PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 307, 26 November 1937, Page 9

PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

USE OF MACHINERY. BIG SAVINGS CLAIMED. Per Press 'Association. WELLINGTON, Nov. 25. In the House of Representatives today on the motion of the Prime Minister urgency was accorded the passing of eight classes of the Estimates. Discussing the vote of £1,150,000 for the maintenance of public works and services, Mr J. Hiargest drew attention to the apparent preference which was being given to Messrs Gough, Gough and Hamer in the remission of. import duties on certain types of machinery suitable for public works for which that firm was .agent. He stated that he was not making any charges against the Minister, but he wanted the matter cleared up. The Minister of Public Works (Hon. R. Semple), replying, said no special preference had been given to the company in question. All the machinery the Government had purchased bad been tendered for. Referring to the demonstration of American machinery which had taken place at Rongotai, Mr Semple said it had been made entirely at the expense of the company concerned. Other companies had had the opportunity of giving similar demonstrations, but none had offered to do so with the exception of one individual, who had demonstrated a scoop invented by himself. The Minister proceeded to deal with the necessity for, and the purchase of, machinery for facilitating public works since the present Government came into office. He instanced the enormous savings in time, labour and- money which had been effected by the use of suitable machinery for such work as the Central Otago irrigation scheme. He stated that the only regret he had in the matter of the purchase was that they were forced to buy it from America because it was not manufactured in Britain. He said he knew all sorts of rumours regarding the purchase of the machinery had been circulated, some cruel and some almost criminal, but he did think they would be able to show that they had saved the country hundreds of thousands of pounds os a result of the work of this machinery. He added that although he was entitled as Minister to preside at meetings of the Tenders Board he had never done so. All the purchases had been left to the engineers. Mr Hargest said the , Minister had made a statement to the Press that the cost of the new machinery was £712,000. He had noticed the sum of £200,000 —two items of £IOO,OOO each —in the Consolidated Estimates. He asked the Minister for full details. The Minister replied that in addition to the sums provided on the Estimates under discussion other items would be included in the Supplementary Estimates. CUSTOMS CONCESSIONS. Air H. S. S. Kyle asked if the Government paid Customs duty on the machinery it imported. Mr Semple: AVe do not pay Customs duty. Mr Hargest asked the Minister of Customs if everyone importing machinery of a similar type to that imported by the Public Works Department into the country, for instance local bodies and private individuals, would receive similar Customs concessions to those granted to the Crown under the Order-in-Council. The Minister of Customs (Hon. AV. Nash), in reply, outlined the procedure under which Customs concessions were granted for the importation .of certain machinery. If this machinery could not be manufactured in the Dominion then it must be manufactured in Britain or 'some British country . If it were not available in British countries the Minister of Customs might allow it to come into the Dominion under the' same conditions as if it had come from a British country. AVhen making application for preference for the importation, of such machinery it was required to prove that similar machinery was not manufactured in a British country, and searching investigations were held into the matter. Anyone who wished to import like types of machines of equal utility and quality could do so am be granted similar privileges. It the type of machine, however, were afterwards manufactured in British territory then the concessions on machines of foreign manufacture were revoked. Mr Nash added that Hon. M. Fagan, who had been acting-Minister of Customs at the time the Public Works Department machinery had been imported, had made the most thorough investigation into the whole question and he thought they could, rest assured that the interests of British manufacturers had not been overlooked. Mr Hargest: If a certain machine of the same type as that covered by Custom privileges but manufactured by another firm were imported it would enioy those privileges? Mr Nash : Yes, it is the article that gets the right, not any particular firm. , The vote was passed. Referring to the Transport Note of £46 500 Mr Kvle drew attention to a statement bv the Transport Licensing Authority, Mr T H Langford, in Christchurch and published by a Christchurch newspaper as follows: i am trying to force the hand of the Government so far as licenses are concerned, because I am satisfied that, as soon as you get the transportation system under license yon do not need to worry about licensing industry they are doing in Germany. Get control of transport and you will get control of industry.” Mr Savage commented that no one was going to force the hand of the Government in the manner siigges The vote was passed.^, NATIVE HOUSING SCHEME. Speaking on the vote of £152.420 for the Native Department, the Minister of- Native Affairs (Hon. F. Langstone) said houses erected since March 1. 1937, were 100 new houses with 99 repaired. There was authority under all the schemes for Native houses for 688 houses at a cost of £142,341, in-

eluding houses for Maoris which had been started by Sir Apirana Ngata. Several hundred houses had been bought or built, and the department was trying to better the conditions of the Natives as fast as it could. About 5000 Maoris were working on development schemes or on developing tlieir own properties under Government direction. The debate on the vote was interrupted by the adjournment at 5.30. The House continued the discussion on resumption at 7.30. Tile Prime Minister moved the closure at 7.55 and this on being forced to a division was carried by 43 votes to 14 and the vote was passed. The next vote for consideration was £15,200 for the Native Trustees Account. * ARTS AND CRAFTS. Mr E. T. Tirikatene appealed for portion of the grants for fostering Maori arts and crafts for the Maoris of the South Island, and contended that the Maoris were losing their facility in some of their ancient handicrafts. The vote was passed. Discussing the vote for £341,289 for the Public Trustee’s Account, tlie Leader of tlie Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton) asked if the Public Trustee paid land and income tax on the same basis as other businesses. The Minister of Finance said the Public Trustee paid the same taxation as other businesses. The vote was also passed.