PREMIER RESENTS CRITICISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1237, 20 September 1911, Page 6

PREMIER RESENTS CRITICISM.

ANOTHER ANGRY OUTBURST. EAST COAST LINE. HEPLY TO A DEPUTATION. A deputation representing the North Island Railways League and various Chambers o? Commerce and other public bodies waited yesterday morning upon the Prime Minister to urge that the Government should push on with the construction of the East Coast railway from Napier. Mr. J. Vigor Brown, M.P., introduced the deputation. He understood that it did not wish to interfere in the matter of the routo the line should take.

Mr. C. E. Cranby (president of the Napier Chamber of Commerce) said a promise had been made that a sum should be placed on the Estimates and a start made from the Napier cud. The Minister for Public Works had expressed his opinion that the- railway would pay. The district from one end to the other was satisfied that tho line would bring a large revenue to the Dominion.

Mr. 11. Haydon (president of the Railway League) referred to what had been advocated by last year's deputation. The North Island railways had been earning more than the south lines, and the more Ihe country was opened up by railways the better it would be for the Dominion as a whole. A great many of the settlers along the routo of the proposed railway were isolated, and were dependent upon a rather uncertain sea service. They constituted a little New Zealand inside a big New Zealand up there. Tho line was ouo of the main traffic lines of the Dominion, and should lie pushed on. Evon for defence purposes the line would be a very important one, but the main point was giving an opportunity for closer settlement, and further opening up the country. No doubt more money had been spent iast year than in the previous year, but the league wanted the Government to go on spending. A substantial sum of money should be voted. A real bona fide start should be made with the work, which would be a paying one. He was he said, speaking from a North Island point of view, not from a Napier point of view alone. They asked for a considerable sum to be niticcd on the Estimates, and that the money voted should bo spent.

Mr. 11. C. Tows'loy (Wellington Chamber of Commerce) advocated the spending of 4)50,000 on the line at each end. .Mr. T. Bayne (Dannevirke) said they looked on the line as one of tho main arterial lines of the colony. His district was heartily in support of the proposal. Mr. D. White (Hastings Chamber of Commerce) spoke on similar lines. Hastings was at ono with Napier in asking that tho line should be pushed through. Ho did not think thero would be any difficulty about tho route at tho Napier cud. It had been suggested that thero was a split between tho Napier and Hastings people as to the way the lino should go, but thev had evidence that there was no such split, and that the Government would have every assistance from the two communities. All they asked was that the' line should be pushed forward from tho Napier end. They recognised it was a national work. . ; ' THE PRIME MINISTER'S REPLY. J3PITHBTTCAL MISSLES FOE CRITICS. Sir Joseph Ward said ho thought ho had mado it quite clear to their member last year that tho Government intended lo commence the railway irom the Napier end that year, aud he did not quite know what the deputation was r.bout. Tho Government always' kept its promises in matters of this kind. It was gratifying to know: that the railway was so much desired. If they looked at the 1 views expressed by tho Opposition organ published in Wellington tkat morning, they might come to tho conclusion that the Government should feel hesitation in maKing any railways at all. Statements were for ever beiug mado in the most damaging way, and with the.intention of- damaging tho Government, but with the effect of damaging tho country. The aim apparently was to prevent the Government going on with public works at all. For instance, when it undertook the completion of the North Island Main Trunk railway, he provided, as Treasurer, an amount that had never been provided before, ,£IOO,UOO a year. Now they had an idea created for political purposes that the country was going to the dogs. Statements were published deliberately with the idea of destroying the financial stability of this country, and so enabling another party to como into power. They had the same thing from Opposition members practically every week of the session, and ou practically every sitting day in Parliament. Meantime the Government was exerting'itself to provide works that were reproductive, and imposed no burden on the taxpayers. It was regrettablo that such. statements as ho had alluded to should be published in a responsible paper which was supposed to be voicing tho views of the Opposition in this country. The paper was circulated broadcast. To his own knowledge it was distributed in ■ (inancial circles in London. The Government was subjected from time to time to tho vilest abuse and most contemptible tactics in connection with public undertakings that they were carrying on. To his mind it was about time that the public knew of tho methods that were being adopted by tho political opponents of the Government. Ho could find nothing in any other country, of tho world to approach it. These Xonahs, crying "stinking fish," damaged the country and all who inhabited it. Tho Government would pursue its policy, in face of this opposition, of providing the people with facilities. They would provide the railway for which tho deputation had asked. In this country people not only required public works, but in some cases it was a matter of life and death to them to have works carried out. Yet this wretched system went on of practically undermining tho coun'.ry for political purposes. Tho Government intended to provide the public v;orks necessary for this country, and to carry them on vigorously, but he thought that it was about time that some of tho people behind those who expressed tho views to which ho had referred should recogniso _ the damage that was being done to New Zealand. Ho was not going discuss the question of tho two Islands. The Government would continue to do what was fair to both Islands They could not respond to anvthing like iie total demand that was being made upon this country. He would undertake to. say that, between railways, public works, roads and bridges, the Cabinet had applications for tv:clvo millions of money before it to discriminate between, aud probably they had two and a quarter millions of money to do tho whole thing with. The applications ;n hand probably represented a good deal more than twoke millions. The Government was placed every year in tho position of having to limit the amount of .expenditure for public works. They carried out works without the taxpayers having to bear increased burdens. Yet, to read the comments made in this country people outside would como to the conclusion that we were Etoiug to the dogs.■_ As a matter of fact, New Zealand was in a stronger position, financially, than any of tho Australian States. If these railways and roads \vere not wanted, representations would not be so persistently made In- people in different portions of New Zealand. He repeated that the attempts of the Opposition had damaged New Zealand, though intended to damage the members of the Government. The authorisation for this railway had been passed, and it would be gone on with. This was not going to interfere with the work from tho Gisborno end. lie recognised that there woro two portions of the country to bo opened up and developed. The work would be pusW on from year to year as rapidly as funds would permit. Tho Government did not object to the criticism of the Opposition, or to being written against as much as any people could desire. Ho did object * to the methods that were being adopted. The fact was ignored that works were carried out without involving additional taxation. Recognising what was goinc on, he had felt it his duty to make this statement. Soveral members of the deputation thanked the Prime Minister for his reply, among them Mr. Cranby, who stated that personally lio sympathised with what Sir

