachers is regulated by the central authority to the Boards of Education should make no difference whatever. The highest duties, the greatest responsibilities, devolve upon these educa f ed ladies and gentlemen who give their services, generally for a mi li able pittance, t x the service of the country, and I therefore hop: that when the Prime Minister is dealing with this question he will draw into the benefits all the public school teachers within the Dominion. Sir, there is now assembled in Wellington a large number of the leading Maori chiefs of New Zealand for the purpose of devising a scheme for the betterment of the position of the Maori people. I think this is a very laudable and admirable object, lor, while many of the young Maoris have received a classical education fitting them for the highest service in the world, there is a large number of their less fortunate brethren who require assistance —some kind of instructive guidance—and I do hope that the Hon. the Native Minister, whose sympathies are wrapped up with race of which he is the very capable leader, will see his way to assist not only by advice, but in a monetary manner. That assistance may be by way of loan ; but, even so, it should be given in that way in order to foster the establishment of centres of instruction. I think it is absolutely necessary that the Government should take this matter up and deal with it compulsorily, for, in my opinion, unless it does so the present conference may I e largely futile. At this gathering the Maoris are to a great extent theorising, and they would hesitate to take any further step, because they cannot yet see through the dark cloud of the pakeha’s ways so clearly as they will in a few years ; and I therefore trust that the Government will take the initiative—in other words, that it will start that good movement which has been brought about so ably by the Natives themselves — and that it will give them the benefit of that instruction which it is capable of providing for them. Now, Sir, I saw through the columns of the Press the other day that the Right Hon. the Prime Minister, when attending the Postal Conference at Rome, took a very important and prominent part in the matter of having a mail service established in lieu of :he def.mct San Francisco service —namely, the all-red route. I also notice that Sir Wilfred Lauder is now moving in the matter, and I am sure he expects that’ this Dominion and the Commonwealth of Australia will add their quota of assistance. I feel confident that when the time arrives the Right Ho;i. the Prime Minister will take the matter in hand with his usual vigour and intelligence, and bring to a culmination what is very desirable for the welfare and future prosperity of this country. We must also not forget the necessity of having the most up-to-date method of transporting our produce from here to the outer markets of the world. In order that we may do so with safety, it will be necessary to sup-

port aud adopt the proposal in the Budget that we should contribute a much larger sura than at present towards our naval defence. Our naval defence may not be thought much of to-day, but the time is not far distant when the the unexpected may happen, and if the unexpected does happen—that is to say, if we are attacked — we have no means of protecting our commerce. All the roads, all the bridges, and all the railways that can be constructed in this country will be worthless without adequate naval protection on the highways of the ocean from this to the outer markets of the world. I therefore hope that such a culmination as the proper equivalent of a sufficiency of naval forces here to give us that security which we deserve will be brought about. Coming to a local question, I would like to draw the attention of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Railways to a matter which is of the greatest importance to my distr'u t namely, the proposed Foxton Harbour Board. As I have pointed out in a letter to the Prime Minister, the dues charged on the shipping there are being collected by the Railway Department and credited to the railway receipts, not one penny being expended on the river improvements. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister proposes that we shall rate curselves, Very well, supposing we do rate ourselves, what would that mean ? That we would be paying taxation for the purpose of swelling the railway receipts of this Dominion. All ihe money that is collected ought to be put to a fund for the improvement of the harbour, and as sure as I am standing here the river will silt up, as did the Raugitikei River, if vigorous steps are not taken to prevent it. I therefore impress upon Ministers the urgent necessity of acceding to one or two of the p oposals which have been made by a deputation which I had the honour of introducing—to hand over these wharf dues to the Harbour Board when brought into existence, or otherwise sell the wharf, which was erected at the cost of the Railway Department, to the Harbour Board charging 3 per cent lor 41 years, as under the Loans to Local Bodies Act. By that means the Railway Department would lose absolutely nothing ; but, on the other hand, it would gain a great deal by having insured to it the continuity of shippiug which now takes place, and even an increased volume of shipping if a better harbour is made. This, I trust, Sir, will receive the earnest attention of the honourable gentleman to whom it has been refeired. If it were the Opposition who were appealed to 011 a subject of this kina, I w.ll give them the credit this far to say that I think even they woull see the reasonableness of the demand. Now, Sir, coming to another question—that of loans to local bodies — under the Loans to Local Bodies Act it is necessary that a la ge number of local bodies in this Dominion shall have larger bonovirgpowers than at present. I mention one in particular —namely, the Mauawatu County Council —which has a tramway constructed which is practically a railway. As trade has increased, they require to improve their rolling-stock and to extend the line to a more payable point, but they have absolutely no power to borrow money for the purpose of improving the line or laying down fresh rails, which is practically new work. They also require to extend this tramway. I hope that these several matters will receive the earnest attention of the Government, and so enable the people who have for so many years managed their own public affairs without troubling this Government but as little as possible to be placed in the position of continuing to believe that this Government is a Government which is capable and willing to look at both sides of every question. I thank you, Sir, and honourable members, for the very patient hearing which you have accorded me.