SIR JULIUS VOGEL AT WELLINGTON.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3609, 26 April 1886, Page 2

SIR JULIUS VOGEL AT WELLINGTON.

» (BY TELEGKAFH.] WBtLnronoN, April 24. Sir Julius Yogel addressed a public meeting at the Theatre Royal this evening. Mr Duthie was m the chair '" , TUB LATK GOTEBKMKirF.AJO) rOHTIOAIi PASTIES OBKEEiiIiT. Sir Julius Yogel referring to Major Atkinson, said lie was glad the latter was willing to increase his pace. Formerly Major Atkinson bad advised colonists to lie down and wait. Major Atkinson did not appear to understand the course taken with the sinkingfund, for he had failed to state that of the debentures created the first year £70,000 were paid off, and m the second year tie (Sir Julius Vogel} had paid off an additional • amount of over £100,000. Had Captain. Russell's resolution not been carried, the following works would now be m operation ;— ' Bridgo over" the Waikato, £11,500 ; Helensville northward, £20,000; station works at Hamilton, Te Aroha, and Grahamstown, £11,000 j Napier, Woodviile, Manawattt: Gore, £65,000 j North Island Main Trunk line, £48,000; East and "West Coast and. Nelson railway, £149,000 ; Greymouth and Hokitika, £8000 j Picton southward; £8000 ; Otogo Central, £25,000 ; Switzers branch, £25,000 ; Auckland Cußtora House, £12,000 ; total £375,000. To the resolution he attributed the want of employment. It would hare been ridiculous, he thought, for Government to have resigned when the resolution was oarried as it was, only by the aid of 20 of the strongest supporters of the Govern.-! ment. Ho said Mr Bryce and Major Atkinson had great difficulty m managing HATIYB AFFAIEB They could not direst themselveß of the hatred which had descended to them from their livesof actual warfare. The attitude taken by Mr Ballance tended to elevate the people of the colony as much as the policy of, the Atkinaori-Ormond-Bryce party had degraded and humiliated them. He »aid the statements now made by Mr Ormond ; - were: inconsistent with the .communications oon- 1 ' cerning the Mr Ormond of 1884, over which a shroud of confidence was imposed. They were now told that Messrs Ormond and! others wished to take the native lands vb what Mr Ormond called " a nominal. Taluation." A confiscation of this kind would bo forbidden by the Secretary .of State. The complaints ; of Sir George " Grey ; »nd other* about the monopoly of land by a fewEuropeans was much the same as th* com» plaint against,; natives foe having much

land unused." He said he could not agree with SIB OEOBGB GBBY'S PROPOSAL To issue an unredeemable paper currenoy. The evils of it would increase the cost of articles of consumption, and increase taxation. In the Argentine, where they had a paper currency, all the evils under which the country ouffered were attributable to it. With regard to Sir George Grey's laud proposals, he said a great many large owners were willing :to cut! up their estates. He thought it possible a measure might be introduced by which, under agreement with land boards and local bodies, estates would be OUT TO AITD. IdUTD DISPOSBD OP By Government, and covered with a Crown title. This would augment local revenues by rates and roads. He said tho colony suffered greatly from detraction for political purposes, and also from diminished enterprise and employment of people, consequent upon the panic started by the late Government, and increased by the fall m price of the principal staples, WOOH AND TVHBAT. The prospects of a rise. depended upon other countries being able to profitably produce at present prices. The fall had brought about a reduction of the rate of • interest, and he estimated that during the last two years the money lending institutions, merchants and others had reduced the amount of interest by £250,000 per annum. /Instead of forced economy and diminished expenditure being a cure for depression it.was one of its effects, and intensified it by reducing the amount of employment. What the colony wanted now Y?as enterprise- and confidence. He was neither a , PBOTBOTIOHIBT HOB A 3BBBTBADBB. It was useless contending against the sonndness of the arguments m favour of free trade. The' question was their applicability to tho circumstances of the colony, which required a population which had already paid large Bums for the introduction of population, and which mußt still consider that it is important to increase and retain such a population as to warrant a tax upon all the community, rather than that population should be driven away, and labour vainly seek employment. He illustrated by reference to Borne older countries what he had said showing that those indifferent to. losing their popula' tion found free trade answer their purpose. He did not consider it desirable that the question of free trade should be made a leading one either m the House or at next election. Retrenchment of the Civil Service ■was another DBOBPTITB CBY. Our service was particularly cheap. He read a statement comparing the post and telegraph, tho largest branch of the service m New Zealand, with the same department of Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. From this it appears that New Zealand alone showed a surplus over expenditure, though the population was more largely served here than m those colonies. The average cost of the Civil service here exclusive of ministers, judges and railway department was £162 per man per annum. He was surprised the expenditure at the seat of Government was so little. He contended they did all they could to. arrest enlarged expenditure. He now came to SINAKCB AND PUBLIC WOBKB. He was glad to say there 1 was a surplus under this head of £37,000. The remarks made by Mr Stout at Invercargill about " borrowing for roads " were thus attributed by the Press to " borrowing for railways." As the latter they could hardly go wrong. Railways now yielded 30 per cent, and by raising the rates all round they could easily be made to . yield 6 per cent, if the work done for Government tvere taken into account. Regarding the BAST AND WBST COAST BAILWAX Shares m tho newly-formed Company -would be offered to the publio after Raster, butthe construction was assured whether the public took shares or not. Wellington opposition to tho line did it barm, for whatever conduced to the good of the colony must benefit Wellington from its central position. He still considered the Government would havo been justified m building the line and criticised the objections brought against its construction by a company. This was no doubt preferable, because of being more rapid, and because a company would be able to deal with land and apply capital to develop its resources. Government still adhered to the policy of BOBEOWINO FOB HALLWAYS, and lessening the expenditure of borrowed money for other purposes. The four points he had- laid down iv Auckland were substantially the same as those m. the. Governor's Speech of 1884. The finances now were m a good position, and owing to a fall m the value of goods, the Customs taxation never rested lighter an the people. Labour was plentiful ; money waa cheap ; they should make their railways ; push on settlement and encourage new industries. The major portion of private borrowing had been devoted to fostering the wool industry, but there were others whioh onght to be promoted. What was the depression m this colony to that m England or the drought smitten colonies of Australia ? He had been twenty-five years m the ' colony, with short absences, and had always encouraged everything calculated to ■unfold the resources of the colony. To\the last he would raise his voice and declare this undiminished conviction, that the colonists were justified m developing for themselves and their successors the grandest land for its size on the face of the earth. Sir Julius Yogel was well received, and on' the conclusion of his address a resolution according a vote of thanks and agreeing with the progress indicated m his speech was carried by acclamation. The theatre was crowded, a large number of ladies being present.