Could not be Hurried.

The Prime Minister said that they must know that no Government and no Parliament could hurry a matter like that. The development of the country was limited to a large extent by the necessities of the people and the amount of money the Government could get and spend in each year. While the completion of the Christchurch-Lyttelton section would act as a great stimulus to the electrification of the lines between other ports and cities, and suburban lines, such as Auckland to Onehunga, Wellington to Upper Hutt, etc., he had very little hesitation in saying: “Leave it alone and stand off for a period of seven years before asking the country to take the added burden that would result.” There was no reason, he considered, why they should not take note of the object lesson of the completion of this seven miles of railway. New Zealand was a wonderful country and last year the value of its exports had reached the huge total of £56,000,000. There were increases in all the staple products, wool, butter, cheese, and frozen meat. That very often carried the unthinking off their feet, but no Government would be justified in taking any credit for the value of the exports of this or any other country except those created by its own industry. It was a good thing for the country to see the magnificent increase in prices, but it was a bad thing for the unthinking to rely upon that and expect the Government to do what prudent men would not do in their own businesses. Whoever was ruling the country could not afford to assume that high prices were going to continue always.