The Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1893.

Evening Star, Issue 9185, 14 July 1893, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, JULY 14, 1893.

The debate on the Financial Statement dues not seem to excite much interest in or out of the House. The position of the Government, owing to their large majority, is so strong that there is not the slightest chance of it being shaken by any exposure of the fallacies of their finance, or demonstration of the mischievous character of their general policy. With the exception of Sir John Hall, no leading member of the House has yet spoken; and the whole proceedings have been dull as ditch-water. Since there is no possibility of any practical result, the sooner the debate is terminated the better, so that Parliament may get to the real business of the session. One thing, however, stands out very clearly—namely, that Mr Seddon has not profited by the experience of last year, when, as acting Premier, he "led" the House on the coercive principle, in a manner somewhat analogous to the drover who forces a recalcitrant beast along by hauliug at his head with a rope, and stimulates his action by punches iu the ribs. If anything could tend to wreck the party it would be the want of tact and the spirit of absolutism displayed by the Premier. The honorable gentleman has now contrived to get at loggerheads with the Prohibitionists on the subject of their Voto Bill. Being afraid apparently to act decisively with regard to this measure, about which there can be no doubt as to his opinion, he allowed it to betemporarily Wrked, with a view presumably to its extinction by inanition. It would have been far more politic to have given the promoters free scope. The result now is that Sir Robert, like Achilles, sulks in his tent; the Prohibition members of the House, who deem it far more important to stop our beer than to regulate our affairs proporly, are furious ; and even the faithful Mr JSarnshaw snarls at the Government. We are uot sanguine enough to think that the country will be relieved from the dominance of the " great Liberal party " for some time to conic, but wo are almost inclined to hope, judging from various signs, that the aggravated foi-m of new Liberalism embodied in the present Ministry has almost had its day, and that Mr Seddon before the end of the session may see the "handwriting on the wall" foreboding that his kingdom is to depart from him.

The Financial llebate.

Sir John Hall evidently made a powerful and effective speech on Wednesday evening. Necessarily it was so much condensed in the telegraphic report that only a few of the leading points can be grasped. His dissection of the Government exposed the utter delusion of the muchvaunted big surplus, which, analysed by the Treasurer's own figures, is reduced to the comparatively insignificant sum of £l3B,ooo—the only real surplus of revenue over expenditure. "What a fairing ofl'isj lioi •>" from the "net .surplus on the :Ust Muivh last of .£283,780•'! Sir John i'urtlu.T rol'ci> to. the exclusion by the Treasurer .-of the floating debt from consideration —a matter to which we directed attention in discussing the Statement last week—and he asks how it is consistent with a non«

borrowing jmlioy to 'iaslie Treasury Wlls within one 'year to tho extent of ovetf* million of money ? The honorable gentleman contravenes the assertion, of the Treasurer that the financial position of the Colony is a strong one at ,rhe present time. He declares that, on the contralto ft is weak. The Public Work* tho outstanding *tfo Wet, he says, is exhausted, ft»d t\issovenm'ient are practically fcl»l\»wn on their own resources. To carry oYit their policy high taxation mttst needs be maintained. Sir John does not approve of the exemption of all improvements from tho Land Tax, but thinks that the exemption should have been confined to * industrial improvements," The taxpayers who will chiefly profit, he points out, are the owners of large buildings in the cities and towns and of handsome residences in the suburbs ftttd country. To the agricultural Interest, as. such, it is, he declares, little or no Boon. As to the increase in the graduated tax, Sir John thinks that, fcv the sake of the £19,000 ostime&d to be realised, it was notwqriu to intensify an injustice Vntch has not tended to popularise the Colony in the eyes of investor*. The proposal, he thinks, will be tktti&gfyg to the confidence whtofy *>wing fc6 'tne ""bark" of the QoverttWenl having proved to be rt worse than their bite," was beginniug to be restored.