The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1900. THIS PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 204, 3 October 1900, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1900. THIS PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

It is to be hoped, now we have supplied •our local contemporary with the Estimates for Taranaki, that he will b; tble to make up his mind whether the Public Woiks Statement is satisfactory. No't tbat he need have waited so long, because sixpence spent in a telegram to Wellington would have procured him the information before writing the | captious article which appeared in bis last issue. The fact is, our contemporary's position is a very painful one, and to use a much-used pbraee, * ( 'e don't exactly know where 'e are," Just before the last general election he made the mistake of thinking the Government were going to be beaten at the polls, and in his anxiety to be on the winning side said Borne things that he has been sorry for ever since. Naturally, one does not like to make such a mistake, and for the public to know it makes it much worse. Of course be has to make some effort to justify the position be then took up, and he has ever since posed as the candid friend. His article on Monday evening was a striking example of that being sud which should have been left unsaid, and that wbich was left unsaid should have been said, As be was not sure whether the actual facts would justify his condemnation of the Government, he expressed the hope that they would justify his approval, thus damning the Government with faint praise. He then went on to find fault with the vote of £IO,OOO for a light railway in from Stratfoid, and expressed the opinion that tbe amount should have been doubled. To quote his own words: "In a total appropriation for railway construction of .£559,500 the province of Taraoali, iocludiig thro a electorates,, is interested to the extent of £IO,OOO ocly, H'ld that for a work of the very givat-s' importance —a light railway alorg tho Eut Road flora Stratford—for which at least double the amount shou,d should have been voted. This work ought to be put io hand at the earliest possible moment and carried out with the outmost despatch, as being calcuhted to affor.d a small measure of relief to settlers abng the East Road. The preliminary work of survey need not tike long, for the route is now open country, and all tho details of levels and grades are already available for some miles from Stratford. If, however, the whole £IO,OOO is expended during the coming summer it will be of immense benefit to settlement along the route and of considerable use to eettleoa beyond." What a change of front is here, seeing that throughout the whole course of the efforts of tho people of the Stratford district to get to their claims to a railway to open up their back country, recognised, our contemporary has continually panted out hotv much better off they would be with a road, .Not so v. ry long back he told the Stratford people that the effect of a railway would be most it jjrious to thm, and tbe trade of the town. Yet now he calls it "a work of the very greatest importance tbat ought to be put in hand at the earliest possible moment, and carrricd out with the utmost possible despatch'" If he was sincere in bb former articles this can ouly mean that tha sooner the business people of S,rat.ford are ruined the better ha will like it , Another grievance is that the Minister of Lands, who has stated of visiting the d;itrict, is noS coming right now. Notwithstanding the fact that Mr. Duncan is a settli r of many y< ars standiDg, and kLO'A's what mud roads are, bs wel l , if not better, tbanaoyoie, nothing will satisfy our contemporary than that he should himself make a peisonal and immediate acquaintar.ee with the muddy roads of Taranaki, The idea is childish in the extreme. Then he has a final growl regarding the New Piymcuih post and telegraph officts. the sum of £1655 is down for bu.ldings in New and it would be well for him to got Full details of how l his is to besp.jot before finding so much fault Ho is careful not to disclose whether he favours a new post office or additions to the old, but in any case advises the p3oplo of New Plymouth to let the Government know oi their dissatisfaction b;fore, if his opaning sentence means any thing, they know if thero is any reason for difs 11i^faction or noi. It is curious to notice, wheilur it is to show the insincerity of hit previous remarks, or to pleai.o both side 3, wo know not; that lii-s concluding remarks ore quite complimentary to tha Govaimriant. Like Balak of Old (our contemporary started out to curse, ■but concluded with a blessing,