THE PREMIER at DUNEDIN.

Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 98, 25 April 1884, Page 2

THE PREMIER at DUNEDIN.

[By Telegraph.] [united peeBs association.] Dunkdin, 24th April. The Hon. Major Atkinson addressed a very full meeting at the Queen's Theatre, Dunedip, this evening. The Mayor was in the ohair, and the Hon. Mr. Bolleston, with other well-known public men, was on the platform. There were several interruptions in the course of the evening. Major Atkinson said he came before them a dispirited man, partly beoau-e it was said that his was a Government of centralism, and he himself the chief exponent of it, and partly because Mr. Montgomery had discovered that he was a hollow, financial sham. He would speak plainly to the audience, for he did not believe they wanted him to cry " Peace, peace," when there was no peace. It was said that the present Government was aa extravagant one, and that they spent large sums in the North Island, whilst thoy entirely neglected the South. He would say something oa that subject, but begin by directing their attention to the expenditure of money raised on loan. THE IMMIOEATION AND PUBLIC WOEKB ACT. Since 1870, the Bum borrowed had been 19J millions, and he would tell them how that sum had bee a spent. Up to 31st March, 1883, they had spent two millions on immigration; and, in his opinion, if they had spent more in that way, they would not now have to complain of so much depression. Thoy had spent about 17 millions on public works generally divided thus : — Bail ways, 10} millions ; on roads, two millions ; on publio buildings (inoluding sohools), £1,200,000 ; on land purohase, £925,000 ; on works on gold fields, £550,000; telegraph extension, £460,000 ; lighthouses and harbours, £460,000 ; and of this Bum they had spent £6,900,000 in the North and £10,350,000 in the South. Now, taking the mean population in both islands, the proportion would have been £6,550,000 in the North and £10,700,000 in the South. This calculation omitted all consideration of the Maori population, so that on a population basis the North had got about £300,000 more* than its fair share out of a total expenditure of 17i millions. How could the expenditure be more evenly distributed ? The chief idea of the publio works policy was the constrnotion of a MAIN TRUNK LINK of railway from Auokland to the Bluff. In the South they had their part of this main trunk line made, but in the North they had not, and were putting up with disjointed seotionß of it. The whole amount spent on what could anyhow be called political railways was between three and four per oent. of the total sum spent. Two millions had been spent on roads, but that was not waste, for roads were neoessary as feeders to the railway lines. Mr. Montgomery had said that Sir Julius Vogel had stated he had expended a million and a half in buying support for his soheme. Sir Julius Vogel never said anything of the land ; but what he did cay was that tho provinoos finding the General Government could get money cheaper than they could, brought pressure to bear on him, so that he had to extend the Bcope of his plan. He contended that every penny of the expenditure on railways had been a wise one. Last year thoy had carried on tho railways 45J- millions of tons of goods for a mile at a little over half a million, whilst if these had been sent by cart they would cost two millions and a quarter. Besides this the railways had taken 42,000,000 of passengers for a little over half a million, instead of over two millions whioh it would cost to take them by coaoh. KTBAVAGANCE IN BOBBOWTNO. The present was called a corrupt Government, one whioh " borrowed and bought." What were the faots ? Before he took office there had beon ten millions borrowed, the amount that he had borrowed, or was responsible for borrowing, was less than six and a-half millions, and of that two millions was not yet raised, so that four and a-half millions was the amount he was responsible for. Now, Mr. Montgomery's friends had not been one-third of the time in office, and yet had actually borrowed seven and a-half millions. These were the facts, and it was only right that people should know them. With regard to the alleged large expenditure, half of it had been on school buildings and the rest on harbours, lighthouses, telegraph extension, &c. PUBLIC WOBKB AT WELLINGTON. It was stated that £80,000 was to be spent on a new gaol at Wellington. That was the architect's estimate, but aa a great deal of the work reckoned in that estimate would be done by prison labour, the aotual cost would be much less. A new asylum -was absolutely necessary, for the present building was not suitable, and the lunatics of the colony were increasing at the rate of 100 per year. It was not a fact that the Government were going to build a new Customhouse in Wellington, as there would be room in tho new Post Office. This new Post and Telegraph Office had cost £26,000 and a Supreme Court had cost £16,000, but the sale of the old site and buildings had covered the amount. So much for tho