THE DEMAND FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 12019, 21 August 1907, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE DEMAND FOR PUBLIC WORKS.

("The Colonist, " Aug. 8).

From ' one end of the Colony to tho other there are demands for public works such as will open up the country, and particularly for railway extensions, and a number of deputa-" tions have interviewed Ministers with the object of pressing respective claims. On Monday'last a^Auckland deputation waited'upon the Premier, and in referring thereto the New Zealand Times remarked :—" The Government's decision to carry out the Arthur's Pass tunnel on the Mid.land railway seems to have oreatod an impression that in consequence of the contract having bßen signed, the current expenditure. upon other public works in the colony will suffer. This is not to be the case, as the Premier made clear to an Auckland deputation yesterday. He also added a few words in defence of tbe Government's policy in regard to tho railway, probably having in mind that strong criticism has come from the North. The Colony, he pointed out, was committed to the Midland Railway scheme long ago, and it .must go on. It would be suicidal on the part of the country if the work was not completed within a reasonable time. 'We don't object to the tunnel, but we want you to be as generous to the North as you are with that, ' remarked Mr Bollard, tho Opposition member for Eden. The Premier's reply came promptly: 'We are generous, but the difficulty is that you do not appear to appreciate it!' Following up what the Premier mentioned ia regard to the current public works expenditure, it may be added that the contract price of the big Midland Railway tunnel will not have to be paid in a lump sum, and that the annual expenditure of £300,000 or more upon the North Island Main Trunk railway will probably cease before there is any occasion to divert a material amount of public money ia the direction of Arthur's Pass." 2 Even in his day, Sir Julius Yogel admitted that a very large sum had been expended upon railways under political pressure, and in view of the fact that the principle was- established and accepted, that arterial lines should take precedence of branch lines, one has only to glance at a railway map to appreciate how far political pressure succeeded. At the present day jolitical^pressure is as potent as ever it was, but a strong Government should fix a course, and stand to it. The Premier acknowledges that the. Colony is in honor bound to complete the Midland railway, a work that the Colony was: pledged to long before any other work now in progres3.and that being so the Government should have sufficient backbone to declare thafc'it intends to make this the principal effort after the completion of the North Island Trun^Railway, which should now be ready for opening by about the end of next year. In respect to the Midland line the Government has hitherto devoted chief attention to the Canterbury and Westland sections, and has paid little attention to the Nelson section) which we maintain offers the most profitable results. As was"jpointed out at the recent League meeting a condition was insisted on that the line should be proceeded with at an equal rate on each section, and thougb condition was eliminated from Ijhe contract without the consent of Nelson, the moral right remains. Besides that the extension of the line from this end means the opening up of a large area of land capable of profitable occupation! while it will also protect the trade that has been built up. From the point of view of the numbers who will be served by the Nelson extension this work claims first considers* Lion, and though the last Census showed that Nelson had increased ia populatino by a larger percentage than any other district ia the Island save Canterbury, a fact due to her special advantgaes,the increasejwould assuredly be multiplied if only reasonable facilities [were given for the settlement of her back country."".

With the large number of applicatios for new works, the Government, if it regards its reponsibilities, must declare as to which it favors. A Ministry that would simply count the number of votes ia Parliament that might be secured for certain works would probably enjoy a short lived victory, but justice must prevail, and very soon such a Ministry would be held ia contempt, even by those who had been pandered to. There is a right course, and though its adoption may diappoint the hopes of some, it must command the respect of the majority. We call for justice, not generosity.