THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1922. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18224, 18 October 1922, Page 8

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1922. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

A plain, practical and straightforward document, containing a very businesslike discussion of undertakings and policy, was presented to Parliament yesterday by the Minister for Publio Works in submitting his annual Statement. It inoludes neither extravagant promises nor inflated claims. It is the record of a year of steady, consistent effort under conditions not always favourable, coupled with every encouragement to anticipate further pursuit of the same policy. The expenditure is described as a record sum. The money absorbed from the Public Works. Account totalled £5,461,407, while the corresponding estimate for the current year is £4,067,223. The shrinkage does not mean retrogression. The Minister explains that his total for the past year contains certain heavy but non-reourring items, in some instances required to make good wartime arrears still outstanding. Among these ho cites " additions to open lines, £1,856,350." Allowing for such extraordinary avenues of expenditure, there is no need to find this year's about £500,000 less than last year's appropriations, disappointing. The department has also spent fairly heavily upon constructional plant. The Minister exhibits a wholly justifiable sense of satisfaction with the results of his investment in labour-saving machinery. He estimates that in railway work the cost of excavation alone would have been 30 per cent, higher without his steam-shovels and drag-lines. By the use of these, together with caterpillar tractors for the transport of spoil, he is convinced that speed is increased immeasurably simultaneously with a saving in capital cost. The use of motor-lorries to carry metal has also made practicable the metalling of many miles of road where otherwise the cost would have been prohibitive. The Minister would be prepared to advocate the use of machinery even if it cost more than dependence on pick and shovel methods. The saving in interest and overhead charges, he thinks, would make it good business. Believing he has not yet reached the limit, he has his department constantly on the lookout for new machinery to accelerate and consequently cheapen progress. Mr. Coates threatens to set a pace for industry to follow, instead of being content to see his department panting far in the rear of private enterprise, as is too often the case with the works of the State. With all his energy and readiness to adopt new methods, the Minister has not been able to keep entirely to the schedule he had prepared for himself. Certain branch lines of railway were to have been out of the hands of his department by the end of this year, to enable all effort to be concentrated on three main enterprises, the Midland railway, the North Auckland Main Trunk, and , the East Coast Main Trunk lines. The Waiuku branch is out of hand, as well as the Cromwell section of the Otago Central railway. The Kaihu extension will, it is hoped, be handed over before the end of this year. It is behind schedule, but is almost complete. The Waikokowai branch has been dealt with by the simple expedient of temporary abandonment, owing to altered circumstances. The Manaia branch of the Opunake line and the Ohura section of the Stratford-Main Trunk connection were also due to be completed this year. In each case work in progress is described, while votes arc set down for both, but no promise of completion is given. A similar position is detailed for the Greymouth-Poinfc, Elizabeth line. The Minister gives a general explanation that in the efforts to find work for unemployed, some of the planned concentration on these especially 1 urgent works haß proved impossible of realisation. He claims, however, that this necessary modification of < what he had hoped to achieve has not caused any wasteful or unpro- ' ductive expenditure. The Waiko- : kopu line has been delayed for : another reason. Essential material < was lost in the wreolc of the Wilt- , shire, so that this project to connect Wairoa with a deep-water harbour has suffered. The Minister hopes 1 that the rails will be laid throughout ' by January. The Whangarei branch ' has suffered much from the difficult ' nature of the country traversed, i After completion had once been de- , ferred it was hoped it would be open - this year. It is now estimated that ' through traffic from Auckland to ' Whangarei will be possible by next 1 March, though the Public Works i Department will retain control of i portions for some time after that. < Thus, complete concentration on the ! three, pivotal railway projects may < have to wait yet a little longer. i Mention of main lines naturally i arouses curiosity as to the future of ( the great development work in which i the progress of the Auckland £ Province and—if the Dominion j would but realise it—of Now Zea- i land itself, is vitally concerned, the 1 East Coast Main Trunk line. Here i the Minister most justifies the i soundness of hi£ instinct for what is of national, importance in railway 1 building. Not only does he record 1 good progress eastward, but he < promises to begin work westward t toward Katikati, as he says " to £ enable the isolated section of over 40 < miles from Tauranga eastward to be j conneoted up with the general work- 1 ing railway system." Plans for the t work are being pressed forward, i while it is proposed to invite tenders \ for the construction of the 22 miles r from Tauranga to Katikati. With I that accomplished, with work pro- i ceeding from Waihi toward Athen- f ree, the day now seems within i measurable distance when the great s and only partly-developed reservoir r of national wealth so long locked up t in the Bay of Plenty district will be i tapped to the benefit of the Do- ( minion. To build eastward from c

Tauranga was useful, in that it gave the. rich pastoral lands beyond access to a deep-water harbour; to move westward and rescue this section of line from lying with both ends in the air, so i'ar as the national system of land transport is concerned, will be to the immense profit of the railway system, to the inestimable advantage of the whole Dominion, and to the everlasting credit of the Minister for launching the work. The unswerving faith and the unceasing advocacy- of those who know the Bay of Plenty lands is about to be rewarded. The gap is to be closed as speedily as may be; after years of isolation and—compared with what might have been— stagnation, this great fertile area is to have its chance. Were the Statement to bo shorn of all its record of new vigour, fresh energy, and practical method, this one passage alone would make it notable. It is the crowning feature of 8, document which typifies a new spirit in the public works of the Dominion.