THE COLONIAL TREASURER AT FORTROSE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2051, 15 June 1893, Page 17

THE COLONIAL TREASURER AT FORTROSE.

(Fkom Ouk Own Cobbespondent.) Invercargill, Juno 13. About 40 gentlemen, including the Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. H. Feldwick, Messrs Kelly and Mackintosh, M.H.R'a., the Mayor of Invercargill and borough councillors, and others who had received invitations from the Joint committees of the Invercargill and Fortrose Seaward Bash railway to attend a complimentary bacquet to the Hon. J. G. Ward (Colonial Treasurer) at Fortrose yesterday, journeyed by special train from Invercargill to Qlenham, leaving the former station at 10.45, arriving at Glenham at 12 30. From there the rest of the journey was done in coaches and buggies. At Pine Bush the whole party were entertained at luncheon by Mr Hugh Oarswell. Afterwards the school was visited by the Colonial Treasurer and party, and a short address given to the children and a half-holiday obtained for them. reception. Arriving at Fortrose about 4.30 an address of welcome was read by Mr Miller, chairman of the Fortrose committee, to the Colonial Treasurer and visitors, to which the Hon. Mr Ward replied, thanking the committee for the kind reception accorded himself and visitors from Invercargill. The desire for a closer relationship between the settlers of Fortrose and Invercargill was reciprocated by himself and the people of Invercargill, and he hoped that the united efforts of the people would in a reasonably short time bring about the desired results. Hs was greatly pleased with the large extent of good grazing and agricultural country they had just travelled through, and he regretted that it had not been connected long ere this by direct line of railway to Invercargill, such as the one now referred to. It was necessary and right that districts should bring through their members certain pressure on the Government for a fair share of public expenditure in their district, and as the representatives of Southland worked together, they could depend on getting fair play for their district. After this a number of small deputations relating to local public matters had audiences with the Colonial Treasurer. SEAWARD BUSH RAILWAY. At 7 o'clock in the evening a large meeting of representatives from all parts of the surrounding district wag held, when the following resolutions were discussed and carried unanimously :— " That the joint committees of the Seaward Bush Railway League, assembled in congress at Fortrose, while thanking the Government for what has already been done in forwarding this work, would respectf ally urge, in the interests of settlement, the necessity of completing the line to the Waimahaka Flat at the earliest possible date, this being the point to which the line must be carried to be of benefit to the settlers." The motion was proposed by Mr S. Miller, seconded by Mr W. R. Kidd, and spoken to by Messrs Christie, H. Templeton, H. Oarswell, Hod. H. Feldwick, R. Gilmour, J. P. Joyce, D. M'Farlane, and J. Harvey. THE BA.NQUET. After the meeting a banquet was held in Beaton's Hall, which was attended by osrer 100 people. Tho toast of "The Parliament oE New Zealand " was proposed by Mr W. H. Templeton and responded to by the Hon. H. Feldwick and Messrs Kelly and Mackintosh. "The Army, Navy, and Volunteers" was proposed by Mr J. F. Brnnton and responded to by Colonel Feidwick, Major Hannah, and Captain M'Nab, Mr J. Fisher proposed "The Agricultural and Pastoral laterestf," coupled with the names of Messrs Christie and K. G. M'Kenzie. Mr Templeton proposed the toast of the evening, "The Health of the Colonial Treasurer," which was received with great enthusiasm and drunk with musical honours. The Hon. J. G. Ward, in replying to !.be toast, thanked the Railway Committee, and declared himself delighted at finding they bad killed the fatted calf. He read a telegram from the Premier regretting that he was nob able to be present. Dealing with the charge that the Government were pandering to the working classes, he pointed out that some of those who declared the Government were prepared to go too far were members of the late Ministry, who introduced what was known as the labour legislation. Tnat legislation was necessary under the circumstances. The present Government was only doing what was required and dealing with a great subject in a common ssnse way in endeavouiing to put the labour question on a sound footing. It was not to be supposed tbat^he Government, while attending to this matter, were foigettitg the men who were mainly responsible

