MAJOR ATKINSON AT AUCKLAND.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2142, 1 April 1886, Page 2

MAJOR A TKINSON AT AUCKLAND.

The hon. Major Atkinson, in response to a numerously signed requisition, addressed .1 large gathering of the electors of Auckland at the Theatre Royal on Tuesday night. His Worship the Mayor was in the chair, and there was a large and influential company of gentlemen, including the member for Waikato, on the platform. After clearing the ground by stating that he stood there as a member of the Opposition, whose chief duty was criticism, Major Atkinson proceeded to examine Sir J. Vogel's proposals. He controverted the statemont that the bulk of the money borrowed itnce 1870 had been spent on unproductive works. Tne total amount spent, taking account of the amount of the Sinking Fund, was 19$ million! ; of this sum 12£ million* were spent on railways, 2$ millions on immigration, and another million on post and telegraph purposes. He continued : "We find that 15 millions, or say, to bo quite .within the mark, Hi millions of the public debt has been expended on reproductive public works out of 19& millions, or, in other words, we find that 14s 9d out of every pound has been expended on these works. Now this is » very practical question, for Sir Julius Vogel told you, and in doing so I think led you off the scent — he said that if they spent 04 on other works, and 15s on the whole loan, that would cover the cost of the interest on the whole loan, or five per cent interest. That conveyed the impression that we had not been doing no in the past years, and that we only required to adopt this scheme to get 5 per cent, and the whole interest would be covered. I hope I have made this clear to you, for it is a very important matter." He denied that th« carrying of Captain Russell's motion had had tne effect of stopping important works in hand, because the amount voted by the Hoime was sufficient for all the purposes of the year in the admission of the Government therarelves. The reduction, however, prevented the commencement of the East and Went Coast railway. He said Government had no possible excuse for touching the North Island Trunk Railway loan, as the money iu hand wai ample for all the votes of the House. It would be leen therefore that the Opposition had taken care that the loan should not be infringed upon. Concerning the policy of the Government, as far aa he could see they had no policy at all. A big loan had been proposed and it ' was very tempting, and many" people would welcome it in order that they might realise and clear out of the country. They had beard privately that the soheme was to be modified. He defended the public works scheme against the attacks of Sir .T. Votrel, and claimed that the people of New Zealand were as welt off as those of any other country. The proposed increase in the Cuatoma Duties of £100,000, wm, the Government said, for the purposes of paying subsidies to local bodies, but they had heard nothing about the subsidies since the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Bill was passed, and the money was now wanted to pay interest on loans. The proposals of the Government involved the expenditure of fire millions on railways in four years ; the return from these would be 2% or £100,000, while the additional burden of interest on loans would amount to £320,000. He said the East and West Coast railway was a part of the original scheme, and would have to be constructed some day, but there was no hurry. He was strongly opposed to any increase in taxation not required to meet payments to which we are engaged. It would be unwise to stop borrowing, but care should be taken that no unproductive _ works were undertaken. Certain extensions of railway ought to be made such as thai between Auckland and Wellington, and the Otago central and others must go on to paying point*, but nothing more, The expenditure ot borrowed policy ought not to evceed a million a year. Regarding retrenchment, he believed much mi^hfc be dons if the people themselves were in earnest about it. They must be prepared to mak« some sacrifice, and the thing could be done. After referring to the necessity of making roads through tho country, he went on to speak of the object of public works, which y/aa to open up and nettle the lands of the colony. It was difficult to find the right class, as many of those who cried out for land for the people would not go on tho land and work. The railways now open would accommodate an agricultural population.

