The Patea Mail. Established April 14, 1875. MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1884. THE PREMIER AT HAWERA.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1173, 7 April 1884, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established April 14, 1875. MONDAY, APRIL 7, 1884. THE PREMIER AT HAWERA.

The Hon. Major Atkinson will address a portion of his constituents at Hawera to-night, and through them the people of the colony. Whether or not the Premier will unfold the full Ministerial programme for the coming session we arc, of course, unable to say. For our part, we think it unlikely, because the position of the Government is somewhat critical, and to show their hand at this period would bo to give the Opposition a chance of counteracting any feeling of satisfaction that might arise in the country at the proposals of the Government, The Major will, no doubt, disclose a portion of the Ministerial intentions, but it will not be that portion which would give the Opposition leaders a peg to hang their hats npon. We should rather feel inclined to believe that he will keep a few of bis best shots in reserve so that they can be fired off in Parliament, and the members sent back for re-election to their constituents with something to talk about. Still the Major has plenty of scope for the delivery of an interesting address without letting the cat out of the bag altogether. He will have to tell us a little about the revenue and how he proposes to get over the deficiency. The latest returns show that Customs will he about £IIO,OOO short, railwaysabont £60,000 and the beer duty £SOOO, in all £175,000. But we may be sure that with a falling revenue, the Treasurer has been economical in his expenditure

acchai uoiffat 1 Veqimm'g provision'wfil hot amount to anything like the above sum, perhaps not more than half. Then there is the matter of the railway tariff to be explained. The Canterbury people are wild about the increase, and are hunting the Government like a pack of hounds do a fox. The rise in the tariff was inevitable, for the very good reason that the lines did not yield enough. The rates had been reduced below a paying price, and experience showed that although there was a largely increased traffic in grain there was a considerable loss of revenue, Hence it was found necessary for the Railway Department to retrace its steps, but even now, under the new tariff, the rates are lower upon the Canterbury lines than when they were administered locally. But the injudicious part of the proceeding was in making the rise just when farmers had reaped their harvest, when moreover there is an unusually depressed market for their produce. Farmers and merchants have sold and bought and contracted to deliver upon a basis calculated by the old rates, and, when the grain was in the bags, they suddenly found themselves face to face with an unexpected increase in freight. Hence the outcry, which will probably lead to the management of the railways being placed in the hands of Boards, one for each Island. We should not be surprised if the Premier gave an inkling of this to-night, as it would tend to allay a good deal of the irritation felt in the South Island. The Federation scheme will necessarily claim a share of the Premier’s attention. But we are afraid that this portion of bis address will fall upon dull ears. Federation is dead, laughed out of existence by the parliaments of New South Wales and South Australia, and put high up on the shelf by Queensland, which example is likely to be followed in this Colony. Annexation has its charms, bnt the public are even lukewarm concerning that. Perhaps, however, the Major has got something to tell us about it that may give it a fresh start, bnt if there is likely to be any increased expenditure, it will not become popular just now. Something will have to be said about the existing depression in trade, but in this connection we shall expect the Premier to show that we haven’t any depression at all. At anyrate he can state the fact that while our imports have largely decreased of late, our exports have risen enormously in

value. If that state of things continues the Colony must ere long resume its wonted buoyancy. Some allusion to the North Island Main Trunk Railway may fairly be anticipated. Locally wo are much interested in that, and information as to the present position of the surveys and the character of the country should be sought, if it is not forthcoming voluntarily. There are many othermatters of interest upon which Major Atkinson will doubtless touch, but there is one little thing that we in Patea should not let pass without a strong protest. We allude to that railway fence which we regard as a monument of stupidity, and a standing insult to the people of this place. Now is the time to bring this grievance, and others too,

before our Member. If it is done fairly and firmly we believe that idiotic obstruction can be removed. We might also ask if Government intend to introduce a bill to enable them to give compensation

'or lands taken from public bodies. The Harbour Board has suffered a severe oss through part of their endowment

having been taken for railway purposes. The committee to whom their claim was submitted reported favourably, and then after a long delay it was discovered that Government had no power to give effect to the committee’s recommendations. What we want to know is whether we are ever going to get the money.