THE COLONIAL TREASURER AT OAMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2673, 16 June 1894, Page 3

THE COLONIAL TREASURER AT OAMARU.

j The Hon. J. G. Ward, Colonial Treasurer, addressed a large meeting in the Public Hall at Oamaru last night, and met with a very favorable reception. In the course of his address he said up to the end of this year the ANNUAL SAVING OF INTEREST made by the Government was £141,000. He made special reference to the balance-sheet of the colony's revenue and expenditure issued by the Auckland National Association, and Baid that that balance-sheet was totally misleading, for he asserted that instead of a deficit of £393,000 there had j been a surplus of £283,000. Referring to the subject of

FEOTECTION, he said he was not in favor of retaliatory measures, but he might say that he had learned that the other colonies intended to still further increase the barriers that had been raised against their produce, and it was the duty of the Government to take some measures to protect the people of this colony. He referred to the subject of

LAND SETTLEMENT, and said Mr McKenzie had put over 7000 people on the land since he took office. On the subject of

CHEAP MONET he said the colony's prosperity to a great extent depended on a sufficiency of money, and if money was withdrawn was a want of prosperity. The Government intended that the industries of the colony would not languish for want of money, and cheap money, too. These proposals were not revolutionary, and would not hurt the financial institutions of the colony, but he could not at that time disclose the nature of the Government's proposals, he would have to exercise discretion in regard to some matters, and they would have to wait till the Financial Statement was made to learn the details of the Government's intentions. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Ward at the termination of the address. _^________,