PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13394, 21 September 1905, Page 10

PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE.

TO TUB EDITOE. Sin,—Your leading article on tho Public Works Statement affords an interesting instance of tho way in which Mr Seddon'a methods of buying votes with the Public Works expenditure succeed in practice. After condemning tho Public Works Statement as an electioneering document, you express approval of the most transparent piece of electioneering in the wholo thing. I refer to tho way in which the LawrenceRoxburgh railway is going to bo constructed. Perhaps this is not tho worst picco of electioneering in tho Statement i but if so, it is only because there aro one or two other lines in tho same position, which share that uisinction with it. I do not wish to discuss tlw merits or. demerits of this railway, Although personally I would liko to see more exhaustive inquiry made as to whether tho Balclutha-Bcaumont-Roxburgh lino would not l>o preferable, considering the grades on tho Milton-Lawrence line—the heaviest in tho colony, except -those on the Rimutaka incline. Surely it would havo been far better to have ndded tho £10,000 for .tho Lawrence-Roxburgh scheme to the £20,000 which is to bo spent on the Catlins' line; thup. enabling the Catlins line to he constructed at a more reasonable and lrasi-ness-like speed. This way of proceeding, of course, would not delay the completion of even tho Lawrence-Beaumont section of tho La-wroncc-Roxbuvsh railway, which at SIO.OOO a year will probablv take ci(jht vcais to complete. Tf tho Catlins lino were completed to Tahabopa first, n.ud then the Lawrojiro lino taken in hand, there is every lirobnbUity that the Lawrence-Beaumont section would be contracted in a tnoro busi-ress-like manner, and comntotod sooner Him will 1» thn naso if it is carried on in tho wav Mr Sodden soems to intend.—T am, ot/., • N. Z. B. 'Lyttrlton,-Senkmb?r 17.