PUBLIC WORKS

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12538, 30 August 1926, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS

HOUSE DISCUSSES THEM ALL DAY SATURDAY YEAR’S ESTIMATES PASSED TALK OF DISCRIMINATION ACCORDING TO POLITICAL COLOUR The House of Representatives sat all day Saturday. The Public Works Statement was discussed during the morning and all the afternoon, and before the House rose the Public Works Estimates were passed.

When the discussion commenced Mr IT. E. Holland. Leader of the Opposition. immediately brought up the question of discrimination in the expenditure on works according to the politilal colour of members and candidates. The statement had been made by lieform supporters in his own electorate that this was the reason why the Bul!er Gorge railway and particularly the Coast road had been neglected. It wns not he, said Mr Holland, but Reform supporters who had made this statement, and a similar statement had been made in "The Northlander,” a paper owned by the member for Bay of Islands. Moreover, the Prime Minister had gone through the Bitller electorate, and had never denied these statements. 'Mr Coates: I would have if I’d ■bought of it. Mr Holland said the Government had dishonoured its promise in regard to the Innngahua and other lines which the Government had said were important, yet they had spent on other less important lines. There was a ridiculously small amount expended on the Coast road, and the department was losing heavily as the result of the noncompletiou of the work. Mr Holland complained bitterly upon the paltry mm of £27,000 which was to be voted for the Westport-Buller section of the Inangahua line, and of the small amounts that had been spent on it in years past. Mr R. P. Hudson (Motueka) spoke of the want of railway communication in his district. The Otago Central, he said, could now send fruit to the Reefton ’market at half the cost that it could be sent from the other side of tiie Motueka electorate. Mr George Forbes (Hurunui) said he hail nothing to complain of in regard to wanting votes in his district, and in regard to the South Island Main Trunk railway the question of political colour did not com© in at all. REPLY TO MR HOLLAND Mr A. Bell (Bay of Islands) said tKat Mr Holland had on one occasion congratulated the Government on the impartial manner in which they had distributed the money for public works. Continuing with some warmth, Mr Bell said that Mr Holland when he made that statement knew he was speaking the absolute truth. As to the paragraph in tha “Northlander/’ the member for Buller knew that He, Mr Bell, had nothing to do with it. As a newspaper man Mr Holland would know that there was sometimes the question of filling a position temporariand as far as this matter was concerned he, Mr Bell, knew nothing about it. Furthermore, he had given the statement that Reform members were favoured a most emphatic denial on the platform. The hon. member for Buller knew ho did not subscribe to a policy of that kind. Mr Holland said it was true he had congratulated the Government three years ago on the impartial way it was spending public works money, bnt on going into the figures since then ha had reversed his opinion. Mr W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) said he felt it his duty to say something very strong in connection with railway matters in his district, but as it was Saturday morning and members desired to get free he would reserve any remarks he had to make to the Prime Minister before he left for England. “If,” added Mr Lysnar, “he does not settle it then—well I’ll have something to say when he comes back.” (General laughter, in which Mr Coates joined.) Mr Peter Fraser (Wellington _ Central) spoke of the overcrowding in the mental hospitals, and the necessity for increasing the accommodation. Patients were now sleeping in the corridors. AN EMPHATIC DENIAL. The Prime Minister at this stage replied to some of the statements that had been made. He gave an emphatic denial to the statements that had been made during the election that Reform members were more favoured than others. As to the money voted hut not spent on the Westport-Inangahua line he strongly stressed the importance of a complete survey before making final commitments. They had to be especially careful in regard to such lines on which there was a great capital expenditure, and on which for the time being they could get no return. This particular work was a most important one from many points of view. Apart from the coal there were certain other reasons why that line should be completed. The engineers were now busy on the surveys, and it would he six months before they could he completed. It was most important in such difficult country that they should be thorough, as this would save a great deal in the end. As an instance, he mentioned that the final surveys in connection with the Wairoa-Gisborno lino had saved the country £02,000 altogether. Thorough surveys were all the more imoortant in New Zealand where the construction work was so expensive. Tr. regard to the West Coast Toad (South Island) it would take £7OOO | to complete it; £3OOO would be required for the Fox river bridge, and the balance for the rock cutting work. There was £IOOO on the estimates, hut the Minister for Works would visit the district and see for himself what had to be done. If necessary to speed the work up he would ask Cabinet for an increased grant. TRIBUTE TO SIR MAUI POMARE In regard to what was being done In connection with mental hospitals, ho paid a tributo to the splendid work that had been done by the Hon. Sir Maui Pomare when Minister for Health. One of the first things he had undertaken in connection with his administration of that department was a thorough investigation of that department, and the late Prime Minister had asked them what the position wws and the amount of montv available. He (Mr Coates) and Sir Maui wore give* almost a free hand. Sir Maui had brought down a report, and they had gone into it thoroughly for two months It had, however, been difficult to carry it out in the time suggested, hut the proposals were approved and the programme put in hand. He agreed that Uio matter was a national necessity.

