MEN ON PUBLIC WORKS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22419, 4 June 1938, Page 15

MEN ON PUBLIC WORKS

■ NEW RECORD REACHED FIGURES WELL ABOVB LAST PEAK LETEfc STEADY INCREASE SINCE ■ LABOUR TOOK OFFICE The latest available figures show teat there are now more than 21,000 Public Works employees directly or indirectly on the Government pay-rolL This is easily a new record for the Dominion, far exceeding the previous record established in the 1930-31 years, and far in excess too of the 18,000 men tee Government said it would place on public works’ when it assumed office. The following table shows how tee figure has mounted under the present Government, the figures given including all workmen on jobs directed by the Public Works: — March, 1935 .. March, 1936 .. .. IS.®** March. 1937 -• <j?-102 March, 1938 .. • • 21,268 As between March, 1937, and March, 1938, the number of men on public works increased by 5.8 per cenL, and the figure, contrary to well-authenti-cated reports that a check has been made, still appears to be rising. Expenditure on these works, including roading, railway construction, buildings, irrigation, aerodroipe construction, settlement of unemployed workers, and drainage, has reached a steady average monthly level of more than £400.000. For the financial year 193637 the total Public Works Fund expenditure was £3,309,637. For the nine months ended December, 1936. the expenditure was £2,370,226. For the nine months ended December of last year it hadrisen to £3,659.672. .So that it can be concluded from these figures that when the expenditure total is; out for the last ■ financial year it will have reached easily £4.000.000. assuming that the rate of average monthly spending was maintained. This is expemMure borne strictly by the Public Works Fund proper, and is exclusive of the sums spent on the big subsidiary hccounts such as main highways, electricsupply account, lands for settlement account, and trading accounts. Inclnsive*of expenditure out of these special accounts, of course, tee total amount being spent (estimated) during the current financial year' i$ mote than” £17.000,000. Higher Bate Previously The expenditure out of the Public Works Fund in tee previous high record year of spending was m excess of the existing rate. In 1931. for the 1930-31 year, the ramenffiture out of the fund was £4,646,124; for tee financial year 1936-37, it was £3,309.637. Nor has the greater figure—expenditure on public works from loan moneys—reached the peak year of-1931. but tee proposed expenditure from loan moneys for 1937-38 is £10.440,957, and tea figure will reach above the peak of 1331From these expenditure figures and from the tables of employees, it is possible to conclude that on a basis of expenditure a workman the department is now, getting a far better return for its money than at any other time. There are now more than 21.000 men employed and, last year at least, the total expenditure involved on the jobs they was weU below the figure of 1931, when between 11.000 and 12,000 men were with the department. This comparison reflects the great reduction in costs which the department has been able to achieve through the use of machinery ana scientific methods. In the financial year 1930-31. out of the Public Works Fund alone £4.646,124 was expended. Less was spent out of the same fund last year, although 10,000 more men were employed, at higher wages and over an obviously __ greater scope of work. Problem o I Administration ' One problem which this great increase in public works activity has brought is the necessity for greatly increased administrative staffs, and on the latest Public Works estimates these appeared a vote for £IOO,OOO for extra engineering, clerical, draughting, and office assistance. In one respect even, it is claimed that the policy of the Government has over-reached itself, for as was reported recently. It has been found impossible to push on with such work as the full programme for irrigation surveying, because of the shortage of skilled surveyors. It is reported that the same difficulty has been reached in other work, and teat there has even been some difficulty in secuflng properly trained administrative men to meet the extra demand on headquarters staffs.