THE PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2804, 11 December 1907, Page 39

THE PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED.

THE REVENUE INCREASING.

THE MANAWATU RAILWAY.

TELEPHONE EXTENSIONS

The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. Sir J. (Jr. Ward), who arrived in Dunedin on the 9th, very kindly spared time to accord an interview to a Times reporter. .Referring to

FINANCIAL MATTERS

Sir Joseph said that everything had been arranged in regard to the loans falling due this month and in February. In fact, he said, everything falling due for the next 12 months had been arranged for in advance. The Government's financial arrangements were in perfect order. The money market heio, he continued, would not be affected in any way by the disturbances in America. There was plenty of money in the Dominion for all public requirements, and there was ample for carrying- on the ordinary private business of the country. Our institutions now were independent, to a very „ large extent, of the London money market. As a matter of fact, we have seen the anomaly once or tw ice of the rates of money being actually higher in London than they were in New Zealand, and that was attributable to the fact that we were not dependent upon London for ,ti:e supply of money fdV the ii6es of the people, except in very limited instances.

Regarding the public finances. Sir Joseph said that the total revenue for the eight months ending November 30 last had been £4,959,546, as compared with £4.595,612 for the cor responding period of the previous year. That gave an increase in revenue for the eight months of ££63,934, a result that must he regarded as highly satisfactory. The details of the revenue for the eight months of 1907 and 1906 had been as follows: — 1907. 1906. Customs £2,024.384 £1,872,200 Stamps- 794,958 704,091 Post and telegraph cash receipts 69,300 61,719 Land tax 14.702 11,449 Income tax .. . . 13.871 12,560 Beer duty .. . 67,415 64,221 Railways 1,615,851 1,523,431 Registration and other fees 72,658 74,371 Marine 26,103 25.991 Miscellaneous . . 99.450 113,726 Cash land sale« . . . . 30,693 19,450 Deferred-payment land sales 1,624 1.459 Pastoral rents, etc .. 128,531 110,938 CUSTOMS REVENUE. The Customs revenue received last month totalled £209,234, as compared with £252,519 for the corresponding month last year. Details showing the amount collected at each port are as follow: — Port. Xov.. 1907. Nov.. 1906. Auckland . ... £58.068 £70,151 Kaipara 44 29 Tauranga ... 40 94 Poverty Bay . . 3.541 2.796 New Plymouth . 2.622 3,279 Patea 429 208 Waneanui .. . 5,278 7,093 Wellington 58,469 64,513 Napier 7,711 9,530 "Wairau 1,082 911 Picton 48 30 Nelson 2.991 5,209 "Westport .... 880 1.224 Grey mouth ... . 2.288 2.471 Ho-kitika. 603 87*7 •Iytielton and Chch. . 31.418 39,593 T^aiaru 2,163 2,549 Oamaru 293 534 Bunediu .. .. .. 23,618 35 035 Invercargill 5,640 6,322 A summary for the eight months of the. present financial jear show? that up to November 30 the total receipts from Customs is £2,071,725 5c Id, the details being:— April. £276,763; May. £228,873; June, £202,855; parcels post. £10.425;. July, £265,829; August, 317,239; September, £270,477; parcels post, £15.945; October, £274,048; November. £209,234.

TELEPHONE CHARGES

Speaking on the subject of telephone charges and the requests frequently made for reductions, the Prime Minister said he had gjue fully into the whole subject, and the conclusion he had armed at was that we wore more liberal in recard to telephones than was the case in any other country. To uliow what was being* obtained on the largp capital expenditure, he gave th«> following summary: — In the ease of 124- country telephone lines, including connections, tho revenue received ia le«s than £5 from each por annum; 169 produce less than £10. 109 le^ than £15. 123 les* than £20. 85 less than £25, 56 less than £30, 57 loss than £35, 37 lees than £40, 42 less than £50, and 159 produce over £50 each per annum. A number of these lines are known as backblock lines, and the average reienup produced by them is not sufficient to pay interest on the cost of construction. " As a matter of policy," Sir Joseph continued, '"it was desirable that people livittg in distant places should have an opportunity of being brought, into touch with the towns and practically with civilisation, and in tiniee of sickness or business emergencies the con\enience was bo valuable that the liberality extended in thie way was more than justified. Ho had gone into these figure's for the purpose of ascertaining whether we would be warranted in making the lieaw reductions asked for. Ac those vvlio usp<l these country lines did their business with the towns, the system both town and country, had to be taken as a whole. Though in the case of tho country telephones, if taken separately, they showed a lo«s on the cost of construction, the system a< a whole paid. But though it paid it did not leave sufficient margin to warrant the (Jovernment in making any appreciable reduction in the present rates, lie was going specially into the question of the cost and maintenance of private wires— feuch as those between cities and ports— with a view of ascertaining if they could reasonably effect an improvement in that direction, and he hoped to be able to settle this phase of the question shortly. THE MANAWATU RAILWAY LINE.

Questioned regarding the -posit ion of negotiations for the purchase of »he Manawatu railway line, Sir Joseph said that the machinery for the p'irchase was provided in the act giving the original powejs to ■'he company. On Saturday formal notice had been eer\ed or* the company of the Go\ernmerit's intention to acquire tho lino. It would bo taken at a price to be fixed by a Court cf Aibitration. One arbitrator would be appointed by the Go\ernmen*, one by the company, and the two would select "the thud. The comoaDy bail tly»

right tc postpone negotiations for cix months, but the Government had expressed ite willingness to go on at onoe with the matter, and. although he had had no intimation of their intentions, he was hopeful that the company would forgo their right and agree to proceed at once as requested. The progress of the Dominion had made tha purchase of the line a necessity. At tho present time an enormous volume of Government traffic was passing over the Manawatu line, a-nd with the completion of tho North Island main trunk line early next year this traffic would be materially increased. Of course, the country could not allow a private company to continue to carry the public traffic in this manner. The company could not maintain the iine if it had to depend on the trade from the particular districts it served, but the position at present was that it received the benefit of the through traffic collected from .the districts further north by ( the Government lines. That was not fair to the country. The alternative course would be to make a through connection to Wellington from the trunk line, but to do that without offering to carry out the provisions of the original agreement in regard to purchase would not be fair to the company. PUBLIC SERVICE SUPERANNUATION.

Tho Public Service Superannuation Act would conic into force on -the Ist of January next, and six month* from that time was allowed all public servants to declare whether they desired to come under the act or not. After the expiry of six month* the option wae withdrawn, and no further opportunity to take advantage of the fund would be given to these who had elected to etay off. The personnel of the Pubii« Service Board, created tinder the act, had not yet been decided upon.

" ALL BED" MAIL SERVICE.

Speaking on the subject of the proposed "All Red mail service, Sir Joseph said that he had been in touch with the otbei countries interested iv the matter, but a« yet no definite scheme had been evolved, although efforts were being made in that direction.