Joseph Ward had said about the criticism lo which the Government was subjected. OTHER SPEECHES. A PROMISE: WAS IT KEPT? Mr. White, ol Gisborue, said thero was a matter lie wished to reior to at the request of the Gisiiorne District liast Loast liuand Railway Lvalue, it was the questioji of tho liangaroa as against lli« Jlaugapoeilta route. The seniors were very ucsirous that Uo roulu .selected should he announced as soon as possilj.c. 'iliey recognised tuat the linal decision must be left to tno Government. Air. Jtay, tho Government engineer, had carnetl on a survey aiong Uie itanyaiua route, but in I'M, wnun tho J-.nn.-rui Government was riMurned to power, Vaal survey was suddenly stopped. I'i'uliuses were however made lliai lae survey would lie continued as soon as surveyors were available. Hitii all due ueierente to w'uat Sir Joseph \\ urd liad said, nowover, that promise had not been Ucpt. lucre- had uecn great delay in tlio mattar sines Viie survey had ueeu uroppud. 11d spoke with a' kuov.euge ol tho wnuio position, and he said Uu c.aiius ol tliu league to have tho route decided suouid be listened to.

Sir Jainos Carroll at this stage remarked tuat he would like to say a lew words. Ho was familiar with the- liiswry of tne agitation, Tiio suujcct ol the routo connecting Wairoa Willi Gisboruo had formed a subject ot agitation immediately it was known that tho'Alaiigapooika route was being surveyed. Mr. Wliito and others liad thought that ho (Sir James Carroll) had advocated the latter route, liis answer was that he was not advocating that liuo as against others and his to.o desiro was tor railway connection at tho earliest possible time. Jn the matter of routo tho Government would havo to bo guided by their engineers—whether the line went inland or othcrwiso did not concoru him very much. Tho surveyors were at work now and tho Government, on their report, would havo to take tho responsibility of deciding the line' of rouie. He (Sir James Carroll) was concerned chiefly in rppard to the connection. The Hon. R. M'Kcnzie said Mr. White was not exactly familiar with tho real conditions. I'rom Gisborne to Wairoa there were three routes, one on the coast' via Mohaka, one via Mangapoeika, and the third by way of Ilangaroa. He explained that Sh. liny, while snrvcying tho Hangaroa roule, had to bo taken awav to do other work, and subsequently lie left the country, so that there was no ono available to carry it on till quite lately. He explained to the Prime Minister that a dozen settlers called themselves this league, and they naturally wanted the railway their own way. Tho Government, however, were determined to find out what w.is best for the country. There was one thing to be remembered, viz., that if the line went via TlaTigaroa ho did not think it would go into Gisborne; it would very likely join the line at Ormornl or Karaka.

Sir Joseph Ward said the reply of his two colleagues gave 'as much as could be said on the matter. If the Government pnve an undertaking to carry out works they always k<>pt their promise. As to the stopping of the survey, t'hft Government had a right to transfer nn enirineer from one work to another. They did not keep an excess of surveyors. They only kept sufficient to do their work.