The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1910. A NEGLECT OF DUTY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 937, 3 October 1910, Page 4

The Dominion. MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1910. A NEGLECT OF DUTY.

.. l ;.;Thb.: character of the "latter "portion of "Friday, night's discussion of the Estimates contains no i promise that any greater care than usual, will be exorcised' by the, House in voting, away'the public's 1 money." A long: debate s topk(place,'. uppnVthe: Land'and Income Tax •Department, and this/was very useful for. its fur-ther-iUuminatiori! of 'the attitude, 1 , of,! the Ministry 'in ; corineotiori' with:the/ charges against the' late /Commissioner of" Taxes. "It is, just : as well that the, public should be, given .the; .names; of those .members who. are; prepared, to assist the Prime Minis-' tee in ' defying the clearly-expressed desire' of the' country for - more .': iny formation ; upon this -subject,; and who'.' 1 endbrEe:the Prime/MiNiSTEE'S: 'view that he is the master of Parr; liament, with/absolute power to keep, the people's representatives-and; the people '.themselves in: the dark as tb the way in which he. is ■ "'performingthe';. duties of. his office.., V Far/., less satisfactory, however—indeed; qujte unsatisfactory . altogether—was "the treatment.accorded to the Estimates of the Post and Telegraph/arid Worting, Railways Departments. 1 M'embob yentilated-. a number 'of minor 'grievances under' both: headings, : but what members did 'achieve jin ;this direction -is. no mitigation: of -their neglect to deal,with s :the general financial position of ,the Railways'."'. ■:'; ; 'y..--' : ': -■'',:,:!!':"■,'"■■■■!!!,:!:!!' '-''■■ For months past "the -finances i of the -Railway Department .have been more widely discussed by the Press than ever before. Elaborate ; comparison's between .our railways and the railways' of New.: South 'Wales have been given to the public by Me; Millab. and the Chief Commissioner 'of" the. Australian Btate,; with "f\ results not creditable to the, New Zealand mariageme'nt. Moreover,! itjhas .been shown in our columns thaltj the' improvement of the. position during the year 1909-10 was more apparent ;than real, and that it was only"by raising iares, . eating- into;, stores,: drawing more > heavily on capital for improvements and repairs, and,' cut-: ting down, the work of maintenance and renewals of track, that ; Mr. Millak was able, to show .the .'larger ' |, earnings! recorded. No attempt has ' been made to question-the figures we gave. in. support of this contention,: 1 nor has any reply of any kind been ; made. And it must be., rememberec? .'that the ! Government is! generally i only too ready to, attack the."detailed criticisms appearing here and in other journals, \Vhen all the' facts are taken into consideration,' the. neglect of the House to deal ade-" quately.: with the subject is! ihdee.d' surprising. It must be admittedj ■of course, that is plenty for the Government's critics to do in exposing the unsatisfactory ■ administration of the nation's affairs; but it carinot.be allowed.'that zeal in this direction excuses slackness in regard to finance. .Everybody is interested in the restoration of stability .' to, the railways finances, and there is no, reason why party should enter into' the discussion of the railways management. . But how can wo_hope for the restoration of stability when, after a long period of intense criticism and vigorous debate in; the Press, the House ignores its duty! of making the consideration of the Railway Estimates the occasion for an examination of the details, of the position? As matters stand,. Me. Millar, owing to the failure of mombers, -has _ escaped the task of answering his critics. If this is the manner in which : the Houso intends to deal with the remaining classos of the Estimates, the public'will bo just as well served if there is no further discussion, ujjpa thorn b4j aii,