GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2535, 29 July 1893, Page 2

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. The Council met at 2.30 p.m, on Wednesday. MR MONTGOMERY. Sir Patrick Buckley announced that Mr Montgomery had accepted a seat on the Executive without Portfolio. SECOND READINGS. The Pharmacy Bill was read a second time and referred to a select committee. The Carriage and Sale of Poisons Bill was read a second time, despite the opposition of Mr Kelly, who pointed out that the Bill if passed would prevent photographers and printers from freely purchasing drugs necessary for their trades, IN COMMITTEE, The Journalists’ Institute Bill was committed, progress being reported on clause 9. The Council then adjourned. The Council met at 2.30 p.m. on Thursday. The William Robinson Estate Trust Bill, and the Ellesmere Lake Lauds Bill passed their final stages. The Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Bill passed through Committee with only one material amendment, namely, providing that anyone feeling aggrieved at the decision of the Registrar may appeal to the Judge iu Chambers. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. The House met at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. THE ALTERED PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The Premier laid on the table the explanation of Mr Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works, respecting the alteration in the Public Works Statement last session. Mr Blow’s explanation was to the effect that he alone was responsible for the mistake that occurred in the Statement, and that Mr Seddou was in no way to blame for it. The Premier moved that Mr Blow’s explanation be referred to the Public Accounts Committee. Mr Rolleston seconded the motion. In doing so he said that he hoped the charge he had made against the Premier would also be gone into by the Committee. That charge was that the Premier proceeded to argue on incorrect figures contained in the Public Works Statement, and that although the figures were altered no alteration was made to the public in the remarks made by the Minister for Public Works before the figures were corrected. The motion was agreed to. LABOR. Mr McKenzie (Clutha) moved the adjournment of the House on the question ho asked with regard to the unemployed at Gatlin’s river. - A long discussion ensued on the unemployed question and the co-operative system of labor. A large number of members took part in the discussion, which was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment. The House resumed at 7.30 p.m. THE FINANCIAL DEBATE.

Mr Saudford resumed the debate on the Financial Statement. He defended the Government finance, and resented the assertions that because the members of the Government party criticised the Statement it showed a falling off in their allegiance. The unemployed difficulty had been grossly exaggerated for interested reasons. He agreed with the co-operative contract system, approved of the Cheviot purchase, and spoke in support of the graduated tax, but thought that the income tax should also be graduated. He thought the Government should have taken up and dealt with the reform of the liquor laws. Mr Rhodes, referring to the speech of the Premier where he dealt with public expenditure, said that the late Government had reduced the public works expenditure, and the present Government had very materially increased it. He congratulated Mr Ward on being the first native-born Treasurer, but he could not congratulate him on his Budget, as it was not his work. No doubt if he (Mr Rhodes) were here next year he would be able to congratulate Mr Ward on bringing down a Budget of his own preparation. He referred at considerable length to the financial position of the colony, and said the surplus was not due to the work of the year. He regretted that the Treasurer had left out of the Estimates £260,000 for the purchase of the Cheviot estate, but he agreed that Mr Ward took a proper course in underestimating the revenue for the year by £70,000, in view of probable contingencies through the low prices of wool, &o. Ha warned the Government that unless the public works expenditure was reduced they would, if a fall occurred in the revenue, find themselves without any money at the end of the year. They should not have been asked to discuss the Financial Statement until the Public Works Statement had been brought down. He objected to the taxation proposals on four grounds, the first of which was that it pressed unduly heavily on the country districts against towns; secondly, the taxes unduly pressed on the encumbered owner as compared with the unencumbered owner; thirdly, that the graduation was too severe ; and fourthly, that there were concessions to certain financial houses. After referring in detail to the working of the taxation, he said he supported the exemption of improvements. He did not see any objection to the proposal to relieve small building societies, but they knew perfectly well that many of the large societies were simply financial institutions and had no business to be exempted. As far as the Cheviot purchase was concerned he should do his best now that the property was acquired to help the Government to do the best with the property. The proper stop for the Government to take was to realise on Cheviot as soon as possible, and if they could get a certain amount of their money they should do their best to strengthen their finance and not allow their supporters to prevent them doing this. The Opposition side of the House would, he felt sure, do their utmost to assist the Government in getting as much as possible for Cheviot, and getting it cut up for settlement as profitably as possible. He hoped if the revenue fell they would atop the public works expenditure, and so save their finance. Mr C. H. Mills spoke in 'favor of the Governor nt.

Dr Now man said tho surplus had boon largely carried forward from the previous vein’, and the finance of the country had not been correctly described. He ridiculed tho statement that the Government was a non-borrowing Government. After a few words by Mr Kelly, Mr Shora moved the adjournment of the debate. The House rose at 1.20 a.m. Tho House met at 2,30 p.m. on Thursday. Mr Shora resumed the debate on the Financial Statement, complaining that the north was not represented on tho Ministry. Mr Macintosh congratulated tho Colonial Treasurer on the satisfactory nature of the Budget, said ho entirely agreed with the policy of the Government, a»^

