PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 25, 27 June 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE DEBATE ON THE FINANCIAL STAI EM ENT.

(UNITED 1 RESS .ASSOCIATION. ) : . Wellington, Friday. In the House the dclvitc on the Financial Statement commenced. Major Atkinson said he would examine the promises made by the Government last year to ascertain how far they had been fulfilled aud also how far they could be trusted again. The deficit he said this year was. much worse than last year, and it was no excuse to say that the amount was increased by the repeal of the property tax because the colony was told that they could do without it. There .was on the consolidated revenue alone a deficit ot ! £50,000. There was also heavier •''liabilities on the Land Fund. He denied that the depression had passed away, as inferred by reading* the Statement. In-' stead there are signs of it deepening, and if the Statement was adopted it: would .make, matter* worse.- .. Cotupaf ing .. expenditure for throe years we found that m. 1885 it: was. £00,000 more than m 18,84, while for 1886 they were asked to spend £50,000 more. He 'could $cc no saving as promised by the Treasurer taking the Armed Constabulary and "Survey Departin jilts into consideration. . There appeared an apparent saying = but- on looking into figures" there was actually ah increase of £9000 on the expenditure as seyeraMarge chtirges had been made. to other departments Hj asked the Treasurer toexplain to the House why there had been ■no departmental redactions. He severely cii'iciKud- lib' nction:in reference to the . sinking fund and "fci'jtl'.lie would admit; the inscription of 'stock may. have been v ancoeas Iwit nothing further^ 'He ciiuld * see no reason for inscribing the 1807 loan - as it would have been hetter-to wait tiiit'l > ih<i credit of :tlie coloiiy , was ; increased. , Referring to the proposes he said the. colony was called npoii tb . siisfcain fur- ; ther taxation to the extent 6f a quarter' of a luillion and what was it, for hilf of it was required for oiitsido purposes, • £75,000 for local hodios, and for deficit. He sevei'ely criticised the sclieme,. for governing the local bodies and argued : that rta; bettei' nieasmo could bo held, , diAn^tlie Road and Bridges Construction ! ! Act. How did the Government intend to raise the money roquirod ?. By raising . . the Custom* Duties and Stamp Fees, by throwing the Charitable Aid on the; , shoulders of local boards • and doubling, the Property Tax. He did not believe the House wouid agree tcrthe iesolutipn for. altering the tariff, but supposing it did amount woulfVfall short of theTreasurers Estiiuate. He did not favor either Free Trade or Protection but would jud^e for himself m each particular case and where it would be beneficial to New Zealand he would not favor the imposition of a duty on coal and said the doing so was a breach of the duty with the sister colony. The proposals m the Statement would fall heavily on the working classes and it seemed to him that additional taxation was required. The Property Tax should have been increased. He asked the House not to grant £1,000,000. required for Public Works. The Government had had two millions last year, and that should be sufficient to carry on until this year. The Government had enth'ely failed m all their promises. He condemned the appointments to the Legislative Council and characterised the J P. appointments as made for party purposes. Before they adopted. increased taxation he hoped the House would insist on a largely reduced expenditure m the departments. Tf the house, refused the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Bill and insisted- on reductions, then; they wfiuld put the Government m a fair way of fulfilling the promises naa/te hist session. Sir Julitis Vdgel said there had been a large savins m the Land Department, but the Minister of Defence had been compelled to increase his estimates by £50.000 on account of external defences. The Governor had paid off £70,000 worth of debentures last year, and -would probably pay off £100,000 thia year. He denied that the depression was deepening and quoted the to savings bank statistics to show that the deposits exceeded withdrawals, which he considered was silent proof. He explained the reason for adadditional taxation. There was £Qi,ooo which came into charge this year but it , did not come m last year. i? 50,000 to pay off deficit of 1883,. £75,000 for subsidies to local bodies, and j-50,000 for de fence. He defended the local Government proposals, and said the method of finance, under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, waf the most original one he ever met. If the House thought fit. they could amend the tariff, but he ar arned that it fell lightly on the labouring classes. The million which Major Atkinson opposed, would if granted carry Governmenfc well An to 1887. As regards additions to the Legislative Council, he said it had been found necessary to give increased and fairer territorial representation m that Chamber. With reference to the appointment off J.Ps., he showed that the recommendations of the gentleman opposed to Government received as mncti consideration as those on their side. Tho Government had endeavoured to do its best for the colony, and he asked the House to view the proposals on a broad basis. Mr Wakefield said the depression had not passed away, He attributed tho present circumstances largely to the reduced price of grain- Tne savings bank statistics were to a large extent guided by the bank interest. When 6 per cent, was obtained there were withdrawals,and when theper centage was reduced the deposits went up, .therefore, it was no proof of depression diminishing. He could not \see why coal had been taxed. He considered the amount passed -last session for opening up the .coal indUßtry on the West Coast Coast was sufficient for that industry. With regard to the local government a scheme was wanted which gave these bodies to understand that what; they spent they must raise. Reasonable Customs duties on spirits and the manufacture falling off was because people had no money and had therefore to economise. Settlement, he said, m the South Island was at a standstill, and at some places had receded. He denounced Vogel's cheap money scheme as impracticable. The tariff, he argued, came with a crushing blow on the best industries m Ihe country. Every single thing used m manufacture of agri cultural-implements was taxed and a bonus was really given to the consumer of imported articles. He was a Free Trader to the extreme, and would like to see the Custom House abolished altogether. In conclusion ht asked the House without reference to parties to oppose the terrible taxation proposed by the Treasurer. At 12.45 Mr Dargaville moved the adjournment of the debate until Tuesday evening. Carried.