8.—6

XXXII

done. Tours to the value of £44,251 were booked at the Department's bureaux during the year, as against £37,622 for the previous year. The Government has decided to pursue a vigorous policy of advertising the scenic attractions of New Zealand in Australia. A comprehensive selection of views and sporting trophies will also be shown at the San Francisco Exhibition. SPECIAL PROVISION FOR ROADING. Owing to the keen demand for our products and the increase of settlement in almost every part of New Zealand, as well as the fact that for the last few years settlement has gone ahead of roading, the Government has decided to ask Parliament for authority to raise one million pounds, the expenditure to be spread over three years, and the money to be used for the formation and metalling of roads in those districts where roading is most urgently required. It is proposed that the expenditure shall be under the control of the Public Works Department, or that authority shall be issued to the local body of the district when such local body is willing and capable of carrying out the undertaking successfully. The prosperity of the Dominion depends almost entirely upon its primary industries, and if the people engaged in these industries are not to be handicapped in their operations they must be provided with adequate means of transit. The approximate value of our exports for the year ended the 30th June last was £24,960,468, an increase over the previous year of £1,389,477, and if this rate of increase is to be maintained our settlers must be given the necessary facilities. LOAN FOR PUBLIC WORKS. At the beginning of the year £1,406,212 was available for public works, but returns furnished to the Treasury showed liabilities amounting to £992,098, this leaves a balance of £414,114, to which is to be added £350,000, which I propose to transfer from the Consolidated Fund. It is therefore clear that the Public Works Fund will require to be augmented during the year, and, in conformity with the previously announced intention of the Government to pursue a policy of progressive development of the Dominion's resources, authority will be sought to raise a public-works loan amounting to £2,000,000. CUSTOMS REFORM. It was the intention of the Government to have undertaken a partial revision of the Customs tariff this session, but the grave crisis which now threatens the trade and commerce of the civilized world make it imperative that nothing should be done this year to aggravate the troubles which are already disturbing our commerce. It must, however, be recognized that tariff reform is day by day becoming more urgently necessary, and the Government regrets that the industrial disturbance of last year prevented consideration of this important matter and that the existing European crisis makes it impossible for them to carry out their policy in regard to Customs reform this session. The plea for tariff revision to-day is largely based upon the enormous aggregation of unavoidable anomalies which have been created by the tariff resolutions of 1907. Modern science and invention have brought into use machinery and articles of manufacture entirely unprovided-for in the tariff of 1907. A striking instance of this is shown in road-rollers and road-grading machines, which are not made in New Zealand. No provision is contained in the tariff for easing the burden which local bodies have to pay in the shape of 20 per cent, duty, whereas such machines, which make for the maintenance and improvement of our roads, should be placed upon the free list. Machinery peculiarly adapted to the manufacture of boots and shoes, hats, confectionery, leather, &c, was omitted from the free list in 1907, whereas engineers, stoneworkers, and woodworkers import the machines peculiar to their industries free of duty. Innumerable instances may be cited where revision