The Administration of the

Southland Times, Issue 19102, 20 July 1903, Page 4

The Administration of the

Last night <says the Evening Post of Friday) the member' for vHawkes Bay; (Sir William: Russell) made a vigorous and carefully prepared attack on the adn^isteticin. of the State railways. The form, in which, the raUwayLaccounte are presented, is such that even experts. in figures find it yery_difflcult; if not impossible, .to obtain a clear . understanding of the' situation. That; this is :not- inherent in the nature iof State railway accounts. is- evident; if 'the New Zealand accounts! be ; compared witn those of, say, the neighbouring colonies of Victoria and New South WalesThe latter arc plainly put, and their meaning may be grasped by any '"one who has some knowledge of accountancy, v JEtere, as Sir WiUiam said, it is impossible to get the items of the expenditure, and it is impossible for any one to make head or tail of the accounts. Is it "surprising: in- the v circuinstances thai he should have the opinion that there is intentional concealment ? Parliament; ought Ito know definitely how thembney -it appropriates'is speat^; wfiat;jteinsjar^; met out of reyenue and j^vha^ out ■ of capital. Without this information members caoonot say with absolute certainty what is 'the : '. actual financiaj, position of our national railways. The"; facts and .figures -quoted by Sir > William, Russell, and his, reference jla the ■ methods of the ' Manawatu Railway^ and some ,oJ^ the f ieading. Eng-, .lish railways ' r^e4ieV,'a : .-^stro'ng.''suspi-. cion that in thecaW 61 our^ State lines. ; many ■;,' |temsj ;^uch as renewals aniSr replacemeial^:- 'cha^ged^ to/ : capital when; !^ey<;bji^^j properly^o; be paid for ib^ :orreyehue>:; ' -It • w^s: no answer to this charge^ to •; as Sir Joseph Ward did, 'th&t;%ta>.^JStanjt? watu railway which was ;s^&wj^hed in '■"_ between the greajt' government trunk railways was in; an e^Mptipn- ■ ally advantageous as 't6.in-r paired with the Gpvernment system as ' a whole. This argument is certainly valid as af defence of the comparatively small "earning powers of the Goyernment .systemj, but it does not in the least "justify a wrong prcsentaiaon. of the which was, if we; are not mistaken, the graya-; men -of the accusation brought against the Depajf^ment by the member for%E[aw^e^ Bay; \, r : The communications from the General Manager; the ;^Ohief Engineer, and the Chief -;Mechaju^V,Engjn^ were mentioned by the Minister seem to" have ambu^ted : to little, more than a general" denial of the charge that expenditure is-xmprbperiy charge od to capital. Without doiibtoK bona fides of these >mcjws atysLflui^ reasonablp to boiieyo that they may be mistaSen, or> that their communications did, not coyer quite the same ground; as ] Sir. WilJiattn Russell's ac^-. cusatioru^ : ' r Jn ah^; case;.the of; the disciiSEiion can.; bnl^be determined by^ 'la?i^oful^ r^ of" the iteiiis :6r e^enditu^k :i The -issue is a Titil- bno top. tHe toancial 7 credit 6f $f9w: Zealand, Beettig: Wti --^uir 'i «fl*-.

ways a^&iffi(jcpMouv:grjeateßt nation--*k aaßOtsr-and-it-iB-higbiT- ttesirable, that? J fiacl u impartial on-; jqjiify;, such v "ps "... ..the.;- member; $pr ; Hawkes Bay suggested, should be Instituted promptly. If tho^ Minist«iis as confident as he professes that s there has f .been no improper charging to capital of expenditure that should have i>een met out of revenue he should welcome such an enquiry as the. means of vindicating his,.admin"istration frGjDi..6ne of the. most ■ serious charges that have 'been; brought against it. Apart frdtii this par-; ticulair question,- ; Sir - William. Russell also contended -that the railways are. not, even, on the. Government's own showing, paying their way if interest on the.rpajpit.al -invested be talten into account. -^The lack' of information available .prevents. members from judging correctly between Sir William Russell and Sir Joseph Ward, but, . as the latter seems disinclined to furnish the details required, there; is reason to believe that the former has^established a t - least a strong prima facie case against the Department. This impression will not; be removed unless a strictly impar-. tial investigation of the fajcts leads to -a complete exoneration of theMinister. Will Vie do his best to facilitate the . carrying out of such an investigation? . ;'■ ;