PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 3311, 18 December 1897, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

A TIGOEOUS DEBATE. In opening his speech in criticism of the Public Works Statement last night, The Hon G. F. RICHARDSON said the Pnblic Works Statement was brought down 82 days after the session opened, and they bad very little time to consider it. The Statement seemed to bo wanting in any sign of a policy of public works for the future. What he wanted to know was what the effect of the expenditure on public works would be? Reierring to the statement that there were 50 miles of railway awaiting completion, he said this was a most - undesirable state of things, 'i he work should be pushed forward and the pub’io get the advantage of the expenditure of the money. A lot of money had been wasted by tho construction of a permanent way on the Main Trunk lino beyond the Makobino viaduct, which could not be used for years, and which was going to waste in the meantime. - He quoted figures to show that the public works expenditure now whs double what it was when the present Government took office. Something like 2UUO men were being employed on so-called co-operative works. He referred to the votes for these sugarplum settlements of tho Minister for Lauds.” The Minister seemed to thiuk any fool would make a farmer, and with this idea ho preferred to help the street-corner man to tho detriment of genuine settlers. Mr ROLLESTON said the Estimates had been kept so long as to render analysis of them impossible. The present statement was the poorest thing of the kind he bad ever seen. A sixth form schoolboy could have made a better job, of. it, given the material. It was impossible for an Assembly like this to control a public works fund compiled as this one was. It was con* templated to expend £364,000 on railways, and £341,000 on roads. , The roads in many instances were being constructed in places whore roads were not required, and in other eases money was being spent on roads which should be constructed by local bodies. The present system was growing year by year, and all tended to giving increased power to Ministers. It was a shocking, thing that members had to go up the backstairs and beg for the requirements of their districts. He concluded by moving that the present Public Works Estimates are eminently unsatisfactory, as showing (1) The growth of a most unfair system of distributing roads and bridges in proportions largely dependent on the accorded to the Ministry of the day in the representative Chamber of tho Legislature. (2) The frittering away of large sums of borrowed money and moneys raised by taxation from the industrious classes upon roads-and- bridges in which those classes have little or no direct interest. (3) That it is inconsistent with the inde* pendenco of Parliament that one Minister should practically obtain and exorcise the political power which attaches to the administration of so large a sum. of public money as £34L,000-as is the case with tho Minister of Lands.. (4) Thatthe - whole question of the administration of the large blocks of land: acquired . .under the Lands for Settlement Act requires' prompt and earnest attention. (5) That it is essential to good government that a form of local, government should be established under which funds should be raised and expended' under proper checks by local bodies. ‘ f • The PREMIER'said be could pot accept the reso utions as a vote of want of confidence considering that 3VJr Eolleatbn admitted’that the Leader of the Opposition had pot been consulted as to their being moved. He said, in regard to the statements of previous speakers, that there was nono of the borrowing and squandering of pnblic moneys to-day that had characterised the Governments of the past. With respect to the assertion that roads and bridges votes were used as political engines, be said the general verdict was that the opponents of the Government got more votes than its sopporters did. With regard to the advances to settlors scheme, be said it was the greatest boon the people of the colony had ever had. It had contributed to reduce interest; and the Government to-day held two millions of security for the million of money advanced. The member for Mataura complained that local bodies were not given sufficient power. The administrations to which he belonged had never done anything to assist in this direction, and whenever the present Government proposed anything in the way of local bodies reform, the hon member used all tho forma of the House to block it. The critics of the Public Works Statement had refrained from going into details, and 1 general criticism of the kind they had had was valueless. He said the attack of the member for Biccarton came with bad grace after hia commendation of the administration of the Minister of Lands a few days ago. Mr G. HUTCHISON said only £27,000 appeared on the Estimates for the Patea district, more than half of which was represented by liabilities on the 31st March last. Me HOGG entered into a vigorous defence of the Government Land Settlement and Public Works policy, and compared it with the fl good old days ” when the Governments to which previous speakers belonged borrowed and squandered millions. Mr PIRANX complained that a great deal of favouritism was displayed by the Government in dispensing public works votes. Ho said his own district was a .disgraceful instance of tho glaring manner in which'a district could be treated which had a representative who would not blindly follow the Government. Messrs Lang, Brown. Flatman, Massey, J. W. Thompson, Moore, Bolland and Buchanan also spoke. Mr Bolleston’s amendments were lost on the voices. On the question that the House go into Committee of Supply, The MINISTER for PUBLIC WORKS said that every member bad expressed dissatisfaction with the money set down for bis particular district. He pointed out that members of the Opposition received altogether £190,231 for their districts, whilst members supporting the Government, which were in the majority, received £234,332, which was in his opinion a fair allocation. : . The Estimates were under discussion when we went to press, . . •