The Hawera Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1924. PUBLIC WORKS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 October 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1924. PUBLIC WORKS.

Delivered every evening by 3 o’clocß In Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, • Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

The «fact which impresses itself upon ' one who has perused the Public Works - Statement is the enormous amount oi -f work ahead of the Dominion and the I numerous difficulties. The population £ of the Dominion is increasing steadily, and with it the needs of the country , are growing. Mr. Coates has adopt- , ed a policy for public works for which f he has received much praise, and in £ his latest annual Statement he shows j that he is endeavouring to follow out j that policy in {he boat interests of the Dominion as a whole. He states that ] “much as we desire to see public works » of every description expeditiously carried out, great care .must be exer- , cised in selection, and decisions arrived at only after ascertaining both the j advantages to be derived from the i completed works and the country's 1 ability to meet the cost,.” Further j on in the Statement he says: “Jt i seems to me an economic necessity 1 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 development are necessary in order to increase production, but very careful consideration must he given to so balance the developmental work with the manpower available that the development of new works shall not be hampered, and yet at the same time that the country eh all not arrive at a stage where a considerable .proportion of its breadwinners shall look upon borrowed money as their regular source of livelihood.” We think that these views will be widely endorsed by the people of Zealand who desire to see the countrv make sound progress. It is Mr. Coates’ ambition to carry out schemes in order of their importance and. bv concentrating upon the works to hasten their completion. Tn Taranaki he is pushing on with the railwav to Opunake, and it is hoped that there will be similar concentration upon the Stratford-Main Trunk line in the near future, for that connection is one of great importance. Unfortunately the Public Works Statement does not give a clear indication of an early speeding up of the work on this section of line, which, when completed, will effect an enormous saving in time and money to the people of Taranaki and the Waikato. The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce has sent forward its ex. pres-sionn of dieappoiiitment, and it is to be hoped that the Minister will he able to give an assurance' that the work will he prosecuted more vigor- - <mslv and the 34-mile gap bridged in the shortest possible time. Some time mm the Minister, in replying to a f!<vpnt-etion from Taranaki, left tb n im r>rnc;<bon bat the Public Works State- ? rrsent would srive some idea of his pol- , piv the line, hence the disI *rt. its- absence. The eetis mates ■provide £IOO,OOO for construction work during the current financial

year upon this section, but the people of the province are anxious to have the connection noth the Main Trunk completed sooner than will he the case at the present rate of progress, and they will await with interest Air. Ooates’ future statements on the matte”. We have, however, just received an important statement from Mr. 0. Hawken, M.P., in which he explains the reference in the Minister's Statement concerning the Tangarakau tramway to mean that the way will be clear for speeding up the work, and that the Government regards the line as of first importance. The Public Works Statement shows that thd 1 main highways and hydroelectric schemes are receiving the Minister’s best attention, while his department has also in hand work in various parts of the Dominion upon public buildings, which have to be provided to cope with the increasing business of the country. Air. Coates has made many improvements in the policy of public works, and his latest Statement shows that he is keen to develop the principles which he adopted when he first took charge of the department. His remarks upon local bodies-and the difficulties with which the country is faced at-the present stage of its development are of special interest and will turn public attention to a problem which will no doubt have to he faced at some future date —the multiplicity of local bodies and the lack of uniformity in control and administration which exists, under the present system.