THE PREMIER'S SPEECH AT HOKITIKA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 89, 4 May 1901, Page 2

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH AT HOKITIKA.

PES PRESS ASSOCIATION. Hokitika, M*y 3. Thfl'Prtmier addr.>a<ed a large meatiog inthe town Hall to-night. After tencbiog on the death of Queen Victoria,' his faith in King Edward, the visit of the Duke of Cornwall and hii own eight years Premiership and the prosperity of the country under his policy, including land for the people, fair taxation and industrial peac*, ha b <id one of the boldest acts of the Government was the rrscne of th» Bank of New Zealtnd. the present position of which fully justified the course taken. R< faring to the charge* of extravagance, be raid the dttr&otom in pointing to increased expenditure during the )a«t ten years omitted increased population and increased revenue. Expenditure lad increased by £1,163,000 yatly, but last year the revenue increased by X 1,665,000, the tnrjlus being £532,564, includ'ng £105,357 from the p evioua • V nr. Considering all the remissiMS in Ho he could claim a record financial >9«r. Thi statement that half a mil* - lion of pr vi >DB yoar's surplus lud not l> «n tr«n*ferroi to the public works iun'Kwsa pure fiction, Wit b regard li t mil • ays ii jt only had there been » ng fii C j lie ptrp'e resumed «m< t o\ lint, il mandswqto m«t in n msnnsr «. i Ii general satisfaction. Ill* i.iii'OHß i • rat<B'-acd ft eight* "i*'cf to £3o*',ooo this year,'while . p i <f»; tf j.e o? i d'Tiiogs oh tb* cm ' w k i.'J loi sd, the actual profits .« i'M9,389 ngairs £s7l,s33iqtb* •" ".vi « , v o-r. Thi year's rsvena* M' £i 7'/7,246 and the expsnditun £1 I 7,b47; thi inrreaw of rereno* l> i £G03,3~>5 ant of *zpenditan ''£427,1)1. U- i-Jfhded to fut'U<e r'uri-eioti 4 . Notwithstanding > In the Post and Ttlegrapb n> .vi<v H«tmul s forth* year , wewimo • ."Mti*f«»tary." ToWgriAft had ircrea# d -SH prri-n ; , nliatfh- *f itfioers <) ph<».K bonnevttoks by' 245. 1 tr*. wi,u- of HuT DepaV'fciiat for 1900-0 1 .«• s £So3]lßl' «ifc«Sp«. diture £ls-. J'U, H«*p ke i-n r favor of.a.B.6>(f„o'>U' i (' 'tween Nfiw Z.Aland and 4rUWal ariVitftplatned liis action th«rrio.. ti jteM the time' was npaiof a coaferene tor'lst. penal Klfairs in Sou :i Africa and th* Wist, when the a tvicc and ct> op*rati*n f i<he co)o',jU'K wu>d b* ( to the adrtt"2o of the llome .Government.' Hi hvoured a Boyal Commission, with t.'mnda, India, Australia and New Z*a> I <nil rcprartnted. He hrped the linM w '( t far distant when the colony "II inanufactiu- its own iron and Hi' 1 , in.l prtsirve Urit'sH trade within t K ip:r>». In iuture the Govern-

»i iutmded to mar.ufictur* its owa f'l g stock. lie w.u'd encourage 0 M ctl education and schools of agri- • nit in country d'Vricti. He al--1 'I with pride tothe sucoeis .of fail J pttlioy. There wes a growing w I'l iinl for land every day. He suggc ' 'I :in amendment in tbe Land- Act I ii' tiio direction of the be' torment priori I • Tie North Island Trunk Railway wii i >1 I ' pushed on, and tbe B'ratford con i it- u i ultima ely made, lie dwell on tli* * i eat opening for traffic with Po-i ii Afiitaand Chili, |ie justified th? Ojvernoient's to.iil legirHtioo, which was attracting notice in other ccun'rieß; and spoke of the unsatisfactory cocdi'ion of the timber industry aud waste of forfH's. also of the advantage of Stito con'rol. In th« interest of the colony rating on unimproved va'u's was a piopertyt>t«m of taxatioe. Finally, he hoped to see passed nest 6e sioo a lo ul government Bill, as at present thore wee. too many looal bodies.