Post-Sessional Address

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9061, 9 June 1898, Page 4

Post-Sessional Address

MR BOLLARD AT DEVONPORT.

Auckland, June 7. Mr Bollard, M.H.R. for Eden, addressed a meeting of electors jin the Devonport Hall, last evening* Rei ferring to the surplus he saidthjjy had heard a good deal about that surplus lof Mr Seddon,,, According to the public accounts ;the receipts wer« £4,798,708 and the expenditure .£4,659,980, .leaving a balance of '£138,728. That was the reallsurplus '; In 1896 the .surplus was ,£216,588,. which being added'on, to,the actual surplus this yisar made a total surplus of £354,208, which Mr Seddon claimed to have. Had theaccouhts been properly kept the n'ett surplus would have been only £1381728. He contended if the accounts were properly kept that, would be shown .as ,'the,, actual position at tho' present time, i No doubt they were aware. any, vote not. spent within the year lapsed. There were many such cases that helped to swell the surplus. For instance, the £1500 voted for renovation of Government House last year had not .been spent. The £2000. duty received by the Government in respect to the wharf fire was not repaid until after the 31st of March, and this counted with the surplus. Supposing they assumed the Government had a sur plus of £354,268, what a grand opportunity that was for the Premier to reduce taxation. Mr Seddon .pretended to have the good of the people at heart, and if he had such a surplus he might surely reduce the taxation. In 1894 the revenue received from Customs was £1,512,467. In 1895, extra duties brought up the returns to £1,912,160, showing an increase of £339,693. Surely that was another opportunity for the reduction; of taxation.'"' The fact was the money was not in the chest. It was hogus. On the motion of Mr C. Bartley, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried. *mmmetmmxmmmmmtmmm*