Parliamentary Gossip.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 190, 10 August 1895, Page 2

Parliamentary Gossip.

HOTES FROM THE GALLERY

(BY TELEGRAPH.—PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER. ) Wellington, Friday. A VOICE FROM RICCARTON. A wet, dreary afternoon outside, and every prospect of a dry, dreary afternoon within the walls of the House. Riccarton Russell is bo lead off. Mr Russell opens with bhe remark bhab he does nob inbend to criticise the speeches of members who have gone before him. Ho intends to deal with what he considers the leading poinb in the Budgeb. To begin with, ib appears to him that bhe Budgetmighbeasilybavois.ued from a Tory Administration. As a parby statement ib is absolutely colourless. Thab is bhe complainb ho has bo find wibh ib. lb lacks bhose very qualities which have been characberi3tic of the Liberal parby for years pasb. He sees nothing in ib aboub old age pensions, no promise of an attempt to deal with the unemployed question. Really, he cannot bub conclude that the Liberal parby has arrived aba stage when its policy is one of masterly inactivity, of oub and oub opporbunism, and of leaving things bo drifb as they please, lb is nob such a Budgeb as one would have expecbed from an Administration returned to power by the greab Liberals in tho colony. It is- colourless, nay, ib. is sombre, for it shows a decrease in revenue, and proposes to increase taxation of those classes least able to bear ib. Is this right? Is this proper? lb is nob. What we waub is economy, and cubbing down on all hands — and whab do we find? An increase in eabimates, and proposals to expend money in avenues where ib will benetib the colony very little indeed. Although there is au apparent reduction in charges on sinking fund, there has really been an increase during the past year of £112,000. The sinking funds cannot la3t moro than two years, and what then? We musb have anobher large loan, which will be scrambled for on bhe floor of the Houso, and bhe working classes will have bo bear an addibional load of taxation, Let us face the position boldly. While giving credib to the Treasurer for a desire to oxtend the trad-e of tho colony, he does not think ib would have beon possible to have made two worse treaties than those with SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND CANADA.

Take thq former colony. Our volume of exports to thab colony has been much less than either Victoria or New South Wales. Last year the value of our exports to South Australia was a little over £3,000, and of that amounb—" Publish ib nob in Gabh, tell it nob in Ascolon "—£l,ooo was horn lnvercargill and the Bluff. If the effecb of the treaty musb be thab, New Zealand will lose £24 for every £1 lost by South Australia, and bhe fruits and infant wine trade of our colony will be ruined. As to the Canadian treaty, if we ratify it wo are simply putting a weapon into the hands of tbe Canadians, wibh which they can go to other Australian colonies and say, Wo have made bhis treaty with New Zealand and we are prepared bo make the same with you. In 1894 we imporbed £9,670 worbh of goods from Canada, and exported bo the Dominion, how much ? £34 worbh. During bhe lasb quarter we senb by parcel post goods to the value of £3, and yeb wo are proposing to give a subsidy oi £20,000 to a country that bakes such a miserable item from us. lb is said Canada will take our wool, bub Riccarton can show from a book which he holds in his hand thab the Canadian mills can produce woollen goods as cheaply as they can be made in Manchester. Do honourable members know thab wo imported three and a half time- as many blankets as Canada did last year? Again, Canada is.to b6 permitted to pour in on us her fish when our coasts abound with the same. She is to be permitted to flood us wibh hams and bacon, and so ruin one of the mosb promising industries of bhe South Island. Trade cannob be forced into unnatural channels, cries Mr Russell, rushing along like a whirligig, bub ib may bo led in bo a natural one. We could send capable men to Canada, to China, and Japan, with samples of what we can produce, and in thab way trade would be naburally developed. Riccarbon says •' Avaunb 1 " bo the breaties, and goes on bo other subjects. The greab problem of tbe day, says ho, is how to find work for

