MAJOR ATKINSON BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2174, 18 December 1885, Page 2

MAJOR ATKINSON BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

'[United Press Association.] Hawera, this day. ' Major Atkinson addressed a large meeting of hiß constituents here last night, Referring to the speech of the Premier, he described it as one of a vain, capable and clever man making the best of a bad bargain, whose business was that of advocate, and he was well skilled in making the worse appear the better course. As to the speech of the.. Colonial Treasurer, he never read such a- tissue false statements as those made by him. There was hardly-a single fact fairly stated. It would be for the public to judge on whose aide the facts really Jay after he (Major Atkinson had set his version before them. He could pity opponents who were reduced to such shameful Bhifts and expedients. He admired the determination, self-reliance, and' courage under adverse circumstances shown by Sir Julius Vogel, but objected to his ways. He reminded his hearers of the Government promises of a general reduction in the cost of education, and the abolition of the.property tax; of the vigorous prosecution of public works, and the prosperity which was to follow the accession of Sir Julius' Vogel and his party to power. He proposed to show they had failed to fulfil even those promises that wore reasonable, bo" that the public; might know what value to attach to promises for the future. He denied that any measures were brought down to the late Parliament in a completo state. The Opposition ddtermined not to judge the Government' by administration, but to judge them by: their policy, and rejected wholesale all the measures brought before Parliament in a wholly incomplete state. The real policy was never developed. It had not yet been declared, but it was, ho had reason to believe, sjmply enormous borrowing, As to a general reduction, he analysed the apparent reduction to show that it was not real. In regard to the Property Tax, it was not repealed, but now stands at a much higher rate than before. They also introduced a tariff which would have largely increased taxation through'the customs,' That was rejected, because the House was satisfied no more revenue was wanted in that direction. A -rate for charitable purposes had been imposed, and the stamp duties were also Increased, thus increasing the general burden of taxation. Turning, to 'railways, he said complaintswererifeasever. Traffiowas greater, but returns lesß. The non-pollticalßailway Board had not been appointed—that had been dropped like. other proposals, Tho vigorous prosecution of public works —the trump card of the Government—had failed them, according to the Colonial Treasurer's complaint because the necessary funds had been denied them, That was why the depression was not removed. .He quoted figures to show that'no vigorous publio works polioy had ever been sincerely attempted by.the Government. Five millions were voted in two years, but the Government utterly failed, he believed wilfully, to make use of the opportunities, In respect of the North Island trunk line loan, he said the proposal made by the Premier to take such money for other purposes had been noouted by friend and foe, and been dropped like a hot potato. The North Island loan should be treated speolally as a speoial loan, and was. not . scheduled like an ordinary loan by the late Government; but ho had latterly found that last' session the North'lsland.loanhad been scheduled in the Appropriation Aot'as an ordinary loan, and mightgolnto the general fund,. He thought ihe East; and West Coast and Nelson; railwayshould be a part of the trunk railway system, but these railways should not be undertaken at the present time, under the present circumstances of the colony.. The Local Government Act, as passed, granted subsidies for six months, and consisted of eight clauses. When Introduced, it proposed subsidies for 25 years, and consisted of 67 clausos, The triumph of the session was the Charitable Aid Act, which was so clear and Bimple that it was causing a commotion all over the colony. It was so admirable that those who supported it called upon the.flovernment to repeal it altogether. In a colony requiring so large a revenue as New Zealand it was' impossible to go in wholly either for freetrade or protection. He regarded customs as a necessary means for raising revenue at the present time, He was afraid native affairs were being greatly mismanaged, the natives using Messrs ' Stout and Ballance for their own purposes at the present time. He upheld the action of the opposition during the session, whioh supported all reasonable measures, and effectively restrained extravagance and waste of public money. He favored a moderate, steady publio works polioy,, and the contraction of future borrowing. Roads he regarded as important as railways, and some provision must be made othor than from the locality for making the main roads of the colony, in conclusion he asked sottlers iseriously to oensider whether they were, [prepared to hand over the country to .a ring of speculators and to agents of publio companies, The colony did not desire tobe rioh, and to end In a Oourt bankruptcy. ' i '