AUCKLAND'S LOST FAITH.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 14, 17 July 1905, Page 5

AUCKLAND'S LOST FAITH.

SOME INSTRUCTIVE FIGURES. VIRTUOUS PROFESSIONS BOWLED* OUT. The members of the deputation succeeded in making a clear statement of the attitude of the Public Works Department towards this important work, and there is really not a very great deal to add to opinions so often expressed before. The views of the Southern members of tiiis island are well enough known i to the public, hut 1 with the object of amplifying the statement of Auckland's case a Poat reporter saw Mr. Fowids this morning. , The member for Grey Lynn gave ai short history of the more recent stages of the question. Up till the general election of 1899 there was always a difference of opinion between Auckland and Wellington as to the route, but that difference is dead and dona vtith. long sinco in presence of the very much more urgent question of getting the railway through, by some route or otiher. It was with tha intention of sinking th© issue and uniting to geb the line through by any route that the Auckland members went to tha electors. Ip 1900 in Wellington a number of Wellington and Auckland members saw Mr. Hall-Jones and the Premier and asked that the railway be completed ia two years. The Minister for Publia Works replied that the line could not be built in two years without a lot of waste, but that it could be done in foup years. The Premier had said that ib would be completed at the earliest possible moment. "These two statements, " said Mr. Fowlde, "dovetail and combino to a definite statement that the lino would be completed in four years. A ; deputation from the Auckland Railway League and Chamber of Commerce re* minded Sir J. G. Ward in 1903 of this promise, and the Minister for Railways, believing that his colleagues had beeij genuine, acknowledged t!hat tie promise had been made, and, as stated t>y Mr. Fowids on Saturday, had eaid ona lin«i would be through in 1907; As to the promise which Mr. HallJones evaded (vide the report of th<a deputation) by some remarks about "after dinner," Mr. Fowids said he could get other members to testify to that promise being made. "In his Publio Works Statement in 1900," said Mr. Fowids, "the Minister said he could do th© work in four years if Tie tad tha money." As a matter of fact, the Minister made a much more unequivocal state* ment, thus: "This year we- ask fo» £130,000. . . . This sum will enabla the work to be so extended! nhat the connection between Wellington and Auckland can be completed within four years." l The contention of Aucklanders is tlKit^ for a reason which can be imputed (eveui if not proved by inference), the Government has not been, able, to spend what it asked for. A hunt through Publia Works Statements revealed (as an inter.* esting commentary on Parrkmenfc's willingness to vote whatever was asked, and the Minister's professed anxiety to^spen^ as much as Parliament would give hya and thus enable him to keep his promise to build the line if he could get th« money) the following interesting and' mv structive figures: — Year of Asked for asking. and roted. Spent. £ £ • 1900 *.„ 130,000 116,9033 1901 w, 160,000 M 184,561 1902 >.« 250,000 112,162 1903 ... 200,000' w , 174,488 1904 „. 150,000 _. ♦ •Figures not yet available. Hhus in the four years 1900-1903 tafl sum of £740,000 was voted in responsn to the Minister's request, but the Minisj ter only spent £588,106— -lie amount nn« spent being thus £151,894 in this period (covering the time in the period of tho promise epoch). "What does Auckland) tfcinfc of «1B this?" it was asked. "That no promise of the Governmenfi can be relied on," was tha ■uncompromisa ing reply of Mr. Fowids. "And now, will they expect the lin« to be finished in three years as th« Minister Ihope3 t tbireks, and does noli promise?" "Ask me something easier," he said.