THE PREMIER IN DUNEDIN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8325, 25 May 1905, Page 3

THE PREMIER IN DUNEDIN.

(A full report of the Premier's speech appears on page 1.) HIS LAST NIGHT'S SPEECH. A TRIUMPH [From Our Correspondent.] DUNEDIN, May 25. Long before the hour for commencing the Premier's address, the Princess Iheatre was crowded from floor to ceiling, and then the stage was rushed before the invited guests were seated. This necessitated the removal of the entire scenery to provide additional accommodation. Mr Seddon was accorded a great reception, and bore little signs of his recent illness. He spoke fov two hours and a half, and was loud- | ly cheered at the close of his address, the audience winding ud with "For He s a Jolly Good Fellow." Mr Seddon criticised the Opposition unmercifully. He was especially severe on their efforts to discredit the Government by belittling the colony. The Government had done much to bring capitoL an( * labour together harmoniously, what good, he wanted to know, could possibly be done by the Opposition continuously discrediting the Government? So long as he had a voice in the administration, the country should have a strong finance. The Opposition knew that if it could cripple the colony's finances it would cripple the Government and people, but these gentlemen should bear in mind that it was- a dirty bird that fouled its own nest. When our stocks fell recently, owing to the interest on them having been paid, the Opposition proclaimed the fall from the housetops, but when they went up again the fact was not published by Mr Massey and his lieutenants; and when there was, as he anticipated there would be, a further rise immediately, owing to the record surplus, he ventured to say that the increase in stocks, would not be alluded to by the Conservatives. Referring to the High Commissionerr ship, Mr Seddon said New Zealand must have a High Commissioner, and it would not be long without one. The "Daily Times" finds fault with Mr Seddon' s system or' keeping the pubhc acoounte, which, it- says, has been nothing but a device for enabling the Government to juggle with the public funds and to deceive the public concerning the state of the colony's finance. Far better and far more straightforward would it be from the point of view of the community if the Government were to defray out of the revenue account all the charges that a business firm conducting its affairs on sound commercial lines would meet out of current income, and to make out of the balance such transfers as it oould in aid of the public works fund. But the fatal objection to the adoption of that course from the Government point of view is that it would leave the Colonial Treasurer with an attenuated surplus, and would deprive him of the opportunity of coming before the electors and of benevolently promising to provide them out of their own 'funds with such' blessings as they can desire. It is general election year, and with a surplus, as he says, at his disposal of £711,295, together with the record balance of £861,760, in the public works fund, and with the million loan money coming in from Home, with which he can play, Mr Seddon has a very extensive electioneering fund at his command. --- ' [Per Press Association.] . DUNEDIN, May 25. The Premier told a University deputation that the payment of the £760 grant for a school of mines would only be continued for three years, but the Government would continue . one such school in the North and another in the South Island. He approved of the curtailment of the underground service for mining certificates, thinking that five years was too long. He told ' the Scho Is Association that the actuaries' report on the. superannuation fund gave only £10 after paying increased contributions between fifty-five and sixtythree years, but he thought the difficulties were not insuperable, and he intended to convene a conference of teachers and school managers to thresh out the question, in view of legislation this session. He approved of the Education Boards being elected on a more popular ' basis, and favoured the adoption of the Parliamentary franchise. He told the Accountants' Institute to get a private member to introduce a Bill to make public accounts subject to audit by certificated accountants, i with a view to influencing public opinion thereon at the general election. i