The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1164, 11 December 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Equal and exaot justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People s right maintain, Unawed by inßiMnofl and unbribed oy gaku ' IKURSDAYt DECEMBER 11, 1879.

Tub statement "of the Minister for Public Works hap, since tbe uiauguration of the -Public Works and Immigration Policy, been looked forward to with almost as onuch interest as even that of the Colonial Treasurer. The Hon. Mr Olivet 1 dilivered the Public Works Statement on Tuesday night,

bnfc oar readers will willingly cxcus< us we yell know, if instead o| rejrablishftg ♦it m futHis we recently dd that of Major Atkinson to the*excluaion of other matter, we simply refur to such portions of it as,*divectly affect this district and the northern portions of the colony. Amongst tl^9 woilcshtieiHionecl aa^cojnpjeted • or m rapid course of completion ai'i* the survey of the proposed Helensville and Wangarei railway, the works m actual progress on the Kaipara line, between Riverhead and $ewmar.keb, our owu branch line extension into Hamilton, ftrill the continuation of the main, linn from Ohanpo to within two or three mi lea of the southern 'confiscation boundary. What, however, will be considered of more interest are" the proposals for the future. Sincf) the exposure of \ho condition into which the finances of the colony have been brought, expectation m thialdirection has been considerably diminished, and therefore there will be less disappointment than thiere might have been now it becomes known that comparatively so little can be done m carrying out the numerous large works m different parts of the colony, which h;ive either been initiated, or the promises of the initiation of which have been scattered as bread cast upon the political waters. . How it /is that bbust s few new works can be undertaken is fully shown by the Minister for Works m his explanation of the means afc the disposal of the Government. Of the £5,000,000 loan and the balance of .£517,120 including credits with which the" Government began the year, a sum of £3,800,865 includin<? land purchasing requirements will be absorbed. The works to which the . Government stand pledged, if finished m the stipulated time will require the expenditure of a sum of £2,559,082 befor the 30th of June next; and the remainder of the liabilities, excepting a portion of those for la,nd purchases, within the following yoar. The balance available out of the now loan, and he bids us, bear m mind that no fresh loan can be entered upon for three years, will be therefore only £1,872,046, and continued the Treasurer, "The only method of ♦•adding to this for public works, m " addition to receipts from land "sales, is by diverting to this pur- " pose a sum from some one of the "other objects for which the loan " was authorised." Yfhafc direction that diversion should take is not tT3n hinted at m the statement, but but it can be m one only, that which this journal has already pointed out as bosh legitimate to be done and boneficial to the colony m its execution — 'the dropping of all land purchase bargains, , which can be let go without entailing any real loss npon the colony. . The liabilities incuired for the completion of these purchases — bargains, m very many cases, doubtless, would be a misnomer altogether-— lias mounted to the good round sutn, as the Minister for Works now informs us, of £1 ,210,802. That this is the direction m which the Government really does see its way of escape from the wholesale hypothecation of the loan is, however, to be gathered from the remark niide by Major Atkinson m the Financial Statement : "That unless the Government can get rid of some of their land purchase bargains there is no war of cutting down the appropriated portion of the -loan." , We sincerely trust that where practicable they will do so, and rendor available further funds for the real work of colonisation. In any case, however, the sum left for expenditure, when it is considered no new loan can be floated for three years, is small, and it must be conceded to Mr Oliver that he only speaks wisely when ho says : "It i 3 imperative, therefore, m the interests of settlement, that the expenditure of this loan should he judiciously spread over that period." He then goes on to briefly indicate the principal works intended to be carried on during the current year, They appear to be fairly apportioned between the several divisions of the colony, and we give those m detail which refer to the Auckland province. We miss, however, firm them all notice of the Cambridge and Taupo road, which we had fully expected *o have found mentioned ; nor, indeed, is there any reference to the Cambridge branch line. Referring then to the Statement, we find amongst tho works proposed to be carried out m the current year: — " Railways. — Rawaknwa: Another section is nearly ready for tendering, and it is proposed to go on immediately -with the works j its prosecution being an obligation imposed on tho Government, under an agreement between the Superintendent of Auckland and the proprietors of the Kawakawa coal 'wine, ratified by an Act of tho General Assembly,, However, this work would be very desirable, developing as it will, one of the most important coalfields m the colony. Whangarei to Kamb : Plans have been prepared for tho second section, extending into deep water, and tenders will «oon be called. Kaipara to Puniu : The whole of this work is now under contract, with the oxceptioh of the station at the JSewmarkefc junction. Tenders have been received for this work and their acceptance is only awaiting the passing qH. fcfoe JBati mates. Tenders have likewise tifiGtt received for levelling and draining the sfeta »t Newmarket on which it ia proposed <# the district workshops, as sooiu #s

authority has. been obtained from ParUament. Wail&to tp the Thames!' 1 J[t is jutendedto qpnstruot a. bridge *over*thß' 'Watty to, ..and a. section { ro.m Hamilton Bast.". * ,-. ' ,

We httvo referred above to the absence of any notice of the 'proposed Cambridge. and/Taupo ro »d/but this may,' pof hapß, \>6 accoutre .1 for by tbo concluding .sentence of tLe Ministei-'s remarks wUJ», which we close our; present notice oj the. Public Works Statement, "I now come W our proposils^with regard. to roads. We vlay great stress np.m them, both as promoting ft solution of the native difficulty m the North Island and rs fostering permanent settlement of the country m connection with the administration of liberal land laws. Unless we steadily pursue a policy of progress by opening up the country with roads leading to our main' lines of railway, as well as m parts of the country where we are not likely to be able to establish railway communication, we can have little hope of a revival of the prosperity of past yeara. This will only be attained by enlarging the area of our cultivation and affording every facility for the occupation of our lands by a far larger population than is now settled upon them. Toxthe revival of immigration, and the encouragement of an influx of small capitalists, coupled with the active administration of our land laws, we must look under exisitin^ circumstances for a re-r establishment of confidence and a healthy pursuit of oar industries more, perhaps) than to the extension of works of a costly character, lor which the funds may nob be immodintely available. The Estimates will show m detail our proposed appropriation."