Grey River Argus and Blackball News TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1014.

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1914, Page 4

Grey River Argus and Blackball News

TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1014.

Delivered every momicj; in . tieey mouth. Kumata, Hukuika, Dbbtoii, yVailaeau, llayior, villa, Urauuerton, StUlwaser. blackball, Nelson irben, iTniura," liuiaattui, V/aiutu, $eefton, Croaodau, Bunauga, jJouv/ilie, Coudeu, Baxtei s,, ti-ofciri.t, Bataru, Kaipiaia, ArufiJtaj , Kosuku, Sluaiitk, iiaru,' "10 Aan^B, i-otoiaauu' Poerua, I bounio, Jaokstmu *ud Jtua»

THE Speech delivered' at''Lawrence on Tatfiisday^ 'bight by the Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Finance, gives a very satisfactory account of .the finances of the Dominion> The Minister forecasted some time ago that the surplus would reach £400,000, and it has been proved to work out at £426,905, All the items in /the revenue showed anincfease except the Territorial revenue. The reasons for .tie falling- off m. thei last item was due to the fact that Mr. Allen had abandoned the evil practice of his predecessors of .including 1 under this -heading- ca.sh derived from the sale of land. ' All the 'cash 1 from the sales of land were this year put to the credit.of the? land for settlement account Which showed a gfaiit.of £135. 000. The Flying Squadron have been endeavouring 1 to; make great r capital

,out of jthe 'fact* that 'Mr. Allen had ,used the* surpluses of the previous « governments, which he alleged were unsound, wihen going on the London market for money. On Thursday Aight Mr. Allen replied to these charges. He said that it was not his duty to go to the London markets and there call attention to the evil 'practices of his predecessors. He, moreover, had no hand in drawing up the prospectuses - which" Were 'prepared at the High Commissioner's Office.- We can, fancy the howl that would have gone up from Mr. Atmore and others of that ilk if Mr. Allen had made it 'his bus ; ness to advertise the unsound finance* of the present Leader of the Opposition. What a .grand .opportunity it wouJd have been Cfor the Member for Nelson to use histfevourite weapon of vituperat'on against the devoted 'head of the Premier and his Minister of Finance. Those who have been wailing about the great and ever* increasing burden of' defence wiill p-et 'a great surprise to learn that the expen-diture-for the year showed a decrease of ,£16,698 Mir ; Allen has also every feason to feel proud of the vastly improved condition of the Public Works Fund since he took office At the beginning of 1012-13 the balance of the fund was only .£82,580, in the year ,1913-14 the balance, after the deduction" of £249,776 for the redemption of A\as £376,965; ancl at the beginning of the year 1914-15 the Public ' Works Account had a balance of £1,178,584. Our Opposition friends v wiD tell us that this was due to the fa^t that many public works were stopped To this^ we reply that £43,268 more was spent on public works last year than during the preceding- year. There has been a significent decrease of £75, 54p on the erection^ of public biwldings, showing 'that the Governments not intend to try and catch wavering votes with the bait of pabfal buildings in decaying towns and remote villages. Mr. Allen finds hi? finances so buoyant that, he is now -able to grant £750 instead of -£500 -to settlers for the redemption ,o£ mortgages on freehold. Mr. Allen contrasted^ the # 'attitude, of the present Government Vfien in Opposition with the attitude r of the pre^ sent occupiers ot the Opposition benches. On every .'opportunity possible Mr. Maissey announced what his policy, was. He did not keep it away from the pubhc view, and tell the people that he would nsft produce it until he was jmt in office:*' The polV:y was there for every one to read and discuss. It was designed for the- public benefit, Mr. Massey was not" afraid that the Liberals would steal it. But the said Liberals would have none of k. They cast it, aside and * sneejred at 'it in every way possible. , Now when the Reform Party axe elected' to office, the poor disorganised, manyheaded Opposition exd round the coun try wa.ling that the Reform Panrty stole their policy, ' and stating that they will not publish a fresh policy until they are safely on the Treasury Benches. Mr. Allen has*bnce and for all settled the Opposition's trump card, viz, that the Government inten J ded sett'ng up what tlhe Oppositionfacetiously termed "a toy navy." The naval policy of the Government is not to establish a navy, but to train men for/ the British Navy. Mr. Massey simply said that tf the Admiralty did not "carry out the agreement of 1909, he would ask the people of New Zealand to supply a cruiser at its own cost of from £460,000 'to £500^000 and run, it at something under £100,000 a year. Mark this point sye Opposition critics. Mr. Massey is going to consuH the people before he burdens them with the expenditure of £500,000; the present Leader of the Opposition spent £2,000,000 on the Dreadnought without as much as saying "By your leave." Under -Mr. Allen's plan £100,-----000, will be spent yearly in training New Zeaanders for the British Navy,* The people .see what is being done with the money and in addition a profession is found for some, of the^young men. Under the old system £100.000 was handed over to the Admiralty and only the Lords of the, Admiralty knew what became of it. The present scheme will! -inculcate a 'spirit of interest in n^ival matters which could not exist under the pirev'ous conditions, New Zealand has no voice in the question of naval defence, and taxation implies representation. " The crux of the trouble with the AdmJralty is that the First Lord, and his other officials do not see with the'same eyes as we do the responsibilities that beset the nations living in the Pacific. New Zealand's policy is a white New Zealand and a white Australia, and to maintain this ideal we are prepared to make great sacrifices. The Government is determined to make the Admiralty con sider the question in its full significance, but Mr. Massey and his fellow

