PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 15

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

MR. MASSEY'S CRITICISMS. v 'Speaking,:; at ? : 7,30 p.m.', on: the; motion: to go into Cominitteo of bupply to discuss tho Publie Works Statement, -'' Mr. ilASbill' said the Houso had been working at;siich 1 pressure that it had' been impossible; for him'or any: other, member; to study the proposals in : tho. statement'. He/protested against the late period at'which 'the; Statement had : been', brougnt down. It' wd3 /later : this session : : than.: it had been for twenty years. Tho/troubla. had been..Caused■■ty'-.thb unl'ortu--nato; boen: made in'postponing the business last. Juue. The': Statemont .was"open,to severe criticism in connection with the expenditure allotted to /the ' North. Island ior railway construction. He could refer to this, because.; it'/could/never' be .said of - him that ho took up a parochial attitude in the Houso.: ' It was intended to' spend on railway i construction ;in- the North Island ,£287,500, and in the South Island and : that .'/was not all, tor it was proposed to transfer representing ■ last, year's expenditure :on'• the Groymouth-Point Elizabeth Railway; from tho Stato Coal Mints Account to ■ the Public Works I'lind, and. to bring this year's expenditure on' the 'line,- calculated' at nearly w650,000,, into the. latter account.;:'.He'protested : iigainst the oxcess of railway expenditure allocated to tho South Island. ; As; compared with last year, ways and means for next year wero very vn-' satisfabtory. The Minister oxpeoted to have a balance of JH84.000 on March 31, and he Warned to know how ho was going to carry on;.till the House mot.in Juno. Last-year was transferred from revenue to the Public .Works Fund, but ' this year nothing i , woa ■ transferred. Ho believed that a public xorks policy was .neccssary,.- but thero was a "growing feeling .' that tho cooperative system was not satisfactory. The theory. and; principlo were. right, but there seemed to be something wrong with tho ad-' ministration. If two practical experienced mon wbro appointed as a commission to look int<j this system, they would bo able to suggest great improvements. Tho amalgamation- of the Roads and Bridges Dopartmont with the Publio Works Department was, he thought, a mistake. Tho officers of the former: Department possessed to tho .fullest extent the: confidence of tho country. Ho admitted the necessity for retrenchment.-' , ' . Mr. Greenslado: It has .been too extreme.' Mr. Massey agreed that it had been too extreme, and saul ho v/as certain tho same . satisfaction/would not be riven . by the now: I arrangement. ■ He hoped when circumstances altered • they would be able, to reinstate the Publio Works Dopartmont, Last year they wero-informed - that the Government intended to spond .£250,000, a year on back-blooks works, but only .£183,958 had bcon expended/last year.. This year it was proposed to expend ,£210,00(1, and/if thoy deducted the iGOG.OOO unoxpended Inst, yoarj that left only .• I£IM,OOO, instead':of. tho .£250,000 promised by tho Government." As compared with last yoar, there was a falling-off in tho votes for roads and bridges of X123,C0G. Ho hopod that there would - bo a largo appropriation .on tho Supplomentary Estimates, Dut he did not expect to seo it. The votes were large last year: because it was election year. The system of public works votes .was abso.

lutely wrong. He hoped that the I.oca' Government Bill promised for next year would provide that Parliament should hand over to.the larger local bodies the money , now voted for roads and bridges, and allow them to spend it. What was happening that night? In a small House, in the dying hours of tho session, they had to deal with an expenditure of considerably over two million pounds. Tho discussion on the Estimates would probably take place when dawn was shining through the windows; and how could they understand 5 . per cent., of - the. items?,' The whole system .was ,a farce,. and' he hoped it would be altered by next year's Bill.* la the Public. Works Statement for the first' time : for many ; years there 'was no reference to, the development of the country's water power. .. The Stratford-OngaTue Railway should be commenced from both ends. No item of expenditure had; given more satisfaction to 'the country, than tho telegraphic expenditure, which. was now being reduced-by .(.'6OOO. Instead of, cutting down that' expenditure, the Ministershould.continue the system of giving -telephonio 'connections to .tho people in the country districts.

