SPEECH BY THE PREMIER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 232, 6 February 1911, Page 5

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER

OPTIMISM REGARDING OUR FINANCES. * By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night The Prime Minister addressed a largely attended public meeting in the Choral Hall last evening, and received an excellent reception. He replied to various criticisms of the Government's policy on lines of other recent speeches, and also gave "some figures showing the flourishing condition of the finances of the Dominion for twelve months ended January 31. The finances had attained a postion never reached before, the revenue during that period having exceedea that of the preceding twelve months by £1,088,000. For the ten months ended January 31, the revenue was also a record one, being £873,561 greater than for the corresponding ten months of the previous year, and by the end of sent financial year they would have over a million sterling to the good in the Treasury. The £873,501 increase wa k made up as follows: Customs, £300,863; stamps and postal and telegraph, £251,684; postal and telegraph, cash receipts, £23,000; railways, £251,719; beer duty, £1640; registration and other fees, £2063; marine, £2008; territorials, £32,912: miscellaneous, £2995. These increases, he said, had not been brought about by increased taxation, and th# extra sum received by increase in railway fares did not amount to one-fourth of the increase in railway revenue. The Government hoped next year to make considerable railway concessions, particularly in second-class fares. The Dominion," he said, was in a most prosperous condition. There were no unemployed, and any man in Now Zealanu able and willing to work could get work to-day. He quoted figures showing the progress of Native and Crown land settlement, and said that since his Government took office the administration of the Lands Department had been more active than at any previous time. He denied the charge of extravagance levelled against the Government, and also again replied at length to Mr. Massey's criticism on the raising of the five million loan. A vote of thanks and confidence in the Government was carried by a large ma-' jority. j