The situation regarding Public Works, which the unofficial members are anxious to press on with, would hardly be underestimated at a million dollars - whereas there are no funds to meet this expenditure beyond the falling balance of $431,000 referred to above; and to expend the whole of the available balance or even a large part of it would surely be most unwise, especially as the probable result would be that they would find themselves with several large public works begun but without enough money to finish them.
The situation admits, I think, of only two alternatives. Either they must content themselves with the expenditure on Public Works Extraordinary provided in the Estimates, take things as they are, and not press on with such large works for a few years. Having begun the new Law Courts, they must go on with it, and perhaps one or two other costly works like the Post Office.
Or else, and this is the alternative that I greatly prefer, they must put on a pretty stringent programme of extra taxation ahead and spend as much as they can, say a good half million dollars a year on Public Works.
Apart from the question of Public Works, having regard to the fact that, as matters now stand, the estimated balance for the year is absorbed in toto and in fact turned into a heavy deficit to be met by taxation, I think the moment has come to insist on fresh taxation. In the answering Despatch, I would absolutely insist on fresh taxation (I leave it to the Governor's discretion - we only get put off again and again) and I would clearly lay it down that whenever they increase taxes, they may increase Expenditure on Public Works Extraordinary.
So much for the Estimate. In reply to the Governor's Despatch and the memo of the Unofficial members of Council, we...