Colonial Treasurer at Oamaru.

Opunake Times, Volume I, Issue 2, 6 July 1894, Page 3

Colonial Treasurer at Oamaru.

The Colonial Treasurer, in his address at Oamaru recently, made the following remarks, and in view of the analogy existing between that district and our own we reprint them for the information of our readers : In Oamaru they had their local troubles, but in that respect they were not singular. In reference to the Oamaru water-race, he intimated that the Government would give the borough £750 in* connection with that race. Furthermore, it was intended to expend £750 on a tower for the local Post Office, and it was for the people to consider whether they would derive more advantage from expending that sum on the water race. If they did so consider, they would have £ISOO for the latter purpose. Referring to the harbour, he said it was admitted by everyone that they had experienced very great difficulty, and were in the unenviable position, through no fault of their own, of having a receiver in the town. This was very much to be regretted, and it was a great mistake on the part of the bondholders to decide to send a receiver there. In his opinion they had not bettered their position by doing so. They had not, at any rate, obtained the sympathy of the people in the district, or the spmpathy of the Government of the day. By their action the bondholders had estranged the sympathy of the Government, who did not feel that they were justified in assisting them out of their difficulty. When the bondholders made application to the Government, as they had done during the last few week?, asking them to do something in order to relieve them, he felt that when they had depreciated iheir stocks by the action they had taken, they must not expect the Government of the colony to come to their assistance, and the Government were not going to do it. They were quiet prepared to assist the Oamaru district and the Oamaru people to the best of their ability, but they were not prepared to assist the bondholders in any way. He proceeded to refer to the action of the Railway Commissioners in competing againsi the shipping, and condemned their policy in that respect, a 3 they were injuring the port and practically ruining the community. The Government were not in any way responsible for what the Commissioners did; but as a public man, he would say that their policy was unjust, and ought not to be pursued. He could not commit the Government, but so far as he could individvally assist them to effect a change which would restore the £2OOO of harbour revenue that they now lost, he would do so. The principal objects of the Government, the hon gentleman went on to say, were to acquire private lands to promote settlement in the South Island, to acquire native lands for the purpose of settlement in the North Island, and to have the lands in both islands roaded. They believed it was essential that they should do all in their power to improve trade, and procure for the colony better markets for its products, and to improve the social condition of the workers and to find reproductive works for the legitimate employment of their labor. They also thought it very necessary to improve the Standing Orders, so that the business of the country might be more expeditiously conducted than in the past, and he thought he might also tell them that the rest of what the Government believed to be essential for the welfare of the country would be found in the Financial Statement, which would be delivered in the course of a week or two.