PUBLIC WORKS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 228, 26 September 1941, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS

BUSY DEPARTMENT DEFENCE OPERATIONS REDUCTION IN EMPLOYEES (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. "The work in the last year, and in the present year, is restricted simply to those works that are deemed to be fully justified, and any work that can reasonably stand over until after the war has been treated accordingly," said the Minister of Public Works. Mr. Armstrong, in the House of Representatives to-day, when opening the discussion on the Public Works Statement. The Minister quoted figures showing the reduction that had taken place in public works employees, and said that work which actually J belonged to the Department itself had been cut down as low as it was possible to cut it. Most of the work at the present time was chargeable to the War Expenses Account. Urgency was accorded for the disposal of the discussion on the statement. and for the passing of Public Works Estimates, which are to follow. The Prime Minister. Mr. Eraser, said that he asked for urgency to enable reasonable progress to be made. Work for Other Departments Although the vote for national development work this year was .126,000 greater than last year, said Mr. Armstrong, the Public Works vote itself was £1,1 11.525 less than for last year. The reason for the total vote being more was that the Public Works Department was called upon to undertake work for practically every other State Department. Under the new method of accounting that, had been adopted the Minister in charge of each Department would be held responsible in future for his Department's vote in Public Works expenditure, instead of the Minister of Public Works being the chopping block for all the rest. Notwithstanding the demand for a curtailment of Public Works expenditure, and in the numbers of employed, agitation was just as strong as ever from individual members for some Public Works expenditure in their districts. Local bodies adopted the attitude that if money was to bo spent, thev wanted their share.

Mr. Armstrong said there were still parts of New Zealand that were a long way behind so far as development work was concerned, although remarkable progress in roading had A,f en n nia de under hid predecessor. Mr. Semple had been amazed to find tn North Auckland that there were backblocks settlers still waiting for J. road of any description.

The Minister quoted figures to show that in each of the last three years there had been a substantial reduction in the Public Works estimates. A substantial reduction "lad also been made in loan expendi'.lire, and the number of men employed had fallen considerably. Position Becoming Serious The highest peak in the number employed was reached in 1939, when the total was 25,153. A month or so ago that total was down to 13 500 and of this number 3600 were' employed in the maintenance of services, including highways and electrical Departments. . Another return he had received since then showed a further reduction of 600 men since March 31. They were now reaching the stage where it was becoming just a little bit serious, because it was a question «f whether they would be able to tind sufficient men to carry out essential work. Although expenditure had been cut down and the number of men employed had been reduced substantially, the Public Works Department was still busy if not busier than ever before, due to the fact that the Department was ealled upon to do so much work for the Army, Navy and Air Departments, and for the Minister of Supply. The Department had helped materially to prepare the Dominion's 'defences.

Work In Back Country

The Minister of Railways, Mr. Semple, who was former Minister of Public Works, that when he took over the Public Works portfolio he prepared a five-year plan to try and assist the back country farmers. The estimated mileage of roading required was 6711, at an estimated cost of £4,471,520, and they set to work putting aside £1,000,000 a year to get the farmers out of the mud and to build bridges where fords had previously been used. When the war broke out 3401 miles of road had been completed, together with 2135 miles of formation and 48,395 linear feet of bridging. If the war had not come that plan would have been, practically completed. Up to date, however, the work had been done in order of urgency, and the cases of farmers in the greatest predicament Siad already been dealt with. Extravagance Alleged ■. Sir Alfred Ransom (Opposition, Pahiatua) declared that the expenditure on highways during the last live years had been grossly extravagant, and wasteful. Mr. Coleman (Government, Gisborne): You are putting up a straw man, and knocking him down. ' Sir Alfred added that the work carried out on highways during the last few years in respect to straightening and deviations had been in many cases unnecessary. Where motorists had made objections, roads had been altered, and what had amounted to speedways had been constructed. Mr. Meachen (Government, Marlborough) praised the Government Public Works policy, and added that the money expended in making conditions better for the men employed had been returned to the country by reason of the better service given by those workers.