PUBLIC WORKS

FURTHER 3000 MEN TOTAL TO BE 20,000 VARIED EMPLOYMENT £IOO,OOO TOR MACHINERY [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The employment of an additional 3000 men on national works throughout the Dominion is proposed by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. K. Scmple. This will bring the total number of men employed by the department up to 20,000 —a record in the history of public works in New Zealand.

In making this announcement tonight the Minister stated that the men would be employed on various works, including railway completion, road construction, bridge building, aerodromes and river protection. " Our difficulty is to find works that are of some value to the nation," said the Minister, " for we cannot afford to have men placed on useless jobs simply for the sake of giving them work. We will spread these men over both islands, endeavouring to relieve unemployment where it is at its worst. In any case, this additional number of men will bring the total on public works up to 20,000 compared with the previous record number of 17,000 established during a boom period." Mr. Semple said that some difficulty had been experienced in securing sufficient timber to provide houses for men working on the various railway construction jobs. In the meantime tents were being used, but the absence of adequate supplies of seasoned timber was preventing a more rapid absorption of men on public works. Mr. Semple said he estimated that an expenditure of £IOO.OOO would be required to equip the public works with modern tools and machinery. That was the expenditure ho was aiming at. In the meantime orders had been placed by his department for machinery costing approximately £75,000 and the greater part of this would be available for use in the near future.