The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. SATURDAY, OCT, 1, 1892.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3163, 1 October 1892, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, OCT, 1, 1892.

Initial and i-xa. t ]Ustit:L- !(, .ill mull, Ut wli.-itsoi-vrr Mate or persuasion, religious or poliii.-;il.

Ixtkukst in the Public Works Sl;it(riiiciit natiinilly risfs or falls in ]no[)ortion to the amount of money to 1)0 allocated, fn the days when (.hat was large the Statement was looked forward to with feverish anxiety, more particularly by members, who were well aware that if their districts did not figure in the schedule for a bridge, extension of roads, or some other work, a very bad ijuartcr of an hour was in .store for them w\w.n they delivered the usual post-sessional address. This in a great measure accounts for tho fact that tin: benefit to this colony is small, compared with the resprctiible sum of which Mr Seddon gives as the total expenditure under the Act of 1870, up to March last, it is not gratifying to learn that the net profit on working railways, which amounted to •£4OS/Jl4, was £5086 less than the Commissioner's estimate, and £12.081 less than the net revenue for the preceding year. The percentage, return amounted last year to ,£2 15s 9d per cent., against £'2 18s lid for the previous year and £2 IDs M for the year 1889-90. The estimate of profit for the current year is, however, more favourable, viz., £12:5,000. Mr Seddon dilates on the above unsatisfactory figures, and takes the opportunity to give his Hill to re-invest the control of the railways in the. Government a lift. His figures, considered aside from the causes which have brought them about, may be an argument for the replacing of the Commissioners by others, but they afford none for handing the railways over to the management of a Minister who has no practical experience whatever of the business. A Minister placed in such a position, is of necessity dependent, upon the skilled staff—of which he is the nominal head—for instruction in the elements of railway management. Necessarily a man so placed is omnipotent for evil hut powerless for good. Our railways and other public works have been constructed co a large extent to meet the political necessities of Ministries, and we cannot conceive a greater blow to the material progress of the colony than handing our railways over to an unskilled political manager. The Bill is, however, dropped for this session. Mr Seddon, as was to be expected, deprecates the action of the Commissioners in refusing to acknowledge a Railway Trades Union. It would have been a sad neglect of an opportunity to consolidate the power of his party had he not donnso«? Political leaders ipust, like other men, take their hats off to their masters. The Trades Unions and town agitators are the power behind the throne, and Mr Seddon knows it. For the firsttime in the history of civilisation the Conciliation Bill confers a political status upon Trades Unions, and enacts that men who do not belong to one shall be at a disadvantage. This is presuming that the Bill is calculated to confer the slightest benefit on any class, which we very much doubt, The most cheerful portions of the Statement are the introductory sentences in which the Minister dilates upon the advantages of the non-borrowing policy, lie very truly points out that the ell'ect lias been not only to gradually bring th : ; country into a sound financial position, but in addition has had the effect of giving increased confidence to those who have lent us so many millions to develop our resources. These men are. the thinkers on financial questions, and their opinion of our position is calculated in a vary large degree to cause those who feel thao the Old Country does not allbrd scope for the profitable investment of their capital, in conjunction with their energy and ability, to seek our shores and cast in their lot with us. It is, no doubt, disappointing in a sense thatthe policy we have entered upon necessarily restricts the power of a Minister for Works to propose undertakings which we all iiiust acknowledge would greatly benefit the country, not, perhaps, for this generation so much as for that which is to follow. We cannot afford the luxury of looking so far ahead, and the people are sensible enough to recognise the fact. We have had so much of the " leaps and bounds " business that the muscles of our financial legs are somewhat strained, and we must be content to progress at the sober pace which is becoming to those who have sown their wild oats, appreciate their past folly, and are determined to bo guided by the experience which they have so dearly bought. The Statement is, perhaps, as satisfactory as circumstances will allow.