The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3677, 27 April 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1883.

It was more complimentary to Captain Russoll than to the House of Representa. fives when it was said of him, at the last «_neral elections, that he was too hightoned to be .sent to Parliament There would bo but a poor look-out for New Zealand if such a, remark could be said with truth of any man in the colony. Applied however, as it was to Captain Russell, it was intended to signify that he would condescend to 110 log-rolling to secure an advantage for his constituency, and that he would make a better statesman than a iwntksan. Captain Russell is not a politician. He would be sitting now for Napier had lie been one, but ho prcfeiicd a tough contest with his colleague tor Hawkc s Ray than the prospect of a victory over his old political antagonist The result was 6.11y anticipated. Mr Sutton won a haid. fought battle; Mr J. Buchanan shook off his punny opponents as a dog does watei fro! his coat and Coptain Russel 1 chied into private life. But, though Capta Russell never did much when he sat m Parliament, and, with the exception oi the Education Act, has never done an 3 u S locally to carry out the legislation to wind he had been a party in the House he was nevertheless a, man of mark at the scat of "overnment. He is essentially a. gentleman • and gentlemen arc sufficiently rare in our General Assembly to attract attention and to command, respect. It was notsurraising then that the Government appointed him one of the Commissioners to report upon tho AVest Coast rai way routes, nor that the Commissioners elected him the.i chairman. It is peculiarly in a capacity of this kind that Captain Russell's high-toned character will bo of essential service to the COW Whatever route the Commission ££y report favorably upon Parliament and thc< country alike will be satisfied is the W To understand the importance of a EoucUy disinterested Commission such aJ that has been appointed, it is „,.x. to apprcc ate the conflicting necessary to appi WR _ lltT the nxeniber for Heatheote, in adSessi « Ws constituents last week, iiirl ■_«« TheTC was no one who was more desirous than Wmself to .see railways and üblie works carried out, but he was also Erousof seeing tfaat these, when constructed, would bring fe somcreuim, 01 the consequences to the cokuv would be very disastrous. The very people who »x>w desired to see the money meant the working classes-would be the very first to suffer in case the works were not reproductive. They were perhaps mt Sir Julius Vogel had stated that jit had taken no less than two million of their loans to secure political support, and he was pcifoctly satisfied that this cry of the AY.st Coast railway was being made use ot bj some persons to further political ends. Hu opinion was that they should have one lino fixed on to connect Canterbury with Brunnerton, Greymouth, or Hokitika, irrespective of the line to Nelson. Of course, the

line selected should be the most feasible, the shortest, and one which would tap the greatest amount of productive country. It was a well-known fact that all the most valuable coal and timber lay southwards, towards Hokitika and Greymouth, and not -\ at Reef ton. It was useless to expect that the remainder of the members of the House woidd vote a million and a half of money for a railway because the Canterbury members wanted it. They must first prove that it would pay. When the report of the Commissioners came forward ho should be prepared to vote for a railway from Canterbury to the AVest Coast, the expenditure on which would be recouped by the traffic. He woidd not, if it were proved by the evidence of skilled persons that the line would not pay for the expenditure of such a large sum of money, be prepared to support it. He should be a fool to do so, as their burdens now were very great. Nearly three millions of money had

to be remitted to pay for money they had spent and were spending, and unless the expenditure of that money for which they were remitting was made reproductive, they would see for themselves what a serious

matter it would be. It simply meant the diminution of the wages fund of the colony by that amount. Therefore, it w T as incumbent on working men to see that their members were satisfied that the expenditure of a large sum like a million and a half was made reproductive. On this principle he should act when the report of the Commission was before them." It is to

ascertain, not only the best route from Canterbury to the AVest Coast, but whether it would pay to make a railway along it, that the Commission has been appointed. It will be seen from tho extracts that we. have made from the report of Mr Williams' speech that this will bo no easy task, while it may be rendered the more difficult from the evidence being influenced by interested designs. It was a high compliment paid by the Government to Captain Russell when that gentleman was appointed to such a. Commission, and wo should not be surprised if as a reward for his labors he be shortly called to the Upper House.