The Premier.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 3228, 16 May 1895, Page 3

The Premier.

(Per Press Association) Opunakb, This day The Premier received a warm welcome on his arrival here yesterday afternoon. He addressed a public meeting in the evening. Inferring to the so called exodus, he pointed oet that £ot the year ending March las. the arrivals showed an excess over the departures of 1051. During the time the Government had been in office the population had increased by 59,442, while in the three years between 1887 and 1890 14,000 people left the Bhoros of New Zealand. At to the surplus, he said it was quite true, as fiomj ori.ies pointed oot, that tho £117,000 credit from the oinking fund debentures was contained in the surplus of £IBO,OOO, but the Treasurer had stated laß. year it would be so. The Premier went ou to show that Sir Harry Atkinson’j sorplnsed w»;re far more largely made up of sinking fund credits. In fac. £117,00u was the lowest amount of those sinking fund credits, and tho lowest amoant during any year of the - predecessor was £263,000. In reducing the rates of .Merest l ider the Advances to Satwlers Act by two per oent Ibo Goveument wore saving tho people £600,000 in interest, while taking iMo account the collateral saving, it might be srid that by this Bn-okj of policy the Government had s-v.d the people a million a year. Nex, So~Jon the Government wonld reintroduce the Rating on Unimproved Values Bill and insist on giving thij measure of relief to the struggling settlers. Tne Premier was acooiJed a hearty vote of thanks for his address.