OUR UNEMPLOYED, bub the Budget has hardly a word aboub the nature ot the policy to be adopted id connection with this groat problem. Is it to be solved by charity only ? Surely a Liberal Governmenb in this Bouse, with fifty men ab its back, can do something better than this. This is not a quesbion for bhe unemployed only, ib ia a working men's question, for it concerns all working men bhab bhe surplus labour of the colony should be employed in remunerative channels. This unemployed problem has to be grappled wibh all over the world, but he contends thab New Zealand is in a pre-eminenc position to solve ib. Mr Russell then enumerates tho causes of the trouble, and launches forthwith a eulogium of b.-e' NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE COLONY. They are nob being developed, he assertsi and the chief causo, the final cause, is bhab these resources are locked up. Ho bolieve3 thab ib is the duty of the Governmenb to provide money and means to develop these resources. For instance, there are our coal mines and our forests. What wealth is there nob lying bhere, which, under some system of Governmenb supervision, mighb give work and food to all our unemployed, Then thore are our fisheries, au undeveloped industry, and lastly and chiefly our land. The wealth of bhe country lies in iba land, and to him ib seams that bhe sooner we cover the whole colony with village settlements the eooner will we arrive ab the solution of the great unemployed difficulty. Let the Government bring down a proposal for raising half amiliion of money for the development of our coalmines, and another half million for village settlements, and bhen bhey will prove who are Liberals in the House. Surely one million is not a greab deal bo ask for in order to solve the unemployed difficulty. We gave bwo millions to the Bank of New Zealand, three millions were voted for the Advances to Settlers Acb, but whore is the money coming from ? Well, says Mr Russell, half-a-mlllion goes into the Government Savings Bank every year. Ib is the money of the people. Why "should ib nob be taken for the benefit of the people, or if Governmenb do not wish to do that, let them go into the open market.

AS TO THE TARIFF, the Liberal party haa waited for four years to get it on to tbe floor of the House, and he considers that, now the party have got it, they should not let itjiway until it has been brought into line with the principles of Liberalism. The proposed reductions, he considers, are unlikely to benefit any one. He would rather see reduction made on one article, and he intends to move that the whole duty on tea in bulk be swept away altogether. He is prepared to forego reductions on rice, matches, kerosene and coffee, but will demand an increase in the duty on beer and fancy goods, and that all prison - made troods be regularly excluded from our ports. The speech is greeted with a good deal of applause, and, ma sense, it deserves it, for it is at least a epinted utterance, andfif the policy so boldly outlined is but a skeletenic policy, Vantmg those vital parts and details which would make it of value, still we must

remember that the subject is one fraught with stupendous difficulty. Perhaps the most admirable thing in Mr Russell's speech is the grand self-assurance he displays in grappliog with it. A THEORETICAL DISQUISITION. Mr Morrison throws cold water on Riccarton's speech as far as its practicability is concerned. He has never listened to a more theoretical disquisition in all his life. The panacea for all the troubles of the unemployed which Riccarbon has proposed is all very well on paper, but quite another thing when you come to put it into practice, Riccarton talks very glibly about how to solve this greab problem, as if it had not taxed the ingenuity ot all the greab statesmen all over the world, and is yet unsolved. As to our coal mines, and the development of our resources in that direction, does the honourable gentleman not know thab only two mines in the colony have paid .)_ per cenb. if Then, with respect to spending money to settle people on land, he holds thab tho Government is not justified in borrowing money to create artificial settlement. WANTED, A DICTIONARY. Young Buick regrets that-there is no common standpoint from which we can discuss the finance of the colony. There are so many terms made use of by both sides, and each side uses them in a differenb sense, thab ib is impossiblo bo come to any definite conclusion about anything. What is the use of our arguing as to whab is the revenue of the colony bill we are agreed on whab constitutes revenue 1 What is the use of disputing whether sinking funds havo been seized until we have come to some understanding regarding the word "seizure," and so on. We want a Doctor Johnson of finance, sayß Mr Buick, who shall compile for ua a dictionary of Financials de finitum. As to the Budget, Mr Buick finds there is much new ground in it. He will touch on a few new points, and first OUR HOUSEKEEPING ACCOUNTS. Ho objects to the way in which these accounts are kepb. For instance, he does not understand why released sinking funds should be included in revenue. So far as ho can make out from tho national balancesheets between 1891 and 1(394, the deficits in our housekeeping accounts amounted to £110,608. The appearance of a surplus wub duo to tiio practice of adding released sinking funds to out revenue. Now, how did those deficits arise ? There are a variety of causes, bub one to him is plain. We have not lived within our income. There has been unwarrantable expenditure in bhe public service. There is no sincere retrenchment in dismissing ono public servanb and engaging him as a temporary clerk, or employing another, and bhe Budgeb shows a desire to further increase salaries of already highly paid public officials. Ib ia not, however, surprising that retrenchment should be difficult. The people are to blame. He is a Now Zealander, bub musb say he knows of no people less indopendenb than our colonists. The unemployed fall back on tho Government; parents clamour to get their sons and daughters into Civil Service pay, .batiks oven come to the Government for help, and he ventures to say that bank amalgamation will be proposed this session, or bhe Bank of New Zealand will ask to be disassociated from bhe Estates Company. So long as people are taught to look to tho Government for everything, we cannot look for the present unsound financial position to improve Some people think thab, so long as we can keep our heads abovo water, all is well, deficits need not trouble us, bub tho day musb come when these deficits musb be wiped out if we aro to exisb as a solvent colony. The Budgeb seemed to to take no note of this for ib proposes to solve the deficit question, not by the practice of economy, bub by increased taxation. The total expenditure on public works last year was £496,983, the largest amount for many years, and still there is a cny from all parts of the colony for more, .bub w,bere is it to come from. Now that loan money is exhausted, it is clear, unless trade improves, the jevenue of the colony will only suffice for its curronb expenses, and nothing can be expected for public works from tbab source. The stoppage of bheee works means throwing out of employment 2,500 men. He does not see how the colony can dispense with public works ab bhis time. It we go slowly we have to meet the cry ot the unemployed, and if wo go in for a bold public works policy we musb bo prepared bo meob tho opposition of a large class which objects to additional burdens on the community, bub, if we are to borrow, lob us do so straight oub, not silently, secretly, and surreptitiously, At the same time Mr Buick does nob favour an exbensive policy of public works as a permanenb solution of bhe unemployed question, because he understands ib will create an undesirable class who live by public works. As to Riccarton s scheme Mr Buick is very doubtful of its efficiency. It is all very well to speak of putting people on land, but if land settlement is to be a success, we must have the righb class of people, and must provide them with capital. The State must select its settlers if settlements are to thrive, and this it cannot do. .Again, ib is a dangerous practice to supply settlers with money, for, once they are aided in that way, it is often very difficult indeed to discontinue assistance. Mr Buick is rapidly coming to the conclusion that the time is not far distant when the colony musb either adopt a policy of straighoufe socialism, or one of rigid individualism, in which everyone must look oub for self.

