OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 301, 15 August 1929, Page 4

OTHER PAPERS’ OPINIONS

HOW MILLIONS COME AND GO. Sir Joseph Ward remarked recently that he supports the completion of the South Island Main Trunk railway “on broad grounds.” In his Budget he does not state his case with greater particularity, but merely puts forwards the familiar arguments capital now locked up, relief for workless, and promoting prosperity. He admits that branch lines that fail to pay not only interest but even working expenses should be torn up. Yet he proceeds to construct main lines on a mere assumption that they will not be similar losers, and without meeting in detail, or at all, the indictment published by the ex-chief of railways. If that indictment'is correct, then all that Sir Joseph Ward is doing with one hand to secure economy he is undoing with the other hand. He is writing off eight millions of railway capital that was derived from revenue, and he is proposing to spend ten millions (derived from loan) in railway works that the ex-chief says cannot pay interest and working expenses; so that, according to this expert, the last state of the interest account and the deficit will be very much worse than the first. Yet, against the opposition .of critics and despite the doubts of friends, Sir Joseph Ward does not fortify himself and his position with any further investigation or any independent and adequate test. He is content apparently to go to the House and see the expenditure approved by the help of parties that wash their hands of it, and some of whom do not care how much the Government burns its fingers so long as money is spent. Seldom, if ever, has a work of such magnitude presented itself to Parliament in such a peculiar atmosphere. . Eight millions go out the back door while two or ten (it does not seem to matter which) enter by the front door. And this is democracy.—Wellington Evening Post.