THE MINISTERS, THEIR SAYINGS AND DOINGS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 509, 17 May 1909, Page 6

THE MINISTERS, THEIR SAYINGS AND DOINGS.

Sir,—lt is amusing, to read the variouß statements made by Ministers when trotting round the country at its expense. The Hon. Mr; 'Hogg says a railway should bo constructed somewhere in the Poverty Bay district, and that he would do all he could towards it. Tho'Hon. Mr. E. M'Kenzie then says: "No railway as long as I can prevent it. " ■ ■ •■. ;■■' ■ . : ' The captains of various steamers trading in and out of Wellington say a light on Terawliiti would be of advantage. The Hon. Mr. Millar says no light is necessary, and he won't have one—cost too much: The Hon, Mr. Millar is not captain of a steamer, and never lias been one, and very probably' has not often travelled between Wellington and the northern, portion of the other island at night in dirty weather. I wonder if Mr. Millar has met any of the relations of those lost on the ill-fa-bed steamer? •■ ■

I am vary ignorant on certain mattery and therefore in what I am about to write pleasecorrect me if wrong. Can a Minister ,of the Crown say on his own'authority that, he will do or not do such-and-such, and so-and-so? Cannot Parliament, if it chooses, say to Ministers—"We require certain works to be done, and done t&oy must be'? If MJP.'s do not decide that the work should be done, or not done, cannot the voice of the people, in the way of a petition to Parliament, compel them to do as the people wish? Have Ministers the absolute right to say—' 'Wo will give whatever we think necessary ,of \the funds of the country, without asking the consent of Parliament first"? The Horn Mr. Millar has.said a light would-cost £7000' to erect.: iirely this cannot be so; it is not a difficult matter to land the necessary material, and even if it did, what is that to the saving of seventy lives; which would not have been lost had there been alight?, I-"desire to call his attention to a few little expenditures to which a grateful country has contributed:, "The Sneddon voucher," ''The Lands ComV mission," "An extravagant piece of statuary." Is this sort of thing at an end yet, I wonder? The present useless- Timber Commission," many members of which I: am certain don't'_know rimu from miro, matai from black pine, kawaka ■ from this commission is costing I believe £50 a v day at least. '.•;■■• '< ' ■I certainly think; the_ opinions of those actually occupied, in navigating should have •more weight than that of one who is' not so engaged, and who, after all, is a-servant of the people.—l am, etc., LET THERE BE LIGHT. >; May 14. ".