THE HEIGHT OF EXTRAVAGANCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3554, 20 June 1912, Page 7

THE HEIGHT OF EXTRAVAGANCE.

(to the EDITOR. 1

Sir, —Your admirable leading article in Monday’s issue should commend itself to the serious consideration of every person who desires to see in this Dominion an honest and economic administration instead of the reckles and extravagant Government of the last twenty years, and whose culminating act of extravagance and folly is that to which you so pointedly refer, i.e., the replacing of Parliamentary buildings.. In the first place the grossest carelessness was displayed in the superviion of the nightwatchmen, if such men were employed, otherwise the fire could hardly have occurred, or could have been extinguished in its incipient stage, and as the conflagration occurred about Christmas time there was no need for fires in any of the offices. Afterwards perhaps the most egregrious and expensive blunder was the subsequent scheme adopted by the authorities. Instead of at once replacing the buildings destroyed, and for which heavy compensation had to be paid to the contractor for the additions in the course of construction, the Governor was required to give up his residence to enable the building to be converted, after another unnecessary outlay, into temporary Parliamentary buildings. Now as Parliament would not meet for at least six months after •the fire there was ample time, as you point out, for temporary arrangements to be made for the meeting of Parliament, instead of tinkering with the Governor’s residence, which necessitated the expense of a new building at great cost- and in a most- undesirable and bleak spot in what I may term the centre of slumdom, which is exposed to all the gentle zephyrs which visit Wellington, and which has cost a large sum for the construqtionof a road to reach this delectable spot (tho former site of the Lunatic Asylum). Although roads and bridges are urgently needed and for which money cannot be procured, yet half a million can be voted for -tlie straightening of the Hutt railway, an unnecessary work. Then there was the surreptitious removal and sale of the furniture from the Auckland residence of the Governor. But, sir, I fear I shall exhaust your patience advancing reasons why we should have a change of Government, so will conclude with a wish that is father to the thought-. J am, etc., NOT A BENE. Gisborne, June 19, 1912.