PUBLIC WORKS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1936, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS

MR. SEMPLES’S REVIEW. [PER press association.] WELLINGTON, November 13. There are at present .18,735 men employed on public works in the Dominion. During the last month the average earnings for New Zealand amounted to 19/7 a day including tradesmen and tunnellers, as against the minimum of 16/- a day provided for in the agreement between the Government and the New Zealand Workers’ Union. Since the Labour Government assumed office, £336,000 has been expended in obtaining up-to-date equipment. These statements were made by the Minister for Public Works (Hon. R. Semple), who expressed complete satisfaction with the manner in which men on the public works of the Dominion -were settling down to the job. He had been faced with many difficulties, not the least of which were that when he came into office the public works of the Dominion were on a relief basis and that the gear -was hopelessly out of date. Men engaged on public works were grouped under the following headings: —

Railways 2411 Hydro-electric works .. 908 Main highways .. .. 6180 Roads 3983 Land improvement .. 455 Small farms scheme .. 699 Irrigation works .. f. 563 Aerodromes .... 1201 Buildings 971 Miscellaneous .. .. 1364 The following is < a return of the jobs on which more than 100 men are employed in the South Island: — Nelson District.—South Island Main Trunk railway (inclusive of men on the section in the Christchurch district) 759; Blenheim aerodrome 167. Greymouth District.—Westport-Inan-gahua railway 303; Main South road 161. Christchurch District—Summit highway 112; Lewis Pass road 212; Ashhur-ton-Lynhurst irrigation scheme 153; Levels irrigation scheme 156; Ashley river control scheme 264. Dunedin District.—Milton-Balclutha highway improvements 122; Haast Pass road 129. Invercargil District. —Te Anau to Milford Sound road 408. Hydro-electric Schemes. — Arapuni (inclusive of maintenance) 542.