The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1896.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 59, 21 November 1896, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1896.

In pursuance of our criticism of Hie Ministry, we purpose; dealing to-day with some of the timmciiil fallacies which Mr (Skddon, who is now travelling through the country, is asking (he electors to accept, as facts. His speech at Hastings, which we confess, used as we are to the romancing of the Premier when on the stump, has surprised us hy its audacity and untruthfulness. lie claimed that his administration has been economical. Lot us see what are the facts. They utterly confute the claim. .Reference to volume (17 of Hansard, page bd, shows that the year before (he SkiiDon Ministry look oilice taxation amounted to volume of Hansard, page lob, shows

that List ycnr Iho ordinary revenue was £-1,536,015. This shows thai. £34(5,708. morn taxation was raised from the people last year than in the year previous to Mr SfjddoN coming into power. Mr SEDDON claims a surplus on last year's finance of £185,531. This leaves the actual expenditure on the government of the colony and interest at £4,376,100. In the last year of Sir 11. Atkinson's administration the expenditnio under these heads was £4,150,708. This gives an increase of £210,778. In other words the income of the colony foil during the above period £1,010,173, and the expenditure on government increased £219,778. The greater proportion of this extra money has been drawn through the Customs, the amount raised from direct taxation being actually less than in 1801-02, the last year of the Property Tax. Wo find that in that year the Property Tax yielded £300,711. Last year the Land and Income Tax yielded only £301,172. On the other hand, wo find that in LS9O the Customs revenue record was £1,500,872. Last year it was £1,0)0,310, an increase' of £118,138. Mr Seddon admitted this fact at Hastings, but attributed it to the tarrill' passed by the ATKINSON Government in 1888, in spite of irany of the leading members of his party having deserted him. It was carried by the votes of Messrs Bailance, Cabman, Laknac'h, Pekckyal, T. Thompson, WauD, and SEUDON. From 1805 to 1800 the rise ill the Customs duties only amounted to £09,008. The tariff of last year resulted in a rise as compared with 1800 of £l,O-10,310, or an increase in twelve months of £70,520. The Premier drags in the fencing wiie fable on every available occasion to convince fanners that, his Government are their true friends. It. is, of course, well known that every Minister, Mr SEDDON included, voted against the taking off of the duly. In face the tariff would have been much more oppressive in many more ways than it is, had it not been for the exertions of the Opposition, backed by public opinion as expressed by the Press of the colony. The Government, if wise, should say as little about the Customs tariff as possible, for never in the history of Parliaments has a Ministry displayed such utter incapacity to deal with a fiscal question as diet Mr Waiid and his colleagues over the tariff business. We forget at the moment how many tariffs were introduced, a sullicientnumber at any rate to show conclusively that Ministers were utterly incapable of leading the House on the question. It was for display of incapacity, nearly on a par with Air Ward's performance on the Canadian Treaty, which he made himself, and then argued its merits in the House on a Canadian tariff which did not exist. This was very funny no doubt, but it was at the same time most damaging to the colony. The Premier is, of course, claiming the reduction of interest, 2 per cent., which has taken place as a consequence of the Loans to Settlers Act. We have often pointed out that the Act was <-nly a very small factor in bringing about this. Our contemporary the 11. B. Herald, howover.puts the case in the following very forcible manner: " The assertion that the Government has brought down the rates of interest 2 per cent, is as baseless as most of his other statements. If it were true, the rates would be lower in New Zealand than in the neighbouring colonies, but it is notorious that the reverse is the case. Had it not been for the Government policy causing a large amount of capital to be withdrawn from the colony, money would have been as easily obtainable here as in Victoria or New South Wales, where for the last two years it has been freely offered at 1 per cent, on sound securities. If the Government has brought Hie rate of interest down at all, it is not in New Zealand, but in Australia, where the Bank of New Zealand lias been using the money guaranteed by the people cf New Zealand to discount bills at about half the rate charged to New Zealand customers. If that is anything to be proud of Ministers are welcome to the credit of it." When Mr Seddon or any of his supporters claim that their Government lias been economical in its administration the figures we have given above should be remembered. Working men should also remember that the larger the amount of taxation raised, no matter by what means, the sum available for the payment of wages is restricted, and the progress of the country retarded.