MR DUTHIE, M.H.R., AND ENGLISH OPINION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9383, 24 March 1892, Page 2

MR DUTHIE, M.H.R., AND ENGLISH OPINION.

(Fhom Oub Own Correspondent.)

Wellington, March 23.

The principal topics of discussion just now are the experiences of Mr Duthie, who.has jus*

returned from Great Britain, and the opinion entertained there of public officers in New

Zealand. He has been absent a little over six months, and during that period, accompanied by his daughter, he visited London, the Black country (coalfields), Scotland, Paris, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, arid. Cairo.' He has been interviewed by both" the evening papers, with the following result: —'

Upon his arrival in London he found that his presence there was a matter of some interest to persons whom he had never seen before, and who waited upon him to obtain information as to the effect of the new fiscal policy adopted in this colony. Generally the opinion of it entertained in England was very unfavourable. It was regarded by mpst of those who interviewed him on the subject from a wholly English standpoint. He found it necessary to explain that it was the necessity of paying interest upon the large sums which had been borrowed

and expended in the colony for railways and public works that made the question of taxa-. tion so prominent hi the colony. Large expenditure was also necessary in developing the resources of the colony., He found that the refusal of the Government to recognise the claims of the Manawatu railway,to land which it was affirmed formed part of the consideration that the company were to receive for constructing the railway was referred to as an instance of a breach of contract, and one person told him that New Zealand would not hesitate to make default at a convenient opportunity. Mr Duthie did his best to defend the colony "against the accusations levelled at it, and he was particularly careful to explain that the special taxation on absentees was not after all an unjust tax. He showed that nearly the whole of the money borrowed by this colony had been expended upon public works which had enormously increased the value of laud, and that, therefore, a special impost on the owners of large estates who lived out of the colony was only getting back to the State a small portion of the money which the State had spent for their benefit. Mr Duthie was introduced to a large number of persons who had money invested in the colony in order that he might give them an explanation of the act and its bearing in various ways. He did all that he could in every case to soften matters down. Notwithstandingeveryargument he used he found in the language employed by those who conversed with him a noted distrust, and an apparent conviction that the New Zealand Government and Parliament might adopt a policy still more unfavourable to the profitable investment of capital in the colony. Mr Duthie gives the following instance:—" He had an interview with a certain prominent politician who had been a member of the last Gladstone Government, and who probably will be a leading member in the next Gladstone Government. This gentleman is chairman of an important company which has been doing extensive business in New Zealand. He informed Mr Duthie that the directors of his company had hitherto regarded this colony with especial favour, but owing to the taxation policy they had lost confidence in it, and only a few days previously they had passed a resolution forbidding further investments in New Zealand. The special ground of complaint made by this gentleman was in regard to schedules under which the taxation of debentures is imposed. He considers that an immediate effect of the new system of taxation will be to disturb the credit of local bodies who may propose to put loans for local purposes on the London market. On the other hand, he regards with great satisfaction the appointment of Mr Perceval as Agentgeneral. Mr Perceval is a member of the Government party ; he is a man of property, and likely to exercise a good deal of personal maueuce. Had Sir Dillon Bell remained in the office of Agent-general, the circumstance that his sympathy and interest would be looked upon as in an opposite direction would make him reticent. His reticence would be attributed to official etiquette, and what information he might be able to give at Home would be subject to more or less suspicion that he could say more if he pleased. Mr Duthie therefore thinks it is particularly fortunate for the colony that the Government has as Agentgeneral in London a member of their own party, their own nominee, Mr Perceval. Ministers cannot refuse to listen to the representations of Mr Perceval as to the effect of the Government policy in England, whilst, had there been a Conservative Agent-general, Ministers might have put his representations down to party feeling. Mr Duthie has no doubt that the opinions that Mr Perceval hears in London and which he will faithfully convey to Government must have a steadying effect on their policy. The remainder of the interview with Mr Duthie relates to frozen mutton, butter and cheese, and bills of lading. He found that a good dual of prejudice existed against frozen meat; that the frozen mutton was sold for English mutton ; that New Zealand fruit could hud an ample market in England; and that New Zealand factory butter is now in the highest repute (some of it considered the best the world can produce), so that, with care as to quality and quantity, New Zealand might command the English market,. There is another matter of great interest to commercial people referred to in this interview —viz., bills of lading. Mr Duthie took a great deal of pains to put this question before shippers and shipping companies in London. His conviction is that there is no hope of redress except through legislation by the Imperial Parliament. So powerful is the shipping influence that there is virtually no hope of any reform in this matter. ;