■■ •-;. ■■-/■: ■ ;■•■., ■■• v\' r ~rT 7r ~r~- .'?f' :•■■-. ministers are -just" as strongly in-'fiv-our of one Imperial navy as the Leki der of the Opposition. The Government' s; policy ,would'not entail a rarth ing:. extra.expenditure, and lh&' public are committed to ttx? extra'expenditure in the £ttttffe-.-itnlei« v thgjt; so desire. In every point Mr. "Allen refuted, the attacks that had been made upon *the Government's policy. It now remains to see what fresh snake yarns our Opposition friends will trot out in 1 cfrdef to dupe the -unwary, and thus • get back into power V ' ' r "*""""- — ■ - 1 There will be no issue of the River Argus on June 3rd,' b^ing" the Kinc's Birthday. l T!ie 'vital statistics'for Gijeymouth for last' month (Mavi were" as follows:—Births i 3, deaths 7, marriages 6. The Customs du.ies collected" -it Greymouth last month amounted '' to £2475 iis'7d, the beer duty £90 14s 6d. The amount of g-oJd entered for . export was 60i30z, valued at £23,946. The morning train for Reefton tomorrow, Wednesday, does not .leave ' Greymouth till 8.15 a.m. Intending visitors to the, sports will carefully note this fact. ' - * Owing to the heavy sea irunning on the coast the Arahura/ was unable to enter Westport yesterclay arid ft 'is uncertain when-she will get in, consequently her trip to ■reymouth this'freek has been abandoned. If she succeeds in working Westport baj: this morning she will leave that port for north at 5 o'clock this afternoon after the" arrival of the Reefton motor-cars. The New Zealand Clothing Factory are offering tailor^ut 'suits to measure for 67s 6dj 70s, 755, and 80s, in navy, grey, and fancy worsted.« Children's jerseys 'at 2s ntf each_ a bargain. The firm also have ,an 'exceptional selection of men's velour naU at 6s 6d, 8s 6d, 10s 6d, and '15s. Inspection invited. * Mr c\V. Jeffries, president oKthe Westland Reform League, willde^ liver a political address 'in the Paroa' Schoolroom* on Thursday evening, at 8 'o'clock. w - " The annual ball in connection with the Greymouth Port Waterside Wofe ers' Union will, be held in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening ne^rt. Very elaborate preparation's +&?£ being made to ensure a succesful function* 'and no doubt all'those who attend will spend a pleasant evening. ; s Says the Westport News: Business is accumulating for the sittipi-s of the Supreme Court at- Westport, - nxed-<to open on June -I,sth. There fere ¥hree writs arising out of the recent accident on the^Buller road, the claims for damages being respectively £3000, £300, and £200. Two appeals ' ffom decisions of the Magistrate are set down—in'Dr^-^Hiafns v^lfavis fdamage'fo flax'by £re,) f>nd M&lrton Co-Operative Society "free capital" case. There is also a country divorce suit. ' - * * -

