The Premier at Hawera.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 102, 8 April 1884, Page 2

The Premier at Hawera.

[Per Press Association.] Hawera, April 8. Major Atkinson addressed a large meeting here last night. He complained that last session there was not one real debate, or one principle fairly discussed. He regretted the Opposition did not do their duty to the country. He admitted there would be a deficiency on the gross revenue of about £170,000, but he did not think this very serious, as it did not equal the amount of Property Tax remitted the year before last, and the cost of the Constabulary were then taken in the consolidation fund. The customs had not reached the estimate by £120,000; railways were £BO,OOO short; Postal Department, £20,000 short; stamps had reached the estimate. Some retrenchment might be made in the Civil service, but in several departments, such as customs for instance, there was no margin for reduction. Fees in the Justice Department might be increased, as it now cost the country £20,000 a year to enable tr-ders to collect debts. Government propc ed to reduce the number of Undersecretaries to eight, and group all departments under them, and no new department would be created but by authority of Parliament; then divide chiefs into grades, with maximum and minimum salaries in each all persons to enter as cadets after examination, and pass from grade by examination. They would also compel all to contribute tov u,rds a pension fund. Hospitals should be supported partly by districts and partly by Government. By reforming hospital and charitable aid, £50,000 a year could be saved. Education cost altogether about £400,000 a year, but the only possible saving was to withdraw the extra os. to Boards, but this would be hard on the country districts. He did not think Parliament would borrow more money for school buildings, funds would have to be raised for this by a general taxation, or local rates. He defended the recent increase' in Railway tariff. Settlement was progressing and things were not nearly so bad as some represented them. The Government intended to consolidate the large towns into single electorates, also to make provision for a better revision of the electoral rolls. The Government were anxious for Land Reform, and were seeking to discover some tenure preferable to the old freehold system which would avoid evils resulting from that system in old countries. The matter required great care. During the last three or four years 11,000 persons had taken up land in this country. The Government would ask Parliament not to sell another acre of pastoral land. Although Native matters generally were satisfactory, a little mismanagement would readily create another Native difficulty. The present Native land laws had proved unsatisfa3tory, pnd as the only solution the Government would ask Parliament to sanction the Crown resuming the pre-emptive right of purchase from the Natives. The Government did not propose further borrowing until the million yet to be raised was dealt with. No Minister had ever yet made up his mind as to the best route for the North Island trunk line. They were all only too anxious to get the best possible line. He advocated federation. He believed the counties would yet amalgamate and become strong bodies. He believed that no country in the world had more efficient local government than New Zealand. He declared he would seek no other constituency than Egmont, and concluded by urging the necessity of living within our means, saying that if we did so enormous prosperity would be the result.—A vote of confidence was passed.