Mr McGowan's Speech

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1335, 25 May 1905, Page 3

Mr McGowan's Speech

—«— Defence of mines Dupailment

Reply lo Mr Hurries

In the course of his adders* to his Thames constituents, tho Hon. James McGowan, Minister for Mires, said that in a recant speech at Waihi Mr. Harries was r'eporlod to have said that tho milling industry had boen starved under the prenont Administration, Tho membor for the Buy of Plenty must linvo known when he made tho statement that it was incorrect, as it was only necessary for him to look at the published figure lo aeo that while tho total oxpodituro on goldfields under all heads for the nino years preceding the advent rf the present Government averaged £28,624 per annum, it averaged £50,948 per annum, for the 13 years the present Ministry had been in office up to March 31,1904 showing a balance in favour of tho Government of which ho (Mr McGowan) was a member of 122,324 per annum, Il'this was starvation, by what term did Mr Herrirs characterise the treatment of tin* gcMfiolde by previous Governments? Mr Herries had also attacked the administration of the Minos Department, and had contrasted the expenditure on the goldfields during his (Mr McGowan't) term of offico with that during tho Into Sir Allied Cadman's, For tho information of his audience, ho might any that here agaiu Mr Herries was absolutely wrong in his facts and figures, Iho actual position, as disclosed by Departmental figuros was that for the nine years (1891 to 1900) prior to bis accesion to office, tho average total oxpendituro on goldfields under all heads had been 143.193 per annum, while during the four years of his own term, to March 81, 1904, the average annual expenditure had been .£68,396, ot a balance in his favour of £23,203 per annum. Tho figures qu<stod by Mr. Herries were misleading, as they reforrod only to ono branch of goldlwlds' expenditure, development of gokltioldf, a vote which must necessarily fluctuato to a very great extent, as it was the one from which larno works was provided. Mr. Her riesand others alleged a decrease in expenditure on prospecting, and blauiod bim for tht». As a matter of faot, tho amount granted depended upon the applications received Tho Dopaitmental returns slowed increase in applications, and therefore in grants, for tht> North Island during tho put few years (except in 1902), and a steady decrease for the South Island,