The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1909. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 695, 21 December 1909, Page 6

The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1909. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Wβ must congratulate the Minister for Public Works on tho form in which he has chosen to present his first Public Works Statement to Parliament,: Me. M'Kenzie is a curt, plain-speaking politician, and the Statement which he has prepared reviewing the past year's operations of his Department and indicating the proposals for the current year, is free from those wordy embellishments which have in' recent times made what should bo plain business-like announcements somewhat ridiculous. There are features of- this year's Public Works Statement which will meet with general approval. The reduction,: for instances, in tho vote for: tourist and ' health resorts from £35,830 to £17,550 is an , economy to which no one will object. The increase in the voto for construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, though slight, -is also a movement in the right direction. On tho oth'or hand, the vote for public buildings, £306,000, is greater than 'the amount actually expended last year, and, at a time calling for economy, the Minister might well have displayed a little more zeal in keeping down this class of expenditure to the barest necessities. ■ The vote for railways, £1,140,000, ie slightly less than the amount voted last year, but greater than the sum expended, and, as is pointed out elsewhere, ,the South Island has a material advantage over the North. In view of the fact that the expenditure,on South Island,railways already greatly exceeds that on the North : Island lines, together with the fact that tho Northern lines pay and the South do not, there is reason for complaint on this score. Moreover, it is recognised that settlement and development are proceeding more rapidly in the North, which is an important factor io considering the question of railway construction. Tho most unsatisfactory feature of the Public Works Statement, however, to the country as a whole, is the result disclosed by an analysis of the Public Works Fund. Under the heading Ways and Means the Minister sets out the position of tbe fund last year and the position for the current year as follow :— 1908-09 £ Balance brought forward -.. 152,563 Balance of loaa of 1007;.. 191,800 Loan of 1908 : ;.........■................. 1,200,000 Received , under Post and Telegraph Act 200,000 .Transferred from revenue 800,000 Prom other sources ' 13,904 Total „ .£2,558,267 1909-10. ■ £ Balance brought forw.ird '.;:. 383,709 Balance of 1903 loan , . 50,000 New loan, 1909 : 2,250,000 Total .£2,083,709 The striking and disquieting feature of these two sots of figures is the fact that, with the exception of the balance brought forward from the. previous year, the wholo of the current year's public works expenditure must be provided out of loan monoy. Last year a sum of £800,000 was transferred fTom revenue to tho Public Works Fund, a practice which has been .followed for a number of years. For the curront yeas thoro ie nothing to transfer.

The effect of this is that if the fate of public works expenditure is to bo maintained wo must borrow more extensively. It is unnecessary hore to again point out that tho extra vaganco and waste in connection with tho Departmental expenditure and the mismanagement of the working railways are responsible for the unfortunate state! of'things. Public works expondituro,'. which' goes, in the direction of promoting settlement and enabling the back-blocks settler.to convey his produce.to tho towns, is essential to.the development of the country, and must go on, even' if we have to borrow to carry on tho necessary works. But it would be far more to tho country's interest if the money that is now wasted in the manner referred to were devoted to this purpose and borrowing thus kept down to a minimum. It is, of course, impossible to express any opinion as to the detailed votes set out in the Public Works Estimates. It can be taken for granted, however, that members have been exercising all the influence which they could bring to bear on the Minister, each to secure as much as possiblo for his own district. So long as political control ■. exists this sort of thing will go on, and no Minister is likely to be wholly impervious to the call of party in adjusting the';allocations. Some day we may have a Public Worke.Board constituted of independent salaried officers, who will, deal with all applications on their merits alone. Should that day arrive, the taxpayers of tho country will certainly secure a ■'better return for the money expended, and the death-knell of the roads and bridges member will be sounded. ; •;