POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 5 July 1911, Page 5

POLITICAL.

ACTING-PREMIER IN THE SOUTH (Per Press Association.) Dunedin, July 4. Sir James Carroll addressed a large gathering of citizens this evening, and received a most attentive and enthusiastic hearing. He dealt generally with the assertions of the Opposition, and proceeded to reply to the statements made by Mr Massey at Hastings. Mr Massey had stated that Sir James Carroll was wrong in saying that 76 per cent of tire public debt was interest earning, and that only 63 per cent was returning interest. It was a great homage for the Loader of the Opposition to admit even this, and the rest must bo true.

The public debt stood to-day at 81 millions. What was self-supporting was represented by £25,602,000 expended on railways; £4,880,000 loans to local bodies; £1,430,000, telegraph and telephone lines j and £BO,OOO reserve funds securities. The profitearning sides were represented by advances to settlers and workers, £7,039,700; lands for settlement, £6,303,485; and Bank of New Zealand shares, £500,000. The amounts that were indirectly bearing interest were: Roads and bridges construction, £6,870,000; expomled on public buildings, £5,240,000; purchase of native lands, £2,461,000;' and New Zealand Consols, £462,000. To indirectly interest bearing loans might reasonably be added those raised for immigration £2,463,000, and for improving tourist and health resorts, £131,500; but even without these, loans which were not felt by taxpayers amounted to £62,493,000, or 76 per cent of the total. Under non-interest bearing were: Immigration, £2,463,000; Maori war loans, £2,357,000; old defence loan, £2,783,000; harbour and lighthouses, £573,000; development of goldfields and coalfields, £987,000; tourist and health resorts, £131,500; scenery preservation, £40,000. The Leader of the Opposition had also spoken of the huge borrowings of last year, when, he said, the Government had borrowed six and a half millions. Sir James said he admitted that frankly, and he would tell them what the six and a half millions comprised. It comprised for railway . construction, £1,600,000; additional rolling stock, £700,000; land settlement and goldfields development, £1,000,000; purchase of native lands, £100,000; advances to settlors, £1,675,000; advances to workers, £325,0(50; other public works, £200,000, all of these being productive, and then finally £1,250,000 for the Dreadnought. ' The Opposition would have it that members of the Government were putting all this money into their private pockets. Innuendo and insinuation were the blackest crimes in the category of political warfare. The Opposition had never put forward a constructive policy. It had been all destructive. Speaking of Maori lands, Sir Janies was asked, why was the phrase “Maori landlordism” used? He said it was to stir up prejudice in the minds of waits oeople against the Maori people. Was there any difference between Maori landlordism and pakeha landlordism? If they did not want the former, why the latter? There were i 33 Europeans who owned a total of" 13 million acres, and lie challenged Mr Massey to point out three or four Maoris owning property that would bring them under the Graduated Land Tax. At the close, Sir James Carroll was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence in the present administration. 'I he Hon.' A. T. Ng.iti aho spot:* briefly, the burden of his remarks 1 rig an ■ appeal for .more protection for" the Maori for his own preservation.

AN AUCKLAND MYSTERY. o (Per Press Asociatsion.) Auckland, July 4. Tlio adjourned inquest on the death of Elsie Holland, which occurred under somewhat mysterious circumstances at the residence of Mrs O’Shaughnossy at Kingshind, was resumed. Mrs O’Shaughnessy was examined at length as to the occupants of her house on the night the woman died. She stated that on returning home between 11.25 and 11.45 p.m. after a short absence she found a strange woman (deceased) in her house. The woman was lying on a bed. "Witness asked her who she was, and if she would have a doctor, but got no reply. Later she repeated the question. Deceased shook her head, froth was then coming from the woman’s mouth. About 1 a.m. she sent her husband for a doctor, but the woman was dead before the doctor arrived. Witness denied having previously seen a bottle ot tabloids of perchloride of mercury. DEATH OF A CHIEFTAIN. (Per Press Association.) Pahiatua, July 4. Xireaba Tamaki. chief of the Maoris at Hauma, is dead, aged 75. Ho was of the Ivangitani tribe.