THE BREADWINNER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 October 1924, Page 6

THE BREADWINNER.

AND BORROWED MONEY. MINISTERIAL WARNING ~~ [N PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. - The Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of i Public. Works, presented his fifth an- ■ nual statement in the House this even- ; ing. Referring to public works generally he stated: ‘ ‘Much as we desire to see public works of every description expeditiously carried out, great care (must be exercised in selection, and decisions arrived at only after ascertaining both the advantages to be derived from the completed works and .the country’s ability to meet the cost. Furthermore, New Zealand is now practically in the stage when all its able-bodied competent workers are fully employed. To increase the rate of expenditure means increasing the number df men employed by the Department on public works. This can only be achieved by taking men out of other avenues of employment, which would inevitably result in wage competition. Those who carefully observe what happened in the two years immediately following the 1 war —the high cost of works and- the small output of labour —will not, in the general interests of the people, willingly allow such a state of affairs to recur. It seems to me an economic necessity that growth of production, population, revenues, and capital expenditure out of .borrowed money should at least march together, but it is undeniably better for the future of the country that capital expenditure should be kept strictly in arrear of the other factors. Works of developemnt are necessary in order to increase production, but very careful consideration must he given to so balance the developmental work with the man-power available that the development of new works shall not he hampered, and yet at the ; same time that the country shall not arrive at a stage where a considerable proportion of its breadwinners shall look upon borrowed money as their regular source of livelihood. “It is especially worthy of notice that during the past year there lias been an absence of serious difference between the Department and its workers. In place of trouble there has been reason and understanding, to the mutual advantage of all concerned. During the past year the Public "Works Department has proceeded vigorously with the multifarious activities within its sphere, and substantial progress'll as been made on railway, hydro-electric, irrigation, and road construction. Proportionately good progress has beer made Jn other directions, which, though less in volume, are equally indispensable. As a result of improved working and living conditions and more efficieni organisation of work th© world’s prices for plant and material are tending t< become stabilised, though they hav< not receded, except in a very feu instances, to the pre-war level. Th« average amount of work done by the men employed is steadily increasing and this, added to. the fact that tin number employed throughout the yeai was considerably in advance of thai for the previous year, has hrougln about the favourable results referrec to. “As a rule the district officers ar< called upon to carry out expenditur< in accordance with the amount o money placed at my disposal by th< Government, hut in detail have a con siderable amount of independence o action, and the highly practical an< energetic way in which the staff set out its programme of work and co ordinates _ the various items of ead construction-work, large and small shows that the organisation function | well and gives excellent service.”