PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16039, 4 October 1915, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS ESTIMATES.

DREARY DISCUSSION

[BY TELEGRAPHSPECIAL CORRESPONDENT] Wellington, Sunday. The discussion on the Public Works Estimates in the House early on Saturday morning was the dullest imaginable. It was carried on by a mere handful of members, and scarcely even was there a reference made to the public works policy as expressed in the Statement. The speakers may retort that the Statement shows an entire lack of policy, but if 60 they failed to make this point with any emphasis. For the most part members confined themselves to dreary talk or querulous lament about little things either of purelylocal interest or of no interest at all. When the committee stage was reached the discussion was even more limited and dreary. After the House had endured perhaps half-an-hour of it the Minister said he took it that he would be consulting the wishes of honourable members if he did not reply to the speeches made by the talkative few, and the chorus of "Ayes" which greeted his remark showed that his surmise was correct. After this discussion was futile, and the Estimates went through at half-past two o'clock, the committee stages having occupied only an hour and a half.