Mr Mills at Picton

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVII, Issue 8491, 26 May 1904, Page 1

Mr Mills at Picton

By Telegraph. Picion, May 25. The Eon. C. H. Mills. Minis! <>v of 'lVinl. and Customs, addressed liifi constituents il the Pictmi Town TTsill to-night, and was cor dially received. Dpsjiil* l . th\ l verv inclemon weather, the moHing was well attended Referring In the Premier, hn said that- the? would all be delighted to hear (hat, his healtl had greatly improved. Mr Soddon's 00l leagues felt that the time had nmv arrive' when he was well entitled to relief fron Departmental work, w> that hn may ha\i more time for relaxation and for ppivoral ad ■ministration. it ml Kuifurly, bj their courtesy and kindly and sympathetic natures had endeared themselves to ftl classes, whose best wishes they would earrj with them to the Old Country. Reviewing the work of hist session. Mr Mills deniei that the session had Iwn barren in its re suit, thirty-two more public measures having been passed than in any previous sessior since the Government took ntl'ico 13 yelm ago. He gave briefly the w-iilts, ,'ilroadj published, for last financial year, and show ed that the large increase in Customs came principally from luxuries.,, indicating the increased speeding power of the people. Uu cost of collecting the Customs revenue wat by far the lowest in Australasia. Durmp the last ten years the capital valunof th( colony's land had increased from £122.000,000 to £175,000,000. That the Valuation Department was not excessive in its valuationi, he mentioned that the Government has had to pay £367,268 for estates they had acquired for closer settlement over ant 1 above the amount those estates hnd beer rated for To date the Advances to Settlers Department had loaned, principally to sottiers, £4,009,520, resulting m nji f pwmoiH ravine in interest. With a view of conserving the timber resources, it was mow than probable that. tho.export duty, on lop would be increased: The odd age wmsiom scheme was working most satisfactory, nIK so complete was tho machinery now that J ■was next to impossible for dishonest applicants to succeed. K«fomn« toloealia&fri tens, lie expressed tho hope that during tnt next twelve months tho closer settlement o: the .Flaxbourne Estate would bo rapidly pM grossing along with tho extension of tW South Island trunk line (applause) . A vote; of thanlcs for his address ajdoQntmiied «>n v fidenee iri Mr Mills as th<fa-'rc™o6enlatiV*s and in the Government, of which ho Wl; member, was' carried wianitttously,- >