FINANCIAL DEBATE. (BY TELEGRAPH.) (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT ) Wellington, August 20.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8265, 21 August 1895, Page 3

FINANCIAL DEBATE. (BY TELEGRAPH.) (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT ) Wellington, August 20.

It was five miuures to ten when the Treasurer begin his reply. At the outset he complained that while the financial debate had lasted a fortnight, he had only one hour to refer to the many criticisms on the Budget. The Opposition members had, he claimed* looked at only one side of the ledger, and he charged them with pattiDg misleading statements before the country. Interest to the amount of L 600.000 had to be sent to England on the 14th of October, and therefore it was prudent to fix the collection of the land tax not later than September. Considerable comment h-td been indulged in with regard to the Advances to Settlers Office, but he i claimed that it had substantially reduced the rates of interest charged in the ' colony. The Ll5O 000 consols had been advanced to the Colonial Bank only on condition that if the public required those consols the public should have them. The Colonial Bank refuFed to take this L.150,000 direct from the Bank of New Zealand, and therefore it had been obtained through the Government, and the Government had found this the best investment they could make for part of the aecond million raised under the guarantee to the Bank of New Zealand. Before the Treasurer had come to the tariff the bell j tinkled Us warning that the Inexorable | time limit compelled the speech to be olosad within five minutes, so Mr Ward aaid he would reservn his remarks on that heal till the Tariff Bill was in Committee. The Government would then be prepared to submit a series of proposals in connection with the tariff. Concerning the Canadian treaty, there was a strong feeling that timber and fruit should be excluded, and he could tell the House that it had been arranged that they could exchange ether articles in lien of these two items. (Applause.)