THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12448, 3 September 1902, Page 5

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

(Fitou Oun Own Corresponsent.) • OItiiiSTCHUROH, September 2. Mr Charles Lewis, ex-ifteftiber for. Chl-isfri church, opened his campaign with a slash* itig speech at Kirweo last night. Dealing with tJlfe ink*iMG ot tho oblbny, Mr Lewis niade a no ff and original point. He .feaid ifw intiet' important tjridstion. how awailifig. tho consideration , pi* tho incoming Pariianient svas undoubtedly that of finaiice. To hialil & long story short, during the last • two.-years our revenue had increased by £47?.,C>84 and our expenditure by £755,787. If the Bstimates_ for , thb coming year wero realised then duriiig tho term of the preseht Parliament our.jaunital revenue will have increased by £446j114, or £11222 per day; ahd our expenditure by .£846,93fy or £2320 per. day. This did not include interest uiidilr the Advances to Settlers or the Land for Settlements Acts. Ministers wero pro- > on. the assumption that- good times, were'bound to continue; but the war was-: over, and no one imagined or hoped that tho drought in Australia would last for ever. To his ,mind there were only two alternatives before tlieni i ©ittier a substantial reduction in the annual expenditure or ah increase in taxation. If the latter were decided upon land was tho* only tiling which could not escape. As for publio works, whereas Mr Seddbh last year advised that We should "go slthv," no sooner was hia Back turned that' Sir Joseph Ward 'had fiHid that it would be a, ruinous thing for the colony to " go .slow," and that without borrowing we could not maintain our prosperity.- But depression would ensue. Thisv virus unfortunately true, but it was none' tho less degrading and debasing that; the Prime Minister should publicly, assert that our prosperity is not solf-created, But depends on, the complacency of " our uncle." He would libs to know what the Govern-." riient policy was. -"Was' it the " go-slow"" policy of Mr Seddon. or the "full-steam aiiedd'- of Sit Joseph? ' * ... An, Auckland message States that the local Federated Seamen's Union have selected Messrs Fostefr And. Way arid _ the Flourihillers' and Cabdrivers' Unions . Messra Faweus and Eosser to stand in the Labour interest for Auckland City; Tlio final selection is, to be 'made by tlie .Workers' Political Organisation..