FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COLONY.

Colonist, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8509, 17 March 1896, Page 3

FINANCIAL POSITION OF THE COLONY.

The Premier then bbkl he would take bis heart rs into his cotfidenoe as to the financial position of ths Colony. They bad been told that there waa a falling off in Customs and Railway revenue, and that that waa proof their Colony was going back. If it was so, it followed that 8n incresse meant that the country waa goiog abeed. He was proud to say there would be an increase in the Customs receipts, and so there was and would be in Railways. He was proud and pleased to cay that in respect !o direct taxation, Land and Income, there would be a eurplus Of over £10,0C0, and in respect to nearly every one of the main items there wou'd be increase, bui territorial menue wou'd show a faliag off. He hoped, however, he would rut be held responsible for the disastrous and heavy snow falls in the South ; he assured them be was not. A disaster overtook those opposed to the Government, and they brought in an Act to essisS them by remitting renis, and giving them furihor length of lease. No doubt many toilers might say if dieaßter overtook them that, as the ren's of paatoralistß wore remitted bo stop Id they be helped. His reply was t'oat they simply acted on the fair rent prinoiple, and he said every landlord ought to do the same thing. (Applause.) Bat it came with very bad grace for this olasa of colonist— using their power oven tbe money they remitted to encourage tbe National Association and circulating papers hoped to destroy confidence ia the Government. It Wus not, however, because one t r two did wrong, that they wore to condemn all who Buff red. It oame, ho said, with very bad grace from these m<-n that they should say there had been a filling off in territorial re von ao.

Surplds £150.000.

It was pleasing for him to tell them, and they were the first to know it, that he believed that the surplus for the year would be over £150,000. (Cheer .)

rORITS OF TIIE RACE,

As regards parity of ths rece, ho asked were they to maintain New Zealand for the New Zealandirs. Were they to allow their race to be contaminated and defiled, or were they to p'otect themselves agtiost Asiatics. In other Colonies they were pracieally \voh'Liting ChineßO and Aeiatios entering, In New Zealacd they were on the incre. sa; they found larger numbers of Chinese shop 3 , and no fewer on the goldfields. They appeared to drop as from balloons. As they knew for tricks that aro vain the hea'hen Chinee i 3 peouliar, and his opinion wrs that many landed from ships carrying Chines*, and forgot to retnrn. 'Xhoy mast c*rry out the kw the beßt way they cculd, but he thought the time had corns when any Chinese hndir g in the Colony should pay a poll tax of £1(0 Further, they thculd tot allow a Chinaman to hold freehold. (Appianse) That brouglt Ibim to the Japanese question. Tiacussicg !^he matter with the Attorney General of Hawaii, he was told that at Honolulu the Chinese came and competed with the K naka Thonoametbe Japs, who w( re looked upon in comparison with the Chinese as the stoat and ferret to the rabbit. Ho I. acd the etoat ana ferret and weesel would in time prove worse than the rabbit, acd a great blunder bad been made in introducing them. At all events a gieat blunder had been made in introducing (he Japs into Hawaii. They undersold the American?, and neither tbe Kanakas nor tbe Chintse c:uld comp te with them, and nearly every profitable besiness waß being secured by thorn. They increased from 10,000 to 26,000 in about three years. He read an article as to the effect on the higher civilised pc pies of tbo irflux cf Aeia'.ics, ani prooeeded to say that a grave danger was in view, If the Japs became supreme in Hawaii under tbe Republic they might bave opponents, end opponents capable of fighting, between the Sootbern Colonies and Canada. Thty had been asked whether or not tbty would Bubßoriba ta tbe AngloJapanese treaty, and in bis opinion they should do nothing of the kind. (Cheers.) Be notiged tliftt M tbe Cjnkrcuoo of Pre-

miere a Bimilir r view had been expressed as that his Government anivel at Borne time ago.

ELECTIVE EXECOTIVE.

