The Debate on the Public Works Statement.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 2542, 29 September 1893, Page 4

The Debate on the Public Works Statement.

f (PEE UNITED PRESS ASSOOIA?3OK.) WELLINGTON, September 27. Mr Mitchelson entered his strongest protest against the action of the Government in delaying the Statement for so long a period, and said it appeared to him that many votes had been placed on the Public Works Estimates tor the purpose of influencing the elections. The Premier had stated that the Public Works Statement had. now lost its attractiveness, but if he carried out the policy of 1887 there might be some grounds for that assertion, as ever since 1890 the expenditure on Bpnblic works have been increasing. It was proposed to spend this, year £603,068, which was £10,288 more than expended last year. In addition to that the Premier was about to ask for authority for liabilities to the extent of £813,628, which was £65,940 more than he had to the oredit of the fund. )He felt it was hopeless to appeal to- the Government side of the House to take an interest in thiß matter, as no amount of argument would convince them, but he was pre-'-pare(J to show that the Public Works policy of the Government was an absolute sham, and that!, although the Premier took oredit for constructing public works for the last three years out of the revenue, he could show that it was done out of loan money, in spite of what the Government might say to the country. He declared they had only spent £22,315 out of the revenue for the last three years. The rest had come out of borrowed money. He quoted from figures also to show that the public debt had been increased by £110,000 Bince the 31st March last. The Government had peized on every penny they could get, and the result would be an empty chest when the next Parliament met. Since 1890 the present Government had increased the debt of the colony by £910,762, yet they posed as a nonborrowing Government. It appeared to him the Public Works Statement had been framed with the sole obiect of deceiving the public, and this would be apparent to anyone who thoroughly examined the figures. He regretted to see such large sums on the Estimates for political railway lines. He again asserted if the Government had carried out the policy of 1887 they would have done some good for the colony, but instead ot that they had Bpent large sums on unnecessary works, which were mainly started for the purpose of employing a large body of men in view of the general elections. Dr Newman said they found all through the Statement that the Premier was borrowing in every direction, and the whole of the Statement was simply meant to deceive the public. Mr Geo. Hutchison asserted that a more nefariouß Pnblic Works Statement had ever been delivered. Mr McKenzie (Olutha) thought that the Minister of Lands had fairly allocated the money at his disposal for roads. Messrs Harkness, Rhodes, E. Thompson, Dathie, McLean, McGowan, Buchanan, Moore, B. M. Smith, and Sir J. Hall also spoke. In the course of his reply Mr Seddon declared that from present prospects there was no necessity for any borrowing, and he could assure hon. members that there was no cause for anxiety.

OASH!