PUBLIC WORKS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 21 August 1926, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS

ANNUAL STATEMENT.

MINISTER DISCUSSES POLICY MANY MATTERS OF INTEREST. (Special to Star.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 20. The Public Works statement was presented to the House ol' Representatives to-night by the Minister, the Hon. K. S. Williams. Interesting extracts froru the report are given below. EMPLOYMENT OF WORKERS.

The change in Ministerial control may possibly ■raise a question as to the policy to be followed with regard to the employment of workmen on road, railway, hydro-electric, and other constructional works. As I see it, the position is clear. There are Certain classes of work on which men can be employed only on day wages. There are other classes of work, which,, both in the interests of Department and men, can best, lie dealt with on the system of open contract, be it large or small, or on the co-operative contract system, according to the circumstances of the case, is. tlie fairest way to bowl parties. The Department must secure fair value in work product for which it pays. Tam not particularly concerned as> to liow that result is achieved. 'fhe resultant daily earnings must not be the deciding factor, but the cost of the work per unit of material! dealt with. If parties of men, by their special effort, are enabled to double the day’s wage-rate, then I shall be glad to know that our conditions of employment can attract such workmen, for such results pay the Department and encourage and profit the men. •Referring to allocation of Public Works funds for development work, the Minister said: I have no wish to discourage local and district ambitions, hut I do insist that- these ambitions, before they can receive any support from the Public Works, must stand the test. —that is to say, they must be found to be good and justifiable as part of a comprehensive plan or directly subsidiary to it. ■ • PROPOSALS FOR WORKS

Public Works Fund expenditure should result only after a careful weighing of all the evidence. In deal-. ino°with proposals lor expenditure on new works, wrier her they be in relation to what- may be termed district works or iliter-district works, it is iuy intention as far as passible, to consider each with a view to connecting up with a larger -scheme of works, and isp prevent isolation; in other words, public works must he constructed where possible in accordance with, a coinpronensive scheme embracing the whole area. • Careful consideration must be given to expenditure proposals which involve competition between load and railway, constructed or proposed. UNPROFITABLE RAILWAYS. The extraordinary development of motor traffic has changed the whole position, to the extent that it is necessary to investigate the question as to whether certain lines of railway should not he closed down altogether, for the reason that they cannot, under improved .road conditions and resulting competition by motor traffic, pay their way. These railways in their day developed tlie financial resources of the district they served. That develop- ‘ rnent has placed the district in a position to improve its roads to a degree enabling motor-vehicles to convey farm requirements from town .stores to farm, and farm-products to town stores or main-line stations or ports. We have obviously arrived at a stage of development where the transport requirements of a district must lie studied with the utmost care, and a constructive policy adopted which will provide the most "economic means of transport without duplicating expenditure. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION,

During the last-.financial year a total length of 53 miles 20 chains of railway was handed over to the Railway Department for incorporation with the general railway system of th© country. In addition to the lines handed- over, rails have been laid on 22 miles -39 chains, and goods traffic has been carried on over a length of 52 miles, while traffic of all descriptions .lias r Feen run by the Public Works Department over 111 miles 61 chains, the two principal 'sections being Tauranga, Ihe Mount, and Tianeatua. and be tween W-airoa ad Waikokopu. Lines handed over in the course of the year were as follows: North Auckland* main trunk railway, AVliangarei section 1-1 miles 56 chains, HuarauWaitira section 15 miles 36 chains; Lawrcn ee-Riox b urgh, Beaumont Millers’ Flat section,- 14 miles 70 chains; Onepuki-Waiau, Tuatapeie-Orawai section, 8 miles 18 chains. Construction work in the North Island was proceeding ©n the North. Auekla nd-AVestfiield deviation, East Coast- main trunk, Hutt duplication, ami Palmerston North deviation. Regarding the Gisborne-Waikokopu section, the Minister stated that . the route in question had received careful consideration and the indications were that a route following the coast-line fairly closely would be adopted. > Railway works in Taranaki were dealt with by the Statement in the following terms:

