RELIEF WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 264, 7 November 1932, Page 9

RELIEF WORK.

NEW POLICY WANTED. NATIONAL UNDERTAKINGS. LOCAL BODIES' EXPENDITURE. "FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND/ , (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed by eome members of Parliament, with the Government's unemployment policy. -Labour members have been openly hostile to almost every phase of the administration, and while little is heard from the Government side of the House, much consideration ha<s been given by iwany members to the present policy" of permitting local bodies to carry out all manner .of works whether they are likely to be reproductive or not. It is believed in many quarters that this plan is fundamentally unsound. The proposal that there should* be a complete investigation into unfinished public works has many supporters. It ie argued that if it were shown, as the result of such an investigation by, eay, a Select Committee of the House, that the losses on theee works would be less when they are finished than they are now in their unfinished state, then it would be good policy to devote a ]>prtion of the unemployment funds to finishing them. If it were found that, when finished, the annual losses would be greater ■ than they are to-day, then the works should be abandoned. Uncompleted Railways. One member with many years of experience holds the belief that it would be of value to the Dominion to complete the South Island Main. Trunk railway and the Napier-Gisborne line. The Railways Commission reported that it would cost another £1,500,000 to finish the Napier-Gieborne line, and £2,000,000 to finish the South Island Main Trunk. Sufficient plant for the completion of these works ie already in the possession of the Public Works Department. The Railways Commission reported adversely on both the proposals, but it is argued that the commission investigated the uncompleted lines on the baeis of how they would affect the working railways account, and not from the point of view, of the general taxpayer, who, in any case, had to make good any losses suffered by that account, and also had to pay the huge annual interest bill on these incomplete works. However, those who have been expressing theee views state that all they ask for is a complete investigation. They point out that work has been elowed down on the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme. The longer the job takes to complete the greater are the interest costs. "What Assets Will We Have?" "We are spending £3,500,000 on the relief of unemployment, arid, when the slump is over, what assets are we going to have for all this expenditure?" eaid one member. "The principle of spending public money on private property is unsound; it should be used to create assets for the people. Presently we arc going to find that the slump is over, that prosperity will demand the completion of eome of these incomplete jobs, and we will have to face another burden of taxation to carry on the work. "The wages tax is the most severe tax that has ever been imposed on the Dominion as a whole, and as much ae possible of it should be devoted to casing the burdens of the future."

ADMINISTRATION COSTS,

LABOUR MEMBERS' ATTACK. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. Severe criticism of the administration of the Unemployment Fund was made by Opposition members in the House during the debate on the Estimates. The suggestion was made that the board should be abolished. _ Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour, Ghristchureh South) said the vote under the Estimates for administration was £65,880, including £1000 for Labour Department officers travelling on Unemployment Board business. It seemed to him to be more like a picnic fund. Mr. D. McDougall (Government, Mata'ura): It is not an Unemployment Fund at all! ' "I am opposed to voting one farthing !for the expenditure of the Unemployment Board," declared Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central). "I think the time has arrived for the Government to consider the cutting out of an unnecessary expense and to allow Ministers to deal direct with the problem. (Hear, hear.) When the board's vote is reached there must be a searchin<r analysis of the amount expended and into the question whether the board should be abolished." , _ The opinion was expressed by Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour, Grey Lynn) that, according to recently published figures, the number of unemployed in New Zealand must have now reached the tota of 103,000. The problem had aesumet such proportions that it might with advantage be referred to a select committee of the House. i The Minister, i» a brief reply which did not cover some of the questions raised, indicated the sum of £50,000 shown in the Estimates as the cost of services performed by other Departments was «&™ate& as follows: Public Works, £o000; Labour Department, £20,000; Post and Telegraph, £22,250; and Land and Income Tax, £750. The Minister said it was not fair that the other Departments should suffer at the expense of the Unemployment Fund.