MACHINERY FIRST

Evening Star, Issue 23056, 7 September 1938, Page 12

MACHINERY FIRST

MINISTER DEFENDS WIDE USE FLOOD CLEARANCE INSTANCE [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 6. An item of £250,000 for the purchase of plant caused a brief discussion iu the House of Representatives when the vote for the maintenance of Public: Works and services was under consideration. “ How long are we going on at the present rate in buying machinery?” asked Mr Hargest (National, Awarua). He said £226,000 had been expended last year, and with this year’s vote the expenditure represented over £500,000. Nobody would deny that machinery was essential, but in travelling over the country he had seen expensive machinery lying close to roadsides not being used. He suggested that double shifts might be worked with expensive plant in order that the full value might be obtained from the machinery, which would rapidly deteriorate if not used to the fullest extent. He also asked what proportion of the new plant was American and how much was obtained from local manufacturers? “ As long as American plant is allowed to enter New Zealand free of duty the local manufacturers cannot possibly compete,” he added.

The Minister of Public Works, Mr Semple, assured Mr Hargcst that every machine purchased was in use. The criticism of the member implied that the machines were rusting up. That was incorrect. If machines were allowed to lie unused on the roadsides it would show that there was no justification for their purchase. He had informed the House on previous occasions that he was exceedingly sorry that the Government had had to purchase certain types of machines from America.

All the time search had been made in Britain, and recently one of the most versatile machines, a “ carry all scraper ” had been procured in England. It could pick up, cart, spread, or dump 17 • tons of spoil, and New Zealand was the first Government in the Empire that had imported one of the machines. If this machine was anywhere near the standard of the American machine no more purchases of this type of machine would be made from America. Mr Semple said graders were being made in New Zealand and Avcre being equipped with English Diesel engines. The Works Department was proving that these graders were as good as anything produced in America. The factory building them could not turn out yet the maximum order. “ Yes, we can use the machinery for two shifts a day,” said the_ Minister, replying to the specific point raised by Mr Hargcst. “We are doing it. We propose to work three shifts a_ day in the summer time on the Rangitata irrigation works.” By working throughout the 24 hours the work would be completed rapidly, and the farmers would get the water they Avanted much sooner than Avould be the case if only the ordinary time of working was enforced. Tavo shifts Avere being worked in Ngahauranga Gorge, Wellington, and tAvo at Paekakariki deviation, so that the completion of the work would synchronise Avith the opening of the centenary celebrations. Illustrating the importance of using modern plant, the Minister said that powerful machines had been assembled after the flood catastrophe in Hawke’s Bay, and while it was estimated that it would take seven months to clear the way for communication between Napier and Wairoa, the concentration of machines had enabled communication to be established in five weeks.