PREMIER IN REPLY.. Tho PRIME MINISTER said, in regard to high,pressure of isorkinp, that-evory member looked as "fresh as a daisy." . - Mr, Massey: Yon don't. (Laughter.) Mr., Massey,-.said the .Prime .Minister, had been one of those who had voted unanimously--for . the Prime Minister going to England. ■ Mr. Massey: But not for adjourning Parliament.- r - V ' Tho Prime Minister: No, we_ know what you wanted, but we were not ' going to fall info the'trap.. During the last six years the Government'had' spent on public works-; •£4,437,401 more in the'.North Island than , in .the South. Mr. Massey was, judging ;from his, speech, the greatest parcchialist who had ever sat in the House. Details of the expenditurofor tix years were as.followr—- ; ' North South ° Island. Island. 1 '- ■ ■ :- : X ' ■ Jb Railways 2,232,'0il 1,732,405 Additions to open lilies ... 1.062,106 970,523 Roads, etc. - - .1,228,167 , 802,(60 Buildings, etc. 1,344,702 774,904 Hutt Railway and Road.' ! Improvement Account'...36o,Bol' 236,738 Local Bodies'-Accounts' 206,999 .. - 27,058 In addition- to which there was the money for i tne purchase of the Manawatu -Railway in the' iNorth Island. That was .tho 'answer, to the misrepresentations that "had been'made." If they had half a million of money on March 31, - that would be suthcient to carry on for (Xuarter -of .the year. V-. ; •/ Mr. 'Massey:'-: I .You'-are cutting . it' too fine for the first quarter. The Prime Minister: It is..not so." i Mr. Massoy found fault with the "inadequate expenditure under numerous heads, and same .time he" talked ! of, going toorfast> He was also urging the construction of. the. Waiuku Railway, - which ' ran close : to' l ' a' very iino water way. -Tho back-blocks' roads expenditure - last year , (£494,000) was: the heaviest' on record. It was an enormous expenditure for. a country like this to -make in twelve,- months., . .The Government had'giyen away, i£ooo,ooo -in' Customs and other concessions,' and' that' was why money' was not transferred i'rrim revenue- to the Publio Works I'und. .Having given this relief/they were bound to rcduco somewhat the publio -works, expenditure. ■ Comparisons could not ; be made till the Supplementary 13stiniatoa- camo down. Thov' coniplaints about "frantio rush," and "late - hours," and. "vitii ated atmosphere" .wore all. nonsense.,-' Members could haya gone homo every, night::at -midnight but for.the terrible prolixity tt certain Opposition memb'ors'' It was;-the natural - thing to charge the' cost' of the Point Elizabeth-Grey-mouth'rßailway. extension to the Public: Works I'und. , In' the past, the Opposition had condemned the. co-operative; system root and branchi-but now. Mr. Massey-said that only the administration, was wrong.', : "..Opposition members: Quit® right. .-The . Prime- Minister: Quito right! Well, heaven protect this.country from the adminis T tration of those gentlemen,. after ' their comparison of the expenditure as between the two islands. . Sir Joseph . added, that, . to carry, on the. Stratford-Ongarue Railway vigorously from both - ends ( would- mean doubling .the 'vote, which would necessitate more 'borrowing. Instoad'of urging more expenditure,,.Mr". Massey. should assist the Government to economise. -,

