Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1884. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 247, 15 September 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1884. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

It <is questionable whether a country is better served m the matter, of railways, the .settlement of land and other public works, by its Government, or by the enterprise of private companies aud syndicates. In the case of a Government entering upon an undertaking, it has the advantage of a complete monopoly, and m this lies the disadvantage ' which the country must reap. In: private enterprise, the fear of opposition is always floating before the eyes of its shareholders and directors and they are thus kept up to the mark m pushing the enterprise forward, and within bounds when the matter of fixing the profits, and other matters which affect the purse of the public, are concerned. In some cases, indeed, but they, are very few, a Government monopoly presents great advantages to a community. This, m France, it has a monopoly of tobacco. In that country cigars and tobaccoare to be bought at one quarter the price that is paid for them m most other parts of the world. This is because the Government monopolise the whole industry, and are willing ,to put the article m the market at the very lowest cost. But m most cases when a Government has such a power, it exercises it m rather an opposite direction. With the knowledge that can place its own price on the article it proceeds to do so and m most cases this price is a higher one than would be fixed by contending individuals or companies. In New Zealand the Government has certainly not got the monopoly over toe " fragrant weed," but it has on many other things which are of infinitely more importance to the inhabitants of the colony. Thus m railway freights, on nearly all the colonial lines, and m the construction of railways and m deciding upon the best routes to be adopted for them the Government need have no opposition whatever. What is the result? Which would be best for the colony, the monopoly by Government, or the encouragement of private enterprise ? Undoubtedly the encouragement of private enterprise. A better example of thte could not be found than the successful efforts of the railway com- 1 pany that is now working m this district. Had it not been for their enterprise it is absolutely certain that we should not have had a line to Wellington direct for a very great number of years, for $he Government would not have constructed it. True the company have been endowed with large areas of land ; but will not the increased value of all the land near their line be due to their own enterprise, and to the capital they will have invested therein? Surely then they are entitled to a small portion of the district they so largely improve. :Mo&over they do not intend to lock this land up from settlement, as the Government themselves persist m dping. At the 'present time, we believe, there are several survey parties actively engaged m sub-dividing the country for settlement, §0 that tjje settlement of laijd will a|so be undertaken by private enterprise; and m this respect too, it is dimoult to see how any company could make a worse bungle than the Government has done m the past. Then, with regard to the Gorge Railway, we have another instance of the incapacity of n Government, and $Jie :

loss the country suffers through private enterprise not being sufficiently encouraged. I n this particular case the Government rather takes the position of the dog m the manger. Here is a work that much requires completing, and a company comes forward and says "we are prepared to do it." The Government has not the money itself, but still does not like to let the company win the credit oi doing the work, so their offer is refused and the work is notdone. From whatever light the case is looked at — and it could be from very many stand points, the same fact is patent : Private enterprise is invaluable to a country, and should be more largely encouraged than it is.