PUBLIC WORKS

Grey River Argus, 13 October 1917, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS

I - MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. LABOUR AND MONEY SHORT. ! (Per Favour of the Government.) ! WELLINGTON. October 12. I The Hon W. Fraser delivered the Public Works Statement in the House of Representatives last night. He seated, inter alia: — , | . When I prepared my Public Works Statement last year I was under the impression that I would be able to expend within the financial year the mos<- of the money I was askingParliament tq vote for roads and bridges. Acting- on this belief I 1 authorised for expenditure the whole of this sum «o either the local bodies or to my District Engineers on the i basis of one-half of the unauthorised ' items on the estimates fon each 1 county. Owing-, however, to the impossibility of obtaining: sufficient labour, I was unable to secure t-he expenditure of much more than one-half of the I sum so authorised. The result is ! that from the sum I now propose ask- | inj? Parliament to vote for roads and ; bridges— viz. £420.000—1 have rirsc to deduct .£60,0011. for the flood damage vote,, and then the unexpended authorities issued prior to March 31st '. IQI7. amounting to £165,000, whicn will be only sufficient to provide for about one-half of those items on last ! year's estimates which were not au- | thonsed, and also enable a few of the most urgent new applicaJions to be dealt with. j If the war continues for another twelve months it can hardly be expect ed of me that I shall be able to ex" pend the whole of the money propos- I ed to be appropriated for roads and ' bridges ! still, I consider it advisable that 1 should be empowered to meet any contingency that may arise. The extraordinary and continuous rainfall that has been experienced over the greater part of !he North island during the last twelve months has caused an enormous amount of damage to Toads and bridges. The country became waterlogged, and wherever the rpads had not been met" ailed they were quite unable to bear any tralhc and soon became quagmires, causing very serious inconven" ience. I have endeavoured as far as it lay in my power to assist in repairing- this damage, but the loss ac" ci*uingr from this deluge of rain has been very serious. WEST COAST WORKS. Defiling the work of last year, the Minister said : — WESTPORT-INANGAHUA. No work has been done on this line during the past year. NELSON-WESTLAND. At the Nelson end construction works were continued with a limited number of 'men uniil the end of February last, when all work was suspended. ARTHUR'S PASS TUNNEL. Work in connection with the construction of Arthur's *Pass Tunnel has proceeded steadily throughout the year. At the Otira end the woa'k has been carried out by day labour. 32i chains of bottom heading has been driven through slate rock and i7i chains of excavation and lining completed. From the Bealey end 1 sichains of bottom heading have been driven I'll rough greywacke rock, and 34 chains of excavation and' lining completed. Owing- to the shortag-e of ]abour» the process of enlarg-ement and lining- has been considerably retarded, the average number of men workingper shift being 26. S at the Otira end and 12.9 at the Bealey end. The position at the end of March is that the bottom bending has been driven nearly 4 miles 46 chains, and the tunnel lined and excavated about 3 miles 60. chains. A distance of about 60 chains femains to be driven + o connect the headings from each end of the tunnel. DEVELOPMENT OF MINING. The value pf the mineral output 1 for, the year wa.s £2,078,43°, being a decrease of £3q6,087 when compared with I'he output during the previous year. In addition to the mineral output 1,331,003 tons of stone was obtained from quarries subject *o inspection under" the Stone-quarries Act. The expenditure under the heading of ''development pf mining" during last year was £4,592. A vote of £i,450 is proposed .*o be taken this year." APPRECIATION. "Let me staje," concluded Mr. traser. "how greatly I appreciate the patriotism of those local bodies and settlers throughout' the Dominion who have refrained from, pressing their demands tor expenditure during the war. on works which in normal times would be considered very important. 1 regret exceedingly that' A have no* been able to do more to relieve many cases of hardship, especially in the backblocks; but as soon as the war is over and our boys return, ample means will then be available to provide employment ior all who need it. The construction of roads, bridges and railways will be pushed ahead, and thus facilities will be afforded for increased settlement and for increased production At is on these two factors that New Zealand has to depend to enable r to bear the heavy burden it has so readily assumed in aiding the Empire to win this appalling war."