The construction of Alatiere .section, at the east end of the Stratford-Alain Trunk railway, has been completed, and also, main-track formation oil most of Ohura section. Considerable progress lias also been made with construction of bridges, Ohura station-yard, approach roads, etc., on the section, and the railhead has reached 15 miles 71 chains. A goods and passenger service was continued for the convenience of settlers from the junction with the main line at Okahukura to Toitoi. At the western end of the Stratford-Alain Trunk railway activities during the year were confined almost entirely to tram-line constiuetion, election of accommodation for workers, and preliminary work in connection with the tunnels .on Raekohu and -Haeo sections. The construction etc. of the main tramline and the jig-line over No. 1 "tunnel was completed, and a bi-weekly service has been .run from Tangarakau to the terminus of the opened line at Tahora. The power-house lias been erected, and 1 some of the machinery which was transferred from Alangaliao and O'tira for tunnel-work is installed and running. A commencement has already been made with work in No. 1 tunnel. The township reserve at Raekohua has been- laid out for -a workman’s camp, and a large number of both single and married quarters have been erected, and a water-supply provided. The construction of the Opunake branch railway is complete, with the exception of three small items, and it was handed over to the Railway Department in July prior to which a goods service was operated by the Pnblio AA’orks Department. In the South Island work on -the Glenhope-Murchison portion of. "'the,. Midland railway had advanced suffi-

cien.tly to enable .a portion to be handed over to the Railway Department. The Minister remarked that the question. of further .prosecution of this work would have to bo seriously considered in view of >tlre increasing efficiency of transport by road.

Discussing the South Island Main Trunk railway, between AVliara.nui and Parnassus, the Minister remarked that the line, if constructed, would be extremely expensive and it was a matter for serious consideration if flie requirementis would not be met by the .introduction. of 1a road motor service between the •railheads. FINANCIAL ASPECT.

The total net expenditure under all votes and accounts appearing on the public-works estimates for the financial year ended March 31, 1926, was £7,495,094. Of this sum £4,615,585 was expended out of General Purposes Account, and the balance, £2,879,509, out of special accounts. This leit a. credit balance in the accounts for general purposes .at March 31 of this year of £528,421. Legislative authority existed for the raising of .a further £4,061,050. It was proposed to ask for further legislative authority to- borrow, when required £5,000,000, thus making available for public works, general purposes £9,587,471. In addition surplus .revenue as available, would be transferred from the Consolidated Fund up to £1,000,000. The estimated expenditure for the current financial year, including a transfer of £1.00,000 to the Main. Highways Construction Fund, was £4,595,470. The balance in respect to some of the more important public works, under special accounts, plus existing: and proposed legislative authority to raise additional loans, amounted to £II,S9O,BSS. POST AND TELEGRAPH BUILDINGS.

The ever-present .need for increased accommodation for the conduct of the Department Is business at different places throughout the country .serves to reveal in a most unmistakable manner the healthy and steady growth of the Dominion. The difficulties which are. a,t times encountered in providing additional .accommodation in existing buildings show all to clearly how little the designers of .the original buildings anticipated the growth that would take place in the business of the Department. The rapidity of growth could not possibly have been foreseen. Needless to isay, it is the present policy, when preparing plans for new buildings, to make provision for future additions which, when necessary, can be made with much less trouble than is now the case. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION.

The capital expended during the year ended March 31 last in improving the existing facilities. 1 to meet the standard of modern requirements 1 , and of extending the telephone exchange, toll a.ud telegraph plants to. provide for additional business, .amounted to £931,661. That this expenditure was fully justified, and that the year was one of exceptional progress, is evidenced by the fact that the telegraph and telephone revenue .showed a.n increase of £146,642 over that of 1925—• the previous best year in the history of the telegraph and telephone service. Of the four services—telephone exchange, toll, telegraph, and wireless, respectively—the telephone exchange showed the greatest development. As a result of .special efforts having been made during the year to overtake, the arrears of telephone subscribers’ services .a .new record was established in the matter of new connections, the total for the year, 13,368, being sixtyfour in excess of the number connected during .any previous year, states the Public Works Department .statement, presented to the House of Representatives last night. Another feature was the development at country exchanges Which equalled the combined development of the city and main provincial exchanges. The number of deferred applications on hand at' country exchanges on March 31 last was 890, and at other exchanges 190, as compared with 1,591 and 2,031 respectively on March 31, 1925.