PUBLIC WORKS DEBATE

Evening Star, Issue 19050, 19 September 1925, Page 10

PUBLIC WORKS DEBATE

CRITICISM MOSTLY OF LOCAL CHARACTER ALL VOTES PASSED' [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 18. The House of Representatives discussed the Public Works Statement. Mr G. W. Forbes said the expenditure outlined .in the Statement amounted to £7,798,500. The House and country were getting used to these big figures and a huge expenditure, ,but there was none the less need for care. Air Forbes went on to complain of the small amount of money spent by the Highways Board in the South Island, which was not getting back a quarter of what it was contributing. South Island local bodies were chary of borrowing, and therefore had not raised the large sums necessary for road works under the highway scheme. On the other hand, in the North Island, local bodies were raising large sums, and were therefore getting largo sums from file Highways Board. The policy of the board was one of borrowing, and that was not sound. Large sums contributed by motorists were _ being piled up as a highways fund instead of being spent on the roads. As long as the hoard adopted a poliev that it would do no maintenance work unless local bodies found half the amount, they would not get very far. They should have a system by which the motorists of individual could seo by the work done that their own district had benefited by their contributions. Tho board was building up a largo fund to put out as an investment, which was wrong. The money should bo spent by free grants to local bodies, and tho board should not insist upon local bodies contributing £1 for £l. In tho matter of unexpended estimates something should be gone to keep a keen eye on this. The estimates should go bfore a Parliamentary Committee.

Sir John Luke thought it imperative that a special Standing Committee or Board should be set up to supervise the horowing of local bodies. He sympathised with the need for good roads for the quick transport of produce to the ports, and congratulated the Public Works Department on The substantial progress made in pushing on with the Napier-Gisborno railway, which was one of the most important undertakings in the country. He also hoped that the Government would push on the Stratford-Main Trunk line which was of national importance. Mr D. G. Sullivan defended the local bodies against the charge of extravagance made in the Public Works Statement. They were no more extravagont than tlie State ; indeed a detailed comparison would be in favor of the local bodies.

Mr W. D. Lysnar appealed to. the Government to expedite the completion of the Waikaremoana hydro-electric power scheme. Mr Sidoy complained that the Minister of Public Works seemed to have gone out of business so far as the South Island was concerned. Only £130,000 had been allocated for it this year compared with £1,000,000 for the North Island. He urged an extension of the railway from Roxburgh to Luggato as a means of opening up a considerable area of useful settlement land.

Mr R. A. Wright thought the South Island had received very generous treatment, especially in the matter of railway works, instancing the railway from Canterbury to Westland—a £3,000,000 enterprise that was easily the biggest of its kind in New Zealand’s public works history. He deprecated the suggestion put forward that local bodies’ rates might be paid quarterly. Such a provision would be fatal. It would be better for local bodies to have rates paid in advance in one lot. Mr Wright then turned his attention to Wellington needs, including a new railway station, which he termed a national work of groat urgency; also the Tawa Flat deviation. Mr tt. E. Holland expressed regret that the Buller Gorge railway was not being pushed along, pointing out that two years ago the Minister had classed this work as one of first importance, especially as a means of developing the markets in eastern districts for coal. Work on the line was Begun twenty years ago, yet of the twenty-six miles’ length, less than six miles of the line was in operation. On the balance a considerable sum had been spent, and it was lying unproductive. Air J. Horn complained that progress of road work in Otago and Southland had been held up because local bodies were waiting on the development of the highways scheme. _ Several million acres of back country in South Canterbury and North Otago awaited development, and the Otago Central Railway should bo pushed to completion. It was commenced forty-two years ago and was still twenty-eight miles from the terminus. Air Horn suggested that local bodies should bo able to obtain subsidies from the Alain Highways Board to enable them to put works in band which had been delayed for two years.

• Air AI. J. Savage considered that local bodies were quite as able as the Government departments to administer loan moneys. He objected to the Government’s proposal to establish a board to supervise local bodies’ financial projects. This, if carried into effect, would mean strenuous interference with local governing powers, and would arouso universal opposition. Air J. Edie drew attention to the discrepancy between the allocation of money to the North and the South, the latter’s proportion’ being much too small. He also opposed the idea of the special supervision of local bodies’ financial operations. Air 0. J. Hawken believed a national system of road administration through the medium of the Highways Board would be productive of great good evventually to the country through lessening the burden of local rates. South Island local bodies had held aloof from borrowing for reading works, but when the people there realised that piecemeal working was less profitable than mass work with loan moneys, they would fall in with the Govonrment’s highway policy. The provision of cheap electric power would help the development of secondary industries. In fact, it was a national necessity. Mr F. Lnngstone condemned the policy of letting public works contracts to private firms like Messrs. Arrastron, Whitworthj and Company. Our public works engineers were extreme!competent, and they could carry out the work more cheaply _ than private contractors, especially if they were given up-to-date and efficient tools to work with. PREMIER’S REPLY. The debate was carried on by Alessrs Smith (Taranaki), Field, Howard, Corrigan, Al'Kay, Hudson, O’Brien, and AlTlvride, and at 12.30 the Prime Alinistcr rose to reply. Air Coates denied that Alinisters had in any way favored themselves in the matter of votes for roads. In this respect political influence was eliminated. It was the merit of a case and the amount of money available which influenced the allocation of mopey for .roads. So far as borrowing was concerned, he did not think we should limit our borrowing to the exact ratio of increase of our population. AVe were justified in o-oing further than that, and in laying Sown the foundation for a largely increased population. Hydro-electric schemes were cases in point. Those schemes were well thought out when they were laid down, and they must be completed, because they would be the

means of inducing increased population and increased industry. Who would suggest stopping the construction of railways ? and so long as we could make our railways pay a reasonable rate of interest we were justified in borrowing money for railways which were opening up new country and paving the way for new and increased settlement. Then irrigation was one of the soundest propositions in the dominion, and so long as we could get interest and sinking fund out of these works borrowing for such purposes was justified. Some people would point to this as an increase in public indebtedness, but so long as it was not a burden to tho country it did not matter. So far as'railway construction was concerned he regretted that they had not been able to keep up to their schedule of promises, but that was duo to circumstances over which they had no control, and he specially singled out the line from Westport to Inangahna as one upon which their efforts should bo concentrated; and when completed he hoped the miners would turn out coal by tons. He also referred specially to the irrigated lands of Central Otago, which he described as most valuable country, which would in years to come bo most eagerly sought after. He regretted, however, that the present settlers were not making the best use of it. There was too much rabbiting, and too much gold seeking, and not enough done on the farms to please him. The question of the urgency of a work was largely determined by the engineers. Canterbury, for example, had no backhlocks; but backblocks were everywhere in the North Island,_ and settlers there had to be given facilities which much of the south already had. He welcomed criticism, which was all the better when keen; but the policy laid down by the Government had not been shaken. It was a policy which any Government would find it difficult to get away from, because it was reform in tho truest sense of the term. The House then went into Committee of Supply to consider the Public Works Estimates. Thu following votes were passed:— Public Works Department, £134,000; Railway Construction, £1,150,000; Public Buildings, £39,000. In reply to the Leader of the Opposition Mr Coates said it was intended, as soon as the session closed, to begin the foundation of tho new portion bf Parliament Buildings. September 19, After the Telegraph Office closed the Committee of Supply continued consideration of the Public Works Estimates, which provoked little discussion, and that entirely of a local character. The whole of the votes were passed under an hour, and the House rose at 2.20 a.m. till Monday, at 7.30.