POLITICAL ADDRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 110, 15 May 1902, Page 2

POLITICAL ADDRESS.

THE MINI3TKR FOR PUBLIC WORKS. PICE PBBBB ASSOOUTUW, Timabu, May 18. The Hod. Hall-Jone* (Minister for Public Works) addrtssed his oonstituntsthis evening. The coronation, ho 8-»i*, wts a gre\t event in the history of the E npiri. Many momentous questions t? bo dealt with at the Oonterencu of Pieiniers in Lend is, the mo-ti important was that of a preferential taiitf, If we had stead together in war, siuuld w« not s'and to ge-her in peace? As r.<g iiv's trade, the export* of Great B ituin to foreign countries amounted in 1900 to £78,800,000, whil • rountriis exported to Biitii. £245,600,000. The grain duties r cerrly imp. sed at Home, he w«s of opinion, were imjwsed generally to give an opportunity of subsequently granting cono-ssions to Biitish colonies. Dealing with fimncial mat en, the expendituiv for tht year, be aimitted, bad been abnormal. The R >yal visit, the mobilisation of volun'ee s, the visit of the Imperial troops, iducatioD, the Tou.ist Department, tba Heilth Deportment (ooth new departments) and the Cook Islands to a Urge extent accounted for it. Penny postage partly accounted for thvi increased postal expenditure. Th» expendi'ttie had increased, but the rtvenue had inoreased iu greater proportion. The surplug next year would amount to between four and five hundred thousands. Remission s in Customs duties since 1896 amoun'ed to cl se upon £700,000, The value of fren gov'ts imported amounted to £4 678, 481. an 1 that of du f ia')io goods to £6,665,935. Boferrhig to tho Work" Department, land , Sdttieuient meant a very ''urge increase i'i pVnlic works cxpa-iditure. He 'idmitt <1 tint the Nor.u Island had peraaps sum ■. cure for compliant, i Hut not a f . the hands of th„ piessnt i Government. There were eighteen ; separata railway works in progress. i On the litje-i under couhtruciion the i expendituie for the year had bren as follows: Kawakawa - Grahwastowo, r actui! amoubt of votafor y»Hr£l3,9CO, : en struction of pmmantmt way £16,j 825; Heleisviile Northwards, £13,990 t aud £25,049; Pu-rw-Wathi, £18,65* . and £24,993 ; Gisborne-Karaka, £lB,- | 655 and £l7,:iBL; S ratford-Kawa- , kaw,., £11,193 »nd £20,825; Martoa- , Te Awamuiu ) £l49,236at»d£lßi,s6l; 3 Midiaud Railway, £93,771 aid £66,- , 391; Otayo Ceotral, £93,271 aud ! £103,273; Heriot Extension, £4664 r and £4056; Oatliu's-Seaward Bush, £11,193 and £8001; OrepukeWaUu, , £11,193, and £16,456. The expendi- , ture last year on public works amounted to £2,143,452, of whioh £1,333,940 . was spunt upon railways, a hrge por- } tion ou additions to t-xtsing Huei; i roida and bridges, £402,260; build--3 ings, £145,599; contingents and de--3 Lnc-', £146,875; purcoase of native i Unds, £'.8,261; ttlugraph extension, ! £31,728. Tho gross publio debt ou 31st Match, 1901, was £49.591,255, s u 1891 it was £38,830.350, an inert*** . ■ f £10,760,895, but £6,913,736 of th • amount was direciinterest eaixing aud , m«duajpiofit. It waonotafair.ompaiis kju to cmpir* tiie New Zealav d public j ifebt per head or population v ith that a of Great Bdiaiu. Iu New Z*tlmd the } Gjvernin l.t owned all the railways and i wont in for many business uoderteJc- %

iogs. R fining to the dismissal of m.n from the various works, he said it was grdiifying to find Ml t there were very few unemploy-d in tee colony; in fact, it waa a'vary difficult matter to obtain men for farming work. Touching the question of purchasing the Manawatu line, he had approicui'd tba company, and a reply w*e not rece ve.l until the last day on which negotiation)) might be entered into. The matter must now stucd over until next (tension. It waa now a question for consideration whether it would not ta better to utiliss the moaey required for purchasing the line in pushing fmw.i.d the North Inland Main Truck Railway.

The meeting closad with u heart/ wits, of thnnks to the Minister and of ie' owed ontiile >e iu \ iuiself and the Govouimi.ni.

[For garni unexplained rev on tbe repor; was not seat through on too 13«4