MR BUICK ON THE TARIFF. _ Speaking of the tariff, be declarea that the working classes have called for ita revision, because work was getting loss and wages lower, and they wished gome equivalent in reduced taxation for the lobs they sustained, but, so far as he can see, they are to be taxed from head to foot. The tariff is essentially a revenue tariff, and he can hardly complain of that because he knows that the colony must have revenue. But he wishes to say that he does not intend to vote for a single item which will touch the working classes till he ia persuaded that every retrenchment possible is to be effected in the public service. Ac to the reciprocal treaties, he looks on them as the greatest stroke of statesmanship which the Treasurer haa effected, and urges on members to regard this question of reciprocity. He resumes his seat amid cheers as hearty as any which have followed tbe most successful speeches of this debate. CAPTAIN RUSSELL'S CRITICISM. A sincere eulogy of Mr Buick's speech comes from Capt, Russell, who very gracefully compliments the young member. Then throwing off the peaceful toga, he assumes a mere warlike garb, and goes for Government. During their term of office, he says.'the liabilities of the colony have increased £6,541,407. What about assets ? asks the Treasurer. The Captain only knows ono asset, the £3,000,000 issued under the Advances to Settlers Act, and he is Dot sure of that, there is no mention of the interest which wili have to be paid this year, £45,000 in respect of the million and a-half so successfully borrowed by the Treasurer. It is significant, continues the Captain, that even tbe speakers on tha Government benches have criticised 'the tariff in a hostile spirit, Mr Hogg, who surely regards himself as the Tribune of the people, had said there would be no harm in a duty of one shilling per lb on tea. Hid he really moan thia _ Leaving this subject, the Captain speaks of the injury which he alleges has been done to large enterprises by the policy of the Government. The Budget appears to be of the nature of a cheap encyclopedia, lots of matter and very little of it reliable. Nothing it contains can be trusted. It

