New Zealand in evolution, industrial, economic and political; . ing to tell its tale, and for some yearsthe line scarcely figured at all on the Estimates. In tenyears the million loan was exhausted, the result being59 miles of completed line, 21 partially completed, and135 in the different stages of survey. In addition, thefreehold of 1,140,000 acres of native land and the lease-hold of 130,000 acres had been purchased. Now the work took on an entirely new aspect. TheLiberal Government—practically the continuous Ministrywhich still holds office under Sir Joseph Ward—hadcome to power with a ver
New Zealand in evolution, industrial, economic and political; . ing to tell its tale, and for some yearsthe line scarcely figured at all on the Estimates. In tenyears the million loan was exhausted, the result being59 miles of completed line, 21 partially completed, and135 in the different stages of survey. In addition, thefreehold of 1,140,000 acres of native land and the lease-hold of 130,000 acres had been purchased. Now the work took on an entirely new aspect. TheLiberal Government—practically the continuous Ministrywhich still holds office under Sir Joseph Ward—hadcome to power with a very definite mandate to right thewrongs of the working classes, and to relieve the distressof hundreds of the derelicts of the previous period ofdespondency. Sweating was rampant in all in contracts for earthworks there was sub-letting,and labour was such a glut in the market that the work-man was glad to get employment at any price. JohnBallance was out against sweating, and his lieutenant,Richard J. Seddon, waged ruthless war against it in his. STATE RAILWAYS 265 own Department of Public Works. He absolutely forbadethe recognition of sub-letting in all State contracts, andwhen contractors repudiated their obligations on theground that they were not allowed the customary free-dom of contract, Seddon boldly decided to cure thewhole trouble by becoming his own contractor on behalfof the Government. The day-labour system, he couldsee, would entail far too much administrative work onthe Department, but with his quick constructive facultyhe devised something well calculated to overcome mostof the difficulties. Experimenting on a piece of railwayconstruction on the West Coast of the South Island, hedivided the workmen into gangs and let a portion of thework, at a price fixed by the engineer, to each gang, themembers of which at its completion divided the the material required was supplied by the the outset obvious objections were urged againstth
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