WELLINGTON NOTES.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9005, 18 January 1895, Page 5

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(By Telegraph.) (from ot?r correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 19. The local papers are at odds on the subject of the proposed trip of the Treasurer to Europe. The Ministerial morning journal is advancing reasons, and projects to prominence the Pacific cable and the Huddart, Parker Canadian service as excellent reasons for the Treasurer's presence in London. Whereupon the Post scoffa in a manner almost rude, and bluntly says that Mr Ward is going upon his own affairs and that public business is a pretext. And, as to this public business of the highest importance to the colony, I find that quite a number of well-informed persons are of opinion that Mr Ward canuob possibly disclose the nature of his mission as Colonial Treasurer for the very excellent reason that he has no story to tell, and that this fact is the cause of growing disquiet to his colleagues. Bub these, of course, may be mere inventions of the enemy, and so long as the poor public is content to pay the piper what matters. The Post this evening devotes two editorials to the subject, from one of which I take the following :-*-" The Ministerial organ resorts to throwing dust to-day in an attempt to cover up Mr Ward's homeward tracks. It says :— * A specific statement has been made for some purpose or other that the Premier Was much astonished to hear of Mr Ward's intention to proceed Home ou private business. That statement we have authority for describing as absolutely without a shadow of foundation. . No such specific statement- has been made. Here is our specific statement which we repeat: — ' Pressing requirements of his private business arrangements, possibly in some measure in their relation to his publio position, demanded that he should visit England. The matter was nob brought before the Cabinet prior to the Christmas dispersion of Ministers. The proposal was anticipated in certain fiuancial ciicles, but was not: mentioned even to the Premier. The first Mr Seddon heard of the proposal was the receipt of a telegram from Mr Ward announcing that he required to visit England. Another Minister has publicly stated that the first he, knew of any proposal of the kind was seeing it announced in our columns. , Mr Seddou may Or may not have been ' much astonished' when he received Mr Ward's telegram. We did not and do not think it worth while to speculate regarding his feelinga. We again assert that the suggestion that Mr Ward should go Home on public business was not before the Cabinet before the Christmas dispersion of Ministers, and that the first the Premier heard of his colleague's intention of visiting Eugland was by a telegram from Mr Ward. Mr Seddon himself openly stated this during his holiday trip. Mr Ward's intended visit to England was decided upon by Mr Ward to meet exigencies of his own private affairs. The idea of giving him a mission on public business was an after-thought, intended to remove the objections urged to tho original proposal, and, at the same time, afford an excuse for Mr Ward retaining his seat in the Ministry and travelling at the public expense." Of the revenue the same journal saye :— "If the figures as to the revenue for the first three quarters of the financial year which have beeu published in the Ministerial organ aemi-officially are correct, the financial outlook for the year is a gloomy one, and instead of a surplus, as estimated in the Financial Statement, there'will be a considerable deficiency, despite the Colonial Treasurer's assertion in that Statement that 4No Colonial Treasurer should run the risk of having to announce a deficit; such a word should have no place in New Zealand Budgets. , The estimated revenue for the year was set down at £4,235,000. The receipts for the first three quarters amount to £2,995,799. Assuming that Ihe returns of the fourth quarter are at the. same raie there will be a deficiency at the end of the year of £240,602. The falling off appears to be general in all branches of the revenue. Thus at the rate of the first three-quarters the customs will' only yield £1,512,624 instead of £1,600,000, the beer duty £56,118 instead of £60,000, -the railways £1,039,002 instead of £1,170,000, territorial revenue £255.297 instead of £290,000, , marine £19,568 instead of £20,000, and so on; The only branches of the revenue Which show a prospect of increase are land and income tax £378,120 instead of £350,000, registration fees £49,524 instead of £47,000, and stamps (including postal) £644,949 instead of £638,000. The total deficit however, will be at the present rate nearly a quarter of a million, and this despite the fact that the estimate was £133,638 less than the actual revenue of last year. Yet we are told thab the colony is progressing and prospering, and it is iv the face of this falling revenue th*t the Colonial Treasurer is about to desert his post and go to England on a mock mission." The Premier left; for Palmereton North to-day, en route to Napier, where to -morrow evening he purposes a reply to the recent speech of < the Leader of the Opposition. Sir P. Buckley will leave to-morrow to be present, and lend dignity to the occasion. Mr Pirani, M.H.R., has been asked by the Minister for Lands to accept office for a renewed term of two years as a member of the Wellington Land Board. . This is significant of the influence of the member for Palmereton, for his frequent adverse criticism of some of the administrative methods of the Minister for Lands was known to have -provoked the ire of that Minister. Indeed, last session Mr Pirani went bo far as to say, from his place in the House; that if the hon. gentleman persisted in his recent treatment ol the Land Board he would not get any men who valued their independence or eelf-respect to accept future office aa members of it. . . - - - Seventy-two tenders have been received for the annual contracts for the supply of coal to the railways. Of these twenty have been accepted, bnt the particulars will not be disclosed until the contracts are signed. The Treasurer goes south to-morrow. The Governor leaves Wellington on the 26th and will spend the Sunday following at Christchurch. Thence by < rail he goes to Donediu on the 28th and to Invercargill on the following day, and leaves the Btuif with his guests in the Hinemoa on the 30th; All the Inspectors of Factories have been re-gazetted for the North and South Islands respectively. This is done to prevent any confusion as to the exact definition of. email districts under the inspection of members of the police, acting as inspectors.