Drink the patriotic spirit, Watson's No To Whisky.—Advt. / In view of the fact that ai numbei of those persons desirous of appearing before the West Coast Timber Commission have previously given ence before the Timber of "Forestry Gdmmlisisohs. it has >been decided that, where persons signify a desire in that direction, the evidence as printed will be accepted by the Commission. This will nave the effect of saving the time of the witnesses in prepariri^r evidence and also enable thfc Commission to proceed more 'quickly with its busyness. , In such' case's, evidence widl only be requited in so far as it- is desired to modify or add to ' the evidence already given. An [■ amusing circumstance oi.curred at FeJlding 1 on Tuesday, reports tHe Manawatu Times. A resident, off for a holiday 1, in his natural elation boarded the train,'and left his overcoat on a seat in the station. Realising his forgetfulness, he telegraphed back to the station to have 'he coat sent on, but by that time it probably encircled some,other form, as 1 it had disappeared. While away, l«e pur.chased a similar coat, and on returning to FeiJding, ihaving occasion^ to g& &&Uide -the sfatfon, he left the new 6n£ on thereat While he was away a policeman came along*, and] noticing- the coat, asked, a bystander, to whom it belonged, and was told it had been'left by a gentleman; Thinking this was the lost coat, the policeman took it into the parcels room, where it was found'that the pockets contained game, one bird of the^ collection having been protected from sl&ughter by a fairly large penalty, '-rimedi- . ately after the coat had been taken :<nto thefp'aYcels office the^ owner of thY coat afrite^ on the "scene, and aslced the bystander what had become of it. . On,- being-, infortned that the/( police had-'taken charge of it and that He could get it by going- into -he parcels office, he'developed a passion for quick disappearance. »Tife police now are more desirous -of fesforng the coat than the owner is" of receiving The-'Anglican^ishop of Auckland.! Dr; A. W. Averill, during arecem visit to'the North of Auckland, tookm the Opportunity of discovering the. opinion of the residents regarding the way f cejebratingthe Marsden^ 'centenary . Several discussions on the ■ object were held with the Maoris and _wit^ the Europeans. It was den( ded,.?l^ w of the somewhat inaccessible position of the Marsden Cro«t' at the Bay of Islands, and of the diffi culty bl providing shelter for a large number of people, that it would be •better to confine "the celebrations to' one day. A big service under the <shad<yw of the. cross will be; held in. morning, and probably ?r „:. other durihg 1 the evening. Pfacticalry the Europeans and Natives through ■ydut the district have^ signified their *& Intention of being present, and . the gathering is likely -to'be a memorableJone. It is hoped to r erect a permanent 'churchy at Russell to > commemorate the event. ' .Paul^Fort was dubed "King'of the Poets" by the vote of the readers of a Paris paper, but on entering Germany), from Russia he was subjected to treat ment that was anything- but royal: ■ when he reached Wirballen and presented his pass he was astonished^ to be told by a Russian gendarme that before'h6 could cross* the •he must also furnish a "certificate "that while in the Tsar'S- dominions he had' not committed any unexpiated breach of the lalws. ~ Protests were of no avail, nojr 'did 'a letter of reommendation , from- M. Pichon in the smallest degret; soften the hearts of the officials. * The "King' of Poets" was tc leave tne train * and a*~ntghtCat' the "station. This was a very unwel- ■ come interruption of his journey 5, ashe wai due to'give a leceture at Berlin two evenings later. He 'relieved J his feelings and 5 passed the time by firing • off telegrams' in all directions; and'incidentally got rid sixty francs in this'way. The expenditure", however, was not in vain. The people to whom -he was pledged m Berlin, wheartheyr heard of his predicament telephoned, •„. to the French 'Ambassador, and M. JuleVCambon, though tne nfghf- was -already' far advanced, ran!g up., his Russian colleague, who ■ undertook? tq make" his influence telegraphically felt in S¥! Peterst)&g '.^This* intervention proved 'e'ffec^Ve, 'and -five minutes' before' ttie' departure of the last <, train which woute him to fulfil his Berlin engagement, the "King* of the Poe's" wa's iiiformed thathe would-be exceptionally allowedto continue" his juomey with6laf'*pMa»'*.attestation of the cleanliness oi his conscience.