SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2341, 12 July 1887, Page 2

SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

I desire to give a brief historical outline of the career of the Colonial Treasurer since his advent to this country in tho year 18S1. The honourable gentleman came here, it will be remembered, having, as ho said, a period of six months at his disposal, at the end of which time business of a pressing and imperative character would demand his presence elsewhere. He found the colony in a state of great depression, and ho volunteered in a magnanimous way to give us the benefit of his skill and experience to remove that depression, for he assured us in grandiose terms that the depression had been to a large extent brought about by incapable’government; that the deficiency of £150,000, which existed at that time would not have existed had our finances been capably and efficiently administered. He told tfinse honourable gentlemen who were carrying on the government of the country, and who were conscientiously doing their best to retrieve its fallen fortunes, that they were financial babies —they were men of no originality, no fertility of resource. The country had been allowed to “doze” for half-a-dozen years, and if he and the present Premier were allowed to take charge of our affairs they would revive trade; they would change the face of things; they would give the country a start; they would make the wilderness blossom as the rose; they would give to everything a flourishing and prosperous aspect, and in time the country would have much reason to thank itself for having placed those hon. gentlemen on those bandies. Now, Sir, what do we see? The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer hns at last come down to earth. He is being brought to believe that he is not superhuman or divine, but that he is mortal and that he is not a greater financier than any of those financial bahiesjhe iso flippantly denounced is proved by that most conclusive fact that, instead of a deficiency of £150,000, as the financing” for three years wo have a deficiency of double that amount, for his deficiency is £300,000. Now, where is tho financial genius ? As the result of his financial management, wo find the country in such a state that, unless some drastic change is made, there must be greater and more intense depression than any we have yet experienced. Clearly he has reached a position which he cannot face. I hope Ido him no injustice, but Iregard him as a man who is not capable of facing difficulty. I say nothing worse of hi m than that, lie is a man with but two ideas, which in reality are one, namely, Borrow and tax, tax and borrow.” He can borrow no longer, for the borrowing of New Zealand is, happily, at an end for a time. But what does he do? He must have money. He taxes. —G. Fisher. Hansard, May 25, 18S7.