SURPLUS £775,000.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 87, 11 April 1906, Page 5

SURPLUS £775,000.

REVENUE EXCEEDS EXPENDITURE BY £514,000.

REVISION OF CUSTOMS TARIFF

TOBACCO DUTY FROM 3/3 TO 2/2-

IMPORTANT SPEECH BY THE

PREMIER.

[By Telegraph.—Special to "Star").

CHRISTCHURCH, this day. A feature of the Premiers speech at Rangiora last night was the announcement of the year's surplus. The figures prepared showed the amount 000, but after the meeting a message received from the Treasury raised the total to £775,000. The revenue last year was £7,653,300, and expenditure £7,139,----300, leaving a* balance of £514/100, which, added to the sum brought forward from the previous ye»r (£261,000), gives a total of £775,000. Mr. Seddon indicated that revision of the Customs Tariff would v take place next year in the direction of removing taxation from necessaries and reducing the tobacco duty from 3/6 to 2/2 per lb. He said he would not hesitate" to increase ( the graduated land tax if that was required to maintain, a% strong finance. He suggested that municipalities -might do much to regulate the price of fish and meat by establishing municipal markets. He denounced the high., freights crarged New Zealand shippers, and hinted that the Government might employ part of the surplus in bringing about more reasonable rates. The Premier was entertained at luftch and dinner during the day, and was accorded a moat cordial reception "or a public meeting at night. __ INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER. When seen by a representative of the "Lyttelton Times" just before ■his departure for Rangiora, Mi"- 'Seddon protested that it was scarcely, fain to ask him to anticipate all the points of the speech he was going to deliver in tie evening. He could say, however, that he -was going to make some allusions to finance at Rangiora. The revenue had kept up uncommonly well during the year, and he would again have! a goal surplus to announce. The railways". Customs, stamps, and land tax would all show an improvement upon the Estimates, .and cash land sales showed the only important decrease. ' This, of course, holding the views he did, he could not look upon as a very serious catastrophe. _. ■ .'-...,.'•■< -i-: Mr. Seddon could no£-/say~rwhax'. he was going to do. with the surplus. f-The-questiah. had ceased tr> he-even a jrood joke- He suggested that there would probably be the usual transfer to- the Public Works Fund—perhaps .half a million—and the balance might be carried forward. He could not see at the moment that his policy of maintaining a strong finance would permit of any reduction of taxation. The Government had already made large concessions- to all classes of the 'community, and it must move slowly, if only irx deference to those of his critics who were constantly predicting a time of-depression. He hoped that it would '■. be possible- to deal with the trusts without interfering with the tariff. He wished "to help loca T manufacturers as far as he" could, and he thought he could help him, but it would have to be done without increasing the burdens of the. producers and the consumers. PROPOSED VISIT TO AUSTRAEIA. When asked if there was any truth in the rumour that he intended to visit Australia before the session, Mr Seddon laughingly replied that he hoped :there was. He had been unable to attend the Premiers* but Jthere were a number of questions he :hright still discuss with Australian statesmen. He would like to make the trip jf he possibly could, hut he had made ncfedefinite arangements. His movensents would depend upon the demands of his official duties. - THE NATAL'TROUBEE. He had communicated through the^'Governor with, the Secretary of State for the Colonies in regard to the constitution question that had arisen between the" Natal Government and the Imperial Government, and had received a reply' which he thought would be quite satisfactory to the self-governing colonies. - THE POSTAL CONFERENCE. Referring to the Postal Conference, Mr Seddon said;that Sir Joseph, Ward had cabled that he was hopeful that separate representation would be granted Zealand. This would be "a graceful concession to the colony, and one which it had certainly earned. New Zealand had taken a prominent part in postal matters, and should not Toe tied to Australia. When it came to the settlement of vital.questions the interests of the colonies might he identical, but Australian statesmen were always ready to endorse Sir Joseph Ward!* sound policy of; progression. . ... ." WORKMEN'S HOMES. Good progress, the Premier said, was being made with the homes scheme. Land was heing Secured in the various centres for the buildrngs r and very shortly-- the buildings themselves would be taken ir hand. The Govern- 1 ment had no doubt of -the success '/of' the scheme, but it was desirable to-move .cautiously and to provide" for " every passible contingency. "' '' EDUCATION AND CHARITABLE AID. . The same might be saad of the endowments he had promised for education and for charitable aid purposes.. Particulars of the land available had been prepared,, and: after the: necessary formalities had been observed the endowments would -be set "aside-' The i law ; ofiicers had advised that. only 250,000 acres could he reserved ffor charitable, aid, but- there yeas no .Emit to the area that could be taken fori educaiion-—Pur-ther legislation imightjlae: hecessaiyv but he felt that' Parliament would readily \ facilitate ■■% scheme of; which, the people : JtadgtET—aed anca anaroraL

THE COMINS SESSION;. In reply toa final question, the Premier said that he was ; looking forward to a busy.and useful session of Parliament; There would be plenty of work, to do, and he ejected to find the members anxious to do it.. - The Government's policy: had been outlined in his speeches before the- elections, and if would be vigorously: carried out. There would be no. fireworks, .hut he hoped that there would be a great deal of •honest practical work. The Premier m. his speech, replied to charges levelled against the Government, and quoted statistics to show that, at last election, out of the whole votes cast, 62- per cent, were for the Government, and 31 for the Opposition. He considered that the free>place educational system should be extended to universities, and stated that old age pensions last year had amounted to £254,----300, or £30,700 less than was anticipated. The number of pensioners had decreased by 200 since 1902. He still thhught that the colony- might yet come :to the system of voluntary contributions subsidised by the State. He then j went oh to refer to the finances of the past year. In reply to a' deputation, re water supply rates, the Premier said that the present" system of subsidising local bodies was altogether wrong, and Parliament would be asked to make a change. Replying to a toast at a banquet, he said that if the people of- the colony did their duty, and statesmen In the Mother Country did theirs, there would be only one flag dominating the Pacific —the Union Jack. He considered that the New Hebrides should have been subdivided, instead of being subject to a joint protectorate.