Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1260, 28 February 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1872.

The article published in yesterday's issue, extracted from the Wellington Evening Post, bearing on the Brogden pontractSj is calculated to attract the attention pf the ratepayers of the Colony. ]t was perhaps top much to expect from the executive that anything like due pare would be shown in the expenditure pf tjip money at its coinmand—*he past too plainly warns us against any such fallacy ; but when the Government was poncluding definite arrangements with the contractors, the Colony had a right to expect that some regard shouM be paid tp its interests. In the case of these celebrated contracts, it does appear that every alteration or modification raaue from the first rough draft jhas, been in favor of the interests 0 f the contraptprs, and to the disadvantage of tb.e Colony. Possibly this is the price the Government fppls itself called upon tp pay for any departure from the extravagant and iinauihoripecl agreement

entered mto between them and the Colonial Treasurer, and it seems pretty evident that some substantial guarantee that it should be to their advantage must have been made to, the contractors before they would consent to the expenso of sending the leading member of their firm to New Zealand. As well put by the Post, this last arrangement made by the Government with Mr. Biogden to relieve his firm of all regpossibility—to find for themselves the whole of the required capital and labor, themselves appointing the workmen and spending the money, but giving the firm 10 per cent, on the outlay—is, if Jess advantageous to rlie country than the vQi.->t of the original proposals, at least more satisfactory to the Ministry, because enduing them with a vast increase of patronage. It is at the same time move profitable to the contracting firm, because it is not put, to any outlay, nor under any obligation further than the easy task of indicating the expenditure required ; while the temptation to. make this expenditure as heavy as possible is laid upon it by paying them a large percentage. A correspondent points ont another matter in which the Government has failed to act for the public good, and 've thiuk that our readers will agree with him that in the expenditure of the funds at its command the Government should have stimulated local industry as far as possible. The raw material, when the Colony could not supply it, might have been imported, and the labor of the Colony employed in manufacturing such necessaries as might be required during the progress of the works. But in this, as in e\ery other case, the interest of the Colony appears to he the consideration, and everything is to be imported without reference to its own abilit) to produce. It is clear that the pursuit of such a sys tern is calculated to swallow up speedily all the millions that are likely to be boirowod in the English market, to the enrichment of a few favorites of fortune, but not to the carrying out of any scheme of public works that shall be reproductive, or of benefit to the Colony.