WORTH V. SOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 134, 8 June 1910, Page 8

WORTH V. SOUTH.

PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE. JPKEMIER AND OPPOSITION LEADER A TWO-SIDED QUESTION. Speaking at the Chamber of Commerce dinner at Government House last night, the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) made reference to the cry of North, v. South which has so often been heard of late. Sir Joseph said he wished it to be understood that when he was speaking of the North, he did not mean. the North of Auckland alone, but the whole of the North Island. He desired ■to call the attention of those present to what the present Administration had achieved since it came into office in 1906. It would not be right' for him to go beyond that period, but he would showto them what the Government had done in that time, and quote authentic figures as an illustration. Sir. Leo Myers, in the course of his vice-presidential address, had .referred at length to the needs of the North, but it had to be remembered that' if these works were carried out as suggested it would mean an expenditure on a colossal scale. Let him quote what the Government had done in regard to the allocation of public works expenditure since 1006. The railway expenditure in the North Island had been £ 3,906,0C0.

as compared to £3,295,000 in the South Island. In respect to the expenditure on roads and bridges, the North Island received £1,082,000, and the South Island £520,000. On public buildings £630,000 was spent in the North, and £380,000 in the South. Telegraph extension, cost £356,000 in the North, and £200,000 in the South. It would therefore .be seen that the North Island had been allocated £6,097,000 during the period named, and the South Island £3,398,000, leaving a total of £2,699,000 in favour of the North. Also, in connection with public works expenditure, he desired to point out that the amount spent in Auckland city alone on public Tjuildings was £117,----500. Where there was a limitation of the amount that could be borrowed each year for public works, it would be seen that such colossal expenditure as that asked for was entirely out of the question. Last year two millions of money was borrowed and spent on public works in this country. If they wanted to go any faster they would have to borrow laTger sums. He felt that it was in the best interests of commerce and settlement, and the country as a whole, that they should maintain the financial stability of the country before anything else. (Hear, hear.) On the Home market, New Zealand, during the last six months, had secured the best result's and outstripped every other country on the'market, including Canada, India, Japan, and New South Wales. This Dominion had defeated them as to the rate of interest, and beat them out' of sight for the amount of public money subscribed far New Zealand, as compared to other countries. This was a great thing for New Zealand, and they should congratulate themselves on the outcome of their latest transactions on the Home market. Auckland people could rest assured that they would at all times get fair play from the present Administration, and he believed the figures he had quoted to them, covering the last four years' expenditure, would prove it beyond doubt. He thought even the most fastidious opponent of the Government (if there was one present) would admit that this was so. They would get fair play, and he 'believed that the Auckland province had a great future before it—greater, in fact, than even the most sanguine Aucklander present had hinted at. They had that night asked for road 3 and railways on an extensive scale, and urged settlement of Crown lands. Let him call their attention to the progress in Auckland province over the period of the last nine years. During that time 6811 occupied holdings had sprung into existence. The increase in the number of stock — sheep, horses, and cattle —ran into 1,136,000. Imports and exports increased in value by £3,600,000. Manufactures increased to the extent of £3,133,000, and the value of plant, machinery, and land had increased by £1,391,000. "Referring to the question of native land settlement, Sir Joseph Ward said that the Government was anxious to have as much Maori land as possible made available for settlement. (Hear, hear.) He would like to remind them in this respect of what had been done in the same period. An area of 2,476,291 acres of native lands had been made available for settlement, and 6788 petitioners had been placed on this land. In addition, there was an area of 745,000 acres that had been actually settled. The Government was anxious to pursue this policy of expeditious settlement to the extent of half a million acres per year. It had to be remembered, though, that however much the Government wanted to hasten settlement, the work of surveying could not be got through in a year, or even two years. They would see, however, that the Government was sincere in it's desire to forward the settlement of native lands. (Applause.)

Mr W. F. Massey, M.P., Leader of the Opposition, also made reference, during the course of his speech, to the question of public expenditure in the North as compared to the South. From a point of view of population, commerce and production, Auckland -was probably the most ■important district in the Dominion. (Hear, heaT.) The province was now going through, a process of development, and its "wants and requirements -were many. At the same time, they asked nothing more than their fair share, and what they were justly entitled to. The Prime Minister had quoted a string of figures to show that the North had. received more than its share. He -would like to call to their minds, however, what had been happening during the last 16 or 20 years. Splendid railways and roads -were touilt in the South before the North -was ever thought of. The North 'had to contribute its full share to the policy of public "works expenditure in the South. Now they asked that the same treatment should in all fairness be meted out to the North—that they should be placed, in the same position, mite for mile, in regard to roads, and the same position, mile for mile, in regard to railways. ((Applause.) They would be satisfied with nothing less, and the sooner that fact was realised by the Government the better. The Prime Minister had also made reference to the native land question. This, in Mr Masopinion, was the most important question Parliament had to deal with at the present time. Quoting long strings of figures would not settle the problem. It had to be dealt -with determinedly, and in a business-like -fashion. The Government's methods of dealing with the native land difficulty reminded him of an industry in which the motive po-wer had gone -wrong. It -was like a case in which the directors of a company decided to nave an engine repaired and renovated.. .Having . 'had these repairs" effected, it <was still found that the m»cfolnery- was j»t working satisfactorily. Then it transpired that