specially eulogised Mr McKenzie’s land administration. Mr Taipua condemned the administration of the late Native Minister, Mr Cadman. The debate was interrupted by the 5.30 adjournment, and on resuming at 7.30 Mr O’Connor and Mr Taylor spoke in favor of the Government policy. Mr Ward then rose to reply, he acknowledged the kindly feelings expressed t owards him in this debate. He did not t ake all the creditto himself for preparing t he Financial Statement, and he was greatly indebted to the officers of his department for much valuable information. The Government wore not responsible for the delay in commencing the debate, as they were ready to commence on the Tuesday. Referring to Sir John Hall’s gspeech, he expressed the regret every member of the House felt that the hun. a entleman did not intend to seek reSlectiou, but he hoped he would live long nd take an active interest iu politics, ir J. Hall, however, although a cometent authority on finance, had made a eriovs mistake in his speech. He had "deducted £BO,OOO interest from the total amount of the previous year. He asserted that no interest which ought to have been paid was left unpaid, and he explained in detail how the mistake arose which Sir J. Hall and several other members referred to. The Opposition members had stated that the present Government had increased the interest and added to the ■ burdens of the colony, but as a matter of fact all the interest the present Government were responsible for was £II.OOO. The only item they could find fault with was £B4OO interest for the Cheviot Estate, but he asserted that if the Opposition were in power and after the representation made they had not purchased the Cheviot Estate they would not be doing the best thing for the welfare of the colony. He might say that already the Cheviot Estate had been let for six months at a rental of £4OOO, and that might very fairly be put against the £B4OO interest. He did not think the bogey _ of the surplus would stand looking into, and he failed to see why the Opposition could not admit that their own side of the House was the only one that could possibly produce a surplus. As regarded the alleged increase in the public debt, he asserted that there was not a single addition to the public debt / made by the Government that the Opposition could possibly have prevented were they in power. The Government had also not gone in for borrowing ns charged against them by the Opposition, and this charge was absolutely incorrect. They were told nothing about the saving made by the conversion operations of the Government, but he would tell them that the net saving on two items by conversion was no less than £2,052,380. It was very remarkable that whilst several Opposition members alleged that the Government finance was dangerously weak, they gave the Government no suggestions as to how it could be strengthened. (Sir John Hall —lt is not our business). No doubt; but when they declared the finance was weak they might at least have pointed out in what direction it was weak. Referring to the graduated tax, the Opposition asserted that it meant ruin aud confiscation, but he differed from that altogether, and he was as unwilling as anyone to cause ruin and confiscation. He compared in detail the working of the tax as against the land and income tax. He was very pleased to hear Sir R. Stout’s speech, but he was unable to agree with his conclusions on the graduated tax. He might point out that ■ only three people in the whole colony .would have to pay 2d, the highest rate of ■ the graduation. The object of the Government in imposing the graduated tax was in order that those who obtained the largest amount of relief by the exemption of improvements should contribute something in return for the great advantage they would gain by the exemption. Under the Government proposals those who who did not improve their land had nothing to fear, aud it was those who did not improve who would be affected by them. The Opposition had stated that by the exemption of improvements they were placing the country at a disadvantage as compared with towns, but the contrary was the case. The town improvements were eighteen and a • half millions, whilst the country improvements were twenty-eight millions. There were, therefore, nine millions more improvements in the country than iu towns. It had also been urged that residences in suburbs were exempt, but he held that if the principle of exemption obtained in the country it should also be so in towns. Mr Allan had stated in his speech that 19,000 objections against the Land and Income Tax had been made, of which 10,000 had been allowed by the Court appointed by the Government. That was quite incorrect, as out of 19,000 objections 9998 had been allowed by the Commissioners, and had not come before the Court at all, whilst the balance of the cases had gone against the objectors. Referring to the Railway Commissioners, he had nothing to say against them, but he had himself seen many cases of dissatisfaction, and.the farmers of the country were not satisfied. He did not anticipate any bad results from the change proposed to be made by the Government, and he agreed with Sir Robert Stout that if fifteen millions of money was to be handed over to irresponsible men there was no reason whatever why the Post-office, Lands, and other Departments should not bo similarly handed over. Ho combatted Mr Mitchelson’s remark, and defended the proposal to spend £220,000 on public works, and said the co-operative system had worked well without any borrowing. It had been stated by several members that the civil servants had lost heart and hope. If that were bo,. how was it that the late Government had not introduced legislation to remedy that state of things '! He (Mr Ward) did not believe that this was ffio cause, nor did he believe that any civil servant was afraid to speak to .any member of either side of the House. If when he were out of office a civil servant refused to speak to him he should feel very much ashamed of himself, but he felt sure the Civil Service possessed more independence. He next referred at great length to the speeches made by Messrs Rollesfon and Scobie Mackenzie and Dr Newman, and replied to the various arguments advanced by them. H o defended the Cheviot purchase as being good as fur the colony. The position of the colony, he said, was an excellent one, aud ho felt sure that no member on their side of the H ouse would ta/ or do anything that would discredit the colony. He did not for a moment pay ifiit the Financial Statement was perfect, but ho did claim that the Government had placed the position of the colony fully aud clearly before the House, and ho thought he had answered pretty fully the objections urged against the Statement, if Mr Rolleston thought the Opposition had knocked the Financial Statement into a “ cocked hat ” then he must be easily satisfied, for he (Mr Ward) hold that not a single figure had been disproved. In a short time they would nil be before their constituents, and ho

believed the Government would be returned by the renewed confidence of the people whom they now represented. SUPPLY. The House then went into Committee of Supply. Progress was immediately reported, and the House rose at 1.40 a.m.