VOTES AND ELECTORATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19419, 30 August 1926, Page 8

VOTES AND ELECTORATES.

When the Public Works Statement was being debated, the House of Representatives listened again to reiteration of the old cry that elee torates which returned Government supporters were receiving preferen tial treatment in the allocation of funds. It is an historic charge. In times past good foundation could be found for it. A Prime Minister of this Dominion—not the present one, his immediate predecessor, nor the one before that—once said in so many words: "It is unreasonable and unnatural to expect the Government to look with the same kindly eye on districts returning members opposed to the Government as on those which returned Government supporters." When Sir Julius Vogel introduced his famous public .works and immigration policy he proposed the setting up of a board of works "divested of political surroundings" to regulate expenditure. This project he had to abandon. The consequences are written large on the map of New Zealand. They are to be seen most definitely in the Railways Statement now that the accounts show the working losses of certain branch lines. So much for the past. As for the substance beneath the allegations made on Saturday, if those who advanced the charges can find no more evidence than they produced, they have little to complain about. Each instance of- an Opposition member disappointed about a project in his electorate was capped by a Government supporter, Even Mr. Bartram's post office in Grey Lynn has a companion in misfortune at Northcote,. part of an electorate which has supported the party now in power almost from time immemorial. For the rest, the accusations were based on statements alleged to have been made in the last election campaign ; in other words, mere hearsay. It would be well for New Zealand if there had never been more justification for declaring that public works expenditure went by favour than there is to-day. However, so long as the charge gives an appearance of extraordinary zeal in a member twill be heard again as it was on aturday.