The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1886. A PIECE OF MISMANAGEMENT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2199, 20 January 1886, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1886. A PIECE OF MISMANAGEMENT.

There is one point in the speech delivered by Mr Beetham while addressing his constituents in Masterton, to which too much prominence cannot be given, and we think that every man possessed only in the slightest degree of the reflective faculty will agree that he spoke in the full interest of the district. Sir Bketjiam said • ''The amount which had boeu voted by the Government for roads to open Crown Lands in Wairarapa East was £11,390, and, though that was not nearly sufficient, they could have done a good deaj if they could only have got the money at the proper time. But, unfortunately, they had so far tailed to get the money," In a dense bush the summer and autumn is, undoubtedly, the proper time to form roads,- or to get lid of timber on ■road lines. The euirentfinaiicial year ensls on the 31st of March next, or ■ a little more than two months hence, and it is extremely doubtful tlmt any portion of the amount voted will be expended after that date. The unexpended balance for the year will then be brought forward to the credit of the Public Works Fund, from which it will be voted for other purposes next year. No special account is kept of balances of this nature. In order to show how the district is treated with , respect of payments to .Counties out of .special grants of this nature, we need only point to the grants out of .the .fund during the year ending March Slet, 1885,. and the amounts that were expended out of them, The total amount voted to Wairarapa .East out of the main road account was £10,791 15s Id and the ex-' peadjjtnre was £6362. For Wairarapa East the respective figures were £5723 and £215115s lid, It will be seen that a large balance pa Jeffcin each case,. We have cot ai hand the Parliamentary paper showing the amount voted for roads to open ,Crowa. Lands, jijid the amount expended therefrom in fcae year 1884-5, but we know the figureß bear # similar proportion to those quoted above, We are now having a repitition.of the farce, ■We are pleased to fiud that, Mr Beethak has already brought the matter under the potice of the Government, through th,o" Waste lands Board. is, ihojvever, only too w.ij,ch reason to believe that it jvill ,b'e shirked, and that next ,to nothing will s l)e done this year. -It is an .tindoubted'fiiflt ihst ; large : quantities'o? lahd remain,unavailable ipr .Sflttleraent;

dimply because this money remains unexpended,' So (far from effecting a saving, the Government is actually inflicting a loss upon the colony, because they nro hindering settlement, and preventing the' investment of 'capital and the development of the resources of the country. An explanation of the reasons which have led the Government to pursue such a shortsighted polioy would perhaps be , interesting, but it could never prove | a complete exoneration.