PARLIAMENTARY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11602, 17 August 1899, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NEW ZC ALAND. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Wednesday, August 16 —The Eon. tho Speaker took tha eh tir at 2 30. Leave of absence was granted Mr McNab for a week on account of i'lness. The Mauriceville County Bill was in troduced and read the first time. Mr Lewis resumed the debate on the Financial Statement which, he fubuaitted, cout':i.ied three distinct features, viz :. That it was largely an advertisement, that ifc was largely deceptive, and that it was largely a bribe. The speaker proceeded to show how ha arrived at these conclusions. He disagreed with tha pvcposal to reduce ths interest under the Advances to Sottlers' Act m likoly to bent fit only the wealthier settlers who could afbrd to pay promptly. IE tha Premier could afford to sacrifice revenue to the exteut oE £42,000, the reduction should be made to apply to all classes. The tea duly for iustance amounted last year to £78,000 ; why not reduce thit duty by one-half and fo benefit all classes ? He did not want to 'raise the question of town versus country as both should work in union, but a concession in taxation made in one case should also apply to the other. Mr McGowan said tint if there was one thing more tbaa another that would tend to disgust fair- minded people with party government, it was the cri iui->m that had been levelled at the Finanjbl Statement. Members of the Opposition could see no good in it, and supporters of the Government saw no defects. If criticism of tha Statement was to bo of any value, it should bo approached in an imparlitl and fair- minded spirit. It was no use blaming the Government for borrowing. If public wcrks were to go on tho public debt mU3fc increase, and, compared with other Governments, the present one had been very moderate in that respect. Besides, it should be borne in naiad hat much of the money borrowed in recent years was reproductive, and was earning more in interest than it cost. Land settlement and cheap money had been important iacbora in the prosperity of the country, causing increased production. One of the best evidences of prosperity was the amount of money on deposit in the Post Office Savings Bank, which never stood higher than at thepnssnt time. Mr Buchanan contended that it would be hard work to prove that the mining industry had not cost as much as the colony had realised by ic. The agricultural and pastoral industry, on the othar hand, was growing, and for a long time must necessarily ba the most important ia the colocy, but very little assistance had been given to that industry. Rs^ ferring to the Budget he charae'erised it as dishonest in fact and dishonest in its intentions and full of mi statements of tha grossest kind. He condemned the system of land valuation, stating that improvements had not been exempted and that men hid been employed on the work who were a scandal to* the Govern ment. He approved of the proposal to reduce the interest under the Loans to Local Bodies Act, and considering the good woik done by these bodies contended that the rate of interest should not 6xceed 2 per cent. He criticised adversely the railway management generally, contend iag that receat concessions in freigh's and fares had simpiy the effect of increasing the general taxation of thecolony. He denied that the country was in the prosperous condition attributed to it by the Government, qnoting from the Labour Journal to show that in different parts numbers of men were out of eras ployment. The House adjourned at 5 30. On resuming at 7.30. Mr E. G. Allen continued the debate defending the land valuations made by the Government. No doubt there had been a large increase in the valuations, but fault could not be found with such an increase; in proof of which he in stanced tha case of a large land proprietor in Hawke's Bay, the value of whose land was raised from £11,000 to £21,003, and who gave as an excuse for not appealing against this valuation that he held in bis pocket an offer for the property considerably in excess of the Tiiluation. It was only a half-truth to Bay the present Government had borrowed nine million*, for of that amount over six millions had been expended on repro ductile and mterest»bearing worts, f uch as under the Land for Settlement and Advances to Settlers Acr, Loins to Local Bodies, &c. It was amply nonsense to talk ab)ut a self-reliant, non-borrowing polisy if the country were to progress; ; and, with the cry for reduced taxation, if that policy was to ba carried out it meant stopping public works, or, as an alternative, selling the land, which would be suicidal. He congratulated the Colonial Treasurer on the plain, straightforward Financial Statement, which had ran the gauntlet of adverse criticism, despite the desperate attempt of the Opposition to prove that there was no surplus. Mr Taylor said the time wonld come when the question of taxation would dominate the politics of the colony. Is was true that the surplus could not be disproved, but if ha had the power of Ministers he could show a much greater surplus. In the framing of tha Estimates he had no hesitation in saying tint a deliberate system of deceit had been practised on the colony by tho Treasurer under-estimating the revenue for the purpose of showing a surplus. A surplus wai not a matter for congratulation, as it tended to lavith expenditure, and prevented that close criticism of public expenditure that was desirable. He condemned the excessive Ministerial expenditure, and regretted that difficulty was thrown in his way to gtt a return of travelling allowances and expenses. The question of Customs duties would, hs predicted, becomo a burning one in the near future. Com^ pared with thesa imposts, t-xation on land was altogether out of proportion. Referring to Federation, he contended that the importance of that subject to New Zealand had been deprecated by (hj Premier. Public opinion on the question was ]ast being formed, but ho ventured , to assert that opinion would be formed very rapidly, aiitl that, too, in favour of j jining tho .Australian Commonwealth. J'rue, it was a qucsiiua o£ trade, but ihi question of trade would dominate the *u v 'j-icl. Already our balanca oC trade with Australia amounted to ono'oventb of the total export. He deprecated delaying consideration of the question for a few years, when the conditions under which New Zealand could be included would be less favourable than at present. Mr Lang was surprised that no member of the Government Party had risen to reply to the seveio criticism of the previous speaker. Criticising tho Budget he contended that it was wrong to extract more money from the people than was absolutely necessary. The Statement should bo a? simple as possible, and not framed in such a deceptive manner. If the Government had not gone in for a borrowing policy he did not think that a Furplus would have fceon shown. He blamed the Premier for becoming so engrossed with electioneering, both in and ou: of the House, that he neglected his dutie3 to the House and country. The Government claimed to be a working men's Government, but working men were having their eyes opened to tho hoUow claims to that position, and he predicted that next election woull show the truth of that couconlion. Lie was a believer in the freehold teuuro of land?, and had no dread that under the system there would again ba an aggregation of largo estates. He approved of tho reduction of interest under tho Advances to Settlers Act, but contended that half per cent, was too tunall, and that to afford nppreciubla relief a reduction of 1 per cent, should be made. \ After the telegraph office closed Mr Frasor spoke in criticism of the Financial {statement, contending that the colony was now paying £10G,000 more interest than ia 1§92. He made that statement

in contradiction to the Premier's assertion that despite increased borrowing the colony was paying less laterest than formerly.' On the motion of Mr Tanner the debato was adjourned The Houso we at midnight.