STAFF REDUCTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 133, 7 June 1932, Page 5

STAFF REDUCTIONS.

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. WAITAKI HYDRO SCHEME. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Monday. As a further step toward the curtailment of expenditure by the ' Public Works Department, it has been decided to put off a further large batch of :ncn from the Waitaki hydro-blectrie worke in the .South Island. Arrangements nre being made to retrench these men almost immediately. Hydro-electric undertakings are being reduced by the Department to nn absolute minimum thie year in view of the fact that, in accordance with the Government's economy campaign, estimates for new hydro-electric supply work were cut down from £1,009,000, in which working expenses were excluded, to £300,000 for the current year, a reduction of £709,000. It was stated by the Minister of Public Works, Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, in his policy statement in the House of Representatives on March - that the redu. 'ion in m •;ty supply would neceg,-sitai-o a reduction of staff at Waitaki by two-thirds and possibly more. Mr. Coates then pointed out that the lengthening out of the job would add to the cost by reason of the capital already expended returning no income for a longer period than was at firet anticipated. In other respects, the work of construction had reached a stage where, if a halt in expenditure ha.l to be called, the p-e; ; ent was :\n opportune time to do it.