NEW ZEALAND'S FINANCES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 112, 7 November 1908, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND'S FINANCES.

MR. HISLOP DEPRECATES EXAGGERATION. In 'the course of his address to the electors of Wellington Central last evening, Hon. T. Hislop referred ut some length to the somewhat alarming—and in his opinion exaggerated—article which appeared 1 in a Wellington morning paper, headed "A Check." Mr. riislop said that when they knew that- upon our credit as a Dominion — and particularly in regard to the way in which it affected the carrying on of all our private businesses—when they knew how touchy .he money-market was in the Old Country, and how easily scared people were in regard to investments in countries outside, or even within their own borders—when, we were- from timo to time considering the position, wo should do so—not from the stand pojnt of partisanship, but from the standpoint of citizens of the ' Dominion. (Applause.) We should be extremely careful that wo shotild not use language which was likely to unnecessarily depreciate the condition of our public affairs. He did not ask anyone —even tho newspapers—to keep baclc anything like honest and proper criticism or a true statement of the facts. But when any person did take upon himself to criticise these matters, he ought to be careful to show a want of partisanship andl ought to be careful to place matters before the public—not in a way •to frighten people, or give them a wrong impression. They ought to be particularly careful that the rule he nad indicated was carried out at the present moment. They ought to be careful to avoid anything which would bring about anything like a panic. (Applause.) He then quoted from the article In the morning paper headed "A Check." Even if it were true that there was anything like a check, we should be particularly careful that that idea was not exaggerated. (Applause.) The position should be looked at carefully, but we must avoid anything in the nature of a panic^

(No panic ever did any good. Everything should be looked at boldly, calmly, and judiciously wnen we considered our public affairs. He understood that a good' many people who read that statement entertained considerable apprehensions as a result. One would have thought that before statements of that sort were put forward, the writer would have looked at the Financial Statement and have found out what the estimates of' income and expenditure were. The writer said : "Ministers have either ignored or not foreseen a drop in revenue." Mr. Hislop then pointed out that the Treasurer, in his last Badget, foresaw what would happen. Si* Joseph Ward and Dr. Findlay, in them statements given to The Evening Pos,t, clearly explained the financial position, ' wjhjch in respect to .revenue was rather -feetter than the Treasurer anticipated., The article he had referred to in tha morning pager was not fair criticism' of the financial position. It was stated! that there had been a check in our progress, and it was implied, thai we liadl got dnto a position in which wo could! not pay our way. ..We should be ex-. t-remely careful that we did not make any statement which would interfere) with our financjal operations in this or in any other country. Looking at the . whole.- position^ he .thought the figures ."Sisclosed a~ state of affairs which was, if anything, reassuring. They shouftJ take heart of grace and feel particularirw thankful thav things were turning ogts so well. The attendance at the commencement of Mr. A. R. Atkinson's meeting at the Bethel, Tory-street, last evening waa only sparse, owing without doubt to ■ ai, ■paragraph in last night's Post crediting the candidate, instead of Mrs. A. R., Atkinson, with an attack of influenza., In referring to this misapprehension in regard to his physical well-being, Mr., Atkinson said ho hoped he was stilt alive. In fact he had no time to ba ill- until -after the 17th inst., and pro*, -bably the 24th inst., because the chances "were,, .as' they all knew, that there, 1 would be a second ballot in the WeHingi K tou East electorate. NOMINATIONS. The following nominations have beefl received :—: — Wellington Central. Mr. /F./ F. M. B, Fisher, nominated by Dr. F. W. Mac~ kenzie, Mrs. M. J. Petherick, Messrs^ John Fitchett and D. F. Skinner. Thai Hon. T. W. Hislop, nominated by Thos« Wilmot M'Kenzie, William Salek, John ■Herbert Hinton, James Fairway, Henryi Fielder. J.P., Frank/ Oakes, Honora Carmody, William WoHand, William Edward Dickinson, William Nicol, John, Duncan Buchanan, and Charles Duncan Robertson. Wellington South.— Mr. C. H. Chapman, nominated by Messrs. Robert •M'Kenzie, Joseph King, and Charles,' Patchett. Mr. William Forbes, nomm-, ated by Messrs. S. P. Rflstone, John, I Beavon, Joseph Wilson, and D. A. El-; liott. Mr. Robert Hogg, nominated byi Messrs. James Purchase and F. JOlliver. Mr. W. H. P. Barber, nomU nated by Messrs. Benjamin DawsonJ Edward J. Fitzgibbon, Henry J. Willis, M. W. Phew, Alfred J. Smith, Charles C. Odlin, and William Wallis. Wellington East. Mr. A. R. Atkin* son, nominated by Miss Mackockin, Mrs. A. Helyer, Mrs. A. M 'Vicar, Mrs.! E. A. Martin, Messrs. J. G. W. Aitken, W. Cable, H. W. Kersley, H. B. Redstone, J. Robinson, and T. W. Ward., Mr. William M'Lean, nominated by Mrs. S. Lennox, Miss G. Price, Messrs. G, Crawford, C. D. Mackintosh, A. MUI|« gan, W. Mudge, E. Carrigan. G. T. Hall, and D. Black. — j