POLITICAL SPEECHES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 127, 29 May 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL SPEECHES.

MR. ALI.EN AT LAWRENCE. FINANCE AND DEFENCE. (Ey TelegTaph.—Press Association.)

LAWRENCK, Tbursday. The Hon. .lames Allen (Minister for Finance) addpMnoil a nieeiing of his constituents to-nijrbt. Hi- stated thai the i-ompleted accounts showed the surplus to U- f t-JtiJ)os. All tlie items ,if revenue' .'howi'.l an increase except the territorial revenue, and this also would have fhown an imrpa.se ha* the evil prai'tici! of inclu.lhlK in the revenue casli derived from sales of land nnd from deferred payment saJes been continued. JlpjrardiiiL' the remarks made by the I.vader of the Opposition about the .memorandum aeionipanying the prospectus for the N.H Zcaliin.l loans. Mr Allen .-aid it was prepared at the High Cf>iiimi.ssionerV "file". It was not liis purpose when in ixn<lon l.> draw the atten,ti«n of the London financiers to tlie fact that New Zealand up till the time he came into ollice bad carried out the evil practice of selling land and adding the proceeds to the ordinary revenue, nor wa.s it Ins purpose to draw the attention of London financiers to the fact thai New ZeaUir.d had built buildings out of capital and when they were burm-d down replaced iliem ,iut of capital. Th-at added to the surplus of previous years, and that had ii'>w been reformed. INOttKASKI) EXPKNDITL'RK. The im-rca..se<i expenditure for the year, continued Mr Alien, «-is \-,.rv largely due to the increase in inLercst arid sinking fluid amounting u> £171,01)0. There had been an all-round increase in pensions of £32,000, and the Governments provision for military pensions involved a total of .C 211.44;,. ' There had been a decrease in defence expenditure of i'lty 008. ri'MAC WORKS H"N"I). Referring to the Public WorK.s Fund, Mr Allen stated thai at the b,-gjnuing of the year lfll:M;i the balance of the. fund was only £',S2uJSO ; at the beginning of the year 1914-15 it was £1,178,584. During the year there had been an increase on the expenditure on public works over the previous year of £4:i.2(hS. This, was largely owing to the increased telegraph extension, the increase there being £141,000. There had been a decrease in expenditure on public buildings of .L 7."..."".4 J. Mr Allen then proceeded to refer to the Government's policy, and to show how far tiiat policy had Ix-en carried out. The public, lie said, lacked any indication from the Ijcader of the (>pposition M t<i his policy. That was nut following the lead given to him by .Mr Masscy. When in < )ppi.-il ion Mr Massey declared his policy to tile public. Since the present Government came into ollii-e the tinamial sy.-t.'m nf the Dominion had been rcfonii.nl. ADVANVKS TO u l have another announcement to mnke that will lie pleading tv I he country gencrall_\." .said Mr Allen. "The nnaiiivs arc »n strong ih.it 1 jim able to announce that the Hoard h.i.< b.-en able to increase the amount that may be lent to settlers for the redemption of inortpapat on freeholds from .L jiK) to £700. mill that it lias also been able to increase the aiiioiint i ha.t may be lent to counties friiiii .LHI.UHO to l'i.'i.UOO, and to town, ami smaller burough.s from jJ.'i.oik) to Jl I."i .0(111." THE COST Or LIVING. Mr. MoKtpy laid down ;i policy i>l reduction in taxation wh>-e\er mi.-i",b!e, in older to lesM>n the .-..-• of llMll-J. The n-.sjwin.sibiliu.-s left by the pre.srMit Government's |iriHli-i-p.<wnr- as i.-irards e.vpondituri" liad been so lienvv tliat it iiad not been possible materially to the Uxatioii so tar. but ;he Gov ! eminent had done several things M imako the burden ~; living ;i r f.;r 1b,,.,,. who lind ll:e.n-ehes in dilliculticx I ]'or instance, pnivisinn iia.l Ih-i-ii marie I" give the Land Tax ('iHiiinissianer power iv grant icir,;.--k>:i fpum tin- bind tax to widows who lhive children in sup- i jMjrt. 'i'iii., w.is H<niviiiu r excellently and [ remedying <.-a-.es ~f diitinct hardship. I'ruvUicin had aL-o been injulo in regard to the income i.-,\ f,»r an a.l.lii u,n:il j exejiipticn of IC'Si for pa.-!l vtiild dependent on a. parent. Tlie la\al.i,.n on lla.\ lands had been amended, and the allowance for depr-'ciai ion on ii!:u-binery an.l plant had iwu incri'asid from ij ' to 5 per cent, thus r.'iim\in-; a lepritiiimtn grievance. l/i.cnl bodies in the back bfocks had been a.|i]e to cet, loans at a cheaper rate owing to the assistance provided hv lit,' |>n>enl Govern- i merit The.se iWmi-im* .-ln,:i!,| tend to I nnluce the cost of living, to some pwpie ul any rate. The jniblii: mu.-t noi place too much importanci' "ii the rraiiurtion i <'f Customs duly :u- a ireans of rr-dm-ing the, coot of living. I'lms was very ! largely an el<relinni<Ting <rv. LAND TKNll;;;. Mr. Allen then ,eterre,l fi the t.ov-j ermnent's land reform, an.l claimed that ' the previous; Gnveniinejit had never] administered the land.- in tins iiiimiry with the same determinutinn t,> ;ussi>t I Mtllrrs and iiurea.-e settlement as Mr. J Massey. The gradirate,! land Ifl\ had been increased for th" purpose of assistintr in breaking up the estat.es. and in the llmvke's liiy district akmc in the j 12 month.* ending March 111. 1914. ST-500 | acres of freehold rural land were s-üb-iLividi'd and dLspo-eil of. The figures relating to the land finally an]uirod for ' Uie lust five, years were as follow?: —

