PUBLIC WORKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 283, 10 September 1938, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS

RECKLESS SPENDING CHARGE. A DUTY TO THE ELECTORS. REFERENCES BY MR FORBES. (Abridged from Press f WELLINGTON, September 9. Urgency was accorded the passing of the Public Works Statement and Estimates by the House of Representatives to-dfiy. Mr J. {largest (Nationalist, Awnrua) complained of the soaremoiigering attitude adopted by the Minister of Public Works ill connection with the Government’s hydro-electric schemes. Ho contended tliat this attitude was adopted merely to derive notoriety. The Minister of Railways said one question that might have to he considered in future was whether the railways should not make a larger eontiibution to the Consolidated Fund. In the last two years the Department had spent £2,000,000 because of increased costs and provision of improved conditions for railwaymen. While the rest of the community had passed on increasing costs, the railways had not done so, but it might he necessary to do so in future.

The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes (Nationalist, Hurunui) said that the Opposition had a duty to the general public much the same as the Government had, and that duty was to criticise Government measures where such course proved necessary. He contended that the Government had |been spending money recklessly on public works. Personally, he said, he was glad to see the energy which the Minister of Public Works was putting into ‘his job; but he considered that the expenditure on this branch of the Government’s activities was such that the country would find some difficulty in meeting it. When the present Government had been on the Opposition benches it had accused the then Government of turning New Zealand into a nation of navvies as a result of its unemployment policy, hut he was of the opinion that the Government itself was adding thousands to the number of navvies as a result of its own policy in spite of the fact that we were at present enjoying one of tho greatest periods of prosperity in the history of the country. Mr Forbes went on to criticise the necessity for public servants to join the Workers’ union before they were able to get jobs. The Opposition, he said, stood for the abolition of compulsory unionism. Wlork for AH. The Hon. P. C. Webb said that the member for Hurunui did not seem to be able to get away from the slump mind and now lie was worried about so much money being spent on public works. The previous Government, he said, was responsible for more young men being prevented from learning trades than any other Government in history, and its short-sighted policy was responsible for much of the misery that had been experienced during the depression. To-day there was not a man who was willing to work who could not get a job, and that had not occurred before in this Dominion. After several other members had spoken, the Minister, replying, said that when a great deal of money was being expended some criticism was to he expected. The only member who had gone off the rails a little was the member for Awarua. The Minister referred to road-improvement work, instancing the Paekakariki deviation, which would eliminate 158 bends, a climb of 500 feet,- and would shorten the distance between Plimmerton and Paekakariki by 41 miles. To-day they were faced with a tremendous increase in road traffic, and they were trying to build highways like the old Roman roads that would stand for centuries. . The House continued without tho usual interval for tea, and at 6.20 the Public Works Statement was referred to the Government, and the House went into Committee for consideration of tho Public Works Estimates. Opposition members criticised the Government film showing the progress in mechanisation in connection with public works, and contended that it was made purely for political propaganda purposes. Estimates Passed. Numerous questions asked by the Opposition were replied to by various Ministers on behalf of Mr Semple, who left by the steamer express for the south earlier in the evening. There were no general discussions on any particular items in the Estimates, which were passed.

Tho House rose at 9.35 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Monday.