PUBLIC WORKS DEBATE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10902, 20 October 1911, Page 1

PUBLIC WORKS DEBATE.

REPRODUCTIVE WORKS AND •! ' water power. , By Telegraph. (From Our Own Correspondent.) . : Wellington, October 18.. : There was a great deal of discussion between theparty ■leaders to-night' as to the course of business to be taken, and finally it was ' agreed that the: Public Works' -debate should be .taken forthwith on the second reading of the Public Works Loan Bill; which proposed a loan of a million and a-half sterling. •The second ; reading, of th«i Bill was 1 moved by .the Prime Minister-at 10.45,: with the brief remark that as usual: halt a million . would be transferred to J Public Works frpm' Consolidated revienue. The Bill gave' effect to the-proposals in the Budget.- •. .. • ' Mr James Allen was the first Opposition ' critic of the Public- Works policy. He said he desired! to remove,a general misconception-'that he was 'opposed to borrowing. He. was not, but- he objected' to"wasteful extravagance, such as the construction: of heavy railways, which'should, be abandoned: in. the favor of light lines that would . open up the country. Railways, now Were costing ,£5200 a mile more than they cost ten or twelve years -ago.. The country was also developing an extravagant policy in regard to public-buildings.- It , was not self-reliant, and it would be better to put up with inconvenience for a number of. years to "obtain greater opening -of the country. • Mr Allen reverted to the five million loan, and complained that the costs and expenses of loans were not given in the year following the raising of the loans. He asked whether the policy of raising loans in a lump sum was well advised. He viewed with unrest a sudden stoppage of borrowing, because of the resultant unemployment. It was not his desire to cut-down the loan provided by the Bill, but he- hoped that there would be a -gradual: reduction in the annual loan. Promises were made on the, eve of the elections, notably regarding expenditure on back blocks roads.

Sir Joseph Ward: We can't stop the elections.. Mr Allen declared that the Government promised to spend £750,000 on back ; blocks roads, - but . only . spent £-395,393. . