Friday, 17th May.

Southland Times, Issue 1582, 24 May 1872, Page 3

Friday, 17th May.

Mr Tolmie asked the Government if it was their intention to place a sum on the Estimates to provide for immigration during the current year ? If the arrangements with the Home Agency were working satisfactorily ? If so, were the Council to expect 'a continuous flow of immigration from the rural districts of the mother country as heretofore ? Mr Reid: It was the intention of the Government to place a small supplementary sum on the Estimates for immigration—scarcely to provide for the present year, but to be used in the event of the Colonial scheme not providing for the introduction of a sufficient number of suitable immigranta for the Province. The Government would grant further assistance if they had means. The arrangements of the Province with the Home Agent were satisfactory. There had never been any hitch. The only other remark he might make was that under the Colonial scheme the Colonial Agent could to some extent exercise an overriding power in respect to the Agent for the Province. He could not say whether the Council might confidently expect to receive from the rural districts of the mother country a continuous flow of immigrants. He understood that they might rather expect to see immigrants arrive from the North of Europe. Mr M* Arthur moved —"That a respectful Address be presented to His Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to urge upon the General Government the necessity for extending the Telegraph line from Invercargill to "Winton with as little delay as possible." The motion was carried. Mr Reid moved the House into Committee of Supply, to enable him to make the financial statement. After a geueral review of the financial history of the Province for the year, Mr Reid said: — I will now proceed to state the expenditure of the year. It is comprised under the following heads: —Superintendent, Executive, Provincial Council, and Treasurer, £8818 Is lid; Police, Harbors, Gaols, and District Gaols, £32,092 7s lid; Sheep Inspectors, £2096 5s 3d ; Education and High Schools, £20,329 9s lid ; Hospital and Lunatic Asylum, £9029 19s 4d; Collection of Tolls, Industrial Schools, and Miscellaneous Salaries, £4014 19s 3d; Crown Lands and Survey, Q-oldfielda, Road Department and General Road Board, £22,748 19s 6d ; Loans, £32,009 7a 3d; Steam Service, £1826 12s 3d ; Home Agency and Immigration, £6588 3s 4d; Grants in Aid, Miscellaneous, £35,146 4s 8d; Road Boards, Roads, Works and Buildings, Bridges, Jetties and Harbors, Railways, £64,687 16a lid, making a total of £239,388 7s 6d. The result, then, is revenue £289,308 16s 3d, a sum released from deposit account, £3000, making a total revenue of £292,308 16s 3d, against a total expenditure of £239,388 7s 6d, leaving a balance of £52,920 8s 9d, which, as I have already explained, has gone to reduce the deficiency of last year. Before proceeding to the consideration of the provisions for the current year, I

