The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. MONDAY DECEMBER 15, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1144, 15 December 1879, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. MONDAY DECEMBER 15, 1879.

TttE Public Works Estimates that should command the attention of Parliament have tieeti passed by the House of Representatives without any consideration. There seems to have been ne> debate —no reductions. Whatever Mr. Oliver asked he U-nfc. If the Honse of Representatives is Soinff to act like this it were better that it only met once in three years and voted threw years' estimates. There are thousands of pormds voted that ought not to be voted, and money can "be spent under the authority of the Honse thit ought nut to bw expended. We observe that anmnast the fertile yellow clay hills of the imrthTof Ancktand territory no less a sum than !L6s,©€© w to be spent. This is, we suppose, the Erst instalment of the halfm i irinn-ji is tice-to-Auckland vote. J»ow. why shonliFthe settlers of Auckland have roads made for them, and not the settlers of Otago! It is said there are no railways there. Is, then, the , test of Government expenditure to be \ the non-existence of railways ! If so we , can point to many districts where_ there i are no railways, and where there is not I what the north <af Auckland possesses—an ( excellent means of water communication. Why, then, these votes for Auckland, s for the district Major Atkinson represent.". ■

•md for the district that -sent Mr. Masters to the House ) Why should these districts haw LJ£S,OOO voted for them, and alt the other districts where there are no railways have no Totes f Is it political jobbery? If not by what name shall it bo called 1 If we had read of similar votes being passed—in pursuancecf party ut«t%es—in some State in America, with What pious horror would we denounce republican institutions. And yet that nart.y that was to pat an end to extravagance—that was to elevate our politics—- * Iu« placed in their .Estimates these votes. Where is aH this to end f Is the General Government to undertake the management oi main roods in those districts that return sop porters to the Ministry? It seems ao. It is ttsefeaa to comment on the Ministry's action. Instead of doing what ;v libera! Ministry should have dene—reduced Government expenditure and husbanded the resources of the Colony—the- Hall Cabinet have preferred a reckless and extravagant expenditure. The Opposition seem paralysed and unable to atop- them in their mad career. We protest ngnimt levying new taxes and spending about half the"sum that will be raised «itv political roads ; and we trust the ■peopte of New Zealand will in some unmSatafceabtw way protest against the inauguration of It oying political support by road making. We understood that Just. year was to> see th« end of political roads, but it seems that they are t« be pCTunnral If our settlers are so> apathetic jw tu allow » Ministry to raise the money and put on new taxes, they must expect corruption of every kind and certainly this road-making business in ugly •enough.