THE MEMBER FOR WAKATIPU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2504, 19 March 1902, Page 25

THE MEMBER FOR WAKATIPU.

~Slv W. Fraser, M.H R. for Wakatipu. addre-ed hi- ron«tituents at Cromwell last week, the Mayor (Mr Murrell) hemp; in the chair. He dealt chiefly with the financial position of the colony, disclaiming any do-in 1 ii make a fighting speech. After dealing v. ith the position of the Opposition and impressing on hi* audience the importance of having an Opposition in a constitutional Government, he dealt briefly with matters relating to local bodies. He was opposed to the present system of Go\ernmeiit grants to local bodies because they were not an assured finance, and because they lont them selves so readily to the purpo?^ of political patronage. He would prefer to t-eo local bodies finance them«elves by borrowing at oasy rates from the Government. Mr Fraser •then explained how it was that ouing to the Premier's absolute and definite refn?al to accept amendments in his hill, proposer! by the Counties' Ooufoivm \ th.> bill w.i= sillowed to drop The local bodies in the < clony wanted a change in the sy-tciu of local government, but they would iinir get this i hango by sending to l'driianicnt men vho could not get thrie unit 1-*1 -* they signed a pledge to support the I'iemn-r m all ihiiig-. Mr Fra.ser then dealt v. ith t'io ; mendments in the mining la\r. Referri"^ to the increase in the lmiioiarium, ho "-a.d he would support any measure to i educe thf honorarium to £240. He denounced the Pnbl-c Revenues Act in -e\ere teini,. aud stigmatised it as a. dangciouf blct on the •Statute Book. Mr Fra&fi went on to deal with the difficulty in getting lecitl bodies to Bpend during the financial year the votes for them placed on the Estimate 1 . The monoy \oted mun actually be spent before the 31st Man !i following appropriation, or it lapsed. He dealt at some length with th« public works policy and the disni"-Pal of men throughout the colony. For the fiiit nine months of the current year the <Jo\ern inent had spent on public work- £915,000 more than in the i orvesponchng period of tho previous year, »nd realising that they could hot keep on at the .-anio rate to tho end <'f March, had put on the brake. TKi= v.a-i his own impression at fir-t, but on '■trict inquiry he found that at the \ery tune the Premier had said the public work, account was hard *ip there w?s a sum of £1,075,554of that fund available for expenditure. His theory was that the Prumiei, ha\ing dis covered that the rate at which public works expenditure \\a<> being carried on would exhaust the funds appropriated for them, found himself in a dilemma. He could not (possibly face a general election empty handed, and he would not only require Parliament to vote loans but actually to have the loans raised and the money in the colony in time to make things sweet for the ©lection Die presencs of the Premier in T,ugLaud would ho of advantage in floating a loan, and lie (Mr Fraser) thought that it was nocr--=arv to raite at le.u>t a million On g')iii!j thiough tlic Trepsuiy returns lie foui'd tli it the revenue wa>- \c-ry iatisfactory Still, v. .tli an mi reasing expi-nchture and a falling ipvenue, it appeared to him tint breaker wore ahead. A, the final result of Ins nauring. Mr l'ra-or said that he eatnna'rd tii.it tin? v< ai - fiiirtiirial opi-iations WonK'i thou a legitimate «urp!u- of a! out £250.000, wluc-u by various iUwncK 1 .! >p«rii.-

tions might be raised to about £340,000, giving round figures. But as the fall in the price of wool had reduced the spending power of the people by £2,000,000. the revenue could not be expected to be so buoyant in. future. The member then made a brief reference to the war in Houtli Africa, and, after repljmjr to somp questions, received a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr Frascr also receded a of thanks and confidence at Arrowtoun, only thre-e voting for an amendment proposing lhanki only.