Taranaki Herald. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1907. PUBLIC WORKS.
i& to ho congratulated upon the firm stand he took towards a deputation which waited on hhn to urge the importance of some public works, when lie replied that the Government recognised and • was prepared to accept its responsibility in, such matters. The tendency for our representatives to become mere delegates has grown so much of late years that it is refreshing to find a Minister exhibiting independence and backbone enough to, /tell people, that hp has been placed in his position to administer the counter to ,tl^e best of his judgmeut and,' ability, a,nd that he intends to do that without being dictated to as to what is and is not important. Unfortunately, the colony is already committed irretrievably to numerous public works of a more or less political nature, and it would take a stronger man even than Sir Joseph Ward to declare that all works which are unlikely to prove remunerative, or cannot otherwise be fully justified, shall be stopped. He did, however say that he is not going to be bound by promises, or alleged promises, made by previous Ministers. If he will maintain a stiff upper lip in this matter, exercise n wise judgment in the selection of works to be proceeded with , and turn a deaf ear to the cajoleries of all deputations alike, he will earn the sympathy and respect of all who wish t(\ see our public works carried out on business-like lines. Unhappily, however, ,we repeat, he finds the colony committed to works which possibly his own judgment would coridemn. In the course of a debate in tlie House last night he said the colony, was cb'mnlittiecl tweniy yer,?« ago to the Midland Railway. •■* -The* Government has just let a contract for. i tunnel to goat . ; The money will, of course, not all be required for some years, but ift is "a work which, might nave been put off still longer in, favour of other lines which will pay as they go. Even among Canterbury members we find condemnation of that line, though we fail to follow the reasoning of Mr. Laurenson that because the line is started it must be finished. This kind of argument, when applied to such works, is responsible foi; throwing good money after bad. The Midland line, in the opinion of many who are conversant with the subject, will never pay, and the more money spent itpon it the greater the annual loss will be.- Possibly there are other equally extra vaj- 4 gant and unjustifiable . railways under construction, which; having been started, "must be carried to 1 a paying point." We hope, howjever, that the greatest ' care *wi|l be taken before any further comjmitments are. made, and that Sir Joseph Ward will not permit really useful and necessary . line*!, whicli will give an immediate re- . • .—. ..* . ■ - • ■' { «■
turn, to bo iie'gieG&tf "in" favour c-^f such as- the Midland,. Wo * trust, too, ihi\{ he. v.-jll .apply the stmije <> % ui(liii.£ principles to oxpemlituiio on roads and bridges, - which, ajs [SLr. Hogg 'says, are of greater injiportance than railways. With regard to borrowing for public works there seems fo be a great deal ill the contention that the colony ought to be able to get money at •34 per cent. Sir Joseph Ward, stated in the House that he has rs-* ceived an offer of the whole millioin required at a premium of two per pent., paying four per cent. inte|"- . j st. But our four per cents, are worth £108 in London, while the •3£ per cents, are quoted at 99. We fail to see the wisdom of pacing so much more in the colonjy or in Australia- for -money than it can be obtained for in London. It makes our railways more costly than they need be. - t
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Bibliographic details
Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13488, 31 July 1907, Page 4
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638Taranaki Herald. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1907. PUBLIC WORKS. Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13488, 31 July 1907, Page 4
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