THE HON. J. M'KENZIE AT INVERCARGILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 24

THE HON. J. M'KENZIE AT INVERCARGILL.

THE FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE YEAR.

PARLIAMENT TO MEET EARLY.

Notwithstanding ib was Saturday evening and few country people could attend and a terrific thunder and rain storm was raging at the time, about 600 electors were present at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening to listen to an address from the Hon. John M'Kenzie on political questions of the day. He spoke fdr two hours and a- quarter, and at the conclusion of the meeting a vote of thanks to Mr M'K>nzie and confidence in the Government of which he •was so prominent a member was carried unanimously.

The Hon. J. M'KeEzie opened his address by expressing great pleasure at seeing the great progress the Southland district had made the last few year?, and with the excellent crops and abundant pasture he had noticed in many parts of the district he had travelled through. He regretted to find that so much misapprehension existed re political matters, and of the Government's endeavours to promote the best interest and 'welfare of the country and community as a whole Us' attributed this state of things largely t ic labours of the National Association, v,L ■ systematically circulated poisoned matter wholesale to damage all they knew how the Government of ■which he was 'a membsr. Their opponents prophesied all sorts of e?il would happen to the Government and the country when they came into office, and that the finances would not be safe in their hands, End that if any big difficulty were to arise they would be quite unequal to cope ■with ifc. Each year since they have been in office they have met Parliament with » surplus. For years their opponents used to call this a bogus surplus, but were beginning to give that story np now, as tbey found they could make the people believe it no longer ; and now the charge of corruption was the chief cry against them by the Opposition and Tory press. These teports were set in motion during the Premier's absence from the colony last year, and when he (the speaker) waß bo much occupied with duties in Wellington, and had not time to visit different parts of the colony End refute them from the public platform as fee was able to do now and intended doing, Parliament met directly tbe Premier returned, but the Opposition had failed to prove any actions of corruption agaiu6t the Government. — (A Voice: "Because returns aeked tor had bepu refused to rnembsrs of tha Opposition.") When asked for partial returns which their opponents thought could be used to the injury of the Government, they had been refused or given for a longer extended period than asked tor, but no honest returns bad ever been refused. Full returns for full periods w?re always given. One great and common charge was that they had made too many roads and bridges throughoufcthe country. When made in the district of ftn Opposition member it was all right, but when made in the district cf a member cf Parliament on their side of politics then ife was a , clear casa of corruption. If the Opposition were in power they would find they Would have to do tbe aame work in this respscfc as the Government wera now doing, because the country waß not going to stand still and utagny.te to please the National Association nor any other combination. They were also charged with vilest corruption? in the matter of the purchase of Native lands and private estates for purposes of settlement. There wag one instance in particular in this district — viz., the Ocahu estate, which was being continually dished up by the Opposition. As foon as this was parchased the agents of the National Association and other opponents to their policy set to work to run down this estate with the view of preventing it being taken up, but he could assure them that when that estate was recommended for purchase by the Land for Settlement Purchaf er&' Commissioners not one member of the Government knew who the estate belonged to. Still he had no fear but that it in time would all be taken up. There was one-third cf it now disposed of, and if necessary he would deal with it as he had done with Pom&haka and other estates. At Pomahaka there wera three sections not taken up last spring, when hs een'o a man down to have these sections properly cultivated and sown with turnips, and he was going to meet a party there next Tuesday who, he was sure, would purchase the turnip crop at a price which would pay him back the whole outlay he had made on these sections, and when tha turnips were fed off there would bo atsy number of applicants for.the land. After they had thus dealfc with Pomahaka ho would deal similarly with Obaliu If necessary. Hl3 Government are accused o'i appointing uo justices of the peace unless they sre of tha right political colour. This is an absurd accusation, but their opponents try to make out thst s-nybody bsloagiDg to the Liberal eide of politics is nob Et to occupy these positions. The fcon. gentleman then proceeded to defend the expenses of the Premier's trip to England on the fame lines as at Milton and lVpinui, Rnd quoted the costß incurred in former years by Ministers who vieited England. He denied that the Government bad departed from the policy laid dov?n by Mr B?.llance. He quoted figures to show tbe extent cf land purchased for settlement aud from the Natives. The Government, he said, deeerved credit for having greatly improved the m&nagement of the railways, ■which produced more revenue thaa ever before, '»ud at tha same time gave the general public concessions to the extenS of £100,000 a year. And now, for the first time in the history of the colony, he was going to reveal at this early date utter the close of the financial year (31st March) the THE FINANCIAL PARTICULAES FOB THE PAST YEAH. Eome of 'he figures he had to give fipproximately, because there were certain adjustments, &c, which might have to be made with one department an/i another, but he would give the lowest i3OEsitlb and the highest probabie amounts where this was the case. Tbe surplus for the year, including balance fixm former year, wooid ba £470,000 to £495,000. The approximate expenditure fcr tbe year was between £4,625,000 and £4,650,C00-plus £300,000 transferred to the public works fund. The approximate increases in the revenue over the estimates for tho jear under various Leadisg» were as follow :—: —

Ag^m, refeirriDg to thß banking legislation introduced by his Government, he said they had been called upon to undertake larger responsibilities than any previous Government had eTer had to do, and depicted the terrible general financial, condition the colony would tiavo been

plunged into had they not acted the part they had done. Afc the recent election in Wellington the leading men on the Opposition side of the House had said if they were placed in power they would give all the present Government legislation a fair trial ; but he did not believe the people of the colony would hand the administration of the Liberal policy over to their enemies. The Opposition proper had no policy to set before the electors. It was not quite so with the Left WiDg. They had a policy, which was that each member of that party should be a Cabinet Minister. But the Opposition's only policy was to stonewall every liberal measure introduced by the Liberals. Parliament was going to be called to meet early this year, and the Opposition could s'conewall if they pleased to Christmas, but the Government were determined that the measures introduced by them last session should be put on the Statute Book. On the hon. gentleman resuming his seat there was much applause and persistent cries for " Ward." The Hon. J. G. Ward then addressed the i meeting for about 15 minutes, referring to the J magnificent results of last year's finances of the i colony, eulogistieally referring to the able and j far-seeing financial abilities of the late Sir Harry j Atkinson, and in support of the system of party government as against an elective Executive, compared the present influential positions oT ' Eugland and Switzerland.

Jrmnary revenue ...» Jusloms stamps ... Land anrl income tax,.. 3eer duty Railway? HiEcella_n°<ms .- . ... territorial ...£ £247,0U0 55,(00 49,000 17,000 6,000 91,000 17,000 12,000