The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1887. RETRENCHMENT AND ITS PROFESSORS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1738, 17 December 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1887. RETRENCHMENT AND ITS PROFESSORS.

The way m which the Loan Bill was ■debated on the .noiion for its second reading combined wi h the rushing of the Estimates through Committee, prove very clearly to our mind that the "roar for retrenchment" got up for party purposes m Otago during the late election campaign, and the pledges extracted from the various candidates with regard to further non-borrowing, wore the veriest of sham. We felt convinced that the roar would soon be forgotten when once the member were fairly immersed m the fashionable dissipation indulged m by Society m the Empire Ciiy, and that the pledges would be treated m the same way that all hustings promises have been treated since constitutional government was granted to the Colony, The Government will require the sum ot for debentures within (he next few months, and the North Island Trunk Loan — which has already been authorised by Parliament, but not y^t nrgntaited, will, according to promise, have 10 be raised shortly, and as if these were not enough for the Colony to struggle under m these times of depression the Loan Bill authorising another loan (ot Public Works Expenditure has already fiassed its second reading, and is now having a very smooth passage through Committee. It is true that some of the staunches! champions of the anti-bor-rowing policy have proposed a few trilling reductions by way of amendments, but these have ail beqn negatived on the voices, or rejected by large majorities except m one instance when Mr Peacock succeeded m getting the vote for Wellington new prison reduced to the extent of So much for the value of retrenchment promises and professions when used merely as elec- , tioneering baits. There is another feature of the pro- : posed Public Works expenditure which 1 deserves a passing note. We notice ; from the appropriation of the new I million loan that while the North Island —•more particularly the Auckland districts — is to batten on public expenditure to the tune of .£230,000 and Otago to the extent of some Canterbury has to be content with the modest sum of for extension to running lines. It may certainly be one ot those undesigned coincidences one meets with occasionally, but it strikes us as being more probable that the North Island and Otago have been rewarded for sending up such large contingents ot Ministerial supporters 3nd Canterbuiy punished for returning a strong phalanx on the Opposition side.