The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1885. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2022, 22 June 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, JUNE 22, 1885. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

If tiie Financial Statement delivered by Sir. Julius Yogeloii Friday is the longest tlmt has been made, it also deserves to be ranked with the best. It has the appearance of being thoroughly sttaightforward, and if the speaker flattered hiuiself now and then, the little failing might easily be forgiven. The financial position of the colony was put with the greatest clearness, no attempt being made to hide it in a mass of figures, or to show that the colony is either in a good or bad position. The proposals of the Government were also put clearly if not very concisely. It will be eminently satisfactory to the .country to know that, although it is proposed to make a slight increase in the riito of,duty o/i a number of articles, Sir Julius VflffpL liaß set his face against proteofcion, He expressed himself to the effect that there are many articles that might be manufactured in New Zealand, provided that foreign competition is shut out, but that there are also many others tjiat de,serve attention, without being fostered by the G overrent, and that, if the colony is not it) a position to produce certain goods, it is best to procure thorn elsewhere in excbangefor those which can be produced by it at a profit. Nothingcouldbemorereasonable, whatever protectionists may say about it. New Zealattd has splendid resources, which can be developed without artificial aid, and until that has been done it would be absurd to make an attempt to foster others at publij expense, There was very little reference to the Local Government proposals, but we were glad to see that Sir Julius Yogel recalled a great deal that he said last session, To distribute Government aid according to the yalus of property in districts, would simply mean that the towns, which, in reglity, do nothing towards the increase of secernent, would get the lion's share, while districts where .there is good land which only j/ants taking up,, would not have a single 1 farthing spent on them, This is n severe check to the Minister of Lands, who, it is well-known, has done his very best to put all the power into the hands of the centres of population " for sake of the democratic parly," as; he has been known to express himself, The proposal to : grant subsjdies to .the extent of :

£300,000 a year to local bodies lor a period of twenty-five years, and to allow them to anticipate them, is a good one, and will do more to open the country than the Roads and Bridges Construction Act. Whether it will be carried in the House is, howover, very doubtful, "because the representatives of large centres of population tyre' protty sure to oppose it, although the increase of settlement would. be directly to their advantage. The feeling of the House will, no doubt, be ascertained in a day or two, and in the meantime country. settlers will be anxiously awaiting the result,