The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning. Thursday, December 15, 1887. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 80, 15 December 1887, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning.

Thursday, December 15, 1887. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy Thy God’s, and truth’s.

The Statement delivered by Mr Mitchelson on Monday night is not of a very cheering nature-from one point of view, but in the short time at his disposal the Minister for Public Works has submitted a very practical supplement to the Financial Statement. If it is not cheering in one respect, it at any rate gives us an assurance that the Government wish to suit their policy to the straitened circumstances in which the colony is now placed. Unfortu. nately the Statement, as far as works are concerned, is of little interest to this district, except to acquaint us with the inevitable—that while this district has all along been denied any just participation in Public Works expenditure, it must now be refused by the present ! Go#mment because of the lack of funds.

“ It is evident that the rate of expenditure in the past has been more than the colony could well afford, and that the time has come when we must materially curtail it.” That kind of story has been heard very often, but the curtailment has never been made in a way that would meet the circumstances. The chief feature in the Government proposals, we are told, is to reduce the expenditure under loan from £ i, 100,000 per annum this year to X'30,000 per annum for the third year, and in this way to terminate loan expenditure altogether in March, 1891. This seems fair enough as things have gone, but a stand should have been taken long ago. If borrowing had ceased when the Atkinson Government were previously in office, things would have been on a fairly sound basis now. The railway expenditure is not of much concern to this district—not having a single line at the colony's expense —although excessive expenditure elsewhere must affect us without our deriving any benefit in return. The North Island Trunk Railway, it is now stated, will take nearly a million more to complete than was at first estimated, leaving over a million and a quarter still to be authorised before it can be completed. This is not a very hopeful look-out for the railway after so much struggling to get it taken in hand, and its completion, beyond certain connections, will pro-

bably be put off for an indefinite’ period. -The work is one that should have had preference to many other works, but further borrowing, even for this line, should not be allowed. Respecting road works, while the subsidies are to be reduced, it is intended wherever possible to hand over main roads to the local bodies, The question of reduction of subsidies has already been referred to, but the question of main roads will in a great measure affect this district, It is satisfactory to note, however, that the Government recognise the importance of rendering the' Crown lands accessible for settlement. The v illage settlement scheme has cost the colony a good round sum, and the possible results fall far short of what would be expected from such an outlay. Taking the Statement as a whole, if the reductions in expenditure can be made effective, it must be pronounced satisfactory,