THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1911. GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 140, 30 May 1911, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1911. GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

With the prospects of renewed political vigor in New Zealand, many people are looking forward to the entrance into public life of men who will be game enough and powerful enough to force upon Parliament a recognition of necessity for doing away with, or modifying our present system of making Government grants. Almost every man in the House has had under his notice the evils of the system, but at the present time it is the pet prerogative of the Government to dole out loaves and fishes to the electorates. By loaves and fishes, therefore, are members judged, and with loaves and fishes are they rewarded by Government for allegiance and assistance. This system is not peculiar to Sir Joseph Ward’s administration, and we can safely say that making allowance for its existence, Government at the present day is remarkably free from Tammany influences, Opposition, criticism notwithstanding. But we have not to look at what Mr. Seddon did, or what Sir Joseph Ward and his Ministers are doing now. Rather must we look ahead and see if it is not within the power of the people to bring a cleaner and purer atmosphere into political life. There are many reasons why the Government giant system as at present in vogue is utterly bad. In the first place no member’s seat should be dependent upon a few paltry votes for public works. It cripples his legislative functions and hampers his freedom of thought and action. How is it possible for a Government to object to or criticise a Ministerial measure when the said member knows that his seat depends upon the grant of a few hundreds or thousands for work in his constituency. R is easy enough to say the right thing for a member of Parliament to do is to act couf- | ageously and righteously, but he will not enjoy the privilege of selfsacrifice very long. A neighbouring district gets a bridge or a post office and when the election comes round the courageous one finds the, verdict is “Oh, he’s a smart fellow. Brains, honorable, and all that, but he’s no good for the district. ” The “good man for the district” takes the vacant chair, keeps his mouth shut on political questions—unless it be to laud the expediency-mon-gering of his chief—the bridge and the post office come his way, he waxeth fat in the smile of popularity, and the people cheerfully sell their political virility for a mess of pottage. Further, it must be apparent that it is bad for the country to place such power in the hands of a Government. As we before remarked, there is no ground for belief that Sir Joseph Ward makes a more corrupt use of the keep-sweet machinery than his predecessors in office, but the power is there and the imaginary use of that power influences the people almost as much as if they saw it directly put in operation. But be we as apologetic as possible for the Government, it must be clearly apparent to all who have kept an observant eye upon passing events that rewards for political serfdom are freely bestowed, and the ability to bestow bridges roacs, post offices, railway stations, preliminary grants for new lines, etc., just before an election, gives the party in power a big “pull,” and vastly helps the village pump politician who pins his life and ambitions upon the spirit of parochialism. To get rid of this bad influence in public life men who have the welfare of the country at heart should work earnestly for the abolition of the Government grant system. It would, of course, under any change, be necessary for the Ministerial heads to have control of expenditure upon large colonial works, but the petty works would be much better undertaken by the local-gov-erning bodies. The County Councils, for instance ought to be able to apply for certain sums of money to make roads, bridges, etc., instead of deputations going cap in hand to Ministers, or harassing the life out of the member for the district. Why should the Ministers of the Crown be bothered with £5O, £lOO, or £5OO grants, and further, why should the politics of the country be hung largely upon the granting or withholding of these doles. With a reformation of local Government and abolition of the “keepsweet system,” we sliould find New Zealand politics immeasurably broadened and purified. It would give the thinking men a chance to serve their country, and door-mat politicians an opportunity to indulge in that rest which their peculiar abilities and the salvation of the country unquestionably demands.

A HUMOROUS MEETING. Public meetings all have their humorous side, but the one held last night at the Hastings Chambers outrivalied. in this respect, any yet held in the town. The object of the meeting was to set up a committee to urge on the Government the desirability of establishing railway workshops m Hastings, owing to the fact that the Napier railway yards were completely submerged during the recent floods. The spirit which actuated the movers in the proposal was absolutely a philanthropic one ; their motive was not one little bit parochial, this they several times asseverated. They as good as stated they were merely acting for a poor benighted railway department which knew not how to manage its own affairs : also for a long-suffering travelling public which might, during flood time, be bailed up in Hastings by the cooling of an engine's axle grease at a time when floods prevented communication, for repairs, with the Napier workshops. One gentleman s sympathy was so deep as to express itself in proffering practical assistance in the form of a £5 note to finance the department “which-must-be-run-to-pay” in the building of workshops at Hastings, and that of another, in the otter of five acres of land at Tomoana as a free gift ou which to expend the aforesaid £5. Mr. Dillon, ALP., who was sitting at the left of - Mayor, indignantly resented the money offer as being infra dig., and in the same breath grandiosely suggested that the meeting should pass a very hearty vote of thanks to the benevolent profferer of land. It was the cream of Welsh wit made yet more sparkling by the merry twinkle scintillating in the worthy member’s eye. The other humorists were Fowler, George, and Stevenson, mover, seconder, and supporter of the proposal. Their chief hits were scored in volleying ridicule at the Hastings Chamber of Commerce and its president, Mr. E. H. Williams. A committee was set up to draw up a petition to the Minister for Railways to be presented by Mr. Dillon, but as Mr. Millar has already stated his intentions regarding the removal or otherwise of the workshops, we afraid the committee’s work will be ' love’s labour lost.” Of one thins? Hastings may rest assured, and that is if the Department finds it impossible to safeguard its Napier workshops from flood, those workshops will be removed. Where to should, and will, w’e think, depend entirely on the merit of possible sites for convenience in working. If Hastings recommends itself most, as it probably will do. the workshops will be in Hastings. But stringpulling will not bring them to Hastings any more than string-pulling will keep them in Napier, if it is found necessary to shift them. If we are wrong in this contention, then the fault is not ours, but that of a rotten system, and the sooner the public openly protests against influence being allowed to hold sway in directing public expenditure, the sooner our public services will be purged of a great evil.