The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1908. MR. CARROLL AS A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2346, 12 November 1908, Page 4

The Gisborne Times . PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1908. MR. CARROLL AS A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE.

In the course of his remarks at the Theatre, the Hon. M. Carroll indulged in his customary palaver concerning the progressiveness of this district and its people. On this congenial topic the hon. gentleman referred to the “prodigious strides” made by the Poverty Bay district, and added, quite correctly, that this community had contributed to the progress of the Dominion in a liberal way. The Native Minister, could, with advantage to his hearers, have pursued the subject further, and explained to what extent the Poverty Bay district is assisting to maintain the remainder of the Dominion. The result, however, would have been to instance in a particularly striking way the manner in which tlii® district has been, neglected in the past. It lias long been a popular delusion that Gisborne ligs enjoyed some peculiar privileges as the result of being represented in Parliament by a Minister of ..the Crown, but a brief consideration of the facts will show that it lias rather acted as a handicap than otherwise. As a matter of fact, this district has prospered in- spite of the Government and in, spite of the apathy of its Parliamentary representative, who has entirely failed to secure for it even a reasonable share of public expenditure. For tlie year ending March 31st, 1908, the Customs revenue paid upon goods landed in Gisborne wharf amounted to no less a sum than £45,000, which i® considerably more than all the public money spent in the district. To the figures mention-

ed must lie added the receipts obtained from land and income taxes, stamps, postal and telegraph revenue and the totalizator. It would probably be found if the position, were closely investigated that Poverty Bay, a district that is young in point oi development, is not getting back 50 per cent of the amount it contributes to the public funds. This is manifestly unfair, for it is a recognised principle in political economy that a community wherein the country is new and undeveloped! needs a greater proportion of public expenditure than those which have been long settled. For years Poverty Bay has been struggling manfully against the unjust circumstances under which it has been placed. Its people have been contributing heavily to the general receipts of the Government, besides helping materially to keep the pastoral industry of the country on a sound footing, and getting practically no assistance in opening up the country. The net. resailt of this has been to seriously retard the district, and to bring about a shocking waste in the timber that is being burned yearly for lack of means to get it to a market. And our Parliamentary representative, who might have done so much and has in reality done so little, has the audacity to stand up and tell the people, that “our railway ds growing apace.” Gisborne’s one ewe lamb, its only public work, the little railway with its tiny engine and toy carriages, is “growing apace.” Tfie

pace for last year was so liglitndnglike that no less than three miles were completed. So that the full significance of this mighty achievement should not be lost upon a gratified people, no less than three opening ceremonies were arranged in connection with the line, j irst came that of Empire Day. when the wheels were set rolling and the line was made available for traffic. Two days later two Cabinet Ministers, the Hons. Mr. McGowan and Air. Carroll, officiated at an informal opening, and a few weeks later Sir Joseph AVard made a special journey from Wellington to officially open this three miles of railway. Of course, the whole business was farcical, and only showed to what ridiculous methods will resort in order to keep their personal influence prominently before the electors- It was noticeable that at his local meeting Air. Carroll made 'not the slightest reference to the Gis-borne-Napier railway, which should never be out of the mind of our Parliamentary representative. It is being made an important- plank in the election speeches of Napier candidates, and our own public men should miss no opportunity to bring it prominently before Parliament anti the public. Unfortunately, so long as we depend upon a gentleman with the ease-loving proclivities of the Hon. Air. Carroll so long must wo expect to be relegated to the background when public works are being considered.