OTHER SPEAKERS. ' .Mr. ALLEN (Bruco) urged that the Prime .■Minister was the.greatest;talker in the. House, l'pr tho most part his colleagues sat silent round.him, and his talk, ilowed in n- perfect Abeam. And what'wild, inconsequential talk it was! The Prime. Mihister, by his;wild remarks, had causod liiore .debate frnd' talk than ,niiy. other .half, dozeh: men iii" ; thb H6use'. lV 'Atiil : what was thero in it all ? What had he told the country? This had'been tho-hardest session for-manv years, and its offect.had told on members. The Prime Mihister himself, oh tho previous _ evening,; could not. remember what was in the Governor's : Messages in his hand. Ho did nqt know what he had'before him. Sir .Joseph .Ward:; You were not in a condition' to understand. ' vMr. Allon: . Tho Prime Ministor did not know.. Referring .to tho Estimates, Mr. Allen urged that wasteful expenditure was still going on in regard to publio buildings. ■ The Prime Minister: And you're asking for pew post offices! . . • ; ; Mr. Allon i Yes, because I don't want people to bo killed in the dirty, insanitary- place'wo have now,, when JSIOOO will provido a decent building. Continuing, Mr. Allen, said that a definite statement should be riven ;fts to what tho railway policy_ was to bo in ; regard ■ to country railways. * For political ■ jptirposes concessions had been given that ought not to have been givon, and they had made'; tho , railways .'nonpayable. The Minister for Railways knew .it, and was doing some of the conI.cessions now. Customs concessions should not i have been made .in view of the present posi- | tibn of the finances, "It was grossly unfair that ! country districts should have to guarantee 8 I pbr. oont on the construction of railways, ; People I who enjoyed tho benefits of railways should bear part of the expense of .their extension;' These [ railways i would, open up land for settlement, jHe could; not see how-the back country lands | were over, to .bo opened if no :railway;cpnld be constructed, unless -the -people . were prepared -to guarantee 3 per cent, of the cost." Why-should people in new; districts havo to bear this cost, when it had never been, imposed on other districts? -What credit would be given to the branch raiiwavs for what they brought to the main lines,, that would practically be useless -without,them? ! . - Mr. Millar: Half per cent.; is as much as you should allow. ;. v

Mr. Hogg's Opinions.' . Mr. HOGG (Masterton) , said ho. would no more think, of grumbling at the Public 'Works Statement than of biting the hand ' that- fed him. lie commended the. Government for having'provided so much . money for 1 the development. of .the country. This was a very different thing from the expenditure on defence and someof the Departments—expenditure a good deal of 'which. would go to waste. At tho same time, he thought he conld spend the public -works money, to; better advantage.' ; He would haVe an ientirely .different distribution, in which ■ the rondless back-blocks' should be first considered. He would ; spend the railway vote—which was three times: the • larger—on' the roads, and the roads vote on .the railways for a year or two. -. I'or one mile , of railways, twenty; .miles'of roads' could bov made - and metalled. He would have liked to see the Roads ■ Department retained in a condition of /efficiency. .; He' thought a blunder had been made by its: absorption.

Mr. Buchanan's Romarki. 'Mr. BUCHANAN (Wairarapa) referred to the largo reduction in the number of co-operativo workers ' under Mr. Hogg's' administration of the Roads Department. The principle of the co-operative ■ system was a good, one, but hundreds. of thousands of pounds had been wasted by . employing it' from, the political point of new./: In his district, the. system had ■ been the /scorn of ■ the practical settlers, who, saw money being: wasted under; the: system as' fol- ; lowed by tho Government. The; Minister for •Public Works had stated that wherever possible he would give the money ' for the' construction o£ roadsto. the .local bodies. He ooinmended for the local'bodies' were the best inspectors to see that the money was usefully - expended. Tho expenditure .on public works last; year was only 73 per cent, of the; amount voted, and' the backblocks expenditure in his district was only 40 per cent, of the amount voted. . What was the use of voting monoy if-it:was not going to bo'spent? When , he saw that about' .8170,000 had bben expended for railways from .Nelson doTCn the West Coast to and including'the Otira. tunnel, he could not help asking- whether a large amount of that money, especially in connection with the tunnel,' could not have been spent ten times more usefully in the directions advocated by Mr. Hogg. .

More Railways Needed in North Island. It was well known that the railways in the Nortlr^ Island paid 1 per cont.' better than those in the . South Island, and ,'surely' they Should expend money, where the railway - traffio showed- that lines wero heeded. Settlement was .'extending much more rapidly in'the North than'in the South Island. Ho hoped that the Minister would Teconsider this matter. For a long time past there had been an agitation for a railway from Featherston to Martin-, borough. The Minister knew that this railway must ncfjHarily pay, and he hoped

that provision would be made lor it in the Kaihvuys Authorisation Bill. As regards: public buildings, .£IOO,OOO was too much to spend at this time on a new post office for Wellington. The present building would have answered fairly well for several years to come. Ho had never seen the public business conducted at such , a disadvantage—he was almost going to say in such a scandalous manner, as during the last two weeks. No private company would conduct its business in such a fashion. An Amendment Moved. Mr. ELL (Christchurcli South) moved an amendment that the State should gradually, extend its activities so as to secure in time command and control of the coastal steamer services of the Dominion. Br. TE RANGIHIROA seconded the amendment. Tho PRIME MINISTER said he could not support the amendment, which was very different from the'proposal which he favoured that the State should control the 1 ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton. amendment was rejected by 44 votes, to