, The plan provided for great expansions I and the purchase of a good deal of land. Several purchases had already 1 been made, but iu regard to others ! nearly completed he did not want to mention localities, because they might be inundated with land agents who wanted to sell properties. The pro- ■ gramme was a comprehensive one. Whether it would be sufficient he could not say. , Mr Horn (Wakatipu) admitted that he had got a fair share of expenditure for his district. His greatest trouble had been the constant change of Ministers because he had to take them over such a big district. Mr J. Mason (Napier) congratulated the Government on the progressive policy of the Public Works Depart, ment. He thought that in regard to public buildings the policy of concentration, which was being pursued in the larger cities could be applied to the provincial towns with advantage. Speaking of the chief post office in Napier, ho said that for a long time work there had been done under great disadvantages. The post office was an old wooden building, and there was a second building which formerly was a stable. It was some distance from the principal structure. Not only were the public suffering great inconvenience, but the Btaff was working under big disadvantages. He was glad to see that a paragraph in the Public Works report said that a new post and telegraph office at Napier was required, and that plana were in the course of preparation. Ho hoped those plans soon would be completed. A sum of £20,000 had been placed on the estimates for the new post office. As far as the business it transacted waa concerned, tho Napiet Post Office stood sixth in New Zealand. The werk was urgent and he hoped no time would be lost in making an early start. of the good work done by the Main Highways Board, transport in the vicinity of Napier was cheaper and faster than formerly. He hoped the Government would encourage afforestation, which was urgently required. RIMUTAKA RAILWAY Mr G. Sykes (Masterton). referring to what he called that “engineering abortion,” the Rimutaka railway, said that despite the big demonstration of 1921, when Wairarapa chartered a special train, came to Wellington, and headed by a pipe band, invaded Parliament little progress had been made. He drew the attention of the new Minister to the fact that Mr Coates’s programme of 1924 was to start with an expenditure of £125,000 in about 1928, followed by an expenditure of £275,000. £300,000, and a final payment of £300.000. The question was still a burning question in the Wairarapa, and he hoped the work would be undertaken according to programme. At present most of the traffio went by road. That morning nine motor-egrs left Masterton for Wellington, and all were filled. They would return filled in the afternoon The same thing applied as between Masterton and Palmerston North. If people could travel by train expeditiously, they would pre. fer the train. TO SAFEGUARD CHRISTCHURCH Air X>. G. Sullivan (Avon) made a plea for a substantial grant towards the cost of the Waimakariri river protection works. To bring the works on to the same plane as others assisted by the Government in various parts of the country the financial help should b'i considerably greater than that originally contemplated by the Government. The present state of affairs was not the fault of the people living in the vicinity, but could only be described as an act of God. The River Trust and the city of Christchurch would undoubtedly do their fair share, but on the basis of other schemes in the Dominion the Government should contribute at least 60 per I cent, of the cost. The poll on the question taken last year to raise the city’s contribution had been defeated, it was true, but by an artificial majority, for the reason that a three-fifths vote in favour was required. He felt sure that during tho coming year all parties would come to an agreement as to the best mode of procedure. It was to be hoped that before the next loan poll was taken the Government would announoe a substantial measure of assistance. Mr H. Holland (Christchurch North) congratulated the Minister for Public Works on the very satisfactory report that he had been able to present. The financial condition of tho Lake Coleridge power scheme, he said, was especially satisfactory. He did not grudgs any of the expenditure proposed for works in the North Island. He would merely plead for more liberal treatment of the South Island, where alone there appeared to be paring down. PROSPECTS NOT GOOD In his reply, Hon. Mr Williams said that before finally involving the Government in any expenditure in connection with some of the works which had beon mentioned, he wished to bo assured that the expenditure would be justified. Without being pessimistic, lie realised that the prospects for produce prices were not good, and realising this he felt bound to consider very carefully any projected expenditure in his department. He realised also that a groat deal of work re3 uired to be done in tho Dominion toay, and liydro-electricity would take some yoars to get to tho reproducing stage; but when members from the different constituencies advanced their claims for money, he considered the matters from the standpoint of the Dominion, and wondered what effect it would nave in the future, and what the young generation would have to pay. He hoped to visit the different constituencies in duo course, and acquaint himself with the works ■ required. Mr D. G. Sullivan: Will you visit tho Wnimnkariri first or last! Mr Williams: Ob. we will see. We might nil get in. ft will have to be summer time, I think. CARE ADVISED Mr Williams did not agree that it was wise to borrow lard* sums of

handicapped is the local volunteer fire brigade in its efforts to cope with a serious outbreak, and recent events go to show that once a fire has obtained a good hold it is almost hopeless to save the property, and the only thing to do is to confine the scope of the blaze. This was the case at an early hour yesterday morhing. At 3 a.m. a fire was discovered in a five-roomed, house on the main road, owned and occupied by Mr D. Costley and family, who were visiting at Karori at the time. The fire played furiously, and though the brigade fought heroically, the most they could save was a piano, a gramophone, and a little clothing. The house and the rest of the property and contents were completely destroyed. Mr E. J. Healey was prominent in leading the fire-fighters, and they were fortunately able to prevent the fire reaching several nearby properties.

money for building purposes, when the immediate return was negligible, although he recognised that accommodation was required in some of the public buildings in different parts. Several members had criticised the allocation of Government grants, but he pointed out that he had nothing whatever to do with these, which came under the jurisdiction of the Minister for Internal Affairs. They had probably been mixing them with the rates in counties. Engineers had bean instructed to report upon the drainage of Lake Ellesmere. He was not going to say anything on the matter of.river protection at the moment, although he did not say there were no merits in the requests. Mr Sullivan: We received a promiso from the Trime Minister last year. Mr Williams: Well, if that is so, I will bo pleased to carry out Jthe work. But yours is not the only district that is threatened with flood, and when you ask for a £ for £ subsidy, I will have to go into it. The Government has to bo very careful or it will not have any money left for railways or anything else.