PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13709, 25 September 1908, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

COMMENTS OF THE NEWSPAPERS

'Hie Public Woiks Statement delivered by the Hon. \V. w,t« a bti«i iic>> like. document- a« rvgardn it» tone and composition, but the trail of the jri-ncral election is over it all. With t.lic dlop in the prices of m>ui<- of our thief product?, and with a Ml in the value of our export."', the pie.-eut K a time when most pntdent people .sec (1k« advii>iddenc.s-> of curtailing txpenditure, . ;.pccu;lly the <'X{*vndituir of borrowed niouey. Thr t iovcrnnient. however, which la>* year put up ;t lccoid by taking a Public N\ ork> vote for £2.521.210, and actually cx{•ending £2.106.362. (hi* yc.tr «M-lip»t" -ill pr- v!uii> |i.-rfutiiiain-t"! by a-km-.; foi appitipriation* amountin; to no le*« thin £2.721 ."00. Our c\]»onditur« - of boilowed money i'.ntinuco to grow a: an alarming tat*-. It «a< lc.»» than a million j« r aniiunt in 1900; tins year 2 J million*, an- a-ked for. When look lit k a little furtlxr ih<- cotitr.u»t. »* Mill more *-tartbnln the 1 j^t. y.ai '•t th- Askin-'iti the total Public Work* • X|M"inii! iiro h i-i b' t n brought down to £VVt.7ix>. and m the tir;»v yen "J lite ltallum <* Mifi;«ti v it w.it only £-*9l..*j!C Tii-- rc« kk\»« tn.mn- r jn whuh "r. now rr'y on •v. r iucrc.i*ing loan-. >• <•1 *h ni":i- iegret tab!.- w hen it ;■ in in ti 1 i !ial .i good ileal of tin- moo.-, :•< .ui.iy mi j-ohli-a! work?, v:'!> oi>,<-:-; if ( it.hing \otr«. « till.- a <•<<: = -:-l<T.ib!.- i ■ r-•[ - .rt j.»n k expended 111 -> <m'''d " addit:'i!i* t" ojku line." a:i-l ot!i- : i ! rm> wjr- h reailv to br (-r•» t i I• •) !•>:' -a:! n; r>vn;:r 7lw " Prf* lh« r- iii.a'.rr;.'.! ad* uu-* fo: " .i\ i i.;i-: :->i: lip'-u \f ■ ?«*« <-i ]«•' i-.t. -uj i «h"n th.it '

disposal irill allow. /There can be do doubt about tba soundness of this policy, which aims at getting " the lines out of hand .as quickly as possible and giving them a chance to show themselves selfsupporting. We shall never know howmuch money has been wasted .by delay on ihe North Island Trunk Railway, the Midland Railway and the Otago Central, but it certainly runs into several millions, and it would. be better for the Minister to risk the accusation of extravagance than to repeat the mistakes that have been made on these lines. If the North Island Trunk Railway had been finished ten years ago it would have almost paid for itself by this time in the impetus it would have given to trade and settlement and the assistance it would have afforded in the development of the countrv.—The "Lrttelton Times."