DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 361, 11 March 1902, Page 3

DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER.

WILL NOT BORROW OVER A MILLION. THE SURPLUS. (Per Press Association.) DUNEDIN, last night. A deputation waited on the Premier to-day to urge the claims for the ex.c;..sion of the Gatlins river railway, ii. being pointed out that ten or fifteen miles further would take the line into the heart oi a magnificent forest. 'I he Premier, in reply, said that tiide was a question of policy involved which must be looked at from two points ; one was the extension oi the borrowing policy, and the other was borrowing for given public works, tic thought that New Zealand with a limited population must be content with - a loan expenditure of about a million a year, and* he would resign iffitc and leave the conduct of affairs tv others rather than be a party to the policy that led to disaster in past years. He was, however, m thorough sympathy with the deputation in f-avng that the Crown must take slops to prevent the reckless waste of timber resources. He would call for a report on the subject from the Commissioner of Crown Lands. The Premier announced there would bo' a surplus on ordinary revenue of over £250,000 this year, and that in all probability about £IBO,OOO would lie available for appropriation by Parliament. All he could say was that i:i framing the public works estimates for next year this railway would be dealt with equitably in conjunction with other railway works,