charge that they were squandering the money of the country on buildings at Wellington ! THE DEFBISSION IN TEADE. What he said at Hawera about the depression in trade was not fully reported. What he did really say was that there was no such depression as to make them doubt the financial soundness of the colony. It was quite true that trade was bad, and why? He would tell them, and tho Government bad told them, that they were borrowing too largely and spending, too lavishly. The fault of the present Government was that it was an eoonomioal and oareful Government (Hisses, applause, and interruption.) The colony had been spending about two million a year of borrowed m*ney, and while that was going on trade was brisk, and there were too many traders, too few producers. They were now sending away annually more than a million and a-half as interest on borrowed money. Then, too, there had been a great fall in the price of wool, and a fall also in grain, and the colony had lost more than £400,000 through this loss in wool alone. In Dunedin there was another cause of depression, and that was, speculation in gold mines to the extent of a quarter of a million. Major Atkinson here referred to some of the statements he had made at Hawera about the deposits in savings and other bankß. Referring to the failing off in the Customs duties, he said that those on the neoessaries of life had fallen off 5 to 10 per cent., and those on tobacco and spirits 2 to 3 per cent. BIMXDIXB FOB THC DEPRESSION. It had been proposed that in order to remedy the depression they should kiok the present Government out of office. That could easily be done, but he thought it would be unwise. Another remedy was to stop all borrowing. That would only make matters worse ; though he was opposed to all indiscriminate borrowing, especially as already they were sending away for interest £1,550,000 a year. The third remedy was to alter the Constitution. DECENTBALISATION. He saw that they had in Dunedin what they called a Constitutional Association. He called it an anti-Constitutional Association. It proposed to decentralise the Government and increase the powers of the local publio bodies. Now he claimed to have done more for local government than any other man in New Zealand. Only he differed from the provincialists and others, and thought they wished to give a few central towns the powers of the General Government. That would only result in confusion and increased expenditure. Turning out tho Government, altering the constitution, and stopping borrowing were doubtless heroic schemes. What they actually needed to do was to work and to economise They did not want so muoh more mines as *moro farms and manufactures. The farmer and runholder would have to believe that their hind would produce double what it did at present, and he thought it would. They needed more settlers, more immigrants. (Cries of " No " and hisses.) He only regretted the immigration vote had not been a larger one. POPULATION OF THE COLONT. It had been said they were losing population, but what were the facts? In 1882 they gained from Australia 678 people; in 18S3, 022 ; and in the three months of the present year, 576. They had gained largely also from other places. After referring to the increased railway tariff, in which Major Atkinson said that it was necessary, and a matter in which the Government had only done their duty, he said with regard to CIVIL BEBTICE UIFOBH AND BSDDCED TAXATION, f hat the Government had been steadily decreasing the number of their officers. In the C«nstabulary, for instance, the number which was 1000 in 1881, was now only 476. Taxation had been actually reduced, for whilst in 1870 people were taxed at the rate of £3 4s Gd per head per annum, the amount now (deducting the cost of education) was £3 Is Bd, and they were in a much better position for producing revenue and wealth than they were. With regard to land settlement, the Government had done all they could to settle tho land in small blocks, and had succeeded to a. most satisfactory extent. Major Atkinson then referred to an article in the Otago Daily Times, and to alleged differences between himself and Sir John Hall whilst th9y were in office together. These differences he ntterly denied as having had any real existence. The Government had committed what were thought by some grievouß faults ; they had lived to a good old age, and declined to be kicked out of office. The prosperity of the colony depended on the working classes themselves. Ihey had got ample political power, and only needed to use it in a proper manner. They 1 could now go on prospering by hard work,

Belf-contxol and economy. After some questions had been asked, Mr. R. Wilson moved a vote of thanks to Major Atkinson for his able address. Mr. Rowbotham movod as an amtndment, " That the speaker be thanked for his address, but that this meeting has no confidence in his administration of the government of New Zealand." The Mayor, amidst much confusion, declared the motion carried. Only about half of those present, however, voted. ¦