MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1881. MAJOR ATKIInSON.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 172, 14 November 1881, Page 2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1881. MAJOR ATKIInSON.

Taken as a whole, Major Atkinson's speech was an able aud .fearless summary of his views, remarkable for its sound common sense, its full treatment of financial questions, aud its thoroughgoing defence of all the points on which he has been attacked. In every sense of the word it was an able speech, and unless his opponents can show that bis statements were deliberately misleading and cJtsuonesfc, they can scarcely hope to win. There is no doubt that his afi'ection for the Xew Plymouth harbor scheme is the weak point of his position. He now quotes figures to bhow that no lute will be required for twenty-four years. But he omitted to mention that, even accepting Mr. Blackett's very moderate estimate as correct, £37,000 more would be required to take the work to YY, where the Hawea might lie ; and he forgot to say where this additional sum was to come from. Besides, all thos© \9hD have skudiecl the sabjuct Tenow very well that to make the work a real success more money will certainly be required ; and what the settlers here mainly fear is that they may be shortly told by New Plymouth that uuless they agree to the raising of another £'100,000 for the harbor, they may soon have to pay a rate and get nothing for their money. It was only when pressed, that Major Atkinson repeated what he had said in the House in favor of amending the rating area, so as to exclude the Wainiate Plains and Opunake, but he gave no definite pledge on the point. Then the +.wenty-four years' calculation is based upon the expectation of a regular annual income from land sales within this district, nine years' hence, after the best land has been sold. This, he says, would bring in £32,000 a year. £8000 of which would go to the Harbor Board. But there is no source of revenue so uncertain and fluctuating as that from land sales, as it ceases almost at once and entirely in times of depression ; and therefore the reliability of the calculation even within, but more especially after, the nine years' interval, is open to question. On this point, then, we. still differ from the Major. _ His defence of the Government policy in reference to native affairs was remarks\>\y able, &n& unquestionably ac carried bis hearers with him in almost every sentence he uttered ; and his statement of what hu has done for the district since

his rciun; in 1872 will suo^v that he Las nvt l.e"u ;n.< ; Ala or careleaS re|>reseutative.

The speech was cniefly a defence of Li-i jast o. .iiuuct. and ."-Veint, t.'iat li« had been warmly attacked, cuoh a defence is pardonaKlo. oS T everthi-]es&. as " more men woiship tin* ■■ un rising than setting," so nine out oi ten of his hearers ■would have preferred to hoar a little more of his proposals f<-r ihc future. Local government, which it was supposed wt>«)d form a prominent i'jalure in election addresses, was dismissed in a vcvj few words. He, as Colonial Treasurer, has twice made proposals to the House on the subject, which were neatly ideurical, but neither of them proved satisfactory : indeed, the latter nearly proved fatal to the Ministry ; yet he still calls it a good measure, and still hopes to get it passed. The policy of leaving counties and road boards to fight one another until only the fittest survive, is scarcely a policy to be commended. If both bodies are to remain, they should be rendered homogeneous, instead nt iuitagimfctie. The .Local <30veynniPHt Bill u-as heartily approved by us on many grounds, but it was open to other improvements besides tbe above ; notably in respect to the proposeci arbitrary valuation of native and Crown lands at one fixed price for agricultural laud, which, on this coast, would have beeu in many instances absurdly below its real value. His policy ill respect to education is plain, straightforward, and honest, rather than popular ; it ia in favor of justice rather than expediency; but it is opposed to what has hitherto been the Ministerial poYiey. As a defence against attacks, and as an epitome of work done, Major Atkinson's speech left nothing to be desired. As an indication of future policy, it was somewhat barren. His determination to uphold the New Plymouth harbor scheme as it is. rather than to do his best to amend the rating area; his firm resolve to stick to his local government scheme as it is, rather than to improve it, will render his return less easy than it might have been. But a brave and determined native policy more than covers these shortcomings -. they will only render the election more interesting.