ADEQUATE PLANT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22445, 27 September 1947, Page 6

ADEQUATE PLANT

HIGHWAYS WORKS SMALL LABOUR DEMAND MAN-POWER FOR FARMS There is sufficient plant already in the Gisborne district, or on call at convenient centres, to handle all the mechanical work involved in the projected expenditure of £190,000 on main highways construction, improvement and maintenance during the coming year. An assurance of the adequacy of the plant supply was given by the resident engineer of the Works Department, Mr. E. W. McEnnis, to a meeting of the communications and transport committee of the Gisborne-East Coast regional council held yesterday. The engineer was replying to a question from the chairman, Mr. T. A. N. Corson, who recalled that the Minister had promised him personally that if the district could arrange to spend the money already voted he would arrange to have further funds provided. Mr. Corson said that plant and manpower were the two factors which might hold up completion of the programme. Pointing out that most of the works projected on the main highways were suited to the employment of mechanical plant, and that the plant required could be obtained. Mr. McEnnis offered the opinion that so far as man-power was concerned it would be better employed on farms and in factories related to the priipapy industries, during the production season. It was not the policy of the Works Department to make work for men for whom other employment was waiting, he said Release For Primary Industry He mentioned a reported statement that a shearing contractor had complained of his men being retained on the Trafford's Hill job. The fact was that If any employer had work for men now accommodated on any public work he need only ask for their release. "If any of these men are wanted in primary industry, they should . not be With t|s,” added Mr. McEnnis, who forecast that, nevertheless, there would be ' sufficient man-power, available for all requirements of his department during the*coming summer. Mr W. Harnett commented that accommodation for any labour employed on highways works would be the most difficult problem, the. resident engineer agreeing with this view. "We have always previously dealt with releases of shearers through the union," said Mr. Harnett. "One statement recently made was that publicworks jobs were too attractive.. I can say that Trafford's Hill during the winter is not very attractive. Mr H. R. Irving suggested that the real difficulty with shearing gangs was not the supply of men, but of the girls who were needed for shed. work. Mr. Harnett agreed with this view.