the men iii-charge of the engine -were not keeping -upthe pressure 'to 15Olbs to the square inch, but 'only lgibs' to =the square inch, and so the whole machinery went as lazily-and haphazardly as before. The position in Tegard to the machinery of the administratHHi of native lands was just the same. -What did the men responsible forthis unsatisfactory--working of the machinery -deserve at the •hands of the-directois of 4b.e company?

A voice: Tierr pay should be lowered. Mr Masseys They'should get the sack. (Langhter.)

A -voice.: Or-else 'be called to !£he Upper House. (Loud laughter.)

Mr Masssey conciudwi by saying it was a mofcter.for legislation, as well as administration, and ■was- one of the most important questions at present :before the country. jif&l^u^

X"'* AMUSEMENTS. ' '-:: *\ "PETE." . ' " • ' HALL CAINE'SCPLAY PLEASES VAST AUDIENCE. When.Mammon overthrew Art, in the struggle for lie literary soul of Hall Came, Lust of Wealth, gained a votary worth the having. It was no barren triumph —the spoils were to the victors, and were of unusual magnitude, and the camp of the Philistines was strengthened by one with, gifts of no common order. The man who might, perhaps, have left a monument of marble in the temple of Art found there is more money in clay—which is sad—but let us remember that in working in the more plastic medium, where, at a cry from; the public, a tw-ist of tbe hand will turn Tragedy to Commonplace, the decadent artist is, a.t all events, deft, ami that the models he complacently turns out are far above the average.

v.jich, being interpreted, is to say, that while " Pete" is drama as the public like it, and not as it i 3 served out relentlessly by Life, it is immeasurably better than the same style of thing (which Wβ all know so well) turned out by less skilful hands. The Manxman, with a happy ending, must have been ethically and artistically impossible in other hands. Mr. Came gets over the difficulty with wonderful agility, and if his artistic tongue was in 1-is cheek, as he gave it to the public, he has disguised the fact very successfully. The play is therefore, without doubt, a better, besides a more popular version than any previous dramatisation of the novel. The reconciliation of the erring Ka-te and the magnanimous Pete is cleverly, conveniently, almost convincingly contrived, and a long evening of anguish for those who suffer with the heroine Is concluded with a happy curtain, •which does not seriously offend one's sense of reality or the fitness of things, and which leaves only the shadow of a "But," with, a capital "B."

The play, which is most admirably staged and mounted, and which was followed with almost breathless interest by an enormous and often palpitatinglyperturbed audience, is chiefly remarkable for the every fine act-ing of Mr. Roberts a-s Pete. It is a performance of the highest artistic merit because of its' absolute sincerity and naturalness. We have here a real impersonation of Pete the simple, the generous, the foolish, the lovable. Mr. Roberts gives us no star actor dressed for the nonce in jersey and sea boots, and mouthing his fine sentiments bang into the centre of the gallery —a typo we sill kno-w. His method is different. He says those same fine things, but half shyly, quite unconscious that they are fine, and thus by art concealing art produces an effect worth going a long way to see. Mies Day tunes her note to his. She avoids stage hysteria, her passion is restrained, her appeals are never noisy and are directed rather to the heart and understanding than to the eye and ear, as is usually the- case with the bewailing and bemoaning heroine who has been betrayed.

The acting-of the rest of the cast is adequate and we regret that exceptional pressure on to-day's space prevents longer notice of a production which is thoroughly good of its class, and a com.pany to which we look forward in seeing in llt. Jones' play "The Hypocrite." OPERA HOUSE. To-day marks the first Wednesday matinee at the Opera House, and the new order of-things is sure to 'be popular, particularly with people from the outsuburbs, who otherwise have difficulty in getting to an evening performance. The •usual Saturday matinee will also be given. WEST'S PICTURES. The present programme at the Royal Albert Hall is continuing its popular run. "Phaedra," the mythological drama, is a particular favourite. TIVOLT THEATRE. In addition to the pictures, the Tivoli patrons have now a particularly entertaining bill, a feature of which, is Parker, the "Handcuff King." KINKING. There will be a childrens' carnival at Prince's on the 18th, when prizes will be awarded for the most original costume, and a special prize for the smallest child on skates. The first heats of the one mile championship at the Glideaway were decided last night, the results being:—First heat, B. O'Hare; second heat, J. Rowlands; third heat, F. Grantley. The remaining heats will be contested on Triday.