Ho had always htld that there mu3t be parliep, someone to lead, and he quoted fie opinion of an eminent B^atesnnn to a 1 Ice effect. subsequently, addfrg; that ho quote;] Sir Robert o out, who now told thbm F-irty Government was wrong. There vas nothing wrcng iv teinga Conservative bo long a a the man was hooeet and beleved himself to be nght. So long aB a man conscietitiocsly believed ho wap supciior in Hrth ha sympathised with and tolerated him, hoping for hiß reformation ; and if one olaimed to be a Liberal, and to legislate for ani on behalf cf tbe people, surely he deserved credit. If a "Government would not carry out tbe behest 3 of tbe majority of the people, he said away with them, ihtj were not worth your support, but it would ba disastrous to make Parliament a sorambliog ground for an eleotive Executive, Suppose, be said, an electd ESecut.vo oonsi3t ; ng cf Sir John Hal, Captrtin Bussell, Mr Rclltston, and Mr SedcTon— thei'e would be no cohesion, no working together for the good cf the eoflntry. O.je would tell tho F remit r that he would not support this bill, and another that he would not favor that appropriation. The Oppcsifion said, lots have an elective Executive, for we have t risi in vain to split the Liberal pirty. He waa ocnviioed that at the elections the country would again send a innprity of Liberals. (Applause )

proHinmoN,

He had been told that eince the Chtistohu eh election the Government had gone for Prohibition, end that a Bill providing for a bare majority ~-&9 to h^ brought iD, Tlete was not iht sl'ghteat foundation for ihe statement. He believed tltit total abstinence brought about by persuasion was likely to remain, tut if it weie by coercion it would stand on a foundation tbat could not stand long. Ab regarded extreme Prohibitionists who Baorificed eyerj thing else, for ooeroive principles 3ba Crovernnrnt did not wish their support, but the man who dcsiiod to improve tie oondition o! hiß fellows, and by argument and ena-ion induced others to tbstain, he eaid that man had bis respoot. (Applauee.) It had been Eaid, tor 1 , that the Government was the mouthpiece of the trade. He would not hod his position for one hour on uuoh termg. What he Eaid was this '. there were those in the trade who v/e;c habitual law-breakers, who sold to you'.hs, who supplied drunken people, and Bold in prohibited huurd habitually. He eaid he did not want tho support of law brothers or ol faddists, but there were other 3in tbe trade who were themselves respectabl--, and whose families were as respectable as any Prohibitionist, and he was pleased to have tho suppoi't of just men. It mast bo admiitod tbat the Temperance legislation was in advance of that of the whole world; the only blot was that it did not provide for clubs bsing brought uudir supervision and regulation. (Applause.) He said there were clubs where evils existed, and whioh were simp"? gambling hells, ar.d they had a righ', to check that growing evil, and the sooner it was cheoked the bttttr for Nt\v Zealanders and tie Colony. (Aiplauße.) He 6aid ho ehou!d pareist in git.irg oluba placed uudor ihe Aof, end he asked the women of Now Zealand to assist tho Government. Ho proceeded to urgo that as r-gaid3 reduo ion and regulation the bare majority wr,s proper, but as regards prohibition he bdieved ia \hatl:ree fifths majority, becatisa to a grtat exent it interfered withtbe habits, the libeif.rs, acd tho tastes of the people. As to nbtunal prohibi ion, ho izoaiibt the same o-jght to apply, but he urged that persuasion, not cco.-cion, should be adopted. A bare majority had not the right to dictate to tho minori y.

IN COXCLU.IOX,

ho said the at -a of t~e Government was to provide land for the people, and fc] place taxation en shoulc'ora beat able to bear it; to see tha* poor men had an oppor. unity of getting on ihe land, acd not to ressrvo large arias for a fiw. TLey saw ibe evil t fleets of such practices in older countries. He ne-?d nos refer to Ireland, or to the Highlands, from Vfh ; Qh tbo jsr.nd3 of crofters had been driven to moke room for daer, neither need he refer at length to Wales or CM England, where great o\ila existed whioh Bhould ba a warniog to them. K they bad goneoa in the way they wera going, if ihsy had allowed large traols to be owned by a few, if they had allowed taxation to u,o on as it did before the repeal of the property lax, they would have had a select few governing New Zealand in their own interests, and not those of the mass? b. Tuxati: n wa3 now even on all, acd tte small farmer had a chance of livirg, while the labori; g man had his true position dtfieed. Was it to be tbat because a man came out a few years ear ior, because be wag fortunate and aade wealthy by expenditure of public money, be was to look down on Mb fellows. He said do not tear down, do not uproot, bat stretch forth the right band of tellowßbip and bring the less fortunate to the same plane as near as you can. Ihe greit disgrace of tha Old Coantry was that the poor and degraded were herded together in places such as they would not allow their cows to be beddel in, and then in contrast with theae were people wallowing in wealth, and tvea debasing themselves, a Bcanial to humanity The curae of the Mother country was the great gap between the wealtoy and the pcor. In New Zealand each a gap did not exist, and nevtr would if they were tiue to themselves. He cared net for p. ace, but he did lor honor, and all they wished was that the people might keep true to themselves, and that their country m'ght be governed iv such a way that the piople might always be happy aud contented. (Cheers.) Mr A. 8. Aokinson asked whether questions would be answered.

