DEBATE ON THE BUDGET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11150, 24 August 1899, Page 6

DEBATE ON THE BUDGET.

SPEECH BY MS, HOUSTON.

[by TELEGBATH.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday. Me. Houston, the member for the Bay of Islands, in opening his speech, said he did not think any good was accomplished by continuing these debates to the length it was now usual to carry them. He thought an arrangement should be made between the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition, for the debate to be carried on by certain members on each side. He would not have spoken, but for some remarks which had been made by Mr, Heke. He desired to compliment that gentleman on the able manner in which he had dealt with the charges which had been made against mm. He (Mr. Houston) was very pleased to hear Mr. Heke's reasons fo; his absence, though be (Mi. Houston) could not altogether agree with some of Mr. Heke's statements. He (Mr. Houston) had travelled through the district, and had been informed by Europeans that Mr. Heke's presence was not doing any good and it was impossible to convince him (Mr. Houston) that it was absolutely necessary for the peace of the district that Mr. Heke should have remained there for so long a time. He did not want to lessen in any way the credit due to the member for the Northern Maori district, but he still maintained that the principal credit was due to the Rev. Mr. Gittos. The people in the district declared that Mr. Gittos was mainly responsible lor preventing bloodshed. After dealing with the dog tax question, and expressing some sympathy with the natives, Mr. Houston proceeded to criticise Mr. Heke's remarks regarding the native schools. He thought the progress of th -se schools had been greatly underestimated Referring to the financial position, Mr. Houston said he did not believe in largo surpluses. These large surpluses were unfair to the country districts. He did not think the great Departments of the State should be run for the sake of profit. This applied perhaps to the Post and Telegraph Office more than any other. There should be 110 large surplus in this Department, but every effort should be made to extend its advantages to all parts of the colony. Next to roads and bridges the post office and telephone were the greatest boon the Government could give to the country settlers. The telephone was a great boon, especially in the winter time. Before the Government introduced the penny postage system they should further extend the existing advantages to the country settlers. The railways also belonged to the people, and it was a mistake to run them merely for profit. Here again, instead of a surplus, it would be better to spend the money in extending the existing privileges to those who did not at present enjoy them. Though lie was in favour of reducing the Customs duties on certain articles, he believed the cry for a free breakfast-table for the workers was a mere clap-trap. The people in the country districts could have a free breakfasttable. They need not pay a penny of duty in this way, unless they liked. He would like to see the duty entirely removed from kerosene. The gum industry deserved much more attention from the Government than it at present received. Although gum to the value of no less than £398,000 was exported during the year 189798, not a shilling had been devoted to the encouragement of this industry, which was fairly entitled to one-third of the' expenditure on gold mining. The local bodies received no assistance from the gum, though the industry did a great deal to spoil their roads. Gum and timber had done more for Auckland than gold. The North Auckland members had often been called to task for neglecting the interests of the city of Auckland, but until T&thin the last 12 months the city of Auckland had taken no interest in the North of Auckland, though' the North had done far more for the city than South Auckland had done or ever would do. The people of the city were just waking up to the fact that the North Auckland railway would be of great benefit to them. In the past the North Auckland members had been asked to patch up quarrels regarding the railway, and to assist in the childish Stratford or nothing cry. Now that they had dropped that childish cry they would probably get connection by rail with the city of Wellington. The people of Auckland were always anxious for the assistance of Mr. R. Thompson and himself when they had an axe to grind. Mr. Monk: "You do not mean that we are an axe-grinding lot?" , Mr. Houston; "No, but the people of Auckland are." Coming to the Gum Industry Act, Mr. Houston said the Conservative press, the Opposition members, and the Auckland gum merchants were responsible for its unsatisfactory working. Everything possible was being done" for political purposes to make it unworkable. Mr. Houston then dealt at some length with the land settlement policy of the Government. He said the present system of dealing with applications for land was too complicated, and caused too much delay. It would be well to increase the powers of the local bodies regarding land settlement. ■ Mr, Houston spoke very strongly against the action of the Government in taxing standing timber. It was really a treble tie. . It was most)

unjust, and was enough to discourage anyone from planting forests. The paltry amount received from this tax was not sufficient to compensate for the ill-feeling and distrust it caused.