GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Bay of Plenty Times, Issue XX, 24 June 1892, Page 2

GOVERNOR'S SPEECH.

Wellington 3 Thursday. —The following is a verbation report of Lord GUsajow's speech at the opening of Parliament this afternoon:— " Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives. It gives me much pleat-ore to meet you in Parliament assembled to soon after my arrival in New Zealand. I have also to express my pleasure at the warm and loyal welcome given me as Her Majesty's representative by inhabitants of this city and district, and I feel convinced that this is but an earnest of the cordial feeling of loyalty to our Sovereign entertained by the whole people of the Colony, a feeling which found expression in the widespread grief and sympathy manifested some months ago on I the occasion of the sad and lamented death of Her Majesty's grandson, the Duke of Clarence. Public finances. It is my pleasant lot at this, the commencement of my term of office, to be able to congratulate you upon the continued and sustained improvement in the public finances and private industries of the Colony. New Zealand is now in a sounder and more prosperous state than at any time during the past 13 years and L am happily able to state, as my predecessor stated 12 months ago, that the provision made during the past session for carrying on the public services has proved more than sufficient. EXPOETS ANE IMPORTS.

The remarkable volume of our exports, still greatly in excess of tint of our imports proves clearly that the Colony possesses both the power and the will to steadily reduce its liabilities. The relative increase of the imports moreover may be considered evidence that the process of reduction in now sufficiently far advanced to allow to the people of the Colony a wider margin for expenditure. It is with pleasure thut I draw your attention to the fact that the exports of New Zealand produced for the financial yoar show an actual increase despite the partial fai'ure ef the wheat harvest of 1891 ; and the comparatively low price of the staple export wool. The exodus. On the occasion of your meeting together last year, your attention was especially invited to that exodus of population from the neighbouring colonies which after continuing for some years had up to that moment shown no sign of abatement. lam glad however to be able to inform you that since the prorogation of your Houses in September last the statistics of arrivals and departures show a fair excess of the former over the latter. My Miuiatera are of oo u ion that this improved etate of affairs is dus, in part at least, to the efforts made by the Bureau of Industries to accelerate the otroulation of labor through the Colony. The ohange is the more gratifying in view of the fact that the publlo works expenditure of the Australian colonies has fot years so enormously exceeded our own. Land settlement. The disposal and settlement of the waste lands of the Crown has gone on apace during the last twelve months. The extraordinary stream of applications which has been flowing in from Special Settlemgnt Association affords, in the opinion of my adviser.--, further convincing proof of the great and still increasing demand for laud am^ng bona fide intending settlers on the soil. The returns to be laid before you by the Xiand Department "will, so my advisers think, prove that the rate of settlement in the colony is now ohiefly limited by but three conditions ;— First, the amount of Crown land still available for occupation. Second, the amount of money in hand for spending on surveys. Third, the willingness of Parliament to amend and improve such parts of the land laws as form, in the opinion of my Ministers, a hindrance rathec than a help to rapid and genuine settlement.

Native lauds puechases, etc. The purchase of Native lands has been carried on as speedily as financial considerations have permitted, and the demeanour of the native tribes at various conferences with members of the (government has been marked by a satisfactory inclination for fair discussion. Tho arrangement entered into with Tavhaio, by which he accepts a Government pension, marks, I trust, a removal of the last barrier to the paaceful development of that ! portion of the North Island which has for a whole generation been more or less isolated by what has been known as the " King movement." A departmental rearrangement has broken up the Native Department distributing its functions throughout the Departments of Land* and Justice. It has, however, been considered very necessary not to leave the Miori race to imagine that this means any lessened attention by the Govern - ment to their wants and interests. For this and other reasons it has been thought well lo add to the Executive Council a member of the native race in the manner provided for by statute. The goldfields. On meeting you last year, regret was expressed by my predecessor at the continued and discouraging decline in the yield of our gold fields, I have therefore the greater pleasure in being able to congratulate you upon the distinct improvement shown by the mining returns of the fiaancial year just ended. COLOUEED IABOUE CONFEBENCE.

My Government has recently been invited to send representatives to the propo-ed Australasian Conference to consider the further introduction of coloured labor into the northern continental colonies, but the invita f ion has not yet been accepted. The Legisxjltive Council. Hon. Gentlemen op the Legislative: Council ; — I deeply regret that your all ready diminished numbers have been still further reduced by the deaths of three much esteemed members, the resignation of a fourth and by the temporary departure from the colony of others of your numbers. The estimates. Gentlemen op the House op KepbesenTATIVEB. The estimates of reveaue and expenditure will be laid before you. The estimates of expenditure have been framed with a strict regard to economy. You will doubtless be gratified to learn that infortnation, carefully gathered, points to the conclusion that the important reform of the direct taxation, made by you last session, will be carried into effect without any 10->8 to the revenue whatever.

THE RATLWAYB. Hon Gentlemen of thb Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the Housa op Repbesbntattves. Returns will be laid before you showing the results of the traffic in all branches of th railways and you will be asknd to give j r on attention to the question of the futurar management of this large and valuable part of the national property. Public wobks. The prosecution of public works during the last year has been marked hy one or two features calling for special notice. The encouragement of associations of workmen oa the co-operative system has led to results equally satisfactory to the State and to the workmen concerned. The same may be said of the abolition of the system known as subcontracting. Bills. You will be asked again to consider bills dealing with the land laws. The acquisition of private lands {or settlement in small blocks

and for the relief of certnio harl pressed tenants of the Crown. The Electoral Bill, as introduced last year will again ba laid before you with one very noticeable additions. Tue Miners Bill will this year contain certain further jefomn, and you will be asked to pa?s a Ml amending the law of bankruptcy anl another providing for the payment of members. There are also ready for your consideration bills dealing with the civil servants aud other employees of the Siate. Several measures rel iting to agriculture, bills for amending the 1 iw relating to InsuI ranee Cos and policies, for dealing with unclaimed lands and moneys, for aiding the acquisilio iof native lands, for deaUnsf w1 1 h Native Lands Court, with the W est Vox&t reserves, with technical education, with transfer of land with teatameatary restrictions on property, as we 1 ! as other bills relatiug to matters of public interest. In the opinion of my advisers the time has now arrived for placing on the Statute book, a measure providing for the establishment of Boards of Conciliation and a Court of Arbit- | ration, to cope with industrial disputes. I Other measures, designed to improve the conditions of the wage earners and workmen of the colony, will be laid before you. These matters I commend to your attention assuring you of my earnest wish to aid your labors in the interests of the Colony and praying that your efforts may, witn God's .blessing, tend to the happiness and well boing of the people of New Zealand.