MAJOR ATKINSON AT A AUCKLAND.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1487, 1 April 1886, Page 3

MAJOR ATKINSON AT A AUCKLAND.

: Major Atkinson addressed the citisens of Auckland last Tuesday night at the Theatre Royal. Major W -ddell presided. There was a crowded attendance. On the platform were several members of the Legislature, local bodies,-and representative citizens.' -> •'

Major Atkinson, who was very warmly received, said he appeared before them t« apeak from an Opposition platform. Now, it was not the duty ef the Opposition platform to propound plane; that was the business of the Government. But ns Government had outlined ne policy, it was in the interest of the pubiie that some one should speak out. First, he wished: to examine, what fell from Sir Juliue Vogel, reipecting ike deficit when his Government took office ; second, as to expenditure of public works' and other loans since 1870; then, as to Captain Russell’s motion and its effects on expenditure with respeet to the North Island trunk railway loan. First, as to the deficit. One certainly did exist, hut it should not be forgotten that his (Major Atkinson's) Government had paid off £230,000, whereas Sir J. Vogel paid off nothing, end shewed a small surplus of £22,000. Now he (Major Atkinson) on the same principle, should have been credited with t surplus of £60,000 if he had funded instead of paid off loan. Now, ns to borrowing. Since 1870 they had borrowed and speat about £22,000,000 giving the figures in round numbers, and While -spending a large sum Was also put aside as sinking fund, amounting in all from two and a-half to three millions, consequently the net increase of debt w«« only shout £19,000,000. Dividing this proportionately among the item*, they would find the loan apportionments to be ; Bailwaye, £12,250,000 ; immigration, £2,350,009 ; and this might be also considered as directly reproductive. Foetal and telegraph, £500,000, which wae returning from £17,000 to £IB,OOO per annum, .might be considered as reproductive, besides the great convenience to tbs public. These ware directly reproductive. Then, mere debstsable, ne had Native land expenditure, £1,000,000, which, however, was so far productive thot a considerable area had been sold and occupied. Roads again should be considered reproductive in relation to railways, which, without them ea feeders, would certainly not psy, but he would leave them out of the question. But, without these; they had 14 to 15 million pounds of reproductive works; or, in other words, fourteen shillings and tenpence halfpenny out of every £ of loan had been expended on 'vorke of reproductive character. Sir Julius Vogel had told theim other night that if only five shillings in the £wae spent in work other than productive, the returns frem reproductive works would pay interest on the whole, leaving them to infar that they bad not done ttiis in previous years. captain russell's motion.

With regard to Captain Russell's motion, the Ministry ought to hart said to Parliament, “ Either give us a special loan, or let us use the North Island Trunk Railway loan.” Now, the House.thought the Government had quite enough to jog along with, and therefore refused to grant authority to spend more this they had in hand, cutting down the demand by about half a million, and yst yon bays been told that the colony was brought to the verge of ruin because only £2,150,000 was voted. Ministers had been all over ths colony, saying if the House had not out down ths vote they would bare dose *ll sorts of works. Sir Julius Vogel told you here, gentlemen, you have not only to meet current liabilities, but also to provide for liabilities amounting to one and a quarter millions more. If the Government only spent the amount they promised ths House, and yet committed the country to a further equal amount, they have sctully involved the colony in the full amount asked for ; and yet they go about the country saying that they could not obtain authority for necessary public works. Now if they had only spent the amount allow d, they would have had in hand some £900,000. Next, a word or two on the North Trunk Railway Loan It would have been impossible for the Government to have spent a farthing of this in the votes of last session, for they had £2,145,000 cash in hand, and then the votes only amounted to £2,140,000, so that their cry was only to disturb) people's minds. THE MUOT OV THI fIOTIRJOCSKT: The first part of the sohems was the big baloon of the tea million loan: Many men looked forward to the time of an inflated expenditure as an opportunity to realise end clear ont j but he had no sympathy with such men. Iho Premier did not epp«rently coincide with this, but would have a leiMr aoheme including an expenditure of a million and a-half per annum. The Colonial Treasurer, at least, seriously proposed Uc. scheme as one on which a dissolution ougat to be granted. *ir Julius Vo el atked would they not give the colony another ohae-o, and ei'eJ. as an in»iu:,c-' -Nsw Sootl. Wv.*e, and further &tkul K‘->u!£ the*

the ooum ; over w» » n*

haring the rest ol the population praying they might be able to escape from the country. He would ask, had the public works policy of 1870 ever been so utterly condemned as it was by its own father, after fifteen years and twentytwo millions spent ? He would tell them that unices they got a fresh start the colony mu's' be ruined. He, Major AtMnson, was there to deny this statement. If he beliored it he would say abandon all intention of further borrowing. But there was bo truth in it. For the Treasurer of the colony to make such a statement was roost detrimental to its financial character, and deterred capitalists from aiding us. The real reason of the proposed grand scheme was to cover up the large, expenditure of the East and West Coast Kail way, to which Sir J. Ypgei was irretrievably committed. Auckland and Wellington had to wait sixteen years, and would hare to wait four more, for connection. Surely Christchurch and Hokitika could wait till the work could be reasonably undertaken without an undue burden on the colony. It was not fair to take the colony by the throat because a member of the Ministry repnsented a Canterbury constituency, and said the East and West Coast Hallway must be constructed. He would resist to the uttermost making a 5 per cent nominal contribution per head to he Customs revenue, and would also resist any increase in taxation, except to meet the engagements of the colony on necessary works. If they agreed to tha», it would soon amount to six per cent or. seven per cent. major atkinsom’s potior.

At the same time it would be unwise to etop farther borrowing. “ Railways should be completed to a paying point. Auckland and Wellington should be connected. Another section of the northern line past Helensville constructed, and the Otago Central, and some other lines completed to paying points. At the outside, a million a year was enough to keep the colony jogging along. A road system was an essential complement to the railway system, and must go on at, a moderate rale, and must be governed by our means. He approved of Sir George Grey’s partition of land schema tentatively in districts where the circumstances were suitable, in order to lest the sincerity of people who said they wished to go upon land. There was plenty of land, but the right class of people who were willing to go upon it were scarce. The rushing of public, works through for the sake of inflated expenditure meant an equally sudden ending. What ba meant they could readily imagine. Let them Itarn a lesson from the New South Wales deficit. They were just in the position New Zealand was in in 1870. Major Atku son then referred so local industries, giving credit to the Government for what it had done in the matter. He also referred to centralisation of labor in towns in factories, to boy labor ousting adult labor, and the housing of the industrial classes, as subjects requiring the immediate attention of the Legislature. He condemned Mr Ballance’s Native polity as productive of great future trouble. The Natives should have ample reserves for their use, aad the rest of- the lend* should ba bought by the Crown and the purchase money funded so as to give -the Natms.a permanent. maintenance. But he would never be a party to creating a,class of Maori landlords in the North Island. He oncluded by expressing bis opinion that the thanks of the community were due to Mr Bryoe, the late Native Minister, for not only pulling himself but the Colony right in the eyes of the Empire and of the world, in refuting Lire gross calumnies heaped upon them m a so-called history of New Zealand.

Major Atkinson concluded amid cheerin?. A great many questions were pat und answered.

A cordial rote of than,ks to Major Atkinson for his address was carried unanimously , a hostile, amendment being rejected with hisses, only two or three hands being held up for it, Tlio netting-did not bjeakfhp- till nearly eleven o’clock. ' '