The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. MONDAY, OCTOBER, 24, 1927. THE PEAK OF PUBLIC WORKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 183, 24 October 1927, Page 8

The Sun 42 Wyndham Street, Auckland, N.Z. MONDAY, OCTOBER, 24, 1927. THE PEAK OF PUBLIC WORKS

IF the spending of public money on a lavish scale he an aid to electoral support throughout the country the Reform Government should have no difficulty in retaining its weighty power in Parliament. The Administration proposes to excel itself and sjjend fully £8,500,000 this financial year on numerous public works. It may be presumed confidently that all of these undertakings are essential, while it is fair to emphasise that most of them certainly will be reproductive in the form of revenue from different national utilities. The great sum, however, is what- Barrie’s thrifty Glasgow merchant would have called “a conseederable fortune. ’ It is farahead of any aggregate expenditure on similar purposes in past years. Indeed, it has no parallel in New Zealand political history, if the old Liberals or the new Labour had been responsible 1 or such a record, instead of it going to the high c-redit of the prudent, economical Reform Party, there would have been unkind talk of profligacy and “the rakes’ progress.” Since 1922 to the current year, both inclusive, the actual and projected expenditure out of the Public Works Fund exceeds £43,500,000. It. may be said at once that the Reform Administration lias at least shattered the old gibe in impious political jargon that the Public Works Estimates represented a “loaves and fishes” policy. It does not pretend to perform the miracle of providing a bounteous feast out of a meagre fare. All the money required for the Government’s record programme of public works will have to be borrowed. Thus additional authority is 1o be sought this session so that £9,000,000 altogether may be raised from sources wherein New Zealand’s credit is high. This means that rather more than £450,000 a year will be added to the interest hill, making that account top the £11,000,000 mark, or a sum almost equal to the total value of the Dominion’s annual output of export butter. But the shaded features of the financial picture need not be emphasised. As the Hon. W. Downie S.tewart observed soothingly in his Budget, “the current financial year, and the next one or two years, are the peak years of expenditure on public works, after which it should be possible to effect reductions.” We may all be very'glad that until the general election, at.least, there is to be corn in Egypt for a hungry multitude. It perhaps -would have been.too much to expect a schedule of prospective Government expenditure which did not foreshadow another increase in taxation. The Hon. Iv. S. Williams, as Minister of Public Works, has followed the lead of his colleagues in that direction, and has disclosed the intention of the Government to extract more money from motor-vehicle owners for the construction and maintenance of highways. The Minister will have the majority of the people on his side. If it be true, as Mr. Williams says, that, since 1924, the increase in the cost of maintaining highways alone represents from £5 to £6 a year per additional motor-vehicle registered, while the contribution from motor taxation represents approximately only £3 a. vehicle each year, it is time to readjust the charges on motorists. If they have any doubt about the fairness of increased taxation, let them consult British motorists who deplore New Zealand roads, hut envy the New Zealand motorist in respect of the easy motor tax. Luxury motorists can well afford 1o contribute more money toward the making of first-class roads.

GREYHOUND RACING

THOSE who are seriously perturbed over the extent of gambling in this country, and who are hoping that it is not to be increased by the introduction of the new medium of tin-hare or greyhound racing, will he strengthened in their opposition by the published results of the first season in London. During four months, five million people paid for admission to see the racing. Wagers of £IOO became quite cpmmon. The largest bet was one of £BQO to £4OO. One bookmaker lost £5,000 on a %ingle race. It would he a very safe bet to wager that the bookmaker in question had won far more than he lost when it came to the final accounting, and that the fraternity generally had much to congratulate itself on. The 5,000,000 who went to see the racing spent £625,000 in admission money. Was it to see five or .six dogs dash past in a race that was over in a few seconds, or was it to gamble? One only has to survey the list of bookmakers to have that question answered. And apart from their £625,000 admission money, it would be interesting to learn what other money was left pn the course for the benefit of the promoters of the sport and the bookmakers and the many parasites on gambling. Greyhound racing secured a quick hold in Sydney, and is further entangling the workers, who already had more than enough betting facilities provided by racehorse, pony and trotting meetings almost every day in the week. Such a disastrous effect is this boom in gambling having in New South Wales, that its neighbouring State of Victoria has taken alarm, and the Premier, Mr. Hogan, announces that he will introduce legislation this session to prevent betting on tin-hare race meetings there. Bookmaker or no bookmaker, there are those who would bring greyhound racing to New Zealhnd. They declare they would introduce it juet for the sport of the thing—that they do not concern themselves about betting. This is where the touch of comedy comes in. At a recent greyhound racing meeting at Epping, Sydney, there were no fewer than 211 bookmakers operating on registered stands, as shown by the race card. It is only by bettingthat this racing booms, and all men of sense realise it. There are no registered bookmakers in New Zealand, but there are hundreds of them operating in defiance of anti-gambling legislation. If they defy the law in regard to horse racing, are they going to refuse betting on greyhound racing, where there is "good money to be picked up”? The notion is preposterous, and well they know it who propose to introduce greyhound racing to New Zealand. This country has it full share of gambling as it is. and no persuasion, however plausible, should induce it to allow, opportunities lor more, 0,-