THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7242, 30 July 1907, Page 2

THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURE.

In replying to. several successive deputations, in Wellington, yesterday, tut 1 remier, S-.r Joseph Ward, said thai, tht present Government was pursuing fa more vigorous public works policy than had been carried on by. any other Government, even that of Sir Julius Vo- §?-' -7 1 fT ast year no iess a sum tixa,n £1,----ii°' 4 was cx IJended on railways aloi-e J.lie -rovernment were doing tremendous work, and doing it prudently. If h acceded to all requests that were beino made to start fresh works, a million Ican would be a mere drop in-the bucket. It would require three or four millions a year to provide for all the works. The Government could only allocate the money at its disposal fairly, and it had no intention of promising anything that it could not possibly carry out. The most important work on hand at-the present time was the North Island Main Trunk Railway, and this was absorbing £300,000 or £350,000 a year. Until this was out of the way— which would be about the end of next

year—they could not give any great increases to any other lines. The main thing was to complete the lines already authorised, and the Government could only do this to the extent of the money available each year. During the previous year the debt of the colony had been increased by the sum of £1,988,000 and of that sum no less than £1,345,749

had been spent in connection with railways—£9l9,6S4 lor actual constructive works, £303,915 on the duplication of existing lines. It had to be remem-

.ered, moreover, that during the year

the Government would be called upon to make provision for £3,300,000 of fresh money—£Boo,ooo in redemption of

loans, £1,532,900 in ordinary conversions, .and £1,000,000 as a fresh loan T__a first consideration of the Government ta, ;t be to keep the colony's fin anciai j>- .ition sound and healthy, and it was nut intended to make any new

appropriations for railways. The oxpenditnre could not' be increased, but it would probably have to be rather less. The Government could not? afford to go in for what might lie termed an extravagant railway policy in addition to what it' was already doingThe .whole position would be carefully reviewed, but he wished to .'make it clear that the present G overment could not be bound by any promises made by

any of their predecessors, no mat cv whether it was Sir Julius Vogel or anyone else. Any promises that had been male by their predecessors were no doubt made in face of the particular circumstances then existing, but- the present. Government had to view the matter from the standpoint of the circumstances as they existed at the present time. The Government were anxious to do their best to meet the requirements of each district, but- they had-no fewer than 17 railways in course of construction at the present time, and those must be completed before any new works were undertaken.