The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1898.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 331, 23 August 1898, Page 2

The Waikato Argus GEORGE EDGECUMBE, Proprietor. TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1898.

THE financial debate was made a little livoly and interesting on Friday by the -vigorous and logical speech of Mr Bollard, the member for Eden. He tackled the question of railway administration, the Department of Government on which Ministers and their followers pride themselves. He pointed out as we have done on several occasions, that the railways were being starved in order to show goods results on paper. He pointed out that last year the Government had asked for £200,000 and were asking for another £200,000. It is the habit of the Premier to state on every possible opportunity that the Commissioners starved the railways. This, of course, is untrue. The Commissioners before handing over, in order to save their reputations, had reports by com* petent men compiled and these showed that the permanent way and rolling stock were in good condition. Neither the Premier nor any member of the House questioned these reports at the time. Then again, the Commissioners were instructed to secure as high a return as possible, and in consequence were unable to forego revenue by granting concessions in fares and freights. They also had to keep the lines and rolling stock up to requirements out of current revenue. The Government have asked Parliament for £400,000 iu order to purchase rolling stock and repair the lines, an expenditure which under the Commissioners would have been provided out of earnings. Mr Bollard is naturally indignant at the cavalier manner in which the Government treat the question of extending the main trunk line to a junction with the line to Wellington, he is also indignant with his brother members who represent Northern constituencies that they do not combine and compel justice in this respect; it is no doubt to their want of cohesion in the pastas at the present time, is due the fact that the Auckland district has been so unjustly treated. Money has been voted, borrowed and ear marked for the making of the railway, but subsequently diverted from the purpose for which the credit of the colony was strained. We quite recognise, of course, that the work cannot be prosecuted, unless money is borrowed for the purpose; as Mr Larnach pointed out, we are doing ourselves injustice by attempting to construct works which will benefit posterity entirely out of current revenue. To do this the strain would be too great and retard the progress of the colony to a degree calculated to prove equally, if not more, injurious, to posterity, than paying interest on the necessary loans. Carrying on work out of current revenue, however, suits the Premier better than an earmarked loan. With current revenue Ministers have discretion, and can reward or punish constituencies. In the case of a loan, so soon as it is raised and allocated, it is no longer a means of bribery and corruption. A loan, therefore, is safer for the country than excessive taxation, with the power vested in Ministers to spend the surplus as they will.