Major Atkinson, M.H.R., at Auckland

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5581, 31 March 1886, Page 4

Major Atkinson, M.H.R., at Auckland

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, March 30. Major Atkinson addressed the citizens of Auckland to-night at the Theatre Boyal. Mayor Waddell presided, and there was a crowded attendance. On the platform were several members of the Legislature, local bodies and representative citizens. Major Atkinson, on appearing on the platform, was very warmly received, the applause continuing for some time, and being renewed when The Mayor op Auckland, in introducing him, called for an impartial hearing. Major Atkinson said that he appeared in response to a requisition, which he had much pleasure in complying with — first, because it was naturally gratifying to him to have received so hearty a request from a city of such importance as Auckland; secondly, that he was also pleased to give the people of Auckland an opportunity of hearing him after having heard two other prominent leaders — Sir J. Yogel and Sir G. Grey — and so being in a position to have the views of all parties before them. He appeared before them to speak from an OPPOSITION PLATFORM. Now, it was not the duty of the Opposition platform to propound plans ; that was the business of Government, but as Government had outlined no policy, it was to the interest of the public that some one should apeak out. The Opposition should atep out of its ordinary line, and outline some sort of scheme, that it may be discussed on all sides. There wa3 a possibility of great borrowing and great public expenditure, and this being so, he proposed not merely to criticise the lines laid down by the leading men of the Government, but also to point out what plan, to his mind, should be substituted. First, he wished to examine what fell from Sir J. Yogel respecting the deficit when his Government took office ; second, as to the expenditure on public works, and other loans, since 1870. First, as to Captain Kussell's motion and its effect on expenditure with respect to the North Island Trunk Bailway Loan. First, as to THE DEFICIT. One certainly did exist, but it should not be forgotten that his (Major Atkinson's) Government had paid off .£230,000, whereas Sir J. Yogel had paid off nothing, and showed a small surplus of .£22,000. Now he (Major Atkinson), on the same principle, should have been credited with a surplus of JEBO,OOO if he had funded instead of paying off the loan. Now, as to BORROWING. Since 1870 we had borrowed and spent about .£22,000,000, giving the figures in round numbers; and while spending, we had put by a large sum as a Sinking Fund, amounting in all to two or three millions, consequently the net increase of debt was only about .£10,000,000. In the published statistics it would be seen how such portion of this money was really reproductive to the Treasury, how it was 6pent, and also, separately, the amount expended in raising the loan. Dividing this proportionately among the items, they would find the loan apportionment to be — railways, .£12,250,000 ; immigration, .£2,250,000, and this might be also considered as directly reproductive, every new arrival at once contributing to the Customs, and thereby increasing the revenue of the Colony ; postal and telegraph, .£500,000, which, as returning from seventeen to eighteen thousand per annum, night be considered as reproductive, besides the groat convenience to the public. These were .all directly reproductive. We had a Native lands expenditure of .£1,000,000, which, however, was so far productive that a considerable area had been sold and occupied. Roads, again,

