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The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1878.

We some time ago called attention to the discreditable scramble for public money for local works' which took place in the Honse of Representatives at the close of the session of 1877. Provision having been made for granting subsidies to all the local bodies throughout the colony, and the necessary machinery having been provided in the Public Works Act and in the District Railways Act for giving to the people themselves in each district the power to provide for such works as they require and will undertake the responsibility of paying for, it was hoped that the log rolling of the days of Provincialism would have been put an eud to, as it ought to have been, and as it would have been but for the encouragement which was then given to it by the Ministry. In his last Public Works Statement Mr. Maoandrew addressed himself to the consideration of this subject. He said : “ I must, now solicit the earnest atten- “ tion of honorable members to a ques- “ tion which may virtually affect the “ whole scope of the future policy of the “ Colony, and which, in my belief, may “ largely influence the functions and the “ character of this House—l refer to the * ‘ question of roads and bridges. Although “ the gradual extension of the railway “system is diminishing the-extent to “ which money must needs be expanded “in such works, as compared with what “ was unavoidable in the past, there are “ still many districts in which such works “ will continue to be for years to come “ essential. I need not remind you, “ that one of the great advantages which “ was to be secured by the recent political “ changes was, that the name of a road or ‘ ‘ a bridge was never more to be heard in “ this House as connected with any ask- “ ings for money. Such, wo were asked “ to believe, was to be one of the first ra- “ suits of the abolition of the provinces. “ As it is, however, unless the House is “ prepared to make a decided stand, it is “ to bo feared that roads, bridges, and “ culverts will become subjects of the “ most anxious and excited discussions to “be heard within these walls. What, “ then, is to be our policy with respect to “ these works'! My colleagues and myself “ are clearly of opinion that they ought to “ be wholly devolved upon local bodies, by “ whom the requisite funds must be “ found.” It appeared the Minister said that some of the votes of the last year were unexpended, and these it was proposed to renew upon the estimates for the current year; the respective totals of these amounts being for the North Island £102,000, and for the ‘South Island £160,000. In addition to the above sums there were, it was said, £223,000 required to meet Provincial liabilities, and £35,000 for roads in Native districts; more than half a million of money to be provided out of loan to meet local requirements ! We may take it as certain that whatever may be the disposition of the present or any other Government, the continuance of such a system will bo impossible. The money is not and cannot thus be distributed upon any equitable basis, and the discretionary power of spending which necessarily is given to the Public Works Department gives rise to suspicions of favoritism for party purposes, which are not, perhaps, always justifiable. The money which has been voted for this year ought to be expended, if, as we must assume, the works for which appropriations have been made are really useful and necessary. Keeping open the accounts and renewing votes will have the undesirable effect of a regular invitation to a scramble ; the restoration of waning confidence in Ministers, such as marked the close of the last session, may be found to be an expensive remedial process if measured by new items in tho BUI for local works. Wo print below ,a schedule of tho votes for the North Island, in order that the local bodies in the country districts, and all persons who are interested, may know what the Legislature was advised to grant them, and may see that the benevolence is not intercepted by inaction on the part of the Government. We propose to print the schedule of votes for public works in the South Island, and the appropriations for opening up blocks of land proposed to be offered for sale, as soon as tho urgency of demands upon our space will permit.

APPROPRIATION FOB MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC WORKS, IS7B-79. North Island. £ s. d.

Not loDfif since there came a mysterious an* nouncement from the North, by tho voice of v'lr. Bees, that our Premier, feeling the caro of tho interests of the people of New Zealand too sma.’l to occupy his great soul, was about to proceed in the Hinemoa to Australia, to promote unanimity of feeling amongst the colonies, and to secure colonial reciprocity. Wo know Sir George Grey’s method of promoting unanimity of feeling in this colony too well not. to feel some sympathy beforehand with our neighbors over sea.in view of tho threatened infliction. In Victoria tho ground may bo said to have beeu well prepared, and as we

