The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1921. PUBLIC WORKS.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 635, 24 May 1921, Page 4

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons.

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1921. PUBLIC WORKS.

It is to be regretted that Lire Government have seen fit to rigorously curtail public works, even though there is a tightness of money. It cannot be denied that the chief cause of the stringency is that the wholesale merchants have over-impoi ted. These people require considerable assistance from the banks to meet their obligations, but the public, "at large are benefiting .in the cheaper prices through the compulsory realisation of many classes of goods. Thus while a few individuals have suffered, the great majority are actually better off as a result of the over-im-portation. The wool position was certainly serious, but is now fall of hope, and next season’s prospects.are much brighter than appeared likely a few months ago. So far -as Government finance is concerned, the £5,000,000 loan in England seems assured, and it is difficult to believe that things are so bad in tiie Dominion as the Acting-Prime Minister indicates. The postal revenue lias shrunk, but that, we believe, is Largely because of the Department’s excessive charges; customs revenue is shrinking, but it. is a sign of more cautious buying and will right itself in the course of the year, because -the-cg>unjh;y\s_requirements must bo imported It Is dffficy.lt to urc.erstar.d the statements regarding -ar. empty treasury, because the present Government took over £15,000,000 cf accumulated surpluses and each year so far has shown ' a surplus, the £0,000,000 for' the year just closed, bringing the surplus total over £25,000,000. The Repatriation Board's statements also indicate that while a considerable sum has been advanced to returned soldiers out of loan money, repayments are being kept up in a very creditable fashion. It hardly seems possible that the Government’s financial position is sufficiently serious to warrant the practical stoppage of public works reunified from many quarters, and evidenced in the Public Works Department’s action regarding grants.

"We nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice.”