The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 841, 25 July 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1871.

While it can be easily shown that those states which have the largest pub. he indebtedness are the most wealthy and prosperous, it would be idle to infer, therefore, that public incumbrances are of themselves advantageous, irrespectively of the purposes to which they are applied. The liabilities of nearly all old countries have been contracted for the purpose of meeting war expenditure, and this expenditure has been directed to the prostration and annihilation of the sources of wealth which supportjtaxation If, in spite of thia prodigal waste of wealth, England has continued to enjoy a public credit unshaken, it is in consequence of her unparalleled commerce and industry, certainly this indebtedness requiring a greatly increased taxation has not been the cause of her unexampled prosperity. This furnishes a ready argument in favour of a colony such as New Zealand contracting loans to be expended in useful public works of a reproductive character, and, indeed, so long as the sums borrowed are usefully expended, it practically matters but little whether the loans contracted for such purpose amount to ten millions or fifty. On the other hand, if our easily acquired millions are uselessly frittered away, either in an extravagant system of officialdom or in works not calculated to accelerate the progress of the colony or to benefit it as a whole, the truth cannot be too early impressed that we do not possess the resources or the wealth that has enabled the mother country to progress notwithstanding immense national liabilities incurred in repeated wars, or othewise wasted. The question then remains as to the manner in which the Public Works Loan shall be applied; which works are the most necessary, and at the same time hold out the surest prospect of securing the results contemplated by the framers of the Act. The danger is but too apparent that the interests of the community may be subordinated to special interests. In order to provide a check for extravagant or useless expenditure, the "Examiner" suggests a permanent non-political jury of public works, with,, if occasion require, local branches, or assessors. " The body in question must, to give it independence, be established by statute declaring its functions and fixing its payment. Its duty should be to make a preliminary inquiry into and report upon every proposal before its introduction to the legislature; and without a favourable report no proposal should be capable of being introduced. The power of such a board or jury would be strictly conservative, and in cases where the decision of the country was

steadily them, it would but operate as a suspensory executive veto, to delay the carrying out of a work. For the whole Legislature could, of course, overrule and abolish the board of their own creating. In this indeed lies the defect of the proposal? for it would bo foolish to ignore the fact that the Legislative Council, which should be the security against sudden legislative changes, has not shown ttself sufficiently resolute and cautious for the necessity of the case. It has lent itself with fatal facility—not to say levity—to the purpose of the Minister of the day, in hasty changes of what should be the fundamental financial laws of the country, and it cannot be fully relied upon to uphold the needful authority of the jury or board of works any more than it has done that of the Controller, against a temporary pressure of a Ministry, or eager politicians. The reform of the Council might be a necessary concomitant of the establishment of the proposed board. There can be no consistent objection to su,ch a board by any one who truly believes that the particular plans they advocate will bear the light of a calm inquiry; whilst if its actions were conscientious, it must remove the suspicion and fear with which wealthy and solvent provincials view the claims of their less fortunate neighbours."