THE HON. MAJOR ATKINSON AT HAWERA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1443, 19 December 1885, Page 3

THE HON. MAJOR ATKINSON AT HAWERA.

The Hon. Major Atkinson addressed his constituents at Hawera on Thursday evening, devoting his address te the criticising of the policy of the present Government and the action of the Opposition during last session. He had great respect for Sir Julius Yogel as a man, but it was his ways ho did not like, and he would point out one he objected to. When Sir Julius Vogel came into office be said the finances of New Zealand were elastic and buoyant enough to satisfy the most exacting financier, and that all that that was required was better management. Then certain promises wore given. Reduction of the expenditure was one, and in connection with this the Hon. Mr Stout said that if ho could, not save £BO,OOO to £IOO,OOO in two Depaxtments alone he would leave office. He (Major Atkinson) had said last session that there had been no saving. The Colonial Treasurer had also shown that there should be a saving, especially en education, though the system was to be improved at ths same time. There had been no snob saving. He also pledged himself distinctly that the property tax should be reduced in 1883, and abolished in 1885, but the tax was made higher last session than ever it had been since the year it was first, imposed. There was to be fresh vigor in the public works policy tad in place of the colony doing as it had been doing, there should be progress by leaps and bounds In pursuance of that policy relief from sinking fund was promised, and to secure tho result seven and a-half millions more were to be borrowed without any extra charge on the revenua, while depression should disappear and prosperity return. In addition to this local government was to be putina more satisfactory state. None of these promises had bean: fulfilled. When members met last session there was not a single measure ready. Reviewing the finance of the Government h* reiterated his assertion that there bad been no attempt at retrenchment. As to a reduction of taxation there bad been none, because in addition to the property tax there bad been an increase in the tariff and in the stamp duties. The Treasurer said the object of the proposed change in the tariff was for protectionist reasons, but the Premier stated positively that it was a question of money and not freetrade or protection, and he complained of the action of the Opposition in getting

th« tariff rejected for the purpose of spoiling the Government finance. The real reason, however, was that both protectionists and freetraders agreed that the Government did not want more revenue. That was his (Major Atkinson’s) sole reason for opposing increases. However, failing to make reductions, and having increased the taxation, the Government must be held to have failed in finance. With regard to railway management, the last Government bad been turned out principally because they decided that the railways should pay a fair share towards interest on the cost of construction, and the present Government came in with a great flourish of trumpets about managing the railways and giving a better return. The result of their efforts had been that with a greater number of miles of railway opened the returns hod been less than those obtained by the late Government, and complaints became rife as to a nonpolitical Board. That, liue moat others, had disappeared, and it was so absurd that he hoped it would never be revived again. He held that the conversion of the five per cent, loan was a bad bargain because the colony really got no present benefit, and in aeven years time would have to give per cent, bonds in exchange for 5 per cent, bonds, whereas every indication showed that the colony would be able to bonow at less than 4j per cent. He feared that the reinstated finance would end in a deficiency this year. He did not behove the Government bad any intention of fulfilling the pledge about a vigorous Public Works policy. The moment Sir Julius Yogel saw the House was not prepared to sanction a scheme beyond moderate limits

he became moderate because he wanted * time. He only asked for a million and a half and said that with that he would carry on works with vigor, but vigor was not shown, and to him it was evident that the Government were not sincere in their declaration. Ths Government proposed toexpend £2,885,000. There was room for the display of a vigorous policy with that sum, for it was £BOO,OOO more than the previous Government had had. There was no objection to their proceeding and every vote they asked for was granted, blit all they expended was £1,336,000. This year the Government asked that £1,600,000 should be granted to them. The House actually granted £2,150,000, but in the Public Works Statement the Minister of Public Works said they did not propose to expend during the year more than £1,200,000, or in round numbers a million and a quarter. It waa said that the Opposition by reducing the Estimates had hampered the Government and created depression, but the Government bad only applied for a million and a quarter, and a large portion of that was for defences, so that while last year the Government spent £1,336,000 upon public works, this year they only proposed to expend a million and a quarter, of which as large sura a £150,000 was to be spent in defence works. The Minister this year had asked for railways a sum of £1,847,000, and the House granted him £979,000. Tha reason the reductions had been made in tbe Estimates was becanss the Opposition considered that to vote the Government £2.100,000 instead of £2,600,000 was to give them quite enough margin when' they proposed only to spend one million and a quarter, and it was known that if they granted the larger sum there must have been authorised a new loan, or Government would have had an excuse for doing that which they had since threatened to do, seize the North Island trunk loan. It was untrue that the reduction of the’Estimatas stopped work in any way ; but if all the money asked for had been granted there would have been great pressure brought upon the Government by their political friends to exceed the limits which they had set themselves in the Public Works Statement. With regard to the'North Island Island trunk loan, he condemned the threats which had been made by the Treasurer and Premier. He was glad to notice that they bad been scouted by friends and foes alike from one end of the colony to the other, and that the Government, to use a homely phrase, bad dropped SI Ilka a

“hot spud” but none the lees it was a terrible disgrace to the colony, to hate ft man in the position of Premier making use of such threats. With regard to the East and West Coast and Nelson Railways he had always looked on them as part of the main scheme, and they would have to be carried out some day, but they must take their turn after the cempletion of other lines which promised to be more profitable. The colony would not be justified in spending £2,000,000 or £4,000,000 upon these lines at present. He disapproved of the action of the Government in proposing, while negotiations were still pending, to vote a sum of £150,000 to commence the construction of the line. He supported the propositions made last session as a means of putting ■sn end to the existing state of affars. He referred to the failure of the Government in respect of the Local Bodies Finance and Powers Bill, pointing out that the Act as passed granted subsidies for six months, instead of for 2o years, as proposed, and contained eight clauses ns against 57 when it was introduced. He hoped they would hear no more of such a Bill as that. The Roads and Bridges Construction Act had been repealed, and nothing had been set in its place. Something must be done to help localities with the construction of roads. The Js Iways, were valueless without roads, He ridiculed the Hospitals and Charitable Aid Bill as totally unworkable. As (o the question of protection and free trade be thought it was unwise to raise the issue as the Colonial Treasurer was doing, because revenue must be bad. The Customs revenue was so necessary that the colony could not afford to remit taxation, which should be regulated by the requirements. He thought native affairs were being mismanaged. As to the future, the Government having failed in everything they had attempted, would no doubt try to recover their position by a new departure. There was no doubt that prosperity could be restored fora short time by a large annual expenditure. If the colony were to go in for a loan of eighteen minions, it was certain interest could not be provided out of the revenae, and he wished to say distinctly that be was entirely opposed to, and should resist to the uttermost, any proposition which might be made by any party whatever for paying interest out of loan. He believed theoolonists would never adopt a policy which, though it might mean fictitious prosperity for four or five years, would result in such a collapse as had never yet been witnessed in New Zealand. He believed that the true policy was that a moderate system of public works must be gradually contracted and not increased. Borrowing must not be for the purpose of restoring prosperity by leaps and bounds, but be kept within such limits that the interest might be easily provided out of revenue. A vote of confidence was unanimously carried.