NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1920. SPEEDING-UP

Northern Advocate, 3 June 1920, Page 2

NORTHERN ADVOCATE DAILY With which is incorporated the NORTHERN MAIL DAILY.

THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1920. SPEEDING-UP

for transmission througL the poat as a newspaper.

Public works proceedings in the Dominion dining many_years*past may be described as unsatisfactory, without exaggerating the demerits of the case; indeed, a much stronger term could probably be employed in giving a just verdict upon the position. The policy of the administrative heads has been circumscribed by that which they were pleased to call "economy." Some doubt is felt as to the propriety of that word in this connection, for the history of most of the undertakings of the department points very conclusively in an opposite "direction. The Hon. J. G. Coiites, as Public Works Minister, is certainly putting more vim into his office than any of his predecessors, and his suggestion of co-operative contracting i» Cjuile deserving of consideration nnd experimentation. The previous co-operative method related only to employees, subject to the Government engineers' estimates, and was always inI'quijublo; but a scheme which puts every man on his mettle (as propounded by Mr Coares), and gives emolument according 1o the amount of work done, scorns to ofl'or something in the nature of a solution. It appears to "Government stroke" and the weak man loaning on the stronger, thus giving a fair allocation of payment on the bnsis of merit. Eecolloction of such "jobs" as the Kio-reroa-Grahamtown railway section construction —2 J miles in about 10 years— should be sufficient to convince the veriest tyro that reform is due, and that political prefei'enee ought to be wiped off the slate in an era which pretends to progress. Given 100 (or 1000) miles of railway to construct, and our American cousins would put it through to the tune of '' quick march,'' but New Zealand lags and drags for a seeming eternity over every paltry section, while settlement is held up indefinitely and nobody knows where he is. The co-operative contract process would appear to be acceptable to the worker on the test at the Otira Tunnel, as tho men at the Otira end of tha magnum opus (or is it "white elephant"), having abandoned day labour for the contract system, find that they make about 23s per diem instead of the former 18s —and the work is going ahead better than ever before, There is opposition to private contracting, whereby one or two reap the benefit at. the expense of the worker, but co-operative contract appears to offer an individual inspiration which has been lacking hitherto, and the trial of Mr Coates' suggestion should be made at once, as poradventure an important solution lies therein.