The Premier said he spoko a? Premier, and as Bar Atkinson know it wtS not caatomar/. Mr Everett thsn moved a hearty vote of thinks to the Premier for hia atle addret-s, and a vote of confidence in the Government.

Mr Costabidic rese t j move an amendment and walked to tbo platfozm, but Mr Everett said he wisbed to m-.kj a f^w remarks, and h3 spoke of the just-ca dene to Nelson by Ihe present Government. fcr A, Pitt said the Premier had ppofcen to New Zealand aa well aa ta the Loader of the OppoEition, and it wes for them to asy whether he had mado out a good case. For his own part be was satisfied with the explanation. He ventured to say, too, that the Premier bad been very modest. He had had todeal with two collosal fcubjecti— the tank legislation and tbe Mid'and Railway matter, and he thought they might ful y claim to have cor served the interests of the Colony. It was strange that the Libtral Government had Lad to light the battle of capital, but it i vas sc. Ho said tiio Government could aiBO claim to have besn first to ruis? money at 3 percent, and to have enabled other colonies to obtain cheap money. Mr J. Sbarp in supporting the motion, took a somewhat eim lar view, and added that the Grey Government, as they rememb.ied, had also noted judlly towardo Nelson. Ihe Chairman th^n put the motion, and dec'ated it oarritd unanimons y, but a nuocbf r of voice 3 cried No.

The Premier thanlsod them for thair slmosl unanimous v-.te, and coucladed by rnovug a vote of thanks to the Chair, which wats oarried by aeclamati.n. The m eting thea cloted a little afttr 11.30.

King Humbert hadi proclaimed an extensivo amnesty ia order to divert,, public attention from the event 3ia Abyesinii; Vienna, Mar oh 10. Cou.it Goluchowsfey, Austrian Minister fir Foreign Affairs, is satisfied that the Triple Arinnoc h unimpaired, and ho f-ola assured that tbo (Herman relations with Great Eri'nin arb esfl; Tint. PSEtoBU, McrCta J5. Tie Tiansvaal Government wi'l exhume the bodies of thoso who fell in the fight at Doi'nkotp and ioter them in the oemetry. The Congress of the Chamber of Commerce at Bloemfons ion has rejected a motion oppoirg the itilux of Asiatios. Melbourne, March IG. A storm of extraodioaiy violence pasted over the city last tvening, and a girl nam;d Love was killed by a falling hoarding. Btdsky, March 10. The resppraisement of pastoral holdings in the Western Division* is now proceeding. It wc9 fmppf.sised the desire otion wrought by the i Obbit in the back country. 'J he lessees of the Mount St Wart station, in the far norhv?e3t, sated that last summer over 100,010 rabbifca were trapped and poisoned, bat that still the ela ion was completely overun, and in five years he hai loss 15,000 sheep, owing to ravens and rabbitp. The levees of the majority of stations ia the north west testify that since 1890 tbe carrying capacity of the runs has depreciated 50 per oent. The manager of Cobham Lake station stated that since 1891 the lambs had totalled 78 COO, wbile <he number of dead and missing sheep was 72,000 leaving a net increase in five years of only 9,000. The manager of Corona station stated that in five years the increase in lambs was 98,000. and the losses by death 84,000. In December last the Stack Inspector repoi tad that the eta ion carried 121,000 sheep, bat on mu:£erin£ it wai Lund that the losses had been 17,000There is littls likelihood of the masters aggreeing to the inoroase in tho hewing ra'c demanded by tbe Newoas le minors, es 3s 9i per ton would me in an increase in the celling rate of Is 01 per toa, It seeni3 tba'. th re is every piobability of a two-thirds mujority in favour of a strifee berng obtaine'l.