FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS' FROM " THE POST"

MAIN TRUNK RAILWAY

"At a time when the fate of .'.the "North Island ' Trunk Eiilway is actually .trembling in the balance, and when we find at" least one candidate for a 'North Island constituency-false to the interests of'the Island and prep.ared to", unite, with- its' enemies in aider to .intercept' the of . the wprii," it .is satisfactory to know that, the lino has a staunch advocate in ..one..who is likely; to' exercise, a potent voice in the new Parliament," remarks ''The Post" of -this date -fifty years aS9- "We refer to Sir Julius Vogel. He it v^s who conceived the Public VVorks; policy: on the basis of a trunk line from. Auckland to the. Bluff, and he; cvidently f steadily adheres to- his originar proposal. The; WellingtonAuckland, line,.he says, is a noble work; it. will enrich the whole colony and raise its position. In these days of peddling politics and trimming .politicians, whsn few, if any, of the-leaders who have guided, the. destinies \ of the colony for some time past are able, to rise above local prejudices and narrow, selfish views, it is indeed, well that a now-leader should have appeared, able to. take1 a broad, rational, comprehensive view of the conditions and requirements of the colony, and not afraid to speak out boldly, the convictidns he entertains. If Sir Julius Vogel-had not, since,his return to the ,colony, done anything beyond his championing the' -cause-, of - the North Island Trunk Bailway, for the completion of which Parliament 'has; already voted the/ necessary money, it alone should .entitle him to the confidence of the peopie of; New Zealand, and induce them to ratura members -who will ■ enable him to give practical effect to- the wise policy which ho \ enunciates so clearly."

. GOVERNMENT AT A MINIMUM, ; "It has often been a matter , for comment and complaint that New Zealand is- a much over-governed country. There is no doubt that ' there is generally ..good- ground: for such: a "complaintj but for the last few .weeks the colony has certainly enjoyed a minimum amount of- Government. -It has no Governor, it has no Parliament, and it practically has no- Ministry. /The Governor- i§ in Australia, ■ Parliament 5s defunct, and all the Ministers are busy electioneering. The whole machinery of' Government 'is, in fact, being run by Mr/Olliver, and we ares not'at all sure that things are not ■ pursuing the:even :tenor of their way from one end- of. the; colony to .the: other , just about as veil as if all hands twerc at their' posts and the ship of State was fully manned. If the business of the country can be carried oii for several months without any greatv inconvenience' arising from such "a 'reduction; in the number 'of "high- ' administrative officers usually engaged1 in the work of-.'goVernment, ;the 'question naturally suggests itself whether tho '-system might not be so simplified 'as -to'-'rbnj-der'a "large permanent reduction possible without any. sacrifice of'efficiency." --.'•■: : •'■ ■■"'■ ■ ;'' ..' '■ "" ■■-' " "■ i .■ BEFORE TBIE BATTLE. ', ' ; '-'Toniorrow will, be an eventful day in:the history of New- Zealand. -There hits 'scarcely ever been; ai General-Elec-tion' Iri; this- colony, in which, -graver;.or more' important assues rested.:-on:-the decision of the ballot box.. We doubt mean'that there isi; any great political question before ; the "electors just now as tnere .was, for instance, when .abolition'was Spending, but the colony ;is undoubtedly" in 'a very" critical position, and on the' .wisdom: and;prudence of'the Parliament about to, be elected wilL^depend- how 'it. gets thrpugh > .the crisis.' It would-be too much-to.v.as}- " aert- that the crisis l has been .brought about altogether by-any act of.omission 6n'; the'part 'of either- Government - or : Parliament; but undoubtedly there has' : been in/the'-la'st few ■years' much- bad legislation ' and a great deal of bad ' administration, "all- of which has ; tended to depress the industry and the spirit lof 'the colony. Matters have been, allowed ;to< '■ dfiftJ "■ Parliament and' 1 Ministry, alike have-pursued a-hand-to;',' ,' inbuth:: policy. .""They: have acted • "dri!; the 'that, sufficient for1 'the; dayis tlie evil'thereof,' and'they have| neglected to. look' forward or to make any provision -for'1 future contingencies. The depression whichis now so severely felt? in the Middle Island, and ;whieh to' a. .slighter extent affects the North Inland" also, was-not, as it should have been, foreseen, and no steps were taken to /provide against it. :llcnee the in: tensity 'jvitt which it has fallen 'Upon the. polony. .The problem .which will be before the new Parliament will: be how '.to' TClievo this' depression arid how to restore pub&s confidence. That tie colony is sound in every way'cannot be doubted, but it requires careful.adlriinistratipn and good ■ statesmanship to utilise, its' resources so as to restore ' general prosperity;'-' - ' ' ■ ■-."• '■ ■ '- '.! MISCELLANEOUS, PARAGRAPHS. | "The Wainui-o-mata waterworks aro now, almost finished, and if the, weather remains 'reasonably ' fine- the -.contrabt should be completed next week." ' • '•?The 'New':Zealand Shipping .Company > have' every leason 'to -.be ■-. proud . of their steamer'Buapeliu.'.: ; Tho. actual ■ steaming'-time of-the .voyage .from Plyi-J ' niouth "to -Wellington-was 41 -da.ysvl.6 hours-50' minutes,: which is ;the fastest ■: voyage on record."'',: , ." " !;.V ' "The- formation •of - a .company" to build a' new theatre'on: thesite,of the old Opera- House' inr Manners Street progresses well, and upwards.: of;, half the required capital. has already been ■subscribed;" ■ .-■•: . . . ■_.-..: .::.', "i petition .is now in. circulation praying his Excellency to disallow.any application for. any .portion .of .foreshore in the neighbourhood of..Oriental Bay for-the purpose of. erecting; a, slip; 'on the ' grounds tKat ..sueh :-.;a. work would .interfere with* and restrict-.the public convenience, and that.'there-are-several far more^eligible ,sites available a few hundred yards. beyond. Oriental Bay which are equally, accessible and which will not interfere .with the public convenience.?' .'. ,- •.- ;. . ; : ;• ■•.';,;'. OVERSEAS'^NEWS. . : .;; . ,;",In,' the House of .Commpns. today 'it was announced "that intelligence hid reached* the Government; that "Genfer'aJ Gordon is still at;: Khartoum, and.is ' Kolding" his^own against "the 'besiegers'. The^garrisori has made constant sallies from, the town: with varying. success..'.' • ■ "All,the share capital in Mr. Yesey Stewart's Eotorua .Railway Company has bee.ii subscribed in London;" :\ - ''A telegram from' Aden states. that the 'British Political Resident has pro: ceeded ;tp Berbera,. a maritime., station •in- the Somali country,- on the African coastof the.Gulf of. Aden, in.order: to annex it to the 'British Crown/" ■■■■}'' -With regard ' to; postal difficulties, it. is announced in London that New Zealand threatens to impose' a sixpenny rate on letters forwarded via the Brindisi route, unless specially addressed, .'■ The Postmaster-General declines.to. detain :letters' for Australia .so as to oblige the San Francisco mail service.". Q -, .. .' '. , - ."The death is announced of Dr. Hoehstetter, the well-known .German savant.'-' ' The- average weekly number of scheme 5 men working on the roads arid schools in the Hutt county last month was 244. Three men are working "over the fence." In May 244 men were working, and in June last year there-were 362.