PUBLIC WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 153, 29 June 1940, Page 11

PUBLIC WORKS.

MORE ECONOMIES URGED.

COMMERCE CHAMBERS' VIEWS.

Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON", Friday. Store effective public economies ar.u. modification of expenditure on public ■works are recommended by the Associated Chambers of Commerce in & statement on the Budget issued to-day. "None of those -who realise the war situation confronting this Dominion— and there will be few who do —will cavil at the necessity for people to meet heavier taxation," says the statement. "These extra taxes are imposed by the Budget on both individuals and industry and commerce, and are to be augmented by proposals, so far unrevealed, that are to be placed before the House at a later stage in regard to the transference to the State" of the whole of any excess profit made during the war period. "On the expenditure side of the" Budget, and quite apart from wage votes, it is evident economies have been effected in certain directions, but increases in other directions have more than counterbalanced these economies, so that, on a. comparable basis, Government expenditure on non-war services is greater than last year. Surely more effective economies can be made. •"We would suggest the desirability of a Public Account* Committee of the House of Representatives being set up to act in continuous session, to scrutinise and control all Departmental expenditure on ordinary services from 'week to week. '"The maintenance of public works expenditure at a level of £15.000.000, as against £19.000,000 last year! is a matter of Government policy resting in the hands of the Government itself. We hope it will be found on further scrutiny that this projected programme can be considerably revised at an earlv date."'