THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1900.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11368, 10 May 1900, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1900.

In our yesterday's impression we printed an interview with Mr. Napier, M.H.R., on the subject of the North Island Main Trunk railway. Mr. Napier has sound views on the subject of pushing on the authorised line, rather than to merely waste our energies and strength in agitating for a variety of routes, and he also explains in detail how the necessary funds might be obtained from the resources which belong to the line, without coming upon the colony. It is rather singular that a great point should have to be made of this, considering all the circumstances. Have we not had a large surplus every year for a considerable time past ? Ought this line, as the most pressing public work of the. colony, not to have received its fair share of public expenditure 1 And here now this year we have a " record-' surplus of over £605,000, and yet the work which is being carried on at this end of the line is little better than a pretence. One would have thought that the destination of a surplus was either to reduce taxation 'or that it should be expended upon public works. According to recent financial pkctice, the destination of a surplus is to be carried over to next year, so as to make another surplus. A portion of the surplus is no doubt every year carried to the public works account, but then much of this comes back by the ingenious but simple expedient of not spending the money, and raking it back into the Treasury at the end of the financial year. The Otago members take care that this process is applied as little as possible to their votes, but our members have hitherto been much more easily dealt with. Taking the two last years, we believe that nine-tenths of the money which has been spent on the Main Trunk railway has gone to the Wellington end. There has evidently been greater anxiety to" extend the line for the benefit of the Port of Wellington than to complete the connection between Auckland and Wellington for the benefit of the whole colony. With a "record" surplus, and with members all pledged to subordinate party to justice for their constituents, all this should be changed, and we should only have to forget the "wretched past." For expenditure upon the line, we ought to have during the year a large vote out of the surplus. The Otago Central line had last year £60,000 voted, and every penny of it was spent. The North Island Trunk line ought to be accounted two railways, and the vote from the public works fund ought to be £150,000. Some years ago an Act was passed allowing the Government to take from the loan ear-marked for the Trunk railway, sums for the construction of roads which might benefit the railway by bringing traffic to it, This was unjust, because the Government would have had to construct these roads to enable the land to be settled. And it is also a feature of this expenditure that nearly the whole of the money thus taken was expended in Wellington. So that virtually •Auckland, with its clamant needs for roads and bridges, had to supply these to Wellington, We have certainly an equitable claim for the restitution of that money, even although it was taken under an Act of Parliament. As for the money taken for the snagging of the Whanganui River, there was absolutely no justification for that; but Mr. Ballance was a power in politics at the time. To claim the restoration of the sums thus diverted is part of Mr. Napier's plan, and we wish him all success. It is rather difficult, however, to take butter out of a dog's mouth, as he will find when he gets to Wellington. There is a better chance with regard to the land which has been purchased out of the speoial loan money. Complete accounts ought to be in existence and forthcoming on that subject, and it ought to be possible to see that all moneys derived from that land is ! paid to the credit of railway coni struction. The Waimarino forest, ! the most valuable totara forest in [ the colony, was bought from money I borrowed for the railway, and cer- ,: tainly ought to be an asset. At pre- | sent, however, be it remembered, ; the railway is stretching up from I Wellington to that forest, and unless some exertion is made to get this i end pushed on with, the benefit of ! the trade will go to Wellington. | There ought not, however, to be any conflict between Auckland and

Wellington on this ; subject., ? We ought to '. be entirely • united ;in : the effort to have the line made as boor as .'possible.' The South has fully acknowledged the justice of our claim to have'this work considered as a' preferential one, but the Southern members have taken; care, at the same: time, to \wim Ppli d " ne in their:, own districts "as possible. But,if the Auckland and Wellington members united, they could compel the Government to push on the Trunk railway. A new House meets nest month, and notwithstanding the sweep made at last' election, we do riot think it will be so much of a party machine as it has been of late years—tjiat is, we do not think that abstract political questions and Ministerial interests will have such a preponderating influence as they have bad. ' The members for the North island especially will consider whether they ought not to see that the progress of their districts is promoted,