pretends thab the colony has been going ahead, whereas there is little doubt that ib has been going back. There has been a falling-off in two principal items of revenue —customs and railways. In these two items, which more than any other are indicative of the progress or retrogression of the colony, there has been a falling-off during '93 and '94 of over £24,000. And the strong financial position, what doea ib mean ? , Our debb is increasing.. Where is the cause for congratulation? The Treasurer says he does nob share the glomy forebodings ,of the pessimists of the country, but 1 am nob a pessimist, cries the Captain, All I wish is that tho country should recognise bhe true position of affairs. The Treasurer regrets that tho state of the colony has been injuriously affected by tho closing of bwo dry goods establishments in the colony. Was ever such nonsense ? THE TREATIES CONDEMNED. Tho reciprocal treaties find no favour in his eyes. South Australia is really a colony with which we do less trade than with any of the others. In the same way there is no trade to speak of, and not likely bo be much wibh Canada. Whab are we going bo dp ? To give a subsidy of £20,000 bo a lino steamer with a country which only imports about £16,000 from our chores. The Speaker's bell rang at this point, and Captain Russell, after referring to the tinkle which warns him his end is nigh as an abomination, tries to cram into the fivo minutes still left to him as much denunciation of tbe tariff in general as possible, and ho declares that aba future time he will move a motion asking the Treasurer to withdraw the proposed alterations of duties of customs on the grounds that by them no simplification of tho tariff is effected, a few existing anomalies are abolished, bub no appreciable relief is granted to anyone, while extra burdens are imposed on many, and bhe estimated increase in revenue, viz. £10,300, is nob commensurate wibh the general disarrangement of trade which will ensue. He is determined thab bho matter shall be thrashed oub thoroughly and completely in the House. He finally cays, the Budget) out of its own Sages provos that the colony is going from ad to worse, and bhab unless some consbructive, instead of desbructive, ability is forthcoming to save ib, ruin is certain. A MINISTERIAL REPLY. The applause which greets his closing words is continued when tho Minister of Lands is seen on his feob. He considers that Captain Russell should have moved hia motion after tho Troasurer epoko, members would then have had something to address themselves to. The members who criticised the policy of tho Government adversely have nothing feasible to replace it with. As to the Bank of Mew Zealand, the troubles of thab institution were not brought aboub by the Liberal party, but that party had helped it oub of its troubles. The history of tho Opposition in bhe pasb was closely associated with the Bank. The Opposition girded at the Bank Bill, and spoke as if it were done for the sake of the Bank only. It was nob done for the Bake of the Bank of New Zealand, bub for the good of the people of the colony. The colony could ab any momenb establish a State bank. A million of the money borrowed under the Advances to Settlers Act is lying in London still, and when used thore will be good securities for ib. THE DEATH DUTIES. In regard to tho change in death duties affecting widows and widowers, it was arranged by Cabinet that no ono should have to pay when an income less than £300 was derived from legacy. Looking ab bho financial position of the other Australian colonies, the Minister considers thab we have every right to congratulate ourselves on our position. We never claimed to be a non-borrowing Government, cays he, but whab wo claimed, and sbill claim, ia that we have nob borrowed with tho object of spending, as our predecessors did. Look how we have, employed the money ! he cries. Then follows a list of works of the presenb Governmenb which bho houorablo gentleman himself has had his hand in. THE WORKS OF THE GOVERNMENT, are they not written in the books of the Department, but they aro more indelibly imprinted on the face of the country. Sco the roads which havo been formed, the bridges which have been built, land which has been opened up for settlement since we assumed the reins of power. 1,044 miles of new roads havo been constructed, and with tho many miles which havo been improved a sum of £506,665 has been oxpeDded. The Minister can give particulars, and he dees, quoting examples in all parts of tbe colony, and concluding with the remark thab bhere is much more of true colonisation in the making of roads thau in making railways, a dictum which tho Minister would get Ruskin to endorse most heartily. Bub the railways have beon profitable, too, as ho proceeds to show. LAND FOR SETTLEMENT. His beloved Cheviot, with its flourishing fields and no less flourishing balanco-sheeb, is displayed proudly bo members, and bhen, in answer to interruptions from members who complain bhab nob enough email sections for settlement have been forthcoming, the Minister declares that he is doing hiu best, bub thab ib is not easy for the Governmenb to get suitable land. What is the policy of the Opposition ? asks Mr McKenzie. They find fault wibh our policy. Whab is their own? Well they want bo repeal the Land and Income Tax, repeal tho Laud for Sotblemenb Acb. Anobher poinb in bheir programme is the removal of the Government from tho benches, and putting in bheir place Sir Roberb Stoub as Premier and other members of the Opposition to take portfolios under him. The Minister causes roars of langhter as he allots these portfolios, and ends by declaring that Dr. Newman is to be raised to tho Council. Under this new coalition-Govern-ment, there is to be no more borrowing on the sly. They aro to borrow in open daylight, and the first loan is to be five millions, one million of which ia to be for general scattering over the colony. With his last words bhe Minister cries "Colonisation of the colony is before everything, and to carry that on we musb haye money." Mr Eraser takes the debabe up to supper, and Mr Montgomery continues it till the House adjourns ehortly after midnight. JOTTINGS, Messrs T. Thompson, M.H.R., and R. Udy, of the Auckland Education Board, interviewed the Minister of Educabion in reference bo the allocation of a grant for the educational buildings. The Minister gave them a favourable reply. The Auckland Harbour Board and Devonport Borough Exchange of Land Bill has passed. The petition of Alfred Eenry White for a grant of land in consideration of military services has been referred to the Government. In reply to the Hon, Jenkinson, the Attorney-General stated that the General Manager of Railways will allow railway employees to consider the pension and superannuation fund scheme mentioned in railway statement before submitting proposals to the Legislature, provided that bhe names of persons interested were furnished to bim, The Public Petitions Committee recommend that a sum of £50, or such further sum as the Governmenb may sco fit, may be paid to Lorenz Reisterer, of Hokianga, who petitioned for consideration in respect to certain deferred payment section of land.