gather from late telegrams that Mr. Graham Berry, Professor Pearson, and Sir G. Garau Duffy are about to visit Great Britain, the opportunity of a clear field aud the absence of rivals may be seized by onr great stump or .tor. A study on the spot of the working of two elected Chambers, having coordinate jurisdiction and deriving their authority directly from the same source, the people, may prepare him for hi? great “ fight ” with the Legislative Council here, which he has announced as to come off ■ next session. A certain “ event ” which may prevent the expected “mill" will, we think, from information received, happen very early in the next session, so that the process of special training may prove to be a waste of power; but the stump must be unoccupied by the great local performers for a time, and the wearied people may be glad to hear the story of their wrongs recited by a new actor of established reputation, who can give them at least a few oratorical variations of the monotonous chant to which they have been listening so long and so often. We have no doubt that Sir George Grey on the stump .in Victoria would bo bo a great success, and, as an exhibition, would draw immensely. If the mission of the Victorian delegates to the Imperial Government should be unsuccessful, and the Imperial Parliament should refuse at once to reform the Victorian Constitution, it is understood, we believe, that their allegiance to the Crown is to be thrown off, and a trial made of Mr. Stout's panacea, an elected Governor, as a remedy lor tho evils inflicted on tho people by a policy of protection and by a war against capital. In that case there might be an opening which ought not to be neglected. It must not be supposed that we desire “to get rid of Grey;" that would be a great mistake. In the duller “ silly” season of the recess, it would be a serious loss to ourselves and to other journalists who take even a lesser interest in him than we do, if he were away; but we are not churlish; ns may be inferred from our objection to Tapanui jobs and wajigou contracts, and Press Agency and other like games; we have a general dislike to monopolies of the good things which belong to the whole human race and tho countless millions of the future. We therefore could not grudge our Victorian neighbors a spell of our man of the people. The author of “ Sir Gilbert Leigh” would naturally accompany our Premier as his Appendix, and if their tour could be extended to England, the electors of Bath might have the opportunity for which they are supposed to yearn, of returning Air. Rees to Parliament as their representative, and another constituency in the North might also atone for a former slight offered to a distinguished person. Then, whilst Messrs. Berry, Pearson, and Unify were demonstrating the evils resulting from an elective Upper Chamber in the Victorian Legislature, Sir George Grey and Mr. Eees might expatiate upon the evils which, in their opinion, result from a nominated Upper Chamber in the New Zealand Legislature. A coalescence of these antagonistic ideas might produce a higher development of form in bi-cameral Parliaments., The colonial delegates might be a portent to Imperial senators ; but having left their country for their country’s good the responsibility for their expenses would naturally tall upon the respective colonies and not upon the mother country, and, remembering old days, the deportation of a few remarkable men from this side of the world to the other ought not to be regarded in England as an act of unjustifiable reciprocity.

Road. Wbangare to Port Albert 3,000 0 0 Road. Raglan to Waikato .. 1,600 Eoad, Thames to Ohinomuri K ad, Taurangato Op-tiki 1,600 Road. Taupo to Tauranga Eoad, Gisborne to Wairoa 3,000 0 Walpaoa Elver, bridge and approaches a £523 7s. 8d. .. 1,785 0 0 Draining Patutahl Block -. Eoad from Pukekoho railway station to 3,000 0 Hoad from Pukekohe railway station through east Pukekoho district to 1,000 Wharf at Poll .k, Manukan Harbor 160 0 Road from Papak'ira railway station to 1,000 Wairoa—improvement of ... . Coromandel Public Works — Road, Thames to Hastings ., 600 Eoad. Coromandel to Hastings 200 Road, Mackaytown to Waikato .. 600 0 Portage road, Klverhead to Ka para . 260 Clearing snags, Waikato a £60 .. • 53 0 11 Contribution towards bridge over Wai300 kato River at the Narrows .. Eoad. Mangaturoto to Walkiekie 600 Opening road at Ruatangata Wharf at Whangaroi heads Road at Maungakararaea 250 Tramway at Kamo Main road. Mahurangi to Whangarel .. 2,000 0 0 Bridge over Waikato at Hamilton, con3,000 0 Drainage lagoon. Mount Eden .. Clearing snags, Wairoa River .. 100 0 Mangere Br dgo (repairs) .. .. .. Tamaki Bridge (repairs) Bridge over Ahuriri Haroor a £2000 . t .1,030 10 0 1,600 0 0 Road. Wairoa to Walkaromoana 1,500 0 0 Mountain road. Taranaki a £10,175 Is 8d 11,283 0 Opening mountain road to Patea for 2.19* 6 2 Main road, Stony River to Wal otara .. 3,000 0 0 Road. Walnui to Waipukurau .. Road. Wairmi -o in-and settlement 500 0 0 Koad. Seventy-Mile Bush, Opakl to Kopua, Including Manawstn Gorge 4,968 Ruamahunga Bridge, Opaki road 6,000 0 0 Road. Rangltumau .. Road. Mung'vrori to Wnikanao .. Road, Rangltikoi to Murimotu or Inland 1,000 Road In Manchester Block Read. Foxton to Otaki (inland) .. ir.sad. Mastorton to Castlopolnt,. 3,500 Roai? Karero, Manawatu ivfa. awAtu Bridge approaches ... Bridge the Ruamahunga, at HunKlmholtonroad.through 3,000 0 0 Sandon Block (Kiwitea) .. 415 Wanganui and Taupo road .. ■ • Roads In deferred payment blocks disposed of prior to 1st January, 1878*. 10,000 0 0

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18781113.2.7

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5501, 13 November 1878, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,815

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1878. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5501, 13 November 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1878. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5501, 13 November 1878, Page 2

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