THE PUBLIC WORKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 253, 7 August 1941, Page 3

THE PUBLIC WORKS

REDUCTION IN EXPENDITURE. NETT SUM OF £13,010,000 OPERATIONS LAST YEAR (Sp.) WELLINGTON, August 6. The effect of the decision of the Government to curtail public works in the Dominion is shown in the annual statement of the Public Works Department, presented in the House of Representatives to-day by the Minister for Public Works (the Hon. H. T. Arm strong). Expenditure under the general purposes account of the Public Works Fund for the year 1940-41 amounted to £6,250,127, as against £9,238,447 for the previous year. That represented a reduction of £3,000,000. The gross expenditure of the de' partment for the year under review was £20,327,529, of which £4,267,5G9 was expended by other Government departments. Recoveries in reduction of expenditure amounted to £7,317,521. Of that sum £1,362,390 was recovered by other departments. The net expenditure totalled £13.010,008, ol which £2,905,479 was expended by other departments. In addition, the department collected £2,0442,896 for the supply of electric energy, irrigation receipts and miscellaneous revenue. The major items of net expenditure for 1940-41 follow: EXPENDITURE. Public Works Fund. £ Railways— New construction 857,932 Improvements and additions to open lines 1,072,160 Roads 599,013 Public buildings 1,442,431 Lighthouses, harbour works,and harbour defences ... 34,354 Tourist and health resorts .. 21,575 Telegraph extension 256,654 Departmental 49,979 Irrigation, water supply and drainage 611,038 Lands improvement . 242,958 Swamp land drainage .... 3,947 Small farms development ... 571,215 Native land settlement 238,583 Linen flax development 245,977 Cost and discount, raising loans, etc 32,911 Total, General Purposes Ac 0,280,127 Electric Supply Account (previously aid to water-power works account) — Construction 1,704,043 Working expenses 600,289 Totals, Public Works Fund 8,584,459 Other Votes, and Accounts. £ ■ Main Highways Account — Annual Appropriation: Construction, reconstruction and improvements 1,527,776 Maintenance, repairs and renewals 1,289,770 Administration, plant, and miscellaneous expenditure 173,371 Interest, fees, and loan redemptions 530,365 Permanent appropriations (rate subsidies, interest on transfer from Public Works Fund, etc.) 314,643 Consolidated Fund— Maintenance, public buildings, roads, etc*. 401,154 Plant, material, and miscellaneous services 174,543 Labour Department (expenditure by Public Works Department) : Amounts not included above 13,927 Totals, other votes, and a/cs. 4,425,549 Grand total of expenditure, Public Works Fund and other votes and accounts for the year ended Miircli 31, 1940 13,010,008 Dealing with the source of the money extended, the Statement adds: Of the net expenditure of £13,010,00S previously mentioned, £9,299,234 may be regarded as having been expended from loan moneys (£6,247,216 General Purposes Account, £1,704,043 Electric Supply Account, and £1,347,975 Main Highways Account), the balance of £3/710,774 being expended from loan recoveries, revenue and taxation.