three times as groat as the- present pojiula tion of Now Zealand. IWening to Sir Geo. Gre^t scheme. Major Atkinson Kiid : — The chief difficulty of that scheme I hn\e alieady stated -viz., that y<m won't find people really; prepared to take advantage of it. That* in wh.it \am afiaid of; but I say that that scheme tiuqht U«nrati\uly be applied to ccit.un district'. Of course, theie is considerable difii~ ilty about 1:. You do not want, in miv ipiinon, to begin by t.i knife- it byfoict 1 I believe th.it y-ju could acquno without difficulty places fed by railway*, loads and very excellent lapd, w l^cio the experiment could be tried on .1 Mnall And I Hunk it would be well woith trying it, to see Tjow far it is true that land is wanted." Because I hue pointed out to you th.it I want you to bear in mind that thu whole object of nur public woik-i— of consti noting them -in the settlement of the country by.n well to-do population. Therefore, any ju-nijosalh which will enable the lands to be piohUbly occupied, I think should be given pioper consideration to, and if upi>n consideration they are reasonable and likely^ to,^ act well, we should try -Jt'io evpe'riinont and kco how far they will succeed.' What was called a vigorous. Public Works policy meant bpendiug money for the bake of the expenditure. They were anted to copy New Houth Wale«, but the portion. of that colony now was that of New Ze.il.and in 1870. They mnnt hive patience and pjoceed gradually. The question of local industries was one that* allied fur careful thought and treatment, and he advised them all to give it their consideration. Home industries, too, asked for attention, ! together with the question of local government. Speakinp of native lands, Major Atkinson said :— I am perfectly clear about this, and I shall stick to it througn thick and thin — I say no moie land should be left with the natives thin 'is sufficient to provide them an .ample living. That the rout should bo bought by the Crown at u fajr price ; and if it is desirable — and thU question should bercarefufly considered — if it is desirable that proper maintenance should be provided to these nattv es, besides their liavhig « sufficient quantity of land, to much of tho purchase »Huney. to, keep thorn and their descendants in comfort should bo funded, and they should draw the interest annually. I will never be .a consenting party to see a large class of Maori landlords .set up in this count ty. After expressing regr«t that New Zealand did not join in tho Federal Council, and paying a graceful tribute to Mr Bryce, the Major concluded ,a« follows:— I have just to bring to your mind, before I sit down, a few points we have arrived at. We have seen that the expenditure of tho not increase of the public debt during the last sixteen years — that ia, the nineteen and a-half millions— has been really expended, or rather of that three-quarters has really been expended on reproductive' works that are now producing receipts to the Treasury. This is a very important point. Wo have seen that the resolution of Captain Russell has not produced the least difficulty to the Government. I have shown you clearly that the Government have proceeded to the e\tent they intended to proceed ; that they had ample money, and that the only effect of that vote was refally to huvW it unnecessary to pa« a new loin,, or to crive'them power to deal "with the North Island Trunk loan. We see that the proposal of the Treasurer was fehnply to increase taxation to what seemed to him a moderate amount, with the view of spending also a moderate amounts We have seen that, at the end of four years, if that was done we should nave 'to ' ha\ e a natural increase of the revenue— which I venture to think we can't hope to look for —of not less than £220,000 to meet the charges. I have pointed out >to you what neemed to me to b* the right course to pursue, namely, to refuse altogether to accept tho 50s as the n»rmal rate of Customs ; to refuse additional taxation until k is shown that it is required to carry on necessaiy works — not fancy works, but necessary works — or to meet other liabilities. We should retrench. There should be retrenchment as far as possible in order to leave the people freer. ' We have seen that if we proceed with our railway* at an i unreasonable rate we will retard the object we have in view, namely, the settlement of a well-to-do population on. the land, for the extra taxation and rates would greatly deter new comers with capital coining amongst us. The conclusion, therefore, that we have come to is, that we should proceed at a moderate rate ; that we i should take our railways at a moderate rate to such points as they will pay, and when we are nearing one of thcle points we should then consider the financial position of the country with a view of seeing whether it was advisable to. proceed with a fresh scheme ; and if so, a scheme should be 1 carefully devised for that purpose. I forgot to refer to this point, namely, with regard to fixing more certainly tho loan ! for particular works. I have no doubt it can be done a little more certainly than at present. But the statement you have heard of loans having been used to a great extent for other works, speaking generally, is not correct. Looking at these points, we shall see generally what your position is, and we can each ens of us, as I have no doubt we will determine what is going to be done, which scheme we will have. Will you have wild borrowing and certain difficulties in the end, or proceed on the lines that sensible men would proceed on in their own cases— proceed with public works at such a rate as your power to settle and your means will permit you to , do ? I cannot doubt what will be your answer. (Cheers.) It i» true we are suffering, as I sny, to some extent, and tot a very large extent in many parts, from depression. Tho reason',' we feel, is the enormous fall in our raw products, viz.: tallow, wool, and wheat, Theie has been a slight rise in mutI ton, but so slight that', the farmers do not feel the benefit of it, except those who are big enough to send home diiect, and they are not many. On the other hand,' we receive a con»idalvibTe abatement in this matter by the fall in manufactured goods ; hut generally the fall in manufactured goods is much less than the fall in tho raw goods which we supply. We have got to face that. If wo will only face it as we have faced many greater difficulties— if we will only face it as our forefathers have done, and as we have done already in thi.-, land— it will disappear as other matters have disappeared, atid we shall come out again in prosperity. (Cheers.) Our remedies in ourselves do lie, Which we ascribe to hea\en. ■ Thp fated sky Gives us free scope, onlv d?tli -backward Dull Our slow designs when we ourselves are Jail. And dull indeed. Ladies and gentlemen, we shall not get out of. our pcenent difficulties by any grand scheme oj -finance. There in no royal road. Your own stout hearts and btrong arms have got tti do the work. (Cheers.) We havo d«ne it before. If the colonists of, New Zealand are what I know they ire, I t*y they will do it again, apd then prosperity will spread once more from end to end of tbe glorious land. (Loud cheers. ) A large number, of questions were asked and answered, and the meeting closed with * unanimous .'vote of. thanks to the. speaker. . .

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