South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, JAN, 27, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2137, 27 January 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, TUESDAY, JAN, 27, 1880.

Among the things lor which the members of the present Ministry are entitled to some credit is their method of dealing with deputations. Hitherto, at the risk of creating offence, botli the Premier and the Minister of Public Works have not hesitated, when'occasion demanded it, to speak their minds freely. It is true that in some instances their replies to representative applicants have boon indefinite and evasive, but this is due not to the. Ministers, but to their positions. The Minister who is invariably candid and outspoken has yet to be discovered. He is one of those

“ Gems of purest ray serene ”

that the ocean of politics Ims not yet discovered. Such live the chronic imperfections of portfolios that it is a relief to iind a statesman who can afford even occasionally to come out of the mist of conditional promises and say what he really means. A few days we commented in somewhat severe terms on the reply made to a Dunedin deputation which waited on the Minister of Public Works in reference to the issue of annual railway passes. We remarked then, and we still adhere to the opinion, that the qualms of the Minister as regards the pecuniary success of the proposed innovation, contrasted awkwardly with the enterprise ho displayed in the purchase of certain district railways. Apart, however, from the apparent insincerity of the reasons advanced by Mr Oliver, we are inclined to give him some credit for meeting the proposal with something like a stern negative. He gave the deputation no reason for being satisfied that they bad succeeded in making a favorable impression. On the contrary, be gave them plainly to understand that he did not approve of the proposal, although in describing his motives for disapproval, he seemed somewhat illogical. In the treatment of this deputation, the minister took a salutary departure from the course usually adopted of thoroughly acquiescing in the views of the deputation, and intimating that their proposal would have favorable consideration. The late Government brought themselves into disrepute and contempt in many quarters through their multifarious promises, because its members bad not the courage to say “no ” ; and because their benevolence altogether exceeded their means. If anything, it was their administrative kindnesses, rather than their broad liberal principles that abbreviated their political existence—in short they were too good for this world.

A good illustration of the new method of dealing with deputations adopted by the Ministry comes from Wellington. During the reign of the Grey cabinet tbe empire city enjoyed substantial performances, while the other centres had to be content with pie-crust promises Wellington, in short, was the spoiled child of the Ministry. Civil servants accumulated there, new departments grew up like mushrooms after a warm rain, and the consolidated revenue of the country was lavished and wasted in departmental extravagance. The Hon. John Sheehan scattered the treasury receipts with an almost prodigal profusion in the Maori “ quarter,” and among the Wellington cabmen, while the Hon. James Macandrcw, and the other Ministers, distributed the revenue in barrowloads among the departmental dovecots. When other parts of the colony were suffering from the depression occasioned by a tight money market and a bad harvest, Wellington was growing at a prodigious rate under the nourishing influence of Treasury Bills. We are glad to see that the present Ministry have resolved that this continual pampering must cease. A few days ago a deputation from the AVellington Chamber of Commerce waited on the Premier and Minister of Works and asked, or rather demanded, that an immediate commencement should be made with the building of the new post and telegraph offices, and with the construction of a railway station in a central position. The reply of the Premier was decided, and it must have grated sorely on the cars of the commercial cormorants. He intimated that nearly all the £5,000,000 loan had been absorbed, and that AVellington had nothing to complain of regarding public buildings. Then to show how unreasonable was the request of the deputation, he called attention to the followinglittle improvements which the empire city was receiving at the expense of the rest of the colony :—The It ail way

Wharf, £35,000; New Supreme Court, £25,000; new Magistrate’s Court, £15,000; and the new'Hospital had cost £44,000, -whilst £BOOO more had been spent on.. the asylum, making - a total of £127,000. In the face of these figures no hope was held out that any further expenditure on public buildings in Wellington would be entertained by the Government, and the deputation, abashed and discomfited, bowed their exit, sadder but wiser men than they were when they made their entrance. The Wellington Press is naturally angry, and we do not blame them. But we are certain that Avith the action of Ministers in this instance, the press and people in every other part of- the colony will bo highly delighted. Not that avc Avish to deprive Wellington of anything that -is tine to her position as the seat of GoA ? crnmcnt, but avc consider it is high time that the “loaves and fishes” should be fairly distributed among the multitude. While Wellington has been pampered, other equally deserving parts of the colony have been impoverished. The late (!oA’ernment played fast and loose into the hands of Wellington. AVo arc glad to see that the present Premier has taken the bull by the horns, and J,hat he has the courage, at the risk of offending (he press and people of Wellington, to tell ils merchant princes that their fortunes are not exactly going to he built up by public Avorks at the expense of every other centre in New Zealand.

This eomendable and prudent action on the part of the Government gives ns reason to believe that something like justice will be done to other parts of New Zealand where other public works are required. We arc well aware that the money at the disposal of the Government is limited —so limited that only works of great urgency can belnndertakon. Wo are also aware that there are other places quite as badly off as Timaru. But there is one matter which requires attention, and which, bad the late Government been as kind to Timaru as it lias been to nearly every other centre, would have been seen to long ago. We refer to the railway station. Timaru lias been content for years past to allow a cowshed to do duty for a railway terminus, and we need hardly say that the railway traffic has suffered in consequence. Unlike Wellington, wc do not want half a million spent on hospitals, court houses, and other unreproductivc works, but wo want accommodation for the growing goods and passenger traffic of the district. The excavations for' a new station have been made and the expenditure that remains to be incurred will be fully recouedd during the coming grain season, by our rapidly increasing railway traffic. The Government has an opportunity of doing an act of justice to Timaru, which, if it docs not reconcile everybody to the Property Tax, will at least prove that in the administration of Public Works the Ministry is endeavoring to deal as justly as possibly with every part of the Colony.