THE PREMIER BANQUETTED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81889, 16 November 1906, Page 2

THE PREMIER BANQUETTED.

NTHUSIASTIC- FUNCTION AT BLUFF.

A NON-PARTY SPEECH. Per Press Association. Bluff, November 15. Sir Joseph Waul has always sure of a great welcome on 'visiting' the place of. his boyhood, but nc, gatherng in the. Bluff has ever equal-, led that which assembled to-night at the complimentary banquet tendered by ,the 'citizens. The large assemblage was drawn from every' quarter lof Southland, and included prominent representatives of every "walk in 'life, and men' of all shades'of poliItical opinion." The''function was brilliantly carried.. through.: . The Hon. R. McNab and several members of Parliament were present.

Replying to the tja»t of his health felicitously proposed by the Mayor (Mr G. A. Whealler), Sir Joseph received an ovation. He expressed 1 his gratification at the enthusiasm 1 and good feeling that prevailed. He was pleased to announce that he had just received a telegram that Colonel Pitt's condition was much mote hopeful. (Applause,); The Hon. Mr Carroll had also been able to leave Wellington for home. The Premier sympathetically referred, to. the Hon, Mr Millar's sad bereavement, and after eulogistic reference to the late Mr Seddon, passed on to deal with the prosperity of the Bluff and the South, and thence to ; politics, avoiding anything of a Party nature. The prosperity of the Colony was not.due to unusual or temporary causes. The high prices ruling for agricultural products were likely to'-continue ahd : the Government was.bound to: exert itself to enable products to be,placed in the foreign markets ■ cheaply, in good condition, and of even quality. The scientific operations of the' Agricultural Department would secure the maintenance of good prices even in bad times. In the Budget he estimated an increasfe of rewnue for tho twelve months of but tho increase for the first seven months amounted to ,£39,160 (sic) above the corresponding period, of la;t year. The Premier then dealt with Otago's complaint that the district had not been fairly treated ,in , ,the allocation of'public money.--Dun-edin representatives wauld bear/him out that Otago had been fairly treated. The Estimates provided for

£"777>837 net to be spent on railway construction... The' sum of £300,000 was set aside for .the. .North ■, Island Trunk, which everyone agreed should be pushed on. ■ That left .6477,837 to be divided between the remaining nineteen lines. Of that'/ £IOO,OOO went to the Midland line, to be spent on the sections in Canterbury, Nelson, and Westland. ; The Otago Central received £50,600. The complaint was grossly unjust and unfair to Otago members. 'The money voted for' Otago railway purposes was £122,000. Then there was £475,000 for addditions to open,; lines; £42,591 for roads, £28,760 for' 1 buildings, £40,575 for other services, £14,000 grants for school buildings, £3OOO for the Hocken Library, £2OOO for a.Dental: Hospital, share of £IO,OOO ; -for, ■ the maint§rian,co. lof school buildings, a total of £357,624, v.hch did not include the expenditure on the. raihvay ;yards in the new station. The total available for, tfie colony was £2,282,000, and Otago got the best share of it. He believed in focussing attention oh.tie most important railways uritil completed, and was : opposed to borrowing, more than a million until the population had greatly increased. .. Tjhe Government must not yield to pressure, and try to make too many raili ways at one time. He deprecated provincial . or inler-Island jealousies. The land question campaign, would shortly be opened, to correct .misrepresentation. No membqr of 'lie Government wanted to injure the farmers. It was an illusion that the farmers' Union was anti-Govern-ment. Two thirds of the members were supporters of the Government, and there would be secessions from the ranks of the Union', unless ; a statement recently, made by, one ; of the Uniop,,ofricials was corrected. "