TEE RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION BILL.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12027, 31 October 1904, Page 6

TEE RAILWAYS AUTHORISATION BILL.

Mr amendment proposing the postponement of the Railways Authorisation Bill until the Public Work* Statement and Estimates had been brought down -was, of course, defeated; the Premier could' probably have relied «pon »' sufficient number of faithful follower* without resorting, as he did, to the childish device of deolaring \he amendment a "noconfldence" motion. Bat the Leader of the Opposition was nevertheless absolutely justified in his action. Apart altogether from the merits of the measure, it is the veriest farce for such a Bill to be brought in before the House knows what Pnblia Works are to be pushed forward and what money there is to spend on them. 5 > The: thne i* inopportune for increasing our expenditure and undertaking fresh responsibilities in the way of half finished ra&y waye. Even if this were not so, 00 Govern*. ment;with any regard foe eound adminktration would propose/ to dribble away money here and there"in this construction of such railways as are dealt'with: in theBill, while the main lines of the, colony j have atili.to be completed. But Mr Sed--don'e Government has never had any reputation for. sound administration to lose;' and it*. latest performance is quite in keeping whh 1 it* previous- record' in this, respect. Those who voted ior the Bill which has just been forced through the House, did so without the slightest idea of. what they were doing.; ' Most of them knew nothing of the lines which the BO? authorise*, nor of the necessities of "the district* through which Uiey They knew etniiess about the poeitioii 'it the finances and the amount of money avail- i able for expenditure, though some of them must realise that there is no more likeli- j hood of these "snippet" railways being .: put iii hand than there is of the Government establishing a line of air-ships between New Zealand and Australia,- w, to come down to one of the Premier's projects, tunnelling under Cook Strait*. Mr; Seddon haa not got the money to spare, and it ie perhape just as well that he is I not able to get it. Wβ have too niinypolitical railways in New Zealand already, i and the Eailways Authorisation Bill only; proposes to add to their number. The farcical nature of the -whole affair, was ' shown, by the manner in which; the \ amendment increasing, the length of "the! Tadmor eection of the Midland railway was introduced after tie second reading; bad been agreed to. . It • wa*; -a*-: Mr]r ] Massey said, a "scandalous trick," and the opinion of the House in the matter in eeen in the alacrity with which the Premierwithdrew the amendment. The original' proposal, however, remains with the other; lines mentioned in the Bill, and the adro-; cates of these undertakings will not loee'; eight of the fac*Hhat their. conetruction! has been authorieed by the Hot»e Thelittle plan-of. fooling the 'constituencies has; bee duly carried out, and that it waJlyj all Mr Seddon wants. Tbe incident only s adds force to the tjiat it i*j high time our methods of authorising and! constructing Pablio; Work, were put W a more rational footing. :. C {.'.:! ;S ' : ■— '■ ' ' ■:.:• '/ ; '