l wish to explain to the Committee what i we propose to do, in regard to the local administrative bodies (Municipal Councils) which are established in the different centres of population throughout the Province. Honorable members are aware that many of these councils have not i (nor can they raise by any taxation which i would not be excessive, and tend greatly . to cramp enterprise in their respective localities) that amount of revenue which is essentially necessary to enable them to fulfil with advantage the very important functions which devolve upon > them. A Bill has therefore been intro- . duced for the purpose of making over to each municipality, and also to County • Councils, as soon as they are established, . the license fees, dog tax, and other local ; revenues of a similar character accruing within their bounds. I may here mention that it is the intention of the Government forthwith to bring into i operation the Eoads Ordinance, 1871, which confers much larger powers of self-government on the inhabitants of the different Road Districts than they possess under the existing Ordinances. The elections under the new Ordinances will take place in June or July next, and when the new Boards are fairly in operation the Government will be enabled to make further reductions in the departmental staff. In thus making proyision for gradually divesting ourselves of, and making over to, local representative bodies, those revenues which are; raised, and which can be most efficiently and economically administered, locally, I think we are pursuing a wise course, one which is calculated to beget an interest in the management of local affairs, which will create a public spirit, and which will be the means of organising a system of municipal and local administration, which cannot fail ultimately to secure most satisfactory results, which will form a barrier against the absorption of ad> ministrative functions by a central Government, and prevent that confusion and disorder which would ensue, in the event of any change of the Provincial form of government before other local governing bodies were established. I now proceed to state the proposed expenditure for the year 1872-73, which is as follows: — Superintendent' and Executive, £3610 ; Provincial Council, £3409 4s; Treasury, £1140; Police, £18,220; Harbor Department, £5595 ; Gaols, a? 859 9; Sheep Inspectors, £1375 ; Education, £18,838 6a 8d; High School, £33 j! 4 2s 3d; Hospitals and Lunatic Asylum, £9317; Collection of Tolls, £1360 ; Industrial Schools, £1953 ; | Miscellaneous, £1215 16s 8d ; Crown Lands and Survey, Goldfields, Road Department, and General Road Board, £19,584 0s 4d; Sailways, £5304 12s ; Loans, £36,345 5s ; Steam Service,£2l2s ; Home Agency, £1500 ; Immigration, £6000 ; Grants in Aid and Miscellaneous, £25,742 4s lOd ; Payments to General Government, £23,000 ; Refund of License Fees to Municipalities, £7000 ; Road Boards, Roads, Works and Buildings, Railways, Bridges, Jetties, and Harbors, L 76,785 ; in addition to which there is a proposed expenditure of L 33,755, for which payments are to be made in land. The total expenditure for the current year, exclusive of those works which are subject to payment in land, will be L 281.323 lls 9d. I shall now proceed to give the details of the estimated revenue of the current year. We have estimated to receive from the General Government L 20,000. This is the balance which will be payable to the Province on the appropriations of last year. We have not made any estimate in anticipation of the appropriations which may be made next session of the General Assembly. Unless some portion of the Consolidated Revenue is secured to the Province, beyond the Capitation Grant of 15s payable under the Payments to Provinces Act, there can be no return, inasmuch as it •will b© all absorbed in paying interest charges on our loans. We estimate Crown Lands at L 70.00 0: Assessment on Stock, L 57.500 ; Goldfields Revenue, L 21.000; Gold Export Duty, L 22.000; Harbor Tonnage Dues,L2soo; Tolls on Roads, L 12.500 ; Dog and Goat Tax, L2OOO. Under the head of Licenses, we estimate to receive this year L 16,00 0; last year's estimate was L 15,000, and the receipts L 15.254 15s Bd. Under the head of School Fees, Rents, <fee, we estimate to receive L 12.500 ; the estimate last year was L4OOO, the receipts being L 11,886 7s 6d. I need not trouble the Committee by referring to the other items. I may state, however, with reference to the estimate for Railways, we have estimated this year to receive LBOOO. Last year the estimate was L 12,000, and the " receipts L 6656 8s 4d. We think this sum will be fully realised during the current year. Under the head of Sales of Reclaimed Land, we estimate our receipts at LI O,OOO. Under the head of Jetty Dues, we estimate to receive £3000, the same as last year, the receipts being £3047 lls Id. Thus we have an estimated revenue of £267,800, and a proposed expenditure of £281,332 lls 9d. Although it is quite evident we cannot expend £281,000 from a revenue of £267,000, I may be permitted to explain that it is impossible during any one year to fully expend the votes which are placed on the Estimates. Moreover, we do not know what action may be taken by the General Assembly when it meets. It is possible that some little assistance may still be rendered to the Province. In the event of this being so, we will then have votes to enable us to proceed with the expenditure, assuming that the revenue is at our disposal. In regard to the estimate of £70,000 from Crown Lands, I may state 1 , that we propose to ask the Council to agree to a resolution to open for sale, at 10s per acre, the unsold lands in Hundreds. which have been in the market for seven years. The several Hundreds which have now been open for seven years are the following :— Kakanui contains 17,500 acres unsold; Awamoko, 3438; Marewhenua, 4134 ; Catlins, 54,992 ; Waikawa, 9143 ; Toi Toia, 55,000; Mokoreta, 19,424; Tuturau, 20,515 \ being a total of 184,146.

i; It is just possible that in the estimates I of the proposed expenditure we maj . have failed to provide for some works ; which honorable members may considei i' of importance. Unfortunately, it is not » in the power of the Government to mccl i all the claims for consideration which are . made upon it; but I think it will be recognised that in the proposals which \ have been submitted to the Committee an earnest desire is evinced to mete out equal justice to all parts of the Province, in so far as this can be accomplished with the means at our disposal. I think I may claim for the Government the initiation of a decentralising policy, not only of expenditure, but also of revenue. We have often heard of such a policy, but it has remained to this Government to place it before the Council. It rests with honorable members now to declare by their votes whether they are prepared to give it effect. 1 may be permitted to express my regret that the Statement I have had to make was not of a brighter character; but I think honorable members will agree that it is as satisfactory as could have been expected, when we consider that this Province, with a population of some 69,000 souls, contributes a sum of £93,500 as interest and sinking fund on Colonial loans, and a further sum of £84,332 5s on Provincial loans, making a total of £167,332 annually extracted from the Province — equal to £2 10a 9d per head of the population. When we reflect that this large sum is absorbed in paying the burdens on past expenditure, and when we remember that in addition to this we contribute a large sum to the General Government expenditure, it appears to me the cause for wonder is, not that we have so little, but that so much can be made available for our local requirements. I have to move the item on page 11, "Interest on Loans, 1861-62, £3208." (The honorable member resumed his seat amid loud applause). The item passed, and progress was