Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1967, 31 December 1906, Page 2

Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1906.

The official mouthpiece of the member for this district informs us that: “Whilst in Wellington recently the Hon. Jas. Carroll interviewed the Minister of Public Works regarding the complaints raised as to the paucity of the money available for this district. The Hon. Hall Jones informed the Native Minister that it was absurd to conclude that the money particularised in the letter to the County Council was all that was to bo spent. He assured Mr. Carroll that the major portion of the various grants on the Public Works appropriations would be expended by the Hoads Department.’ 1 For these and all other little condescensions on the part of august Ministers we should all be devoutly thankful, and the cheering information that “the major portion of the various grants will be expended” should satisfy anyone who doesn’t care a straw whether they are spent, or not; hut those who arc at all deeply interested in the matter will naturally enquire why the whole or nearly the whole appropriations are not to be spent instead of “the major portion.” The appropriations for this district are small and insufficient enough in all conscience, and if they were all spent there would still be a great deal more required to make roads accessible for winter traffic. In other words, the appropriations are quite insufficient, but wq are, it airpears, to have only “a major portion” spent before the votes lapse on March 31st next. So our prospects Tor next winter cannot be of the brightest. “A major portion” means just over half the amount voted, but the patronising tone in which the information is conveyed might easily mislead innocent people, who do not know the wiles of politicians, into the belief that a “major portion” means nearly every penny of the amounts voted by Parliament. Really we do

i not seem to half appreciate what good fellows -we have on the Ministerial benches who are willing to vote about half what is wanted most urgently, ami then to spend “a major portion” of the votes before they lapse, on the condition that the local representative is interviewed and asked to use his influence with the other fellow to get the money spent.—or, to be more accurate—“a major portion” of it- By this plan people are taught ■ to know that they can never get , along without their representative, ; and that it is only by his great weight 1 that the money can be obtained, or, | f at any .rate, a major portion,,. of it. 1

tomlcvJLJb in imy other way had bofc- ,,,. at imß!' their miiids of [hi for it would never do to mi (lio oo'Miitr.v, ill tlmt way. See vluit that would, moan. Tho pressing 'equiromonlN would ahsorh an annual 'xpondil lire of perhaps fivo millions rom the Public Words Fund, which ■an only stand appropriations to tho Lho amount of £‘2,11511,000; that is tho condition of tho revenue nan only hear promises to the latter amount; hut when it comes to actual practice I only “a major portion,” or, say, a million and a half can ho found in order to keep within tho limits of safe finance. Curious people may enquire diy this money is voted by Parliament f it is not intended to spend it, or if t is not there to he spent; hut surely hey ought to know heftin'. ])o they mt see that a big surplus, whether t exists or not, gives the country an dr of stability, and the Government i status and a reputation for sound malice that could not exist if a deficit voro shown, and then that big surplus has to lie disposed of through the Public Work's Fund, and it is disposed of by a simple transfer of leger entries. That [daces the Public Works Fund in credit on paper, and the appropriations step in here to distribute it, and here the local member steps in too, if be is not too lazy, to secure a good vote for his district. Then Parliament is prorogued and the Ministers do the rest. 'they are not bound to spend all the votes, and they never attempt to, except in favored districts which frequently get more than their duo, and tho constituencies go to sleep comfortably on the thought that the money having been voted they are bound to get it spoilt. Vain delusion! for that is tho timo that they require to bo most active, for the member in tli.e first instance.- can bo blamed if bo fails to secure a decent vote; but once the money is voted it is no use upbraidingr him. However, if . the eonstiuencies'iire good and faithful people of the right color tho can still get their due ; but if there is any doubt on that score they will soo.i find that they cannot dispense with the member yet, and his influence with tho Government must be'invoked once more, and if lie be a good and faithful and energetic and vigilant member be might possibly succeed in getting “a major portion” of actual expenditure in some quagmire of a road through which settlers have been wading no to their necks in mud. In some districts it is necessary to show that a few settlers liavo disappeared in the quagmires before any money can bo spent to improve them; but in others possessing influential members it is requisite only to convince the Government that no hidebound oppo rents of the Government are likely to fa et lost in the mud holes, and Lii.it one or two voters of the right color mv. get [minted a different hue by falling into them, in order to ensure “a major portion” of the votes being spent. Thus the importance of the local representative is never alhuvcd to wave, and when he does hi? duty in this respent we ought to duly grateful The innate modesty if gentlemen, too, is something t/J ue admired, for when they make those magnanimous concessions and agree to spend “a major portion” of. the amounts voted by Parliament, they do not proclaim tlie fact from the housetops, but merely content themselves by getting the fact, announced in one paper only, and in such language as will disarm any suspicion of egotism on their part or display any semblance of a bid for personal kudos, whereas, if they supplied flic information to more than one paper they might be accused of a desire to advertise their services to the cause of public duty.