The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 355, 11 September 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1878.

The discussion of the Laud Tax Bill in the Assembly is being availed of as a fitting opportunity for the free expression of opinion on the Government policy by members of both side of (ho house. There are not a few who, while feeling themselves bound to vote with the Government, yet express themselves very strongly against the details of the proposed Laud Billpas well as against the Financial proposals generally. The Public Works Statement is no more or less (ban a pandering to the strong and a kick for the weak. Otago and Canterbury, which all along have been too well cared for, because they are powerful, are dealt liberally with. It suits Mr Macaudrew to push Otago ahead. Judging by the Tapanui to Waipbi railway transaction, it matters little to him whether the end is attained by fair or unfair means. He cannot, however, do all be would. He has to consider a very powerful neighbor—Canterbury, and to effectively serve Otago lie must truckle somewhat to Canterbury. Tims those two provincial districts come in for Government plums. Auckland carries too much weight for it to be safe to slight it, and lias therefore been handled with a view to just slave off hostility. Wellington is so well advanced in railway undertakings that there is no help for it but lo go on. The weaker parts of the colony have been ruthlessly ignored, or as in our own case robbed. Nelson, Poverty Bay, and other weak places have been slighted, whilst to Patea the

hush has been applied. The stumping torn - of the Premier set the country and members of the Assembly ou the tip toe of expectation. The cry of “giro the old man a chance” was raised, and availed to stem anything in the shape of violent opposition, it is now beginning to bo felt that the “old man has had a trial, and that his performances, as that ol sumo of his colleagues, have fallen very far short of his promises. The pulse of the colony having been felt, ami as it was no doubt believed, having been accurately gauged, proposals were devised with a view to fitting circumstances, and not with any intention ot openly and boldly carrying out the many reforms promised. By truckling to the strong it has no doubt been considered the position would be made safe, and the bonds of the weak might be ignored. We are therefore not sorry to see the outspokenness to which we have referred as coming from both sides of the House. Mr Edward Wakefield, the member for Geraldine, a bitter opponent of the past, and a warm supporter of the present Government, has severely criticised the Government policy, and went the length of moving an amendment to the effect that “ Whilst this House is of opinion that whenever the necessities of the colony require further revenue direct taxation should be restored to, it is of opinion that no such taxation should be adopted while subsidies and funds raised by taxation are paid from the Consolidated Fund to the local bodies.” After referring in detail to the new tariff proposed by the Treasurer, the balance of which was against and not in favor of the working man, and whom the Grey Government profess to be specially solicitous to befriend, Mr Wakefield said, “ Was it necessary to bring down such a muddled policy? There was no necessity for the Treasurer to get revenue or to please political opponents. Why, if the lion member for Egmont had brought such a policy down Ids life wonlu have been made a burden to him till he got off the Treasury bench. All the Treasurer had to do was to bring down a scheme conceived on some definite principle for it to be accepted, but he could not do so, and instead had brought dawn this muddling, ehundleriug policy. The tiuuuco was the worst feature of the Government policy, ami could not possibly run concurrently with the Public Works policy. The latter scheme was a good one, and that of the Treasurer must

go to tke wall. The Land Fund and the resources of the land must bo taken to provide ways and means for the Public Works policy, and not to increase the. variety of the stock in the Treasurer’s chandler’s shop.” Later in the debate Major Atkinson unburdened himself, and very forcibly called attention to the reckless manner in which, for a couple ol sessions, Sir George Grey and others of the thou Opposition, had impugned the accuracy of the public accounts. The promised revelations of wrong doing and personal • corruption of uifiiiburs of the Atkinson Government had never been made. The Grey Government had actuallv acknowledged y O the accuracy of Major Atkinson’s figures and statements, by adopting them. Last Session, Sir George Grey declared

that he would effect a saving of £ 100,000 in the departmental estimates. Major Atkinson showed that, omitting the departments of Railways, Education, and Surveys, there had been last year in nine other departments, not a saving', but an excess of expenditure, amounting to £7,000, and the estimates for these departments for the current year, were £15,000 in excess of the sums asked for the same services by the late Government, “No one,” said Major Atkinson, “ was louder than the lion, the Premier, when ho was in opposition, in denouncing the carrying of loans to ordinary revenue; but what was the fact ? That the present Government actually carried £7<3,000 of loan to the public accounts, and hunted with it, in order to show an alleged surplus of £123,000.” In regard to the Public Debt, the Grey Government had asserted it to bo twentyfour millions, and now, after a further loan has been raised, they arc content to set it down at about twenty millions. Verily, there has been much talk and little doing, many promises and few performances in the direction of keeping those promises. The member for New Plymouth (Mr T. Kelly), is reported to have expressed himself strongly against the Land Tax Rill, and to have stated that if Government pressed the matter, he should probably have to reconsider his position. Whilst wc scarcely think it probable an opposition is likely to bo formed this Session, strong enough to seriously affect the present Government, we are hopeful that the outspokenness on the part of avowed supporters as well as of opponents, will lead to such modifications in the Government proposals, as will be beneficial to the Colony at large, and bo justor to weak and struggling parts of the Colony. So far as the proposed 15 per cent, reduction from the Patea County land revenue is concerned, we have reason to believe that the House will oppose it, not from any love for Patea, but for fear the same principle might afterwards bo brought to bear generally.