PUBLIC WORKS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20712, 24 November 1932, Page 13

PUBLIC WORKS.

! ; HOUSE APPROVES ESTIMATES. | Mlf KURKERT'S RETAINER. ( CRITICISED. ! j • ,'U.JioS ASSOCIATION Tfifc»'.u !.**»•' WELLINGTON, November Tiio House of Representatives went into Committee of (Supply this evening on the Public Works Estimates. Air W. E. Parry (Lab., Auckland Central) said the House was entitled to the fullest information respecting the retaining fee for tho ex-Engineer-in-Chief, Public Works Department. It was j stated that he was to retire on ildOO I a year, and J|uW he was receive an additional £250 yearly, which would j mean lie would still be receiving tno amount ho was enjoying prior to hia retirement. .Mr M. Savage < Cab., Auckland West) referred to the item ot £.">00,000 fur the settlement of unemployed workers, and asked whether this referred to (lie ten-acre scheme, lie said these holdings might be all right for the settlement of men on the laud in the vicinity of railways or towns, but when men were placed on small blocks of land in a corner of someone else's holding, irrespective of situation, there was not much hope for them. Jlr D. G. Sullivan (Lab., A ion) complained that tlio reduction of the vote i'or school buildings from £3,)0.000 to £ 100,000 was too drastic, and said many children were being housed in poor buildings, and both children and teachers were being severely handicapped. Minister's Eeply. The lit. Hon. J. G. Coates .said he could nut Kay what superannuation tl}« retiring Engineer in-Chief, _ Public Works .Department, was to receive, bill lie had been engaged in a consulting and advisory capacity because his services were considered most valuable in cuniiftxion "with coiibtcuet ion wot\v ut Arapuni. and Waitaki, and retain harbour worts which wore Wing carried out. His advice was also of great value in connexion with enquiries which wrrc proceeding. Mr Coat en said ho could assure the »llouse 'hat the money was being well spent.. If the Kngincer had been paid the normal fee for work he was doing, the cost to the Government would have been

much greater. Replying to Mr Savage, -*•' (..nates Baid the &."500,000 referred to was for reclamation, land improvement, and settlement. Mr lavage had been wrong in classing all holdings as 'en acie blocks. They were live acres :n some instances and two hundred ft'.res in others. So far iitfO uiv-n had bee:> settled, and half of these were no bm;V'' a charge on tho Unemployment I 1 and, which meant lhat they were capable of supporting themselves. It vas true that £ 1,'i0,000 had been spent out of the capital fund, but the rusiltu had proved most satisfactory. Mr IS. J. Howard (Lab., Chr.stchurch South) asked if the retaining fee entitled tho Government to Mr lurkert's services at all tinier. For exanple, it Arupuni broke down again nest year would Mr Furkert bo available for i!ie same sum of £'J.~>o 3 Mr Coat ok: V»-s. We have h>vices whenever ue want them. Reduction Defeated. Mr Parry moved to reduce (lie ' oh

by il~>, lit: ait id hi.-. object was I>> indicate the Jluuse'k disapproval of the retaining fee beL»ig i>nid. The nnu-ndmunt was defeated by 31. votes to "5, Mr I'. A. "Wilkinxon (lud., Etfmont), Mr H. M. Uusliwori.h (Lud., Bay or Islands), Mr If. A. Wright (•'., V/ellingtou Suburbs), Air A. M. Samuel (C., Thames), and Mr H. Atuiore (lnd., Nelnon) joined the Labour members in voting for it. Mr 11. S. S. Kyle M'., liieeiirton) and Mr 1). Mel loujinl) (C. Maluuru) also voted for .Mr Parry'a amefidmen t. The Kstiinuter;. prodding for allocutions, totalling it' A,620,700, woro passed. The House rose at It p.m. til) p.tfl. tO-11l ulTt/W. INCIDENTS I, CH A UGES. MT'J'Ui CHAXGK AIXISGIiIJ. [1 r.u.\i ()i. k I'jfttuiiEKiAßi li'.i.i'or.n.ii- ] WKIAJNU'J'ON, November "'■■>• 'llio (not that while the Public Works .Department's expenditure had boon drastically reduced, various inci-dout-al charges remained almost constant w.is brought. to tho notice ol the House by Mr .I£. J. Howard (,Lab., Chriiitoliureli South) during the discussion. of the Public \Vorks estimates this evening;.

Mr Howard pointed out that tlie e-' ; - pendilure for extra oii^ineori tig, cluneal draughting, a_ud ofllcu assistance bad been reduced onlv Irom to .£>I,(XX), cost ot postage, telegrams, ami lot tor boxes from £II,OOO to £IO,OOO, and travelling expenses Ironi £3:2,000 10 £BO,OOO. The vote for printiug, stationery, periodicals, etc., actually was greater than the amount spent in the previous .year. "i>id someone draw up these figures just tor i'un with the idea that because that sum was voted last vear about i-'C biamo amount would lie needed thift yeurir" asked Mr Howard. "Our Fublie Work-; es-ti mates are tho best indication wo have of tho trouble wo are mThe lit. Jlun. «J. G. Coau-s: Cheer up. Mr Howard : I'm not in the dumps. I believe we have got one of the best treasui'3 boxes in the Dominion, but someone is sitting on the lid. If only we could the old mail of tho off the lid I** He went on to refer to the huge vote of £M,OOO for travelling expenses, a sum scarcely less than ihn previous year's vote. Labour voice; We have to keep them travelling of course. The Department's expenditure been drastically cut, concluded M'" Howard, yd the Government could still afford to spend the same amoum on furbelows and gingerbread.