PARLIAMENTARY

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2607, 26 May 1887, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY

[united press association] HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Wednesday, May 25. The House met at 2.80 p.m. • • Mr Wiremii Katene, the new member for the Northern Maori electorate, took the oath and his seat. Major Atkinson gave notice to move on'the second leading of the Customs .Tariff Bill—That in the opinion of this

House the tariff and other proposals of the Government are unsatisfactory, Replying to questions it was stated that it was not advisable to make ex ; pensive alterations in the heavier railway engines with" respect to burning firewood on lines of railway. Sir Julius Vogol moved the second reading of the Customs Duties Bill. It ■was proposed to allow six months to elapse before bringing into effect the duties on underproof spirits and pic-' torial cards and almanacs. Speaking ] .generally.of the tariff, he saidit would fall lighter on the general body of cori-' sumers than _the'' tariffs had in the past. It was intended to increase the revenue and foster local industries. He did not object to importers being heard in defence, but it appeared to him that the object of associations of that kind who had moved' in the matter was to throw the bulk of the taxation on the laboring classes. He did not propose to speak at any length, as no doubt the House was anxious to hear Major Atkinson. He finished a brief speech by quoting Mr Goshen's remarks that every morning lie received heaps of letters advocating changes in taxation by people who would not be affected'by the scheme they proposed.. \ : Major Atkinson jnoved " That in" the opinion of this House the tariff and other financial proposals of- the Government are unsatisfactory." The Colonial Treasurer, he said, had not grasped the condition of the'colony, and'was not going to provide any satisfactory remedy for the present state of tilings. He wished to show the House what the real position: at present was. He did not' believe the Colonial' 'treasurer desired that theyShould understand it. Not a single saving had been effected in the votes of the past year, although Sir Julius Yogel claimed to have saved £98,000. They had managed to save on one vote to spend on another, but there was no real economy. When the ..Government took office the land fund was £BO,OOO ill credit, but there w»s last year a deficiency of £50,000. Yet this was passed over with a simple reference of four lines. . The total deficit was £825,000, and theusual remedies were to be applied. They were to borrow against the deficit, but it would not be satisfactory. He quoted at length from the financial statement of' 1884, promising progress by leaps and bounds, To see, as he said, how a master hand, in finance had conducted their business, and how completely the statement of this session belied the former one, there had actually been received £65,000 more rovonue this year than in 1884. Yet the deficit was £91,000. £294,000 more appropriation was asked for this year than in 1884, not including the supplementary estimates which were still to come, and this was Sir Julius Yogel's idea of economy. The stagnation of business was far , worse now than when Sir Julius took office, and notwithstanding all the promises he had made, and after three years of unrest, come fresh taxation. If the property tax was so crushing in its effects, how was it he now proposed to make a graduated tax. None of Sir Julius Vogel's proposals would hurt him more than this in the eyes of the country. He quoted from Sir Julius Vogelletterto Mr'Hall'sGovernment, denouncing their proposal to tax civil servants ten per cent, that letter was a oomplete condemnation of a similar proposal in the financial statement. He did not propose to discuss the tariff in detail, but gave it in his opinion it would not provide the monoy required, and he hoped the House would reject it today, or have nothing to do with it until the Government came down with a clear scheme for retrenchment. It was not the duty of the Opposition to frame a policy, but the Governments. Ho would be no party to permitting the Government to borrow, to put the land fund in credit, as' lie believed the village settlement scheme would be a great failure. The Government might ask for a dissolution, and he hoped they would get one, in order to go to the country at once. They were in a difficulty through the Bepresentation Act not being passed last session, | and if the tariff were rejected they could not go to the country upon the present Act, and the new Bill could not come into force till half the financial year was over. The House should, however, vote irrespective of the consideration of causing a second session. He called qi} the House tq refuse to submit to further taxation, Sir Robert Stout expooted better things than the speech they had just heard, and he thought Major Atkinson should have shown that he was more than a mere leader of a band of discontented men who were only anxious for office. He quoted from Major Atkinson's Hawera speech to show that ho was in favor of a tariff which should give them a revenue, and consider the interests of consumer as well as retailer. He ridiculed the idea of the leader of the Opposition refusing to. say. what items' of tariff he objected to. He would ask whether Major Atkinson's attitude was not owing .to an "understanding with the member for-Napier ■ whose remedy for all their difficulties' was to sell land. He defended the Special Settlement scheme ! and said it would be a bad day when they sold all their land outright and he hoped the House would never agree to it. The deficit, despjte al| Major Atkinson had said, was only £94,000, and, compared with other colonies, New Zealand was well off, New South Wales had a heavier deficit and a more stringent tariff in many respects than was now proposed. South Australia and Queensland werein.sim-ila-r positions; the only colony that had been sound in its finances and shown large surpluses was - Viotoria, whose tariff was in some instances as much as forty per cent. The only difference between the Government and Major Atkinson, as sho\ys by •' ' own speeches, was as to' what artloies should be taxed, If he wanted retrenchment, why did he not take the estimates and say how much oughtito be taken off each class, The debate was interrupted, by the 5.30 adjournment. The debate was continued at the evening sitting, the speakers. being Messrs Taylor, Fisher, Joyce-.and Moss, The tote will bo resumed this afternoon, Mr-.Beetham having the right to speak first,