EVENING SITTING.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5857, 21 June 1884, Page 3

EVENING SITTING.

The.House resumed at 7.30. In Supply, Mr«J. VV. Thomson resumed the debate ~ on the Financial Statement, arguing that the condition of affairs was such as to create the gravest possible doubts, and our nuances seem to be going from bad to worse. Mr Dabgaville drew attention to the remarks about colonial inscribed stock. It was argued in ISB2 that this inscription should be made with the view of suiting the condition of small investors in the colony. For that purpose £250,000 worth of -debentuns were set apart last year. They *r "»ere told that in consequence of the depression these had not been issued. That depression having still increased these debentures were secretly converted into <aah. That required explanation. Again they had on 31st March last a public works liability amounting to a total of £1,3*3,000, with an available fund on hand of £877,000. That was a brilliant prospect of affairs for the Treasurer's successors, •ad showed the state to which the Government had reduced the finances of the **_°ny. Again, on the 31st March the wvernment had £348,000 of deficiency , ™Us current, and that, taken in con--5„ Ct * 0n w * t * l ot h er reference made to oeficxency bills, created the utmost «*"«UBion, and excited in their minds *?"* greatest possible doubts. The rer—*^? S made to the "Eduction of depart- '"" ~f c ~> expenditure was open to serious gtertmn. They knew that instead of _iwH f e^nC6 d the expenditure it had been " —2k 1 I_C3'eased1 _ C3 ' ease d- In support of that conthe ffi J -T instaEce d the appointment cf <Bo____di_ &sss S nee 3» w ho alone cad cost a uerable amount, and in one instance.

1. at all events, it was known to be an appointment in reward for political services w rendered. The whole statement was deficient in straightforwardness, and he argued that it was purposely made obscure in order that the Treasurer might be able to mystify bis successor, whose appointment he knew could not be long delayed. i Mr Bicha—dson argued that further i data was necessary before the route of the North Island Bailway was decided upon. * Beferring to the working railways, he said > they had been told that while the earnings * had decreased the outlay had largely in- * creased, and that was the plea upon which : the increased railway tariff was founded. 1 He completely demurred to that conclusion, >. and contended that instead of increased ""• tariff greater economy in working expenses '< ought to have been bad recourse to. A 1 further source of loss on the railways was the light description of stock and permanent works, as compared with the high rate of speed at which the trains were run. More discretion should also be given to local managers. Mr Bathgatb contended that Government was mainly responsible for the depressed state of the colony. He did not wish, however, to pour water on the drowned rats, but simply wanted to offer a little wholesome advice for the benefit of their successors. Governments did not exist for ' the borrowing of money, but for the pros- ' perity and happiness of the community as r whole. They had the masses of unem- * ployed men in their midst, and a total p absence ef enterprise, Ac. The bad syg- > tern of taxation, loading joint stock com- > panics, was one of the causes of their stag- * nation. The circulation of notes for the j last quarter was only i-967,000. During I the corresponding quarter of the year the Grey Ministry was in office the money circulation was over one million. Hadit increased in the same ratio it did previously it ought to have increased to -32,500,000. Again, the circulation was i. less this year than it was last year. He mentioned that, as it was a well known L fact that it was the wages classes who put , the money in circulation. Other classes , paid the smallest sum by cheque. The : fact was they had not had a single day's i prosperity Bince the present Government [ took office. The prosperity of the country depended upon sound legislation and administration. In a young country like this a four years' depression such as they , have had proved conclusively that the Government in office was responsible for l the depression. They appeared now to have awakened up to the depression. Hitheito they have been blind. Their only care was self-preservation, not the preservation of the population at large. Other colonies took a course different from this Government. Canada, for instance, had in London exhibitions of its resources, and used every possible effort to induce agriculturists to emigrate to their country. If you asked in England about New Zealand, you would be told that they could get no information. If the Agent-General was applied to, the applicant will be told that all information will be found in the New , Zealand Handbook, price one shilling and . sixpence. Again, Sir Julius Vogel offered , to Bend out a shipload of a proper class of i immigrants, and for his trouble he was snubbed. Becent events in Great Britain made the present a most advantageous time for adding to the population, and yet no steps had been taken to take advantage of it.. Capital had been driven out of the country by their mode of taxation. He knew that from his ■ own knowledge the Premier had told them in Dunedin that the depression was to be attributed to the fact that a large sum had been paid in gold-mining calls on the West Coast. That might 1 account for individual pinching, but it did * not account for the depression. The money ; was in the colony, and no doubt it was doing duty in a reproductive way on the West Coast. In further illustration of the errors of administration he stated that in Otago alone a vast amount of public money had been invested unproductively. Lines of railways had been laid but not completed, and the result was that for years that money remained unproductive. ; He would say no more. The opportunity i was now afforded for the country at large to show that this delinquent Government i would not go unpunished for its misdeeds. i The motion for reporting progress was > then put and carried. The House adjourned at 9.35 till li i o'clock to-morrow.