The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1909. PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 608, 10 September 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1909. PUBLIC WORKS EXPENDITURE.

■■■■■■ ■■» It is impossible for any New Zealander who wishes Great Britain well to viow_ without regret the .possibility that British politics may ultimately be degraded by tho introduction of tho "roads and bridges" member to the House of Commons. This dangor resides in the Government's Development and Road Improvement Funds Bill, the second reading debate upon which was summarised in our cablo news yesterday. We havo not yet received the text of this measure, but its general character was explained by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget speech and in later utterances during the Budget debates. Tho original proposition was that the money which would ordinarily, go to tho Old Sinking Fund would bo taken for "the promotion of schemes which havo for their purpose the' development of the resources of the co'untry," inoluding euch objects as afforestation, agricultural research, experimental farms, rural transport improvement, closor settlement, and tho building and improvement of roads. This money, it was proposed, ehould be placed at the disposal of a central authority which would treat with local bodies. Tho latest j cable messages roport thaWhe Ohancol- | lor of the Exchequer has abandoned his l intention of raising the necessary money by commandeering tho accretions to the Old Sinking Fund, and ho has further slated that the allocation of the Development Grants will be entrusted to- an Advisory Committee.which will command tho confidence or both political parties. Tho Government's schbmo would thereforo appear to bo tho establishment of |i Public Works , Fund under a control I which it sooms—the cable messages aro • not clear on tho point—will bo either j quite non-political or virtually so, Wo 1 aro not tojd wb,otb,er tho Advisory Com- ' mittoe will be equivalent tp & new Dβ-

partmont responsible to a Minister, or .vhothor it will bo a Committee of Parliament, or a body of independent persons. In tho Budget debate it was generally assumed that thu now Fuiul would bo under Ministerial control, and this was doubtless tho Government's original intention. Mit. Lloyd-George, however, was early impressed by tho Opposition's criticisms, and promised that the money would'be placed in "a reserve" which Parliament could direct. In othor words, he Y/ould establish something liko tho syitem of Public Works Estimates that works so evilly in New Zealand. Although the idea is quito a novel one to British minds, tho leading statesmen on the Opposition sido of politics at least havo been able to discern the dangers of the now proposal. Lord Lansdowne declared that it would not bo uncharitable to say that tho effect of tho Development Fund will be "to deplete the national war-chesfc and to put funds into the political war-chest of tho party in power." This'is precisely what has happened in New Zealand. has year aftor year shamefully neglected to lake a serious view of its duty in the matter of national defence, preferring to usb every available penny for expenditure in doles and grants for the purchase of political support. The experience of this country has evidently not gone unnoticed by British statesmen, and it was doubtless with pain and surprise that the Minist'erialist followers here, who believe that only SiK JosEPn Ward's pictures of Now Zealand are known in Britain, read yesterday that Loed Kobcrt Cecil showed himself familiar with the process of> debauching the constituencies which the late Me. Seddon invented and perfected, and which his successor has striven, with some success, to mako a permanent feature of New Zealand politics. , Whon the Chancellor of the Exchequer promised that the Fund would bo placed in "a reserve" which Parliament could direct, he quite overlooked the fact that once thd means for bribing constituencies is provided, Parliament will cease to act as a national assembly when the allocation of the grants is in question. Instead of taking the national view that it is their business to take, members on the Government side of the House will act in a spirit of mutual accommodation. The member for A will support tho votes for expenditure in tho constituency B, because th"> member for B will support tho votes.for tho'constituency A. So that, whilo Parliament will nominaljy control the expenditure, tho real control will be vested in the hands of the Government that is' button-holed in quiet corners by A and B. For years the Public Works Fund has been used mainly as a machine for buying'"or retaining support for the party in power. For years the House has contained a majority consisting of members who havo simply done as thoy have been,'told, receiving in return such votes on. the Public Worke Estimates as havo encouraged their constituencies to send them back to Parliament to carry away more of the spoil. The results havo been evil in every way. A,nd what have these results beeni The expenditure bf vastor sums on public works than can be justified; tho expenditure of public money on objects that did not merit a pennyworth of assistance from tho public purse; the rapid hoaping up of,tho public debt; the chloroforming of the public conscience; tho'inculcation of tho idea that self-help is unnecessary'; and the lowering of the standard of our public life by tho creation of a class of member that would bring discredit upon any assembly in tho world. No doubt some of these facts have been borno in on Mr. Lloyd-George, since he now speaks, as wo have said, of placing tKe control,of tho Fund in the hands of an. Advisory Committee of a non-partisan character. We have still sufficient faith in tho honesty of British statesmen to boheve that the Chancellor will prevent the Fund from becoming an activo agent in' the degradation of British politics, and this he can do only by keeping the Fund beyond the reach of the disgraceful bargainings and mutual accommodatioils by means of which "Liberalism" has managed to flourish in New Zealand. In the meantime it must bo the business of every member of our own Parliament who sets the national welfare above his own interests, or the interests of tho idea-IeBS Government whoso only policy is to remain in office and prey , upon the public for tho benofit of its friends and relations, to agitate for tho establishment of an independent Public Works Board responsiblo to Parliament. For thus only can the country bo relieved of that curse of our public life, tho "roads and bridges" member. Thus only is it possible to restoro tho country to moral health and to a capacity r.nd inclination for solf-help, to restrict the expenditure of public money to necessary purposes, to avoid the waste of hundreds of thousands of pounds every year, and to supply aspirants for Parliamentary seats with some more honourable objective than the securing of the largest, possible share of the spoil. Thus only can the national interest be made to prevail over the political necessities of an unscrupulous Government.