Tliis -was a complete answer to the Government's critics, both as to the carrying out Oif the Government's declared poiicy and as to the admini-vtraticm of land. LOCAL G()\*KR_VMKNT. iMr. Allen stated that a bill dealing ; ■n-ith local government reform, will be I brought down this year. He pointed out that the qualifying foT old age pensions for women had been made 60 instead orf C 5. OompuLsory insurance againfit sickness and unemployment had I not been carried. It was too big a ques- | tion fnr thi.s seeekin, and it was wise tn j see if it worked out in England and elsewhere. j WORKKRfs TnVKT.-LrNO,-:. T)p,aiing with the Government's admintitration of existing legislation. Mr. Allen pointed out that from Jiily I. 1012. till March 31, 191 i, 128 workers' dwellings

were erected at a total expenditure of £70.60tj. The work put in hand since March 31 last included 87 dwellinge, at an estimated cost of £41,149, and 100 others have been aathori«ed by Oibinet at an estimated coat of £49,475, the I total being 'Mb dwellings of a total cost .' of £ Kroni the beginning of ! mOG. when the Act, of 190S came into operation, till January 30. 1012. the. previous (Government had only built, 210 ' dwellings at a cost of £.146.<V22. J ' XA\'AL POIjICP*'. I on -naval matters, Mr. Ailen ; ahk»'d: Who 'ha«i proposed to buil<i ehipe 'and set up a toy navy? The Governj ments policy wa« to i-raa-n men for the Royal 'Nary, and nothing etee a-t the I present moment. Jlr. iMassey had said , lhat during the current ye:ir he p+oi ;p'>se4, if Llie \\';ir <iffic« would not ca.rry ! t>ut a portion of the bargain it entered I into in lfion. and sruppjy 'New I Zisiiantl wiHi irwo Bristol oniisere, ih« would -A*k New Zt\xla.nd to 'supply one rruiFW at it* own cast !of .from £-)i>o.oon to £500.000, .-uid to run lit at something under £100,000 a year. ! lie had no doubt Mr. Massey wwilj not ' press that question thi.s seeaon. as it »as now known that a navaJ conference will be caile»l iwxt year in Ixindon. and it was not ri<rht to enter into any policy of building chips until that naval conference hud taken place. It was said that j the Oovernmcn'l w;m trying to set up :i | i toy navy WTth the object of .>rea-kmg | 1 away from Great 'Britain. That wa« a | ' Statement 'that had no foundation wha.t- i ■ rwr. Every member of the Govm-nment | [ and every member whti supported 'lasft j ! year - * bill was a« etrongiy in favour of j one Imperial Navy at- Srr Joseph Ward. , (AppUiL^e.i I A vote of tJrank.s and of continued I confidence in Mr. Allen and in the Gov- | ernmvnt. wius carried unanimously. '■

Year. rrl.'c i:w-io .. 42.sn.-, .. 2fin.7n:: T.llO-11 .. 14.3!W . . 1W.7HH 1011-12 .. 4.447 .. RS1.4K.1 HO 2-13 .. r>2.098 .. 4JS.Q44 I'.'l.'VU .. Ml.OHU .. iiW,"OK Phi' native land purchases wore: — Tpnr. Prlcp. mim £Sf).O0" lino sn.rrtte i!'ll 123.4:1" inn ....'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'....... 257,'7ir