Settlers of Ruapekapeka are petitioning for a grant of money for a road from Ruapekapeka Pa to connect with the main North Road at the Popoia new bridge. A petition has been presented from a number of residents in the districts of

Maungaturoto and Paparoa asking for a grant of £450 to grade and metal a portion of the road connecting the two districts..

The same Committee has dealb similarly wibh the petition of Thomas Ussher and 53 others, of Auckland, for a grant to open up the Waikomiti-West Coasb road to Piha.

Mr Tanner wishes bhe Government to remove the harbourmaster ab Kaipara from his position oh account of alleged negligence in connection with the barque George Thompson. The Auckland and Parnell Endowment Lands Bill waa read a third time and passed in the Council to-day.

The second reading of tho Reprint Statutes Bill, which proposestoappoinbbhree Commissioners who shall revise and amend and prepare for publication the public general acts,of bhe colony, was carried on bhe voices in the Council to-day. Tho Joint Statutes Revision Committee reporb thab, as Mr McNab's Licensing Acb Amendment Bill deals with a question of policy, they have no recommendation to make regarding ib.

The Waste Lands Committoe are of opinion bhab bhe pebibion of J. D. Bentley in connection wibh a cerbain land grant in the Urewera country, should be referred to the Government.

The Family Homes' Protection Bill haa been amended in the Council by the addition of clauses allowing family homes to be taken compulsorily under any Act for the compulsory taking of land .and nob relieving homes from liability, and by striking oub bhe clause allowiug homes to be disposed of in certain cases. Mr McGowan is going is going bo ask tho Government if they will give effecb to the recommendation of the Committee in regard to tbe petitions of Thomas Millet, John Nodder and obhers from Thames, whose casea wero favourably reported on, and if they cannot do so without legislation, will they introduce a measure thia session to enable them to recognise these.

The Auckland Harbour Board and Devonporb Exchange of Land Bill waa read a second time in the Council to-day. The Hon. Mr Walker resumed the debate in bhe Councilyesterday upon the Hon. Bolt's motion for the establishment of co-operative settlements as a means of grappling with the unemployed difficulty and the adverse amendment of the Hon. Pharazyn. He held that the currency question was the real cauae of the present depression in tho labour markeb. The present laws of banking were unsound as they bad to be suspended in every crisis at a time when all sound laws should be of most use.

The Hon. J. Kelly presented a petition to the Council to-day, Bigned by 15,400 Roman Cabholicß, praying thab the Catholic schools of the colony should be inspected by the Government Inspectors.

Forty-four residents of Auckland are pebitioning the Council through the Hon. Jennings, for amendment of Shops Act.

Some 1,300 members of friendly aocietiea are complaining thab privabe benefit 80----cietiea are inimical to the interests of tho existing registered benefit aocietiea.

The Public Pebibiona Commibbeo haa no recommedation to make in reference to the petition of the 4,000 inhabitants of Auckland against bhe Wednesday half-holiday, as tho matter ia one of public policy.