MR. SEDDON AT HANMER. The Policy of Go Slow.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 141, 14 March 1903, Page 8

MR. SEDDON AT HANMER. The Policy of Go Slow.

THERE is much food for reflection in the speech w Inch the Premier delivered at Haamer, on Satuiday mght. He admmisteied a welldesen ed rebuke to the people who display so much eagerness to magnify the alleged failure or the loan, and who seem to positively revel in the idea that the colony's credit has suffered. And he also showed that their malevolent glee was quite premature and wholly unjustified. The Prenuer likewise hinted at the likelihood of an mciease m direct taxation, and plainly stated that pubLc works expenditure would be cut down. •f ¥■ * No sensible person will object to this, so long as it is fairly done. King Richard says we had better go slowly It is wise advice if it means a curtailment of expenditure on public wOl ks of doubtful advantage, and not a few of these might easily be cited. But, if it means going slower with a work of

such magnitude ais the North Island Mam Tiumk Railway, then it is a shortsighted policy. That work has been claw dhng on for very many years now . Far greater progress has been made w ith the Midland Railw ay, w hich cannot compare w ith it for importance or pro-fit-making prospects. The North Island trunk is essential to the settlement of this Island, and the utilisation of the public estate. Neither the West Coast nor Canterbuiy would suffer if the Midland Railway took a rest for a few years. And, the policy of "Go Slow" would prove just the thing for such a venture as the Hokitika-Ross line, which might well wait for another ten yeais or so. w * * The representatives of country districts, will pause with curious interest over King Dick's, statement that "this year the Government would have underspent by £40,000, although Parliament had given them power to spend the money." Likewise, that on the 31st March the Government w ould not have spent more than oO per cent, of the money Parliament voted. Now, it ha® been a standing grievance for ye airs w ith members on all sides of the House that the moneys which Parliament voted for specific public works were not being spent thereon. The same moneys for the same works were voted year after year, and hope deferred made the bucolic heart very sick indeed. It does not seem right that it should be so. Parliament is the supreme authority, and the votes which it allocates should be faithfully carried out by the Government, unless, of course, some valid reasons not within the cognisance of Parliament arise to stay the hand of the executive body. It is quite probable that Mr. Seddon's underspent £40,000 may represent savings in departmental expenditure. In that case, the public is not likely to laise any objection. At the same time, there has been rather too much of the" other kind of under-spending — Parliament voting moneys for definite objects, and Government not fulfilling the intention. It is not peculiar to this Government, but is common to all. To it the policy of "Go Slow" might also be applied. Votes ought not to be taken unless they are really to be spent. And, the will of Parliament ought to prevail. * *■ # The Premier's declaration that "the countiy could not afiord. to borrow and spend two millions of money on public works" is the utterance of common sense. We must push on to completion with the one or two arterial main lanes of railway now in hand, and then cry a halt. Until they are completed, w e shall not gam an adequate return for our expenditure. Besides that, much of the work already done w ill be perishing, or, at least, depreciating. This particularly applies to the North Island Trunk. It is the one great public w ork to which the colony is committed, and for which the policy of "Go Slow" will not answ er.