Public Works

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 8

Public Works

Although the size of the public works progfaMme drew criticism in the debate on the Public Work* Statement and the Estimates, the Minister for Public Works and the Government were let off too lightly. The amount of money, material, and labour that is to be expanded during-the current year is out of proportion With the demand , for the concentration of re* eources upon the tasks Of war and for the measures of economy that assist such concentra- - r s?he grand total of expenditure reaches [£20,500,000, of Which £15,000,000,. as against l£19,OO(J.000 in 1039-40, will 1 have to be borrowed, Ifet the Minister lor Public Works, in y ih6 third paragraph of his statement, declared ■ that : the Government "appreciates fully that, "however desirable public works may be in times, they must of necessity give to the exigencies of the present situa“tifln.” The estimates, therefore, he went on to say, had been "framed on the basis of the , " elimination of all but essential activities, and “ the completion of those projects which have “reached an advanced stage, .where it would ."be., uneconomical and undesirable to cease “ bperationsAabruptlyi’* The necessity which is admitted, in words is not allowed to press very Mrd in fact. More than once, in recent months, the; Minister, has referred to the overhaul of the programme. Works were to be reviewed, . . so that'those that could be suspended, those " thateould be slowed down to caretaker pace, and ,those that must be continued should be ;-A set out and orderly contraction be" facilitated. There has been some contraction, certainly; but the Minister made only the above-quoted reference to its nature and ex- • tent and made no reference at all to the iOlastsiflcatlon he had. promised. The want of a summary account of Its progress and results, related to the estimates, is much to be re- - gretted. Nothing else could so usefully illumintarte.and test the Government’s avowed efforts ito .eliminate "all but essential activities.” A -i' vMeat of. another kind, however, was supplied in .; ebimse of' the debate, when Government 1 speakers attempted to answer' Opposition pro- ■ tests against the still enormous expenditure Jotc-..: The ; crities were told that they ask |f6r expenditure in their own electorates, yet [denounce expenditure in total; they were told ?,'tthat they do not nominate works in their own ‘"electorates to be closed down, yet ask for the the programme as a whole/ Thls is a cheap and unfair reply. The Government is well aware that a public works is not-to. be built up by accepting ■; of individual members for the i^jyp^yxf;saelt’ i .imd'’aueh ■ a -work, ;• and that it to be contracted, by asking individual , ; .;- : aay what Works, in their electofv,Vatican be suspended. The Government only, advice ef the Puhlia