The Minister of Public Works and His Constituents.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1794, 12 February 1886, Page 3

The Minister of Public Works and His Constituents.

Tb« Min taler of Public Works addressed the ale store of the Kaiapoi district on Tuesday night. There was nothing very striking in what was said. He said be would like to bring out the fact that dating the past year OoTorument bad practically stopped the importation ol cTerythiug required on the railways, except rails and tha heavier class of locomotives He had himself had the plans lor the bridges revised, so that all the work was now being done here to the extent of £llM,ooo. With regird to immigration, Government thought that the only class ol immigrants needed at present were those who had a smtll gam of money and could settle on tha land. That class was the only one Government w is now assisting to come here For his own part, bethought it necessity to go a little further, It was necessary to provide (airly good land lot settlement, and in order to do that it might be neceesary to resume possession under (air terms of blocks of land either along lines of railways already open or thoee to be constructed. It would be advisable, perhaps, to borrow money under •ueh restrictions as would ensure its payable investment, in order to obtain the land, which eeuld be dispoeed ol to farmers on raaaonabls terms, so that they would not be compelled to use up all their capital in its asqnisitioa. While not prepared to say what Government propoeed to do in the way of borrowing, ha would say that New Zealand aonld not allow other colonies to go ahead andleave bar standing still. We must push •Oswald our railways, but in such a manner aa would not cripple tbs country. We must todnee people to eome here, instead of driving wem out of the country. A large proportion ol the money borrowed must be borrowed for ensist meting railways, which should be made without the delays which bad impeded the l 01 haM - The colony would also be justified in borrowing to lend «* *®ey tarns to loeal bodies and for irrigaJiofcAll money borrowed most be allocated to nertsin worka whiah moat be proved to be raprodnsilts. The preeaut depression ha aonmdand wonld npt be remedied without a kifMMHi of tffticMfca and Nil dwiaL

It wse the wish o! Government to'Bdminister the affairs of the colony with prudence and discretion, and the schtau thry w■■ rJ shortly bring down would ha\o tiio tiled of opening np the Crown lands of the colony, and attracting to it population, without which it could not progress. The speaker was frequently applauded, and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.