HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11848, 24 July 1893, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(Per Press Asociation.) Wellington, July 21, FINANCIAL DEBATE, .J Mr Pinkerton thought the Hon. Mr ' Ward should congratulate himself on the fact that Mr Mackenzie and other able men on that sido of the House ahould be able to find so little fault with his Statement, and that the whole of their aim had apparently been to hunt up Ministers to quote newspaper clippings. As to the misdoings of the Government it seqoj^u to him that the criticism of the Financnfe Statement hart been entirely lost sight of in the efforts to attack the co-operative system of Government works, which had been referred to in a very reckless and misleading manner. He defended the purchase ot tiio Cheviot estate, and held that it would ba very suitable for close settlement. It had beon frequently stated that the unemployed cry was heard miro now than previously, but as far as his district was concerned he proved the fallacy of this assertion. With respect to the railway management, he considered that the Government of the day should have control of the railways of the coWy. Ho congratulated the Premier on the attempt ho had made in the direction of recipsocity, and he trusted he would bo successful iv biinginjr it about. Mr McGriiire thought the results of the year were very satisfactory, especially compared with tlio financial crisis they bad lately saon in Australia. He was not altogether satisfied with what had been done in tho way of purchasing native land, and he hoped inoi'tf would be done in this direction during the coming year. The West Coast Settlement Reserves Act of last seafion had done a great deal of good, and opened up over 100,000 acres o£ land foi settlement. He thought the co. operative works did not give a proper return for the monoy oxpendod, and the system was causing men to lose all feelings of self-reliance by teaching them to rely on tho Government for everything, lie warmly supported tho exemption of improvements from taxation, but though it would be a, thousand pities to hand over tio railways to the Minister of Public Works, Mr Buick said they must be struck with the moderate tone of the Budget and of tho absence of anything to create alarm, and that being so they should feel that the fin'incas of tho colony Tv«r» perfectly safe in the Treasurer's hand 3. He warmly supported the Cheviot purchase, which he felt sure would turn cut o- J profitable invflstuient, but he did not • view with favour the proposal which, lie understood, would be made by the Government to ro-soll a small portion of the property. As an abstract principlo he contended the Government should hold all tho land in the colony. He was opposed to the graduated tax on principle, and he thought that tho Treasurer should instead have rather roduced or abolished exemptions. Mr Mills moved tho adjournme^^tf the dehate, which was agreed to, ana^lh House rose at 12.20 a.m.