The Dominion SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 1915. THE BEST POSSIBLE USE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2552, 28 August 1915, Page 4

The Dominion SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, 1915. THE BEST POSSIBLE USE

I'he loan proposals of the Government. were briefly touched on yesterday in our reference to the Budget and also the question of the curtailment of. unnecessary public expenditure. These matters call for further and more extended comment. Of the two million loan which it is proposed to raise locally we arc told that half a million is to be devoted to making additions to open railways.' The balance_ of a million and a half apparently is to- be expended on other public works. _ Until the details are availablo it is impossible to judge whether or not the othc;; public works are under existing cirj ! cumstances warranted, but wo must again, make protest against any public works expenditure which is not imperatively nccessary. The Finance Minister makes appeal to members "not to press for'or expcct the Gov9rnment to meet demands for buildings on a large' scald.-"• We say unhesitatingly that no expenditure on public buildings is justified in the present state of things. .' But more than that, no expenditure 'on public works of any. kind is warranted unf less it; is of a nature calculated to facilitate increased production of • one or other of our staple products. No one can pretend to say lipw long the war will last; and every penny wo havo available should be utilised to servo-our, m'ost urgent needs in' thc_ struggle. _ We have not felt any serious financial strain; wo possess advantages which may, eliable us to escape tie pinch of hard time's; but to onsure this wc must see that, our public expenditure is . not diverted from those avenues vital to the successful accomplishment of the nation's fixed resolve—that is the prosecution of the war to the bitter end. In Great Britain the cry has gone forth from the highest-financial authorities, the. men most intimately acquainted with/the resources of ;tho Motherland, that the safe and prudent: course for public bodies of all kinds to follow is to confine their spending as'far as possible to two. purposes only: (l) In helping to carry on the war ; (2) in increasing •production. Here in New Zealand we cannot do better than follow this advice. The Government should have in view only one thing; that is how this Dominion can best assist the Empiro and its Allies to bring this war to a successful' Conclusion. All those local political considerations whioh too often influence public works expenditure should be, must bs, set aside. , Every penny that can bo spared from the war and the absolute essentials of government should be expended in directions likely to swell the volume of our exports. The capacity !of this country to assist in the struggle is mainly dependent on its power to produce foodstuffs and wool. This is: not only necessary • to our own prosperity, but our surplus supplies are needed to assist in feeding and clothing the peoplo of Great Britain and her soldiers in the fighting line. Our Allies also require all the help we can give them in this way. So it is that the Government, instead of borrowing money for public works which though necessary enough at ordinary t'irtics can well await the end of the present great struggle, should divert as much as possiblo of tKs money to assisting the primary producers and encouraging increased production. The Budgot expresses the hope that in addition to moneys to be bprrowed for Public works expenditure, sufficient "funds will be available to meet the reasonable requirements of settlers, workers, and local bodies. We would urge Ministers that it is more necessary in the' interests of everyone to find money'for tlio. requirements oE settlers than for any other purpose outside the prosecution of the war. A certain amoiiht of public works expenditure will, of_ course, be of a nature that will assist production, and no exception can be taken to this, but the Government' and Parliament should' realise that the present is no time for lialfmeasures, and every penny of public works expenditure that can be saved on buildings and other works not imperatively necessary can be turned to better account.