PLANS FOR WORKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22391, 11 April 1936, Page 10

PLANS FOR WORKS

ACTIVITIES OF STATE EAST COAST RAILWAY START IN THREE WEEKS OTHER SCHEMES IN VIEW [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday The Government's programme of major public works will be inaugurated within three weeks by the 1 start of active operations for tho completion of the East Coast railway. This statement was made yesterday by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, in discussing avenues of work to be explored under the employment promotion scheme.

"The East Coast railway will be the first major job to be tackled," the Prime Minister said. "As soon as the Government Railways Amendment Bill comes back from the Legislative Council, which it should do soon after the Easter recess, the Minister of Railways will have full legal power to authorise the work to jiroeeed. No time will bo lost. Full investigations over the line have already been carried out by engineers and officials of the Railways Department and the Public Works Department, as well as by the Minister of Public Works, Hon. H Somple, and all the relevant information is available." Stream of Requests lor Work

The Prime Minister added that there had been a constant stream of requests for employment on the railway construction scheme, but they were all handed 011 to the Public Works Department, which would be in charge of that particular aspect. Altogether it was expected that direct employment would be provided for about 1000 to 1500 men. "The number of letters referring to this one work," said Mr. Savage, "gives a very clear indication of the necessity for a progressive policy. Men still want to be builders. They still want to be employed on some useful and productive work, where they can see something definite as the result of their labours."

Other major works would bo instituted as soon as possible, the Prime Minister continued. For instance, his Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Mr. J. A. Lee, was carrying out investigations into a housing scheme from which much was expected and which would have the effect of restoring men to their own expert trades. "No Shortage 0! Work"

Another point was that mental hospital accommodation had been allowed to deteriorate badly in recent years and the Government planned to make improvements in that respect, although tho ultimate goal of its policy —improved living conditions for all might well mean a falling-oft in tho number of patients. Mr. Savage also mentioned that the Post Office had a special accumulated building account, which now stood, he thought, at something over £1,000,000. That money would be used in building new post offices and providing additional facilities in various parts of the Dominion where they were urgently needed. "There is no shortage of work," the Prime Minister said. "Our task is to determine which of the proposals are most urgent and which will represent full value for the amount of expenditure entailed. No time will be lost in putting into operation a programme of national development, which wdl give useful work at decent living wages."

THE RESERVE BANK ACT GOVERNMENT'S INSISTENCE COMMENT BY MR. SAVAGE [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] WELLINGTON. Thursday Asked the reason for the Govern ment's insistence on Parliament passing the Reserve Bank Amendment Act this week, the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, replied that no public works project could go on without it. The Government wished to begin work on the Nupier-Gisborne railway, and this could be done when the Railways Amendment Bill was passed. Reverting to the Beserve Bank Act, he said that to drag out discussion on a bill oi that character for a long time was in nobody's interest. It allowed scaremongers time to lay their plans and there was no place for scaremongers in New Zealand to-day. The state of the stock market was an indication that nobody was running away from New Zealand legislation.