The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1911. GRAFT IN NEW ZEALAND.

Waipa Post, Volume II, Issue 55, 24 October 1911, Page 2

The Waipa Post. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1911. GRAFT IN NEW ZEALAND.

WE had always been under the impression that in New Zealand we were at least moderately free from the corruption in political life which is so common in America and some other countries, but it seems that under a continuous Ministry, these things must obtain. We are able to see that in three instances Mr Massey has been able to sheet home to the Government (and they had no alternative but to admit that it was true), charges that prove, in spite of all that can be said to the contrary, that public money is being spent for private gain. The votes in question were £2OO for Black Creek Channel, Southland ; £SO for outfall drain, block 111., section 12, Winton, Southland, and £IOO for another drain in the same district. . When the Minister for Public Works was questioned on the matter, he admitted that representations had been made to him that the money was being expended on private property, and that the matter was being looked into, and in the meantime the work had been stopped. It seems . passing strange that these places should be in Sir Joseph Ward's electorate, and whilst we must accept the honourable gentlemen's disclaimer, that he knew nothing about them, and as soon as the matter was brought under his notice, he had taken steps to have the votes struck off the estimates ; yet we cannot help saying that the thing has a very ugly look about it. What has been proved to be fact, in one instance, may be found to be true in others, only the others may not be found out. We certainly give Mr Massey and the opposition credit for' having light shed

on these things. And whilst we are not strong advocates of Party, yet we arc fully convinced that this evidence proves most conclusively that a Continuous Ministry may become slack, and overlook such misappropriations. The bane of political life is, that it may be made to further private ends and to increase private gain. This must be stopped at all costs. We must have confidence in the Administration of our country. We must be certain that those who have charge of huge sums of public money are above suspicion. We must at the very least, have some security, that public funds are not to be used for private purposes. As we have said, we are not greatly concerned about which political party may be in power ; but we are deeply concerned to see men of integrity and uprightness directing the affairs of the Dominion, and given these, we may rest assured that the country will be governed in the best possible manner.