PUBLIC WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 78, 2 April 1923, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS

NO POLITICAL BIAS STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER. In the course of his address at the "function at Awakino on Thursday in connection with the opening of the Awakino Valley road, the Hon. J. G. Coates (Minister' of jPiiblic W6rk6) made some interesting remarks regarding the policy of the Department in regard to the expenditure of public works money. In his opinion, he said, no political consideration should be brought into the Public Works administration. He had •studiously endeavoured to avoid placing any' item on the Estimates through -the political shade or colour of any district or individual. The allocation of public money was a difficult matter, but they had a system and. method whereby the money voted to each engineering district was arrived at by mathematical . calcuiation. Each engineering district then allocated its amount by another mathematical calculation, taking into consideration the length of the road, capacity of the districts to pay rates on the construction and maintenance of roads, proximity of metal, general difficulties, rainfall, and all other matters that affect road construction and maintenance. In some cases there were large areas from which they could not expect a great deal of rates, but the road farmed the connect-, ing link between two important districts.

. The- system might not be perfect, but it fairly correctly allocated the money and was better than the previous system. When allocated the money was handed over to the local bodies to expend. There was thus co-ordination between the local authorities and the Public Works Department. Regarding the order of urgency, he said that every settler must first be given access. . It was important that every man who went on the land nvust have an opportunity of making good, otherwise the country would lose untold wealth. When a number of settlers in a district lost patience there must be somo good cause for their grievance, and they must endeavour to got behind that cause. Next after access, settlers must be given roads to carry their produce as quickly and economically as possible to the nearest market or twon. 6000 MILES OF MAIN ROAD. The Minister briefly touched on the Highways Bill, pointing out that the Highways Board came into operation next month. Multiplicity of local authorities did not lend itself to the construction of main roads, which all realised they must hay«. Provision had been made in the Bill for six thousand miles of main road, which could be added to later. He believed that in time the Highways Board, given the assistance of Parliament, would eliminate the effect of multiplicity of local authorities and avoid the different standards of < roadi.