Hawkes Bay Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1879. LOG-ROLLERS TRIUMPHANT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5521, 25 October 1879, Page 2

Hawkes Bay Herald SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1879. LOG-ROLLERS TRIUMPHANT.

TitKMi appears just a chance that the Hall Ministry may convert their minority into a majority — hut how ? By purchasing, throe or four Auckland voles -with half-a-million of public lnbnej^. Tins is speaking plainly, but the present is not a time for mincing matters. The particular members concerned' do not wish to -put the money into their own pockets, but they seek to rob the Colonial chest for their constituents. To do them justice they arc merely fulfilling their election pledges. They went to the House specially and solely .to. make a united.; stand for what' they conveniently call "justice to Auckland." With Captain Colbcck at their head,- -.they emulate the example of the Kelson members two years ago, and shamelessly trumpet to the world their intention ,to vote against any Ministry which will not throw a

million -or so of. money away ( in Order that Auckland may got -a- railway which is not wanted, or a bridge which should be constructed by the ; local bodies. Not a single one of the Auckland newspapers has dared to say a word against this growing political corruption. Instead, they one and all land the disgraceful compact. No one is surprised to sec this in the Star, but that an ordinarily well conducted journal like' the New Zealand Herald should sink to such tricks for the sake of popularity is .as surprising as it •is disgusting. These Auckland log-rollers - allege that in the past Auckland has been treated' with " injustice," and they demand a sum of money which will equal that paid to Olago. The fact that their wasteful Provincial Government made ducks and drakes of its land fund ; the equally patent fact that the railways already'constructed, in Auckland barely cover working expenses, and pay nothing towards the interest on the cost of construction: the fact that the public money sjicut in Canterbury and Otago yields large returns — all these things arc lost sight of — conveniently pushed aside and ignored. First of all, before long and intimate association with log-rolling tactics had banished the last feeling of shame, Auckland pretended to be high-souled and magnanimous in its demands. It was not Auckland which had received injustice — it was the North Island. But, finding that the North Islanders saw the very different conditions under which the two islands labored, and that they refused to- send mere log-rollers to Parliament, Auckland dropped the mask, and brazenfaccdly asserted her true object.

If the Hall Ministry remain in office by promising Auckland £500,000, and if the Opposition remain in* opposition because the} r will not consent to .such .a shameful waste of public money, the country will know which side of the House to reward with its confidence. Accounts from both sides represent the Ministry as " negociating " for Auckland votes, and they appear likely to yield to the log-rolling pressure. For the sake of our political honor and purity we hope that Mr Hall and his colleagues have boon belied. Looking at other promises of the Ministry, however, we cannot but fear that the representation is true. Major Atkinson tells us that we shall have to face a deficit of £900,000 in the estimated revenue for the current; 3 r ear, and in the face of this promises to put on the estimates sums for various local works in Westland, to please a supporter. Encouraged by this example, othermembers will make similar demands — indeed, we find already on the order paper one modest request for £500,000 for roads in Otago, £50,000 for goldfields in Otago, two or three motions for works in' Nelson, and Auckland demands galore. By this weak yielding in the first .instance' Ministers have established • a precedent which it will be hard for them to resist. It is bad enough when Aye have huge jobs perpetrated in the shape of politicalrailways, but the evil is aggravated tenfold when the colony undertakes local works. Will no honest, capable, and honorable knight arise to couch lance against those abuses, and rid the colony of the incubus of the log-rollers 1

(Our last night's telegrams, announce that the four Auckland members who were alleged to be in " negotiation." with the Ministry have definitely given in their adhesion to Mr Hall. There is no public confession of political turpitude — they account for their defection on. entirely different grounds, which would be right and reasonable — but the public will form their own conclusions.]