STOPPING THE CLOCK

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8365, 27 February 1913, Page 6

STOPPING THE CLOCK

The statement of the Hon. W. Fraser that the Government has no money, and that public works must be stopped, stirs the “ Southland - Daily News ” up to some pertinent comment. Thus our contemporary: “The candidates of the Reform party made it one of their strongest planks that the administration of publio works must be inquired into, with a view to ‘stopping the squandering of large sums of money.’ Such an appeal is always popular to the people when it is made a subject for general condemnation; but every district has its wants in the shape of railways, roads and bridges, and only desires economy outside its own boundaries. Therefore, while the people in theory admire the policy of a Government determined to curtail expenditure, they can have no sympathy with a Government which lacks money. Mr Fraser and every one of his colleagues will be expected to continue the development of the country, and they will be expected to provide funds for the work. How long will people consent to live in a fool’s paradise of economy ? How long will they be content to consider the suspension of public works the very spirit of statesmanship? Only until they find that the economy that has been preached to them, and that they have applauded, arrests all progress. Then they will again demand that money shall be available for necessary public works; that the policy they have condemned shall be restored; and that New Zealand shall be developed as it was intended to be. People will realise that money spent on reproductive works is not money squandered; that every penny spent in improving the resources of the country is well spent; and that any Government which calls the cessation of publio works ‘economy ’ and ‘ reform ’ is a sham, and every Minister who expounds this view is an arrant humbug.’’