THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VIII, Issue 488, 12 July 1890, Page 4

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

A MINISTERIAL REPLY.

Wellington, July 9. The debate on the Financial Statement was resumed yesterday afternoon, when Mr Saunders, who had moved the adjournment of the debate, took up the thread of discussion and spoke for about three hours, strongly advocating the desirability for retrenchment. The next speaker (Mr Moss) dwelt at some length on the cost of a second session of Parliament during the present year, upon which his views are well known. Parliament, he said, was helpless to do any good to themselves or to the country, and they should dissolve at the earliest possible date. Out of the estimates appropriated of over four and a quarter millions only £135,000 was available for material works of any account, and that was given to the various public bodies to spend. There remained only £IIO,OOO of borrowed money to trust to for roads and bridges, and ho did nob know what was to be done if they went on drifting as they had been for some time past. He urged that under a better system of administering the departmental work a large proportion of the expenditure would be saved, and that in the Education and Police Departments greater economy could be effected by local administration. The Hon. Captain Russell, after replying toone or two otherspeakers, denied thatthore was anything more unconstitutional in the present House and their carrying on of the affairs of the colony than there was in their doing so after tire redistribution of seats was decided upon two years ago. Three months after the census of April next the Boundary Commissioners would have to begin their work anew. It would be improper for a House elected then to continue to legislate, as it was for the present House todo so. A great deal had been said about the abnormal positionof the Government inthat the Premier was not sitting in the House, bub he asked were members not aware that neither Sir F. Whitaker, the Hon. Mr Waterhouse nor Dr. Pollen, when they held the Premiership, occupied a seat in this Chamber. He believed that if the House were abolished and the Government left undisturbed for twelve months, the country would get ahead far better than it would as matters were. (Laughter.) He denied that the Government had asked the Premier to remain in office simply for the preservation of his colleagues or the party dealing with the question of finance. Ho pointed out that the stocks of the colony rose in the London markebassoonasSirHarryAtkinson took office. He argued that the surplus was genuine, and that their proposal for the loading of Grown lands was perfectly practicable and capable of useful extension. Turning his attention to the speech mado by the leader of the Opposition, he said the curse of Reuben appeared to have fallen upon him, “Unstable as water, thou shalb nob excel.” lip seemed always to want to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. As to the alleged excessive outlay on defence, all he wanted to do was to make the volunteer force a complete and proper organisation. He regarded the property tax as the most equitable tax that could be imposed, and the proposal to substitute aland tax fora property tax as directed against the country. Most of the large estates which they were told wore unimproved were situated in the South Island, and were of such a character that they could notpossibly be improved. He maintained that there had been a greater increase in the settlement of the country during the present administration than any previous year, but admitted that circumstances had been perhaps a little more favourable to liis colleagues. The exodus of people from the colony he attributed solely to the stoppage of the loan expenditure and public works, and he pointed out that there were now a larger pi'oporbion of the male population on the land than there ever had been before, and that there had been an enormous increase in the settlement of agricultural and pastoral land during the year. It had been asserted again and again that people were leaving the country in largo numbers, year after year, and ho asserted that the facts were quite contrary. In 18S7 the gain of arrivals over departures was 1,067, in 1889 there was a gain of 977, in 1888 the colony lost 975 people over the arrivals, and there was an excellent reason for it in the stoppage of the public works expenditure. In 1889 the arrivals were 15,392 arid She departures 15,178, showing a distinct gain of 214 people. Captain Russell referred to the figures quoted by the member for YVnitobara as egregious and outrageously incorrect. There was, he said, a wide difference of opinion on the question of federation, and consequently ho explained the position which he said had been taken up at the recent Conference. It had been assumed that they had pledged the colony to something. The fact of the matter was that the New Zealand delegates pledged themselves to nothing. They went to the Conference pledged to say that New Zealand was not prepared to enter into a federation of the Australasian colonies, and they succeeded in saying “ no” in the pleasantest possible fashion. The resolutions to which they consented merely asserted that the time had come for practical discussion of the question. The only pledge that he and his colleague pledged this Parliament to was that delegates would be sent over to attend the forthcoming Federal Conference. He assured the House there was no secret understanding between the delegates and Sir Henry Parkes as to the attitude of New Zealand. He thought, personally, that New Zealand’s destiny was not Australasian, bub Imperial Federation. He considered that the federal defence of Australasia was wise and desirable, and approved of the recommendations mado in this direction by General Edwards. On the subject of the reductions he said people really did not realise how difficult a thing it was to cut down estimates. The amount available for reductions was only £400,000. The salaries paid in Parliament Buildings were but £75,000, and the great majority of these were under £2OO per annum. Other votes were fixed by statute or were exempt. When they came to the police they wei-e told to cwb them down, bub the cost of the police to New Zealand was only 2s lOfd per head of the inhabitants, compared to 4s in Victoria, 5s 2d in New South Wales, 5s 3id in South Australia, and 8s lid in Queensland. In conclusion he asserted his belief that tbs Government had the confidence of the colony. He preferred the administration of that side of the House than that they could fairly expect from the other. If fairly defeated at the ensuing elections, however, they would extend a cordial support to their successors. Mr Taylor, of Sydenham, followed in a characteristic speech, extending over a couple of hours, during which he repeatedly urged the Government to reconsider their position and consent to an immediate dissolution.

The debate was adjourned at 11.30 p.m. The “Times” states that arrangements have teen made to conclude the Financial Del ate to-night on the understanding that the estimates should not be gone on with at once. Ministers give this statement an absolute denial.