THE TAPANUI RAILWAY JOB.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5473, 11 October 1878, Page 2

THE TAPANUI RAILWAY JOB.

The great Tapanui railway job is still somewhat of a puzzle to us. Wo cannot get at tho bottom of tho colonial liability on account of this important work with complete certainty. Mr. Macandrew has always been the man of the people in Otago. We use the word “ people” in the restricted sense that Sir George Grey uses it, and do not include in it bloated aristocrats, capitalists, squatters, and persons bearing the “spurious title of Honorable.” Than the late Superintendent of Otago no one could address the “poor man” with greater unction or more effect ; but always whilst “orating” to tho admiring crowds his hands seemed to be behind his back and tilled with good things for their natural enemies. It was Machiavelian policy, which the difficulties of his position as an elected ruler might excuse if not justify. But that which might be justifiable in the Superintendent of a Province, dealing with local revenue, cannot bo justified in a Minister of the Crown dealing with the revenue of the colony, and the money of all the people. Tho Tapanui railway is a squatting job, and the “ unearned increment” of territorial value, properly belonging to the colony, has already, it is said, gone into tho pockets of some of the great landowners in the district proposed to be tapped by the line from Waipahi to Heriot Burn. Our difficulty is what we have stated; wo cannot discover the trick of the loop, or how much we shall have to pay for the prospective production of “cereals” in the Heriot Burn District. The original proposal, as we have seen, was the making of a line from V aipahi to Tapanui at a cost of £50,000. Tapanui, we observe from Mr. Blair’s report, is proposed to be left at more than a mile on one side, and tho lino is to be taken up the Pomohaka "Valley instead. It is for a distance of fifteen miles and forty-five chains of tliis new line that Mr. Macandrew has undertaken to pay to Mr. Prohdfoot £61,500. Last year, as we have shown, Mr. Macandrew, by his motion, which was negatived, wanted authority for the lino from Waipahi to Tapanui ; Mr. Bastings’ lino was from Tapanui to Waipahi. On page 4 of the Public Works Statement, under the heading of “ Public Works under Construction, Middle Island,” we have the item Waipahi to Tapanui, 15? f miles, £72,000. On page 6 of tho Statement, under tho head Middle Island railways, and “ tha works we propose in the future,” are to be found the following items ;

Tapanui extension to Heriot Bum, 10 miles, £40,000 Tapanul to Heriot Burn, 10| miles .. .. 40,000 Does this mean that we are to pay to Mr. Peoudfoot when he has finished his present contract —and has all the necessary appliances at hand for the work at once —£90,500 more for carrying the lino up the Pomohaka Valley in search of cereals, the “ unearned increment ” of the land bavins, as we said, been already realised and carried off. That is the problem ; the elements which Mr. Macanhkbw gives us are so indefinite that it would be absurd with them to attempt a solution. It may be worth the while of the House of Beprosensalives to consider this question for a moment. This system of carrying out public works and dealing with public land is undoubtedly open, as a rule, to serious objections. In the hands of Sir George Grey’s Government, of course, such a power as Mr. Sheehan wants and Mr. Macandrbw takes may bo exercised with great advantage to the public and to the friends of Ministers; but it might be abused, and it ought, wo think, to be placed under some such legal restriction as the Constitution Act imposes.