THE STATEMENT CRITICISED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11188, 10 August 1898, Page 6

THE STATEMENT CRITICISED.

1 VIEWS OF 'SOME MEMBERS. ' (From Our' Own Correspondent.) _ • Pf ifhkepld light p^ day ji^'Hot cor(dus|\'| tb| fyan £<|oqiient dis|ej'tatidnjon> figure's^ sjmd|Mr|; "■■'Seddon" was not seen at his" best in reading "■ his Financial Statement this afternoon. In- j deed, it had quite a; soptfrific effect on memr bers on both sides'of ■ the House;, but more ■particularly on his own .followers, C for two members of the Ministry and-severa) promi- : nent .followers fell fast asleep.! The general, impression amongst competent critics is. oneof utter amazement at the audacity of the , Premier and the Treasury officials in setting ] forth such fallaoioWUables' anUVdeductions as : occur in the Statement. I have obtained the opinions of several members on the Statement. . ' .-.-.■ ' ; ■-, Mr George -Hutchison says: Mr Seddon remarked s that a Sixth Form schoolboy could collate'the 'figures he has done in comparing . the deficits and surpluses of the last 27 yeari. :as he does in his last deliverance-in the shape of a Financial Statement. This is his own ' of- his powere as to ;• the statistics . brought together by himself. But' any sixth, ■■ or other, form schoolboy who. would attempt the', inferences he,has. been'guilty of in con nebtiori , with these figures/would deserve a thrashing, and would certainly be put to the bottom,'of, his class. 'If the, Colonial Treasurer Sid-not Know the officials of the Treasury shpuld have told him, that within the term of : i the present Administration the/whole! system i-of dealing; with 'the sinkingl, fund-increases has been so 'altered' as -to destroy' any comparison such as ; lie "-seijks to, draw. Besides, . he should not have forgotten that within tho last:three' yeairsMVe lias, taken about £150,000 of tKe sinking funds of the local bodies—a ~ political fcrime, tjijit, iio" predecessor was meat) ''.^noiiglw'to^'imagirie'.-J If/Mr rSeddon, had not. raised the Nemesis of .'the past-his Financial ~ Statement 'would have' excited; ;ljttle contrri_,:.The figures-'as- to-ithe consolidate! fund were known months ago.' .His Estimattw for the current year* are riot'remarkable. The f inter.es.t in "ii\e<, Statement is e'entjfed; in tho ■ •proposals as*f6: ;tlie;pubtfe worts'fund.' The Treasurer indicates that expenditure this year >' forf public.,ijrqrk^ Would;.approximate the pxi:,periditur©.''bfllast'TtJrear,*'which he stated at ; about. £800,000.;', ..Seeing that-at, the begin- [ -.ning.pf^ the, financial year .the public works ■ ,j,acc6tu}t was ov§r,- £300,000, in debit, with re- j sources of; only about- £25,000 unexhausted, : supposing the appropriation for the current; -, :. year. to' am'diint'tfd' £750,000- "we.' fin'd..'t.he. o'Bir ;, ■ gations of the fund, on the , year'? • transactions might '.in roiincl numbers be stated at : ■£100,000,. Agarnkt-thi5..£425,00.0.J5..t0be. trans- '. ferred from the consolidated fund and :-£500',000 to be' borrowed. These figures ■,'ftearly equalise, biit^ indicate that the policy is merely temporary, and 'that next, year we' will again be face to face with more expedients for " tiding'Qver.:? There is an entire lack of anything like,a policy. The signiS- ; cant part of the' finance of the year is the in- * creasing, drain upon revenue—in other words. | taxation—for what are called " reproductive: ; wor;ks.;r Hitherto f£3OP,;OOO hq4. b*n the ut-' most transferred in any financial year, "and isow. the former limit is this year to be exceeded by . £125,000, or a "total-of-£l-25,000. That close on half a million should be taken from taxation for works that .are usually coni sidejred a proper charge on capital, and, if reproductive, ought'to!be,'self-supporting, is a fact full of significance. What a policy might be given effect -fo, grand and comprehensive, but,utterly; beyond the initiative• of ' tHe present Administration ! Even to suggeso ' it would be waste of time. If the Govern- , me,nj;' attempted to deal with it they would I only make a mess.of it,- Tho difference be- ; [ tween proper management and. bungling ; inaringement indicates the difference betweavi : I the present and whatij^night bq.Treaß.onably ! expected to follow-.a change. i rf.■'•'''. ' | j;: i^iMfV^6l^esta^'Cyiiews.on''t.he St^n|fnt and ' jfoii thd Premier'1 sisiibse&uent'assertipnff regardI ing the coming firi'ancial'deb'ateare'as follows: ! |-~, I.thjnk, the Statement is.about as.bakl and uninstructiWa's"it''cto',be.' ! sion to make reflections on -what Mr Seddon [ i is pleased to call t Conservafire "G'6yer»ments ',' . is. out of place in'su'ch'a Sratementr, which 1 : ought to keep clear-of-party politics,, and to ' be devoted to the finance of the past and pre- : sent (year. .- Mr: Seddon'*' subsequeijt' threkt' :■' ■ that the debating .of his . Statement would I I keep men out of work^was a piece- of unwar- j I rantable bounce. '' Ministers were responsible ! for the knocking off of ..the.wpi'kmeny.and it ; lies with- them to take the earliest authority ' to put, them on again. .He r)id not hesitate '. to put in hand a lot bf" unnecessary work"' in I I connection .with Parliament.Buildings in • : VVellington without; 'authority.',when,it suited ! his purposes. It. in' utter nonsense to. say | that' ways' and means *must Ke foHihd" before '■ the Premier discloses the details of expendi- | ture. The House ought to know what are therequirements—such as rolling .stock, etc.— 1 and then find ■ways!iahd'means-.<)U't;of'-re-('eh'-iie j or'loan; as'may seem fit. At Home, unless I i am very much mistalieny the-:Estimates are ] passed before the ■Statement is made. Mr Seddon'B attempts to mystify.the public raid mislead them into thinking that the question of employment of. a-number of working-men is dependent upon the ctea'li'ng with the ordinary Estimates is, ql|pgether .top flimsy, and: 1 i-eflects little'credit'b'n his political judgment 8 or sincerity: The House bought' to have the , Public Works Statement and Estimates, and to consider them .before determining any qu.es. iion'oi ways arid, liieihsr : :' '', ' ;> ' ■ ''' 1