The Press. "WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1873.

Press, Volume XXI, Issue 2401, 16 April 1873, Page 2

The Press. "WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1873.

Oub proposed Standing Public Works Committee would, of course, be appointed by ballot. That the members should be nominated by GroYernment could not be thought of, for obvious reasons. Nor do we think the House would for a moment consent to any mode of appointment except that of election by itself. This suggests an objection which may haye occurred to some of our readers, and which, we will answer in anticipation. It may be urged that the institution of this committee would simply give a new direction to the universal desire to take the utmost possible advantage of the railway expenditure. Hitherto, any province or district "whish was anxious to obtain the sanction of Parliament for this or that railway has SOUght to get what it wanted by the aireet action of its representatives in the House. The members for the localities interested have striven to gain theii* end, either by stress of noting power, or by a mutual underutanding with other members who had similar objects of their own, or by putting pressure on the Government. But it has been shown that the appointment of the Standing Committee would frustrate these modes of exerting Parliamentary influence; and consequently—as the desire for railways would exist as strongly as ever —in default of the customary means, some other means for giving effect to it must be resorted to. The provinces would *oon find that their prospects of getting a satisfactory share of the expenditure depended on what view the committee might take of their proposals; and they would take their measures accordingly. Instead of endeavoring to muster a strong body of votes in the House, each province would make it its object to be well represented on the committee. But, the committee being chosen by ballot, it would follow that the largest provinces, having the majority of votes, would be able to return whom pleased. So that the committee would be chosen from piKig ?t£feie&tft,g?es of two or tfere*

large provinces; the small provinces would be entirely unrepresented; and thus a portion of the colony, on all questions relating to the appropriation of the public works loan, would legislate for the whole.

In reply to this objection, we must begin by observing that the Committee would not legislate at all. We have carefully guarded ourselves against being thought to imply that the decision would rest with it in any case. Its duty would be strictly confined to that of collecting information and reporting thereon to the House. If one of the smalf provinces—Marlborough or Taranaki, for instance — wished to hare a railway made, and could bring sufficient evidence to show that the line would be reproductive, the Committee would have no option but to report to that effect; and would outstep its functions by adding any expression of opinion as to the desirableness or policy of constructing the line in question. But further, our reply is twofold. In the first place we do not believe that such a result as has been suggested, though it would doubtless follow to some extent, would do so to anything like the extent apprehended. And secondly, so far as we think it likely to ensue, we hold it to be no more than is perfectly right and proper. In the selection of the Committee, the House will be greatly guided by a desire to make it thoroughly efn* dent. Any superior qualification for the business in hand would never be overlooked. Whenever a Select Committee is required for any special purpose, there are always two or three members who can be pointed out as certain to be nominated. In the case of a Committee on Native Affairs, for example, chosen by ballot, Mr M'Lean would certainly be elected. No one would stop to consider what place he represented, or what part of the colony he came from, or to what political party he belonged. His intimate knowledge of the Maoris, his many years of habitual intercourse with them, his long experience in their affairs, would be held to render his presence indispensable in any Committee by which Native matters were to be discussed. So ib will be with the Public Works Committee. The choice of the House would fall, first of all, on those members who were familiar with the management of public works, and had had opportuni- | ties of becoming acquainted with the wants of the country in that respect. Thus no member, probably, would be elected in preference to Mr Ormond. He is a representative of a very small province—one that is quite insignificant in weight of representation and political power. But then he was for nearly a twelvemonth at the head of the Public Works Department. In that capacity he must have acquired a large and varied amount of information on all matters connected with public works, at least in the North Island; and the House would not suffer itself to be debarred from profiting by his knowledge and experience, because he happened to represent one of the minor provinces. The same principle would apply in other cases. Ib may be laid down as a rule that the Committee would be chosen primarily on the ground of personal fitness; and that any one who, from his official position or otherwise, was specially qualified to act, would be elected to serve on it independently of any other considerations.

Wβ admit, however, that the large provinces would be most numerously represented on the Committee. Nor can we see any reason why they should not be. On the contrary, it would be highly unreasonable if they were not. They comprise among them by yery far the largest share of the wealth and population of the colony. "Whatever amount of indebtedness the colony contracts, the burden will fall, despite of all devices to escape it, chiefly on them. If the railway scheme is so mismanaged as to lead to financial disaster, they must bear the brunt. It is but fair, therefore, that they should take the largest part in any machinery constructed for the purpose of deciding what works can be safely undertaken and what amount of expenditure incurred. The smaller provinces whose demands for railways are out of all proportion to their population or resources, may be expected to take an exceedingly sanguine view of any undertaking in which they are concerned. They will naturally be disposed to regard with favor speculations of which, if successful, they will reap the benefits, while, if unsuccessful, the charges will be defrayed chiefly by -others. But provinces like Canterbury and Otago are in a very different position. They cannot avoid their full share, and more than their full share, of liability. They know that, if things go wrong, they will have to pay; and they have every inducement, if any opportunity for the "exercise of discretion can be afforded, to show some judgment and foresight. We deny then that injustice will be done to any part of New Zealand by the constitution of the Committee. Rather we claim it as an advantage, and as a great additional safeguard, that the merits of every proposal involving the expenditure of borrowed money on public works should be enquired into by a tribunal so interested in not consenting to any outlay which is likely to be a permanent charge on the colony.