SWIFT ROADING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10628, 3 December 1910, Page 4

SWIFT ROADING.

A'MINISTERIAL REVELATION. P.y Telegraph. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, December 2. ; . One of the keenest critics of the Government's roading policy in the House 'of,-' Representatives to-day was Mr A. W. Hogg, who for a few months once held the portfolio of Roads. He was answered by Jits successor (the Hon. R. M'Kenzie) with an interesting revelation regarding Mi- Hogg's Ministerial methods. . "He is the gentleman who was responsible for creating* a great deal of the unemployed difficulty," declared the Hon. R. M'Kenzie. "The year before last he rattled out money at the rate of £300,000 a month, with the result that when I took the Department over I found that all the money Parliament' had voted for twelve months had been spent by him in three months —(Laughter). If he had the same chance lie would do it to-morrow. It would be easy to provide all the roads and bridges like this, but the money is limited." Mr Hogg sought to make an explaua-, tion immediately the Minister concluded. .He was not aware, he said, that he had increased the working staff of officers by a single individual, so that not the slightest responsibility attached •to hiyi. • Public works were going on rapidly at the time, but ' when the present Minister took charge he caused serious reduction : in the number of workmen. The statement was a gross exaggeration, like many others made by the Minister. The Speaker: "Order!" Mr Hogg: "I am perfectly in order —(Laughter). I didn't bring about soup kitchens, or relief-works in Wellington,- or anywhere,.-else, and the honorable gentleman caii'put that in his pipe and smoke it.:'.—(Renewed; laughter). The Minister: "If the hon. member had gone on another two months there would have been soup kitchens, not only in Wellington, but in every corner of New Zealand."