THE PREMIER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 26, 31 January 1902, Page 8

THE PREMIER.

WHY RAILWAY WORKS WEEE STOPPED. • ■

MR. SEDDON INTERVIEWED,

The Premier accorded au interview this morning at the Star Hotel to_a representative of the Auckland

" Star" Office, and to the course of his remarks explained why works on the railway hud been stopped. In answer to the query as to the state of his health, .Mr. Seddon said: "I arrived at New Plymouth in better condition than I was in when I left Wellington, and now feel first-class. Auckland always does set me Tip." Do you intend to remain here long? was the next question. "No!" replied the Premier. . "i leave for Nelson on Saturday night in order to be present at functions in connection with the Nelson Diamond .Jubilee on Monday. Then there is a function in the evening1, and next day I have to open the bazaar. I leave Nelson on Tuesday night for Wellington. On Wednesday I have to open the Levin waterworks, and the next day I go with the Liberal picnic to Carterton. Then I will proceed to Christchurch to send oif the South Island battalion of the Eighth Contingent on the Bth of February." t$

Are you doing any public business this time in Auckland?

"Yes; that is to say, anything of a pressing character that 1 may be called upon to do." Are you likely to visit Auckland again soon? "I intend to be here for a few days at the send-off of the Ninth Contingent. By the way, 1 had an interview with Colonel Davies this morning, and have fixed upon a camp for them at the Onehuuga Rifle Club's grounds, about li miles from Penrose. There the men will have good practice at shooting, the place is suitable, and there is a fine water supply, besides the added advantage of not being too near the town. - Now, you have been quizzing me, but, tell me, what is your trouble up here?" The transition from interviewer to interviewed was somewhat sudden, but the reporter promptly replied: " Discharging co-operative men on railways," which caused the Premier to laugh heartily, and then he said, H Well, you cannot have your cake and eat it. The money has been spent. Take the Helensville northwards line as a case in point. There is already brought to charge against that work £2,500 above the amount allocated by Parliament. The Strat-ford-Toko line is £2,600 over spent, the Paeroa-Waihi £4,000, and the Blenheim-Waitara £5,600 over spent. Altogether, with what has been expended this month, there has been over-spent on the various lines about £20,000. If we had had a. less number of men on, and spread the work over 12 months instead of doing ft in nine, there would not have been a word about it, but as the money has been expended, it is unreasonable for anyone to complain. Not only that, but if all the money allocated has been spent on a particular line, any further expenditure would have to be taken from some other work, or, in other words, the Government would be setting itself up against Parliament. When Parliamene allocates f» ■certain amount of money for a given work, it should not be for the Government to spend double the sum: This expenditure is fixed by Parliamentary vote, and the course has been adopted in the past, and will be in the future, that as soon as the money voted by Parliament is spent, work is stopped. The only exception to that rule is the North Island Trunk Railway, and the Cabinet decided just before I left Wellington that should go on, but there is no doubt that it will be over-spent.

Is it true that the appropriations for the twelve months out of the Pub-, lie Works Funds have already been expended? No; it is not so. The appropriation was £2,487,000, and on the 31st December the financial expenditure was up to charge, £1,622,896. Then that would not include the impress, which can be pub down at about £200.000, so that leaves a fair balance for expenditure for the remaining three months of the. financial year. It has been said that there has been a. large expenditure in addition to open lines, but that is not so. That amount is well within the appropriation.

The strange part seems to be dismissing, men in the summer, when Is it not to the advantage of the Is it not to the best advantage of the Government to have the work done at the most favourable time?

In the s.ummer.other work is more plentiful for the men to get. The year before Sir John MacKenzie went Home-he ascertained that there would be a shortage of m,en for harvestingoperations in the South, consequently co-operative works were stopped so that there would be the necessary labour for harvesting.

Still does not doing the work in winter-time cost the colony more than it would in line weather?

Certainly not. The Government Engineer prepares a schedule showing the value of the work. Whether it is winter or summer when the work is done does not affect that value. He fixes the price so as to allow men to earn as nearly as possible the wages ruling in the locality. Men may perhaps be able to make more in summer than in winter, but, so far as the expense to the colony is concerned, it does not cost more when done in winter. It is only a question of what is the value of the work, and the man who takes the work up takes his chances with the the same as a contractor. In the winter months, however, more men are put on because work is scarcer and the men might otherwise be loafing' about the streets of Auckland or some other town. Yet, we get blamed because we find employment for men in winter time when work is scarce and put them off in summer. I have reports now from various districts showing there are no unemployed there, while in some, places} there is absolutely a scarcity of labour. How long, then, will the work be stopped ? Under the Public Kevenues Act, after the 31st of March we can spend for the next three months on the same basis as the last year, so there is a prospect that work will be resumed after the 31st of March should circumstances warrant such a course being adopted.