COST OF WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 206, 1 September 1938, Page 12

COST OF WORKS.

FINDING MONEY.

~ * i LOANS £13,464,000. i MR. SEMPLE EXPLAINS. i DETAILS OF EXPENDITURE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, thus day. Dealing with the financing of the comprehensive Public Works programme the Minister etated thas £12,757,200 was directly under his own control, and £6,887,500 consisted of monies under the' control of other Ministers of the Crown, which were to be expended through the Public Works Department. The amount of loan money in the first group was £8,316,000, and in the second group £5,148,000, or £13,404,000. The remainder was to be obtained as follows:—Special revenue, £4.144,200; from the Employment Promotion Fund, £1,307,500; and from the Consolidated Fund, £009,000. A summary of the expenditure was: Main high wave, £5,037,200; roads, £1,500,000; railway construction, £1.400,(100; railway improvements and additions to open lines, £3.740,000; public buildings, £1,540,000; education buildings, £820,000; electric supply. £1,550.000; lands improvement. £300.000; telegraph extensions, £750,000; settlement of unemployed workers, £595,000; native land settlement, £950.000; lighthouses and harbour works, £50,000; development of touriets resorts, £50.000. "I Make No Apology." The Minister pointed out that 38 j>er cent of the estimate/I expenditure by his Department would be met from revenue.

'"I make no apology for the amount of money I am asking Parliament to provide," said the Minister. "Every penny will be expended within a well-planned and far-sighted policy."

He drew attention to the rapid economic progress being made in New Zealand which created a demand for rapid, ample and safe roads for the development of industries and businesses dependent on road transport facilities, and to the increasing, scope for the utilisation of hydro-electric power. The public buildings available to house civil servants were, he eaid, "woefully inadequate and out of date." There were isolated railway systems that would not be tolerated in other countries, and there were areas of land which could produce immeasurably more than they were producing to-day. Departmental Buildings. "Surely it cannot be called extrava-ganc-3 to endeavour to build to keep pace with these necessary things," he declared. "A properly planned scheme of buildings for adequately housing public servants hae been prepared and will be adhered to as far as possible, but some time must elapse before its full working effect can be felt. In the meantime, many State Departments are working under conditions entirely insufficient to give their staffs the comfort they are entitled to. The Government is most anxious, therefore, to press forward with a complete building programme, and the provision of a substantial sum of money for this purpose is more than justified.'"

He etated that new blocks which were under construction in Auckland and Wellington would, when completed, ease the position, but consideration would have to be given at once to further buildings for departmental purposes at Wellington. Hβ mentioned that plane were now being drawn- up for a new printing office, a broadcasting house and a national library.