PARLIAMENTARY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 164, 23 June 1884, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

[Ran I'hess Assowtios.) Legislative Council. Saturday, June 21. A message from the Governor notified that he had given leave for the session to Messrs. Peter and Martin. It was agreed that private and local Bills should next session go on from the stage where left this session. House of Representatives. ATTACK ON MAJOR ATKINSON. Saturday, June 21. The House reassembled at 2.30. Mr. Rolleston said that he had certain information in confirmation of his assertion that Sir George Grey was responsible for the issue of large areas for gum-digging purposes. He had wired for further information, In confirmation of that assertion Mr. Smith complained of the irregularity in the matter of the nomination of men to serve on the land boards. In Hawke’s Bay it was notorious that these men and the Government officials had taken advantage of their official information for the purchase of lands, to the prejudice of the general public. The motion for adjournment was put and negatived, and the House went into committee of supply. On the motion that supplies be granted for the period ending 31st August, Mr. Montgomery said that they had now before them a definite statement of the real state of the Colony up to the end of last financial ? year. They began the year with a balance of £35,000 and their expenditure had exceeded the income by £187,000. That was a most unsatisfactory state of matters, the more so that it did not disclose the full measure of their deficit. Since the 31st March last the deficiency had been on the increase, so that they were not in a position to grapple with the gdifficulty. The estimated revenue .of last year had been overstated in the passing of the Estimates. The Treasurer was warned that such would be the case, but he derided that opinion. The low price of wool and also of grain was attributed as a reason for this failure in the revenue; but at the time the estimate was made the price of both of these commodities was large. Such being the case, he could not claim that as a reason, for the Governor’s statement showed they should not trust implicitly to the Treasurer, but exercise their own discrimination. Had the motion of Mr. Swanson last year been carried for the reduction of the departmental estimates by £5O (? 50 per cent.) it would have shown they would have been that to the good. Government, however, opposed that motion, and it was lost. The public works expenditure was in excess of the vote to a consideradle sum. This excess had arisen in direct contravention of the law. The only explanation given on this account was that he felt it his duty to call the attention of Parliament to it. That was no valid explanation. Some years ago when Mr. Macandrew was in office he took advantage of the low state of the market to purchase a quantity of railway iron in excess of his authority, but Parliament resented the transaction. The iron could afterwards have been sold in England at a profit of 15 per cent., but stll Parliament held that that was no justification. He contended that the taxation of the postoffice trust funds was antagonistic to the Act thereon. He was told that at the 31st March last they had £398,000 deficiency bills outstanding, and these were not redeemed; and with those he was about to ask for, it would make them on the Ist September next a total of £698,000 deficiency bills which, together with another debt proposed to be contracted for public works, the deficiency would make a total of £498,000. Judging from present appearances, whoever returned to those benches after the elections would have a difficult task before them—a task far more difficult than the Government that took office in 1879 had. The only remedy -proposed by the Treasurer, was to live within their means. He asked if the Treasurer lived within his means. Five years ago, when the Government took office they were pledged to economy, and this was the outcome of it. When they asked the Treasurer to make reductions last year, he absolutely refused to make it. This was the outcome of a deficit of £152,000. He should say that the Treasurer must now feel that his day for doing good had closed. After being five years in office, pledged to economy, he had done absolutely nothing. ■A more humiliating position could hardly be considered. Their bounded duty was to get their finance put into a proper state, and not follow any sanguine Treasurer into such a mess.

Mr. Petrie complained that a sum of £24,000, on the schedule for last years work, had not been spent on the West Coast Harbor works.

Mr. Holmes described the statement as a financial Chinese puzzle. The total indebtedness of the Colony, to be paid out of the consolidated revenue, was £666,000, and the deficit would have to be made good by increase of Property Tax, Customs Duties, &c. In the year 1881-2, Government met the House with a surplus that was due to the economical administration of Mr. Hall. Next year they showed a deficiency of £168,000. In 1883-84 of the present year, the deficiency was as stated above. A great proportion of this was due to a falling off in Customs Revenue. That was true, but he blamed the Treasurer for having made an over estimate last year. They were told that the Colony was overstocked and he ought to have known that that fact would stop, to a great extent, fresh importation. Interrupted by 5.30 p.m. adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr. Holmes continued the debate, contending that the quarter of a million of inscribed stock had been illegally raised. The Government had ursurped the functions of the House in dealing with public money. He dissented altogether from Major Atkinsons views as a cause for the present depression. It was not due to the low price of produc, but to the absurdly high price deferred payment selectors had been led to give for their land. He advocated the Government borrowing money at 4 per cent, and lending it to bona fide settlers for improvements at 5 per cent. Mr. Shephard at considerable length reviewed the question of taxation. He did not think the financial condition of the colony quite so bad as some people seemed to suppose it. Mr. Montgomery wanted assurance from Major Atkinson that no political appointments to the Legislative Council be made during the recess. He also asked when the writs would be issued.

Major Atkinson in reply, said the Government would before the end of the session take the advice of the house on the latter point. He wished to consult his colleagues. He denied a contention made by Mr. Holmes that an excess of imports over exports was a bad thing for the colony. It was quite the otherway. He wished the excess was greater. The true amount of deficiency bills out was only £3.48,000, or deducting the Treasury bills on the deficit, only £245,000. They had, out of this, paid the liabilities of last year amounting to £176,000 he could easily have so arranged the amount to make the figures look much less; but he desired them to show the plain truth. It was also overlooked that £250,000 had been paid into the Sinking Fund. They had also spent a considerable sum in rolling stock for future use, and by pushing on public works would avoid the colony much distress. He quoted figures to show that the departmental expenditure had been steadily reduced during the last few years. He had done all he could to reduce it, but what was required was reorganisation. He had taken this in hand, and, had he been allowed, would have made proposals which would have brought the expenditure of the year within the revenue. Every step had been taken in dealing with public funds was done with the advice of the law officer. He denied that his successor would meet with any great difficulties, either in the Treasury or in regard to public works. Sir George Grey declined to consider details of accounts, which the Treasurer admitted he could have cooked if he wished. He ascribed the depression to undue competition for deferred payment lands, owing to the blocks opened being too small. A great deal of distress had thus been produced. He believed the great Liberal Party would return triumphant from the elections,

and inaugurate a new era of prosperity. He hoped the people would be told the wrongs they suffered under from a nominated Council ; unfair taxation, and the absence of the Doomsday Book. , Mr. Turnbull eaid that while three millions was drawn from wool, and 11 million acres occupied in its production, only some half a million was spent in the Colony. That was the cause of depression. These large estates should be broken up, there was otherwise no hope for the Colony. The real question was, should Ihis vast area remain practscally unproductive? Annual Parliaments would be would be the effectual remeey, but despaired of.getting that. At 12-10 progress was reprorted, and the House adjourned till 11 o’clock on Monday morning.