The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 370, 13 December 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1898.

The Premier has visited Paeroa and the Upper Thames goldfields, and, as was only natural, delivered a political speech. As to the Thames, he paraded a long array of figures, which showed that the colony had made some progress since 1691, and in order to emphasise them, accused those who are not his supporters of having stated that the colony had retrogressed ; we believe that this statement has never been made either by a responsible politician or a reputable newspaper. Ours would be a bad case indeed if the colony had gone backward during the first few years of a great commercial revival, after a lengthy period of almost unexampled depression. The opponents of the policy and administration of the Government do, however, assert that the progress of the colony has not been as great since 1891, as might have been reasonably expected, under the outside conditions which havo prevailed. This is >Yhat the Premier is reported to have said on this matter : He would give them some information which he challenged any of his opponents to contradict, as showing the progress made by the colony, and Auckland in particular, since the present Ministry had taken office. He might state that in 1891 the number of occupied holdings in Auckland was 8008, while in 1897-98 the number was 13,2(34 ; the acreage in grain crops in 1891 was 24,945, while in 189 S the acreage was 27,778 ; the acreage in grain and other crops in 1891 was 45,093, while in 1898 the acreage was 73,445 ; in sown grass, after having been ploughed, the acreage in 1891 was 365,168, while in IS9B the acreage was 490,075 ; in grass not previously ploughed the figures were 695,575 in 1891, as against 1,040,456 in 1898 ; and the total acreage of land under cultivation, including fallow, was 1,175,441 in 1891, as against 1,040,711 acres in 1898, an increase cf 475,270 acres. Did that look like retrogression? (Applause.) In live stock the increases during the period stated were: Horses, 21,173; cattle, 73.073; and sheep, from 1,549,521 in 1891 to 1,880,692 in 1898, an increase of 331,171 in the Auckland province alone. The population of Auckland city had increased from 51,287 in 1891 to 59,042 in 1898 ; the inhabited dwellings had shown an increase of 4000, while the capital value of all land, according to the property tax assessment, had increased from £7,840,032 in IS9I to £8,983,238. The population of the Auckland province had increased from 133,267 in 1891 to 159,216 in IS9B, an increase of 25,949. The increase in the total trade of the Auckland provincial district for the years 1891 and 1897 were as under: Total trade, £902,468; imports had increased from £1,621,352 in 1891 to £2,167,917 in 1897, an increase of £546,564. The exports in 1891 amounted to £1,447,180, as against £1,893,084 in 1597, an increase of £345,994. It had also been urged that the policy of the present Administration had been in the direction of stifling industries. He might say that during 1597-9 S there were 5501 factories registered, employing 39,672 hands, showing an increase over the previous year of 424 factories and 2754 employees. Then, again, if they took five years the number of employees has increased by 13,821." Considering the improved condition of commerce since 1891, these figures, as wo wrote above, are not as favourable as might with reason have been anticipated. His allusion to the increase in the number of factories aud the number of hands employed in them, is, although the figures may be correct, misleading. He forgot to tell his audience that hundreds of small workshops bad in the interval been raised by legislation to the dignity of being called factories, and all the hands employed in these go to swell the number of employes. It is impossible in the space of an article to deal with the figures. Wo must leave them to tell their own tale. Mr Seddon said there was a dividing line between the political parties —"The narty now in power believed in a progressive policy in the interests of the whole colony, but tho other party wanted all the privileges

themselves." It would be much nearer the mark to put the case in this way—" The party in power lives by pandering to a class, mostly composed of Trade Unionists and their friends, with a very limited regard for the interests of the rest of the population ; whereas the party out of power is wicked enough to think that employers aud men with capital have rights equally with the mechanic and the man depending upon others for 'employment." Mr Seddon said that the Opposition had a deeply-laid plot to injure the Government because they had introduced a Bill to aid technical schools, and stated that he meant to help them, notwithstanding the Bill being withdrawn. Mr Seddon knows full well this was not because it gave assistance to technical schools, but because it gave assistance to all private schools in which technical education was imparted. Denominational schools would have participated, and a large section of his own supporters were opposed to the Bill because they looked upon it as an indirect attempt to grant aid to schools supported by religious bodies, and in which sectarian education is imparted. The Premier kept these facts to himself, and said he purposed helping the technical school in Auckland. This school was established for one purpose and only imparts technical education. He was therefore perfectly safe in makiDg the statement, as there is no religious instruction involved, and his supporters and the Opposition would readily consent, If the Premier told the whole truth on all matters on which he addresses the country it would be much better for the country and his own reputation.