The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1938. MR. SEMPLE'S "PROGRESS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 6

The Auckland Star WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1938. MR. SEMPLE'S "PROGRESS."

or the cause that lacks assistance, r or the wrong that needs resistance, r or the futurh in the distance, And the good that ice can do.

Making "no apology" for the amount of money lie asked Parliament to provide, Mr. Semplc yesterday introduced the Public Works Statement and estimates of expenditure totalling £12,750,000, exclusive ot an amount of £6,750,000 for work for other Departments. The total expenditure, as previously shown in the.Budget, is to be £20,719,700, of which £14,263,000 "will require to be raised by loans." Mr. Semple remarks that there has been much criticism of expenditure at this rate; his reply is that the money will be spent only on "well-planned proposals." "The works undertaken," he says, " are to a great extent indirectly, and in most cases directly, remunerative or reproductive," and "I feel that we have now arrived at a time when we can better foresee our needs and .provide for them. A country that stands still will go back." These are familiar words in the reports of Public Works Ministers both in New Zealand and Australia. It may be inconsiderate, but it is not unprofitable, to hark back to 1932, when an independent commission reported on the Public Works expenditure. It said, inter alia,

" ... it appears that the financial position of the country to-day is in no small measure the result of extravagant expenditure out of loan money on schemes which, from a national point of view, have not justified the exjienditure which has been incurred on them." "Undoubtedly a serious mistake has been made in the past in not depending to a greater extent on revenue for works of a developmental nature. Loan money has been too easily obtained in good times, and the le&sons now being learned should not be forgotten when the tide of prosperity returns."

Is this warning, based on bitter experience, not applicable to Public Works expenditure in these times? Obviously, it was such times as these that the commission had in mind. Has there been, since 1932, any fundamental change which would make the warning inapplicable? "Yes," Mr. Seniple would reply, "we have in office a Labour Government." But does extravagance in expenditure cease to be extravagant if the Government responsible for it calls itself a Labour Government? Will the consequences of extravagance not be felt because a Labour Government has directed the spending? These are questions which anyone may answer for himself. Meanwhile it should be noted that 40 per cent of the expenditure this year is to be on main highways. This is necessary, says Mr. Semple in one place in his report. " for the development of industries and businesses dependent upon road transport facilities," but in another place he quotes the increasing volume of traffic, and then goes on to say.: " Increasing power and speed in modern vehicles also call for as much expenditure on improvement of our highways as increasing traffic. We may deplore the desire for speed and power, bat we cannot prevent it, and if we are to progress we must meet its demands." If this means anything at all, it means that we are to "progress" by allowing Mr. Semple to build speedways at the public expense. Does this form of "progress" reduce the nfeed for the older means of communication? In Mr. Semple's opinion, not at all. He has resumed the construction of all the lines which were stopped because they were deemed uneconomic, and he is starting two or three more. And for those who want the newest form of transport Mr. Semple will establish " aerodromes, landing grounds and other facilities which are essential."