The Premier’s Manifesto.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 528, 6 November 1890, Page 2

The Premier’s Manifesto.

ECONOMY, CHEERFULNESS, AND CONFIDENCE. A SLAP IN THE FACE TO PESSIMIST BRYOE. THE CLOSURE DEMANDED. [special to the standard.] Haw era, last night. The Government Manife to, in t!>- form o£ an address from Sir Harry Atkinson, ap. pears to-night in Hawera He regrets his inability, through illness, to visit the district until after the election. In the summary of ** our future course,” he counsels the avoidance of politic lor financial fireworks that would tend to dazzle or lead astray, but insist* on strict, hu* not parsimonious, economy, co mb in -d with cheerfulness and belief in the unbounded resources of th< Colony. The first thing Parliament should insist on is the adoption of the closure tor a time limit for impartial <ueasU''< B La-v session a small knot of members were unscrupulous enough to misuse the rules to obstruct tue business, not that the measures thetns Ives were objected to, hut hoping t»throw discredit on the Government, and force a second session on the country. Our finalise now, he says, is well under control,"but rhid economy in necessary before pronouncing our work of esiabii-hing satisfacory finance to be e<» mole ted. He emphatically protects auaina’ th-* views of pessimists who s'ate that th- financial position is Critical or dangerous. Pru ience, courage, and firm faith in the fu are of the colony are all that are req itred to give a future of assured pro-parity. Last financial vear the expenditure was £4,122,000; sinking fund and i-.’ereat ab* so'beii £2,158 000, including £260,000 for charges forced by Act. Fifty or sixty thousand pounds could be saved by abolishing subsidies to local bodies, but if abolished the same amount would have to be applied from general funds for the formation of roads opening up lands. Government regret that no further reductions can be made without sacrificing the enjoyment of conveniences and the advantage of an extensive railway system Well equipped, harbors for easy access to the Coasts, aud excellent roads, He considers the property tax ths fairest method of taxation, and a land tax would not produce anything like th-- amount produced by the property tax, He considers a change to a land tax would be in favor of rich men, He proposes to set apart a quarter of a million acres of land for sale by cash, Or lease, a percentage of the proceeds to be applied for purchases of more land for »-ettlement. He proposes not to go to the London market, but to borrow the money ia the colony.f He considers Unionism a great advantage to the working classes and Che oommunitv at large, but deprecates dictation outside their own Societies, and he considers legislation necessary. He concludes by saying that he has no heroic policy to offer, but relies on thirty years of public service for re election.