THE POLITICAL FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 9, 5 July 1911, Page 5

THE POLITICAL FIGHT.

ACTING-PREMIER IN THE SOUTH, REPLY TO MR? MASSEY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunediii, Last Night. Sir James Carroll addressed a large gathering of citizens this evening, and received a most attentive and 1 enthusiastic hearing. He dealt generally with the assertions of the Opposition, and proceeded to reply to the statements made by Mr. Massey at Hastings. Mr. Massey had stated that Sir James Carroll was wrong in saying that 76 per cent, of the public debt was interest earning, and that only 03 per cent, wasreturning interest. It was a great homage for the Leader of the Opposition to admit this even, and the rest must be true.

The public debt stood to-day at 81 millions. What was self-supporting was represented by £25,602,000 expended on railways; £4,880,000, loam to local bodies; £1,430,000, telegraph and telephone lines; and £BO,OOO reserve fund securities. The profit-earning sides were represented iby advances to settlers and workers, £7,939,700; lands for settlement, £6.303,485; and Bank of New Zealand shares, £500,000. The amounts that were indirectly bearing interest were: Roads and bridges construction, £6,870,000; expended on public buildin'gs, £5,240,000; purchase of native lands, £2,461,000; and New Zealand Consols, £462,000. To indirectly interest bearing'loans might reasonably be added those raised for immigration £2,463,000, and for improving tourist and health resorts, £131,500; but even without these, loans which were not felt by taxpayers, amounted to £62,493,000, or 76 per cent, of the total.

Under non interest bearing were: Immigration, £2,463,000; Maori war loans, £2,357,000; old defence loan. £2,783,000; harbor and lighthouses, £573,000; development of goldfields and coalfields, £987,000; tourist and health resorts, £131,500; scenery preservation, £40,000.

The Leader of the Opposition had also spoken of the huge borrowings of last year, when, he said, the Government had borrowed six and a half millions. Sir James Carroll said he admitted that frankly, and . lie would tell them what the six and a half millions comprised. It comprised for railway construction, £1,600,000; additional rolling stock, £700,000; land settlement and goldfields development, £1,000,000; purchase of native lands, £100,000; advances to settlers, £1,075,000; advances to workers, £325,000; other public works, £200,000, all of these productive, and then finally £1,250,000 for the Dreadnought. The Opposition would have it that members of the Government were putting all this money into their private pockets. Innuendo and insinuation were the blackest crimes in the category of political warfare. The Opposition had never put forward a constructive policy. It had been all destructive.

Speaking of Maori lands, Sir James was asked, why was the phrase "Maori Landlordism" used? He said it was to stir up prejudice in the minds of white people against the Maori people. Was there any difference between Maori landlordism and Pakeha landlordism? If they did not want the former, why the latter? There were 133 Europeans who owned a total of 13 million acres of land, and he challenged Mr. Massey to point out three or four Maoris owning property that would bring them under the firaduatcd Land Tax. At the close, Sir James was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence in the present administration.

The Hon. A. T. Ngata also spoke briefly, the burden of his remarks being an appeal for more protection for the Maori for his own preservation.