should be considered reproductive in rela- ; tion to railways, which, without their aid as I feeders, would certainly not pay ; but he would leave these out of the question. Without these, we had fourteen to fifteen million pounds' worth of reproductive works, or, in other words, fourteen shillings and tenpence halfpenny out of every I pound of loan expended on works of a re- ] productive character. This was ■ PRACTICAL, for Sir J. Yogel had told them the other . night that if only five shillings in the ' pound were spent on works other than rei productive, the returns from reproductive works would pay interest on the whole, leaving them to infer that we had not done ! this in previous years. As to Captain j Russell's motion, he was much surprised in reading the statement made by the Treasurer, that no Government, after such a vote, could have made provision for carrying on public works ; nor was there any more reason for stating that if a vote had been carried there would have been a great increase in the railway workshops of the Colony. If there had been any vote at all for workshops it had been carried, for the only amounts for railway works were struck out. The proof of this was that Government asked for .£2,600,000 for works, but with the understanding that this amount was not to be spent in the year, but brought down and laid before the House for approval, in order that Parliament might retain the control of the votes for works not only for the current year, but also of forthcoming works : the amount asked for and voted was therefore usually about double what was intended to be spent. Government asked for .£2,600,000: they had in the Treasury .£2,145,000 cash available, and they asked therefore for half a million more than they had in hand. If the House had agreed to what the Ministry asked, the latter must have said to Parliament, either give us a special loan, or let us use the North Island Trunk Railway loan. Now, the House thought that Government had quite enough to jog along with, and therefore refused to grant authority to spend more than they had in hand, catting down the demand by about half a million, and yet you have been told the Colony was brought to the verge of ruin because only .£2,150,000 was voted. Minister* had been all over the Colony saying that if the House had not cut down the vote, they would have done all sorts of works. Now, in the House, the Minister of Public Works said he only intended to spend one and a quarter millions. Sir Julius Yogel told you here, gentlemen, you have not only to meet current liabilities, but also to provide for liabilities amounting to one and a quarter millions more. Supposing, TOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT, that Government only spent the amount they promised the House, and yet committed the country to a further equal amount— it this be so, the Ministry have actually involved the Colony in the full amount asked for, and yet go about the country saying that they could not obtain authority for . necessary public works ! Now, if they had only spent the amount allowed, they would have had in hand some .£900,000. The liabilities last year only amounted to .£860,000 above the average of the previous five years. Can it be said, therefore, that the act of the Opposition had delayed works, and brought the Colony to the verge of ruin ? Next a word or two on the NORTH TRTTNK RAILWAY LOAN. It would have been impossible for Government to have spent a farthing of this in votes of last session, for they had .£2,145,000 cash in hand, and their votes only amounted to .£2,140,000, so that their cry was only to disturb people's minds. It would be seen that the Opposition, in granting the votes it did, took every precaution that the North Island Trunk loan Bhould not be infringed upon. The figures are patent to every one. Now as to the policy of the present Government, it was difficult to say what it was, a3 they appeared to have no policy. They sent up ONE BALLOON AFTER ANOTHER, which went into space and were seen no more, but the statements of their real meaning were only known, for language seemed to be used to conceal thought. Sir Julius Yogel said in addressing his Auckland hearers, that he knew his own mind and the minds of his colleagues, leading them to suppose that he was submitting a duly-considered scheme, which he thought should be submitted to the people after a dissolution. Now, in saying this, Sir J. Yogel was, in a sense, threatening Parliament, therefore he (Major Atkinson) had a right to criticise the scheme propounded. The first part of the scheme was the big balloon of the ten million loan. Many men looked forward to the time of inflated expenditure as an opportunity to realise and clear out, but he had no sympathy with such men. The Premier, apparently, did not coincide with the big borrowing tclieme; he had a good deal of prudence, and showed it in his speech at Dunedin the other day, so they were now told they would not have that scheme, but a lesser scheme, including an expenditure of a million and' a half per annum. The Colonial Treasurer, at least, seriously proposed the scheme as one on which a dissolution ought to be granted. Let us say he increased the taxation through the Customs by .£IOO,OOO with the object of borrowing .£2,000,000, spending most of it on reproductive works. It might reasonably be asked, why start a new policy before we had worked at the old one ? The reason given was abundance of cheap labour and cheap material. Sir J. Yogel had asked, would they not give the Colony another chance, and cited as an instance New South Wales, and further asked would they hand the Colony over to a few landholders, leaving the rest of the population praying that they might be able toescapefromthecountry. He wouldask, had the Public Works policy of 1870 ever been so utterly condemned as it was by its own father, after 15 years, and 22 millions spent i He would tell them that unless they got A FRESH START the Colony must be ruined. If he believed ruin imminent he would say, " abandon all intention of further borrowing ;" but there was no truth in the idea. For the Treasurer of the Colony to make such statements was most detrimental to its financial character, and deterred capitalists from aiding us. The £100,000 asked for additional in Customs was originally intended to defray subsidies to local bodies. Now, it was supposed the unfortunate local bodies were to be dropped. It was stated the year before that if the Sinking Fund were dropped taxation would be required till seven millions had been borrowed, yet only two millions had now been borrowed, and they were already asked to make provision for interest. If two millions per annum was spent on Public Works as indicated, in the fourth year there would be a sum of ,£120,000 a year. Two per cent was apparently the highest return expected from the railways, and he (Major Atkinson) doubted whether that would be got from the EAST AND WEST COAST RAILWAY. Now this was put forward as a reasonable scheme — one which is to give a fair return for expenditure incurred. A.gainst this would be put the natural increase of revenue from increased population ; but that could not be taken into account, as it would be required for increased charges for education, postal and other charges. The real reason of the proposed grand scheme was to cover up the large expenditure of the East and We6t Coast Railway, to which Sir J. Yogel was irretrievably committed. Auckland and Wellington had to wait sixteen years, and would have to wait four more, for connections. Surely Christchurch and Hokitika could wait till the work could be reasonably undertaken without unduly burdening the Colony. It was not fair to take the Colony by the throat because a member of the Ministry represented a Canterbury constituency and said " The East and West Coast Railway must be constructed!" He would resist to the uttermost making 5 per cent nominal contribution por head to the Customs revenue, and would also resist any increase of taxation, except to meet the engagements of the Colony on necessary works. At the same time it would be unwise to stop further borrowing. Railways should be completed to paying

points ; Auckland and Wellington should be ; connected, another section of the Northern j line past Helensville constructed, and the : Otago Central and some other lines completed to paying point. At the outside a million a year was sufficient to keep the Colony jogging along. j A ROAD SYSTEM j was an essential complement to the railway system, and must go on at a moderate rate, and must be properly governed. He approved of Sir G. Grey's ; PARTITION OF LAND scheme, tentatively, in districts where the circumstances were suitable, in order to test the sincerity of the people who said they wished to go upon the land. There was plenty of land, but the right class of people who were -willing to go upon it were scarce. The RUSHING OP PUBLIC WOBKS through, for the sake of inflated expenditure, meant an equally sudden ending. ; What he meant th.ey could readily imagine. Let them learn a lesson from the New South Wales deficit. That Colony was suffering just as New Zealand was in 1870. IN CONCLUSION, Major Atkinson referred to local industries, giving credit to Government for what it had done in the matter. Ho also referred to centralisation of labour and boy labour, the ousting of adult labour, and the housing of the industrial classes, as subjects requiring the immediate attention of the Legislature He condemned Mr Ballance's Native policy, as productive of great future trouble. The Natives should have ample reserves for their use, and the rest of the lands should be bought by the Crown and purchased, the money being funded so as to give the Natives a permanent maintenance; but he would never be a party to creating a class of Maori landlords in the North Island. He expressed his opinion that the thanks of the community were due to Mr Bryce (late Native Minister) for putting not only himself, but the Colony, right in the eyes of the Empire and of the world, in refuting the gross calumnies heaped upon them in a so-called History of New Zealand. j Major Atkinson concluded amid cheering. A great many questions were put and answered, and a cordial vote of thanks f passed unanimously for the address. A hostile amendment was rejected with hisses, only two or three hands being held \ up for it. The meeting did not break up I till nearly 11 o'clock.