THE PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER AT RANGIORA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 11125, 10 February 1886, Page 2

THE PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER AT RANGIORA.

(PEB UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Eangiora, February 9. The Hon. Mr Richardson addressed hia constituents at Bangiora to«night. There was a large attendance, and tho Mayor presided. Mr Bichardson, who was warmly rtceived, said that had the tariff proposals of the Government been accepted the colony would have now been in a muoh better position. Speaking for himsolf, he woald only put on eastoms duies for revenue purposes and for giving moderate protection fco local manufactures. The consequenoe of Captain Bussell's motion was that the Government had no power to let a large contract or to provide labour. A large number of railways had also f o remain incomplete, which meant a loss to the oolony of the interest on the cost of their construction. The West Coast railway was wanted to accommodate a population closely approaching one* third of the white population of the colony. Even the worst part of the distriot to be benefited had *a popula* tion of 167 to eaoh mile of the railway. Ona objection to the line that had been raised was that because the Government had provided funds for the improvement of the West Coast harbours aU the coal ehould be exported from those harbours, The harbours were require:! for the export of coal to other countriee, whik the railway line would be used for the carriage of that for local consumption He argued that vast quantities oi timbei would be reached by the line, and con* trovertel tbe statement that it woukl be expensive to work, by oompariug ib with other lines in the oolony, haviug sharper curves and steeper grade*. The bulk of the population beiug at the iwc ends of the lines, there would bo plenty of long-distance traf&o, whioh paid bestHe did not deem tbo Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act perfect. The state of parties rendered it impossible to pass a perfeot measure,. bub any imperfections couid be remedied iu future sessions. The repeal of the Boade and Bridges Construction Act had been adversely criticised, but he thought that if the publio W6re acquainted with the fullresolts of its working thoy would agree that it had not been repealed too soon His own opinion was that if a system were adopted of continuing subsidies to local bodies, and of allowing them to borrow money from the Government at a low rate, it would tend to prevent squandering, induce care in borrowing, and abolish the system of submitting everything in connection with thern to Wellington, thus allowing of a reduction in the large Btaff of the Public Works Department. He had &hvays advocated a board of management for the railways, and had drafted a bill for that purpose, but many members had expressed strong opposition, and with parties in the stale they were last session it was hopeless to expect it to pas?. It was commonly supposed that the board was working unsatisfactorily in Victoria, but New South Wales had hesitated to adopt the plan on the ground that its success was not proved. Viotoria had not only come to New Zealand for officers, but was adopting our forms and systems of accounts. The revenue in Viotoria was 3*95 per oent. on capital cost of construction and , in New Zealand 3-01 per cent. The average rate per ton was 10s 4d on Victorian railways. They took credit for work done for other Government departments, which the New Zealand railways did not. He could not see why it should ba said that Viotorian railways were managed so much better than those in New Zealand. There was reasonable ground to suppose that the net returns from our railways this year would be equal to that of last year. During the past year the Government [ had practically stopped importing ! everything required on the railways, except rails and the heavier class of locomotives. The plans for the bridges had also been revised, so that ail the works could be done in the colony. Government considered that tho only class of Immigrants needed at present were those who had small means and coukl settle on the laud. In order to provide fairly good land for settlement it might be necessary to resume poeses* sion, under fair terms, of blocks of land along railways either concluded or decided upon, and it might be advisable to borrow money for that purpose. While not prepared to say what the Government would intend to do regarding borrowing, he would say that all future loans must be raised for specified aud reproductive works. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.