for the prosperity of the colony. He referred to the farmers. — (Cheers.) If they looked at the legislation of the Government, they would see* that there was no class in the colony whose interests had been more studied than those of the settlers. On this point he advised them to compare the amounts they now paid under the land and income tax with those paid under the property tax. As a matter of fact certain people who did not pay in proportion to the size of their estates had been trying to use the smaller farmers in order to perpetrate a system of taxation which was unfair in its incidence. He replied at some length to the criticism of the Hon. G. F. Richardson. Tbat gentleman, he said, had given a strong indication that if he had the opportunity he would go in for a borrowing policy. That policy had been condemned, and speaking on behalf of the Government he (Mr Ward) expressed the opinion that nothing more suicidal to the development and welfare of the colony could be suggested than that the colony intended, if opportunity offered, to go on the foreign money market to acquire more millions to knock down in New Zealand.— (Cheers.) If it were neceesary, which he denied, any quantity of money could be got in the colony for 4 per cent. — (Cheers.) Mr Richardson suggested this borrowing policy as being necessary for the carrying on of certain railway works, and he mentioned the Otago Central and Eketahuna-Woodville as two on which large sntns should be expended. The Government recognised the importance of carrying on those two lines, but they did not admit that in order to carry them on every small line in the colony must remain at a standstill. — (Cheers.) What the Government intended to attempt was to do what was fair and just to every part of the colony with the means at their command.— (Cheers ) He was not going to single out any particular lice, but if small amounts were necessary to carry cartain lines to points from which they would yield a fair return on the cost of construction, and votes had been made for those lines, then the Government would not divert the money to other works. They had a difficult task before them in allocating the moneys at their disposal, but they had faced difficulties before and would do so again and distribute the money available for railways equitably. — (Cheers,) It was unfair to cay that the Government had increased the public works expenditure without pointing out that L 200.000 had been transferred to the public works fund from the consolidated revenue. Dealing with the statement aa to the class of settlers who had taken up land, he had obtained the following particulars from tbe Minister for Lands :— Number of selectors : 1890-91, 2420 ; 1891-92, 2519; 1892-93, 3071. Occupations (taking eight special settlements, representing about 230 selectors) : Labourers, 89 ; farmers, 39 ; farmers' sons, 14 ; settlers, 15 ; bushmen, 12 ; carpenters, 8 ; farm labourers, 7 ; shepherd?, 5 ; mill hands, 4 ; contractors, 3 ; millers, 6 ; tailors, 3; plumbers, butchers, and blacksmiths, 2 each; gardeners, masons, feilmongers, platelayers, chainmen, milkman, bricklayers, bootmakers, painters, 1 each; clerks, 3. The figures for 1892-93 showed a very large increase. This illustration was not a specially selected one ; it was taken from the general records promiscuously. The inference from the change in the criticism of opponents was that the administration of the present Minister was acceptable to the bulk of the people, and tbe other side seeing this had decided to back down at once. He defended the Legislative Council appointments, and contended that the co-operative works and labour bureau contributed in a large degree to tbe present satisfactory coadition of New Zealand as compared with the Australian colonies. As to the statements that credit for Vne present financial results was due to their predecessors, he said this was amusing, when it was borne in mind that the Opposition bad condemned the change in the incidence of taxation, and one of the strongest arguments they urged was that it would not bring in the necessaiy revenue to enable the business of the country to be carried on. Had they not been charged with " galloping to a deficit " 1 In concluding, Mr Ward said :— " The present Government believe in intercolonial free trade, and one of the matters I was entrusted with by the late Premier when I visited Australia was to try and bring this a^out. The present Government have always been in favour of it, and if we can bring it to pass we will. We are going to resuscitate the Forestry Act and encourage tree planting, and the Government are importing two of the most experienced veterinary surgeons obtainable in Europe, one to reside in the South Island and one in the North, who will be at the command of settlers in a similar manner as the Government dairy experts are at present. The Agricultural department oE the Government was never so much alive as it is at the present time to the wisdom of promoting the agricultural intsreet of the colony in every way possible. The efforts of the present Government will always be directed to promote the greatest prosperity aud happiness of the people of New Zealand"