EXPENDITURE ON NORTH AND SOUTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 110, 11 May 1910, Page 3

EXPENDITURE ON NORTH AND SOUTH.

REPLY TO CRITICISM. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. £BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL TO TBCE POST.] AUCKLAND, This Day. The much discussed question of public works expenditure, particularly in its application to the North Island as compared to the South Island, was referred to in the course of an interview by the Hon. Geo. Fowlds, Minister for Education, prior to his departure for Wellington. "I have noticed the criticism levelled against the Government by some people that the South Island is receiving more than it.« fair share of public works expenditure to the detriment of the North," said Mr. Fowlds. "If, however, any unbiassed person would look into the figures dealing with the last ten years' public expenditure he would find that there had been a preponderance in favour of the North for the whole of that period. I am willing to admit that in the matter of railway expenditure particularly a good deal has yet to be dono before au equilibrium can be established. Every South Island member, in my opinion, is impressed by the fact that in view of the population, production, and the amount of taxation contributed the 'North must in future of necessity receive a larger proportion of expenditure for railway development. Last year was ike first for a good many years that the South Island received a greater ap{.ro-i priation than the North for railway expenditure. On that ground ihc Government has come in for a good defl of adverse criticism. I may say ot once that I would not be a party to the ooatiiviftnce of that basis of appropriation, but last year there were special circumstances which appeared to me to be sufficient to justify the appropriations made. There was a considerable number of railway works in the South Island within a short distance of being completed. Two courses were open to the Governmenc — either to continue with small appropriations before they could be finished, leaving the whole of the money already expended more or less productive, or to make larger appropriations and get these works out of the way. The Opposition has frequently condemned the system of carrying on so many railway works at such a slow rale and recommended that they be pushed on to completion where nearly finished. The Government therefore decided last year that in the interests of the wholo Dominion a number of nearly completed lines should be finished Accordingly the following lines have now been brought to completion: — HokitikaRoss, Ngarere-Blackball, Lawrence-Big Hill, Riversdale-Switzers, and OnepukeTuatapere. With these railways out of the way it will be possible to make better provision foi the North Island railways next year. "In spite of the special circumstances that affected the railway vote of last year," added the Minister, "it is interesting to note that the North Island did actually receive considerably the best of it in regard to public works expenditure generally. In fact the total amount expended on railways, roads, bridges, and public buildings in the North last year was something like £60,000 more than the amount expended in the South."