The Lyttleton Times. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1863.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1113, 11 July 1863, Page 4

The Lyttleton Times. SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1863.

Attention has been very much drawn of late to the large expenditure on Public Works, and to the necessity for local control over the works in different wide-spread districts which have hitherto been nominally in charge of one department of the Provincial Government. When the Public Works Office was established, the whole area over which works were going on was not larger than that which would now constitute a district uuder a local Board, it the District Boads Bill of last session had passed. Let the officers of the Public Works Department toil as hard as they can, it is impossible for them to do justice to half the duties that are thrust upon them. We think that the Provincial Engineer was wise in resigning an office which made him nominally responsible for what he could not even pretend to control. As resident Engineer of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway, he will find plenty of scope for his energies and ability. Some change is naturally expected at the ensuing session of the Provincial Council. In the face of experience, and of ever-grow-ing wants, and an ever-growing expenditure, it is surely impossible that votes will again be taken in detail for Public Works all over the provinee. The principle of a District Boads Bill has more than once been approved by the Council; it is to be hoped that at last some measure will be passed for giving practical effect to the very general desires of the people and their representatives. It is quite time that the Country Districts should like the towns learn to Stand alone. The land fund will not last for ever, and it cannot much longer be diverted to district roads and the satisfaction of small local demands. But before the whole maintenance of district works is thrown upon local rates, it will be advisable to give to distinct boards the same opportunity of learning to manage their own affairs, which has been so successfully granted to the towns of Lyttelton and Christchurch. The first step towards maintaining their roads at their own expense, will be the management of their own share of the public funds. The example of the towns show that all will be gainers by this step, for the public funds will be economised, and the districts will gain organisation, and learn to a certain extent to lean on themselves. Eates will first supplement and next take the place of public grants within the settled districts, and the land fund will be free for its legitimate uses, the opening up of the country, and the importation of labor. We advocate no sudden or harsh abandonment of the country districts ; but it is wise to look the inevitable in the face, and to prepare for it gradually. As matters stand now, the Public Works Office is a vast over-grown central bureau, overworked, and grumbled at, unable to give satisfaction, and retaining powers which it is unable to wield to good purpose. Under such circumstances the waste, the absolute loss of time and money is terrible to behold.

But while we would advocate the formation of district boards and the reduction of the Public Works Department to its proper limits, we should be very sorry to see the office abolished. A great deal of information, many helps, and much material has been collected at great expense, which could not conveniently be distributed among the districts. For apportioning money among the several districts for verifying claims made by them for the carrying out of trunk lines of road, and for the great public works which ought not properly to fall under the control of any one district, the Public Works Office will be still necessary. The Provincial Government must have a consulting engineer as well as a consulting lawyer. It would never do to leave an executive at the mercy of the necessarily partial representations of District Engineers. The Government in making up its mind as to rival claims, ought to be able to refer professional questions to a competent officer. For some time yet the great main roads will demand the serious attention of the Public Works Office. Not one high road in the province is as yet really made. These great trunk roads should be maintained when once completed by those who use them; but they Bhould be first made by the Government out of the funds derived from the waste lands. There is no fairer tax than that of turnpike tolls; and we do not think that any one here would grudge paying for a really good road in proportion to the use he made of it. It is true that in country places in England we hear sometimes ot small farmers who are stupid enough to strain their horses and their springs by sending their carts some miles round by bye-lanes to avoid a turnpike ; but these good people have never been without roads at all, and have not the experience of colonists. If any man in the world knows the value of time and good roads, it is a colonist. And we are confident that there are not many such stupidly ignorant farmers in this province. Before, however, the roads are in a fit state to have turnpikes placed on them, they will have to be metalled. The shingle now on the roads will be well Bettled down in the course of this winter; indeed, if there had been as much rain as last year, the roads would not have stood. As it is, if the slight repairs now required are attended to, an excellent foundation for a macadamised road will exist after the summer traffic. By that time the Ferrymead Railway and White's Tramway will both be at work, and will bring up broken metal at comparatively easy prices to the neighbor-

hood of Christchurch. As soon as a proper length of main road lias been made and metalled, a turnpike should be placed on it to keep it in repair, without recurrence to the public chest. Or, if at first a small vote is required, let it be granted as supplementary to the tolls levied. Although the division of the country into districts will relieve the Government of work which they cannot efficiently perform, yet the distribution of funds between the several districts will throw upon them a responsibility whicTi will be found onerous enough. It will, of course, be for the Executive to propose a plan of distribution to the Council. This will not be an easy task, for the elements to be considered in calculating the amount due, are very numerous and often conflicting. The amount of land purchased from the Government in a district, —the amount of public money already expended there, —the number of the population, —the value to other parts of the province of the interests developed, —these are but a few of the points to be taken into consideration. A district Eoads Bill is a necessity, and it will localise powers which ought to be localised ; but it will not diminish the responsibility which ought legitimately to fall on the shoulders of the Provincial Government and Council. But besides and apart from turnpike roads, the Government will at once have to consider some more rapid and permanent means of communication through the province, by means of railways, crossing the great rivers and connecting the North and South with the Lyttelton and Christchurch line and the only seaport of the province. We do not mean that such railways will have to be commenced at once, but the country must at once make up its mind as to the way in which they are to be carried out. We must not drift into great Government works and extravagant compensations, such as Government alone can or would pay in a new country. New countries have now a considerable experience before them paid for by older communities, and they will be very foolish if they do not reap the benefit of the knowledge attained elsewhere. In England the principle of leaving everything to private enterprise, and the doubts at the first outstart as to the ultimate success of railroads, led to much unnecessary expenditure and considerable public inconvenience. In France and Belgium railways have been kept in the hands of Government, and consequently a much simpler and more generally useful system has been secured than would have been the case had private enterprise had the whole initiative. But although great advantages appear to attach to the foreign system as opposed to the English on a first superficial glance, yet these advantages are more than neutralised by the habits of dependence on Government which have been thus fostered. English engineers and English workmen have been employed on most foreigu lines; the selfreliance is wanting which successfully faces every difficulty, The works carried on by a Government must necessarily be limited ; if with its limited means a Government undertakes to interfere with and discourage private enterprise, the country must suffer. Besides this, a large Government expenditure is demoralising and corrupting. . According to English ideas it is not to the advantage of the country that a Government should hold and manage a large property. The evils of , such a state of things are too manifest to need much comment.

In this province the Government have fortunately determined the main lines in time to reserve the land for them through the greater part of their length, but unfortunately not soon enough to avoid compensasation claims in some cases. If the Government determine the necessary lines and then cede the land reserved under certain conditions to private companies we shall get the advantages of both the English and French systems without the drawbacks of either. Of course no company would undertake such lines without having a certain rate of interest on the capital expended guaranteed. Such a guarantee would be a most legitimate liability for the province to undertake, and would be far more satisfactory than a large loan placed in the hands of the Government to dispose of. A company should not of course be tied down to a given line through private lands. They could soon make a very good bargain for all the land wanted with rival landowners. Let it be once understood that the Government and Council will receive favourably proposals from private companies, and let the railway demanded not be extravagantly expensive, and we are certain that it will not be long before Christchureh is placed in close connection with the provinces of Otago and Nelson. The Provincial Council have much to consider during the next session. We have shown that there is plenty to do, in the initiation alone of a system of public works adapted to the growing wants of the province.