The Premier in the North.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7757, 8 March 1905, Page 2

The Premier in the North.

SPEECH AT DAIWAVJUUe. (Per Press Association.) DAIIOAVILLK, March 7. ( The Premier a<l a public Mcetinjf in Walker's Jlull this evenThe Premier Haid he believed he was the first Minister who hud idressed n public meeting at nnrgaviilc. Jtefcrring to the attack made on him by tlio presh he said he was often misrepresented, woinctlmos wilfully, sometimes accidentally. I tofcrring to finances he suid IHe revenue for the colony for (hi; eleven months endwl February 28th was iit>,3t)o,OOH, us aguin»t Jtll, 150,001) or liibt year, ail o JUI'J.IRIU. JJe would he ft bio al the end of March to announce the usual surplus. despile the |in'B-

nostications of the ''Jiposilion, lie also said CualoiMb iwd shown un .incrcusi- op- rilo.ooo, land u nd in com'.' lux £-10,000, and stumps £ll.Out). Tic I'l/t'iTrii un ;irlicle in the New Stou'lnud lieru!d which hud slut I'd that wliii-j iliiHiaount spent on the North Auckland Hint's 1891 was in the WeKiUund electorate it \\as £7ou,000 during the same period. Ili'is ■statement was unfounded on fuel, und could only have l**n mude in ignorance. He would gi Vo the oxh, ," S su PlV'«l l>.V Uie I'ul>1 Thew showi 1 lat duimg the time he had been I'remier, there huU llttl ,iu Weslland electorate £179,271 on i2oJ miles of railway, whilst exIpeuditure in North Auckland Jwd been during the same period (exeluding £50,000 of niortg-URv on Uhti IKathu line), £219.854. Hut IMper had suid £IOO,OOO hud been h|k>„i Auck| an<l. whereas only i-'(jy,ooo was spent. It «aid £7<JoiU(JU wus spent in West laud, but

only £179,271 \ra» »|>ent. hod never read more outrageous slate ( incuts iluin Utnsc uiudc in a letter i to , th « Herald by S. Vaiilepn comparing tlio railway expenditure in : the Auckland and WeMland provin■cial districts. It was stated that tho population of Wetland was 14,|<"JO, but this would include about a third of Ureymouth electorate. His doctorate ended nt the Tereiiittknu Hiver, whilst West land provincial district extended to GI ey Hiver. Those wlio 'hud taken out hgures evidently did not know the difference between West'lund electorate and the provincial distrii'i;. Jl-j iquot«l figures regarding tlm expenditure on roads, trucks a»ri in WesLland electorate and North of Auckland from April Ini, 180-1, to 28th February, present year, totals teing : West land, £ 182,0<i0 and (North Auckland £276,523. 'ltio n|jproxinmto total mileage of roads conrAructed in Urn years were : dray roads constructed in North Auckland 839, as njfainat SO milcH in I West land : bridle roads constructed, 293 miles north of Auckland as against 113 Wcstiand ; dray roads improved were 790 miles North Auckland, 269 miles Westland ; bridge roads improved, 192 miles North Auckland, 80 miles Wostland, The javerage of roads maintained for a

'similar period showed tt similar ad-vnJit<vg-o in favour of North Auckland, while 230 bridges of over 30ft span had been constructed in' N'ot'Hi 'Auckland, as against only 20 iq iWestlaml. The expenditure on roe<U 'in the Auckland provincial diNthct from 18?7 to 1891 (prior to We j present party coming into (towerJ iwas £617,000, whilst since the present administration came into powei j (1891 to end of 1901) the amount expended in the sajne province wuii .£851,5(>8, or an increase of £387,348. lie nurnmnmood for the tiiw. time that next year the (Sownment [proposed lo iucivuse the expinJjture on roads from £3«0,000 to ,J»«lf a million.—(Applause.) Coming

,to the tiiihln'r industry, be said (he end of the kauri hired)a in Auckland jwus rapidly approaching. The preiscnt approximate annual output of , kauri was 120 iiullioi feet, and it was estimated that at the prus<m |rato of output the timber would Inst about eight years. A large <juan, t!ty of kit ml and kahikutcu left the colon.v annually. The (piesijon «r------jose whether something should not be ,done to keep this timber for ourselves. He gave particulars of the I land being- opened in counties north of Auckland, aod said tfOO.OOO acres Crown land in the Auckland district wns not yet opened for selection. Alluding to the duicy industry, ho said in 1901 iherawere 210 butler factories, 78 diets*} factories, and 445 skimming statins in the colony, as against 42, 43; and 00 respectively in 1804. l)uu'ng the same time the value of tjke dairy produce increosod from JC1,256,571 to £l.023,354.; Speaking on general mutters, he sa4tf whilst there had l*en

au increase in uuiount paid to labour there Aatl »joen reduction hi taxation. Jiesides providing usual surpluses the colony hod been saved £1,104370 in indirect taxation. „ As J° llle lands' .Settlement Act, Mr Vasscy had said ho would not repeal the I>umls Settlement Act ■■ Jo, ho would not repeal it./' sutf the I'nemier, but lie wriild not borrow any money un(Cr it, and the Act would ihus l>e•ioiiie a dead letter." After speaking "t further length an to the pr<>-

Kivss ami prosperity of the' colony, he concluded by saying that his (*•!•- vices were alt the disposal of the col- ;'! ,v S *J Io "K as the ixntple wanted nim. He \vas, however, no 1 lt, amj if they gave him the hint hL " «'ns not wunted, lie would be only too gflad t 0 take iti. At tile conclusion of his speech irt I>argavillo, as President of (he JLiber"J '««1 Labour Federation, the lion, the Premier presented the 1 resident of the Kaipara branch with the Federation charter. In doing so lie sniil that there wus swno misapprehension as to the objects of the federation. Every class could join ; it was not exclusive orgnniv.tk^on. The Premier leaves Dargnville early this morning for Ahumgalurolo.