The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1890.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5970, 24 October 1890, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1890.

In response to an invitation Mr E. Withy, the late member for Newton, addressed the Auckland Chamber of Commerce the other day, on poiltics as they affected the trade of the colony. Mr Withy agreed there were many subjects which might fairly como within the province of tho Chamber of Commerce, and tho Chamber was quite in place, on the eve of a. general election, in stating its viown clearly. It would not do for the Chamber to uphold any particular candidate, but it was proper for thim to express their views, as candidates were always watching to see which way tho cat jumped. The question of further retrenchment was oue which might vory well be considered by the Chamber of Commerce. It was said that no one in the House talked of retrenchment except the Auckland members, but in a year or two tho question would bo—not whether they should retrench more, hut whether thoy should add to taxation. When tho loans were finished, many necessary works would havo to be left undoiio if thoy could not raise the money out of revenue. Mr Withy wont on to explain how thoy had been supplementing their annual revenue out of loau money. Thoy had paid from tho Public Works fund for years rates on native lands. That was loan money, and the looal bodios knew how it had beon spent. All their country roads were very unsubstantial, and had been repaired out of loan monoy. The Mungero bridge, again, had been repairod out of loan money. Then their school buildings were all built of wood out of loau money, and there was no fund being put aside to replace them. Now Bloopers and rolling stock on tho railways had also come out of loan money. Immigration, too, had been paid for out of loan monoy, and he maintained that an "extinguishing fund" should havo beon provided to recoup tho money spent on this, object. As for retrenchment they would novor get it by saying that, "in their opinion," it was necessary. Tho way to do it was to put down their loot distinctly aad say thero was to be retrenchment. When all this loan money expenditure was at an end retrench men t would ho absolutely necessary. Proposals would be madofor fresh taxation, but ho believed such proposals would ho greeted by a howl from ono ond of tho colony to the other. Evon if they increased thoir taxation it was so heavy now that they would not get a proportionate increase of revenue. The stoppage of borrowing -was absolutely necessary to improve thoir position, and to prevent tho use of loan money in aid of rovenuo. Neither tho leaders of tho Government nor the Opposition dared to take up this question for fear of losing thoir positions. Ho held that tho Chamber should, therefore, taken strong stand on this point. Many_ people proposed that they should sell their railways, but he hoped tho Chamber of Commerce would never irive any countenance to such an idea. He would as soon sell thoir public roads to a syndicate in Lngland. For long distances the railway was tho only possible highwiy, so that it would be just such au act of folly to sell their railw_v sas their roads. They would, by (Wing so, grant not only a traffic but a land monopoly, and tho syndicate would work first of all, and absolutely in, their own interests, and would uuot public opinion iust so far as it suited them. He had lived in a district at home which was dominated by a great railway company, and t,hat district was as completely in i\» power

as could possibly be imagined. Out here railway monopoly would be <tn even greater 1 evil than at home. He hoped, therefore, <= that the Chamber would never countenance c tho selling of our railways. Another sub- i ject he hoped the Chamber would take up t was the promotion of a reciprocal tariff < with the Australian colonies. He thought i they would all agree that a reciprocal Cus- , toms' union, carefully arranged, would be a . good thing for them all. In order to put j something before tho meeting he would i move " That in the opinion of this Chamber i further economy in administering the affairs i of the colony is necessary, and that tho system of supplementing income out of borrowed money for ordinary expenditure < should cease."