A New Comparison.. : ' ' • Mr. PEARCE (Patea) said the total figures quoted; by the Prime Minister included the million for. the purchase of the Manawatu service, which was the chief item. It had also to be remembered that- more roading was required in the North Island, whoso exports, also, were one-third larger than those of the South Island, and population larger by .£100,009. If the total expenditures were compared, instea'd of the expenditure for six years, five million more-should'.be . spent'on-North Island 'pilwuys .before. .the South Island got a penny. In the North Island tho expenditure would pay interest, which it would not-do in the .South,lsland. Hundreds of thousands were being spent on 'the Midland [Railway, - which would not pay-1 per,' cent.- in' the next thirty years, While northern lines were neglected; y' The PRIME MINISTER said that apart from the -of tho Manawatu line, the expenditure for six years under the heads previously quoted by him was ..£5,866,986 for the North Island, and' £i,280,292 for the South Island. ' - •

North v. South. Mr. POLAND (Ohinemuri) emphatically protested against the allocations between the two islands,- this year. The Public Works Statement was, in his . opinion, highly unsatisfactory. ■ V ' ■ ' ■ ;.. -';. ■y, Mr. LAURENSON (Lyttelton) was of opinion that the population of the North Island would before'many years be double that of the South Island.. It could not be denied that the North Island, now required-much more expenditure on public works. , .- Mr. 1 GREENSL ADE (Waikato) thought that South -Island- members should' be quite satis, fied, 1 for tho railway appropriation for that island exceeded that for the, North Island by jeiC2,OCO. •»

Mr. Hogan's Views, Mr; jHOGAN (Wanganui) thought there was muoli that was commendable in the Statement,• A soparato roads seotion, with a roads engineer in.charco under the Public Works Department,should be established. Mr. Hoijan defended the 00-operative systemi but oohdemned tho- tendency .to reduce the wages of these men. ..Too much was being , spent on South Island railways, as oomparea with those in the North Island.' • .:' After further discussion, the House went .into Committee at 12.30 a.m. to oonsider thb.Publio Works Estimates. •' \' "

' ' DISCUSSION ON THE ESTIMATES. :When the items in the first class were under' discussion, " ; . Mr. JENNINGS (Taumarunui) said that .if there was one Department which should not ;havo- been 'touched 'under the:.'retrenchment scheme it ivas-the Roads Department. Mr. HOGAN (Wangtmui) contended that the Government : should establish a roads section of the Public Works Department, with a system'of small districts.' ; The. MINISTER said he proposed' to make the districts as sinall as possible.. In the case ,of' the counties in- the- middle of tho North Island, ho proposed to give them the control of -their roads,; There was one district (Rotoriia) where they delayed in forming a county. ■If he had'his'way, he: would not let it have nnother 6d, until a county was formed. Mr.' Jennings-. The'v£hole trouble'is'the unoccupied Native lands, 1 ' . Mr., M'Kenziei The Native lands ought to have been dead long ago."

•Railway Votos, Whilst "the -railways votes were being disousscd, Mr. LANG (Manukau) moved that the first item be reduced by . as aii indication that thei' South Island had been more .liberally treated in the matter of railway votes than tile North Island. -V," Mr. ALLEN (Bruce)'thought tho mover hod been led away by a parochial spirit. (Laughter,) Mr, Lang had forgotten that a large sum 'was .boing voted for roads,' etc., In tho North Island. (Further laughter.) .The Hon. R./MTCENZIE said that the total expenditure on railways in the North Island during tho past 18 years was .£3,933,918 ,&nd for the. South - Island was £3,058,091. As re-

gnrd<..:'oadv tbs. votes. ■ this year •totalled J-!-ilß,ooo (or tho North Island, as against l only £188,000 for tho South Island., Tho amendment was defeated by 36 votes to 21. "■ Mr. J. DUNCAN (Wnirau) moved to reduce tho item for the Midland railway by JSI as an indication that groater activity should bo shown in prosecuting the work on the South Island Main Trunk lino.. The amendment was lost on the voices. ■ (left sitting.) .