POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

Evening Star, Issue 2869, 30 April 1872, Page 3

POST-SESSIONAL UTTERANCES.

(From our Special Correspondent) 31K SHEPHERD AT CROMWELL. Mr T. L, Shepherd, M.H.8., addressed bis Cromwell constituents iu Kidd’s ball on tbe 24tb instant. From the two hours and a half taken in tbe delivery of bis address, it will be evident to your readers that neither my time nor your space will permit its report in lull. Tbe room was full. His Worship tbe Mayor presided, Mr Shepherd said Gentlemen, you will doubtless agree with me that it is wise and prudent that a good understanding should exist between a representative and bis constituents, and that to this end a representative should meet his constituents certainly not less than once a year. I have chosen this period ;in the vacation in which to address you as being the most suitable—having had full time to ponder over the Acts of the session, and, in some cases to be guided in the future by their operation. 1 have to thank you for the support you afforded me at the last election and feel gratified to remember that such a result was owing to my own good name and reputation alone. The Colony is pledged, you are aware, to the Public Works and Immigration scheme. It ii a thing of the past, beyond modification or repeal; and the only thing that devolves on myself and other independent members is to carefully watch and see how the money is spent, so that there be no waste or expenditure of public money on works that will not be reproductive. My opinion as to railway construction is, that it is expendient railways should be constructed where either the traffic, the extent of available land either cultivated or available for cultivation, or people or located in sufficient numbers to make it profitable, the amount of working expenses and interest on construction will be made, I do not approve of theii construction through remote and mountainous parts of the Colony. Wellington is famous for log-rolling ; and the last session formed no exception to the rule. Members would vote for nothing unless their own particular wants were attended to ; the consequence being that railways were passed, the construction of which would not take place in ten years hence. The Wellington and Masterton line was a log-rolling example of what he wished them to understand. The member for the linnstan discoursed for a long time on Brogden Contracts No. 1 and 2 • but as they have been so scanned, abused, interpreted, and _ misunderstood, there was nothing fresh elicited. He continued: Judging by results, 1 Lave no hesitany iu saying 1 bd’icvc -Mr Brogden is eminently dissatisfied with the non-ratitication of contract No. 1. Had he known Mr Vogel had exceeded his powers, 1 am satisfied he would never have come to New Zealand; and so strongly did I feel on the matter of its acceptance that, had the Colony been bound by No. 1 contract, I felt the impeachment of the Government should have been insisted on. Many members of the Government also refused' to recommend to the Le■dskture No. 1 contract. The reason why the railways are not proceeded with is alleged by the Press that the plans and surveys are not yet completed. This is part reason, part excuse. I he real

reason, I believe, they are not proceeded with, is the limits being below prime cost. I approve of small contractors getting a chance to compete with large capitalists and can refer to Victoria as a proof of the fact, which agrees with my experience. The firm of Peto, Massey, and Co. tendered for the construction of Victorian Railways to the amount of L 7,000,000 sterling. The works were afterwards left to Colonial enterprise, and were constructed for LI, 500,000 less, the contractors making large fortunes by the (ontracts. 1 had a conversation with Mr Brogden, and told him I hoped he would select payable lines for construction, By payable lines I mean those through settled districts, maintaining a considerable population. I hope he will do so. One railway in this Province will alone pay. I mean the line from Dunedin to Toko, Tnapeka, Clyde, and Cromwell. Indeed I believe this is the only one which will pay directly in New Zealand. I managed with others to get the line from Toko to l.awrence incorporated in the main trunk, and you will doubtless, gentlemen, consider as well as myself that this is the thin end of the wedge. This railway will open up lands, tap the heartJJ of our gold fields and locate thousands along its course. From income and expenditure, expenditure and income, the speaker here deduced the oft-reiterated assertion that this island as compared with the northern one, was iinfairly dealt with, and amplified that peculiar kind of argument we know so well. There is little doubt, gentlemen, he continued, that increased taxation will be inevitable, (To he continued.)