The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2988, 16 September 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1872.

Long as the Public Works ami Immigration Policy has been before the country, it is so little understood by many persons that investments in railways are still spoken about as laying burdens upon the taxpayers. Men are to be found in every rank of life who swallow the claptrap, and imagine that the Pox Ministry were mere political swindlers, who had some selfish end in view, and who were bent upon ruining a Colony, on the very prosperity of which depends their fair fame, and the welfare of themselves and families. A moment’s reflection should be sufficient to dispel the delusion ; but a moment’s reflection is not often given to the subject. Some pretender to knowledge of social and political science applies a few popular epithets to the course adopted by the late Ministry, and sanctioned by the deliberate vote of Parliament ; he perhaps terms it “ visionary,” or “ ruinous,” or “ too speculative,” or something implying his own profound prudence; and because those to whom he speaks possess as little knowledge as himself of the matter, they accept his dictum as true. We admire prudence : it is a virtue much talked about, but little understood. Some persons identify it with excessive caution. They see a man so timid that his energies are paralysed by his fears, and they call him a “ prudent” man, while in reality ho is morally and intellectually' a coward. Some judge of prudence by results. They see a man who has made his pile by a series of accidents. He perhaps was not capable of weighing the chances of success, and owed his wealth altogether to circumstances over which ho had no control. The Colonies abound with men of this class: the goldfields have poured abundance into the coffers of many men, and brought those into undeserved distinction, who but for them would have remained the most obscure of hewers of wood and drawers of water to the day of their deaths. To “ prudence,” properly so called, they have not a shadow of a claim. True prudence is a rare quality of mind. It is quite consistent with the highest courage and loftiest

enterprise; it is seldom found apart from high mental cultivation. Its chief characteristic is the adaptation of right means to right ends. It is neces'- •, sary to bear this fact in mind, for Mr | Stafford and his colleagues have called upon the country to judge between his Ministry and that which they have dislodged on the ground of “ prudence.” He tells the country that there has been imprudent conduct of public business, and has undertaken to set matters to rights. According to the telegraphic summary of his proposed policy, one step is not to sanction the construction of more railways for some time to come. Now, this, to our minds, if he is in earnest, is sufficient to stamp him as unfit for the guidance of the State : . if he is not in earnest, he still proves himself unfit, because he will then be convicted of insincerity. It follows, if

the check is put to the construction of railways where needed, that the lines in course of construction will be rendered comparatively useless. The plan of the late Government was to make main lines, and sanction and, if necessary, assist the construction of feeders. This was a well devised scheme. It was in the highest sense “ prudence.” A line of railway without feeders is comparatively useless. It is as little advantge to industrial development as a navigable river to which access can only be had by those resident on its banks. The plea for reducing enterprise to stagnation is, that already the burdens are too heavy for the country to bear. If the country allows Mr Stafford to induce paralysis of trade, and puts a stop to immigration, it will prove so; and this is the tendency of the foolish change of Ministry that has just taken place. The plan of the late Ministry was simply this; on accession to office, they found every department in a state of inefficiency; the laws with regard to the Natives were inefficient ; the Defence Force was a mere rabble; the war expenditure was extravagant and wasteful ] the country was, in fact, fast drifting into bankruptcy. Now, this was really a condition in which the people had to bear heavy burdens. Taxes were spent unprofitably ; production in the North Island was at a standstill, and the taxes raised in the South were spent in protecting the Northern colonists. Another year of Mr Stafford's mistakes and maladministration, and a quarter of a century must have passed before New Zealand could have attained its present advanced position. The credit of the Colony was somewhat shaken : New Zealand acquired a bad name, and people from Home would not come and live in it: The late Ministry saw that two things were needed to lighten the burden of taxation and to develop industry it was necessary that people should be brought to the country to divide the weight of taxes ; and it was necessary, in order to support them when they arrived, that they should be placed on an industrial equality with the most favored people. \ icteric, New South Wales, Great Britain., and the United States, by their improved mode of transit aud cheap moans of communication between the seats of industry and the seaboard, could command profits at prices that effectually put those out of the market who have not like advantages, and fortunately for the country industrial aids could be availed of, not only without increasing the burden of taxation, but by absolutely lightening it. This is manifest in Canterbury and even in Southland. In both places the very expensive linos of railway, although only opened so short a time back, are more than paying interest of money; and if they are fed by other lines running into them, they will in a short time recoup their cost and yield a handsome revenue. The same result must take place on the Clutha line, which in common prudence should be opened to Green Island as speedily as possible. Both town and country will feel the immediate benefit of this. Goals, {deserved meats, and agricultural and pastoral produce will he brought in clxeaply, and even should they command the same prices as now, which is not likely for any length of time, the town will benefit; for there will be a large population to feed and clothe, and supplies must be obtained from Dunedin. By opening lines in sections as finished, immediate return will be derived from the traffic, and not only will no fresh taxation be needed, but there will be a growing revenue in addition to increased and increasing trade, and consequently greater profits. The grossest imprudence that could he perpetrated would be giving a check to cheap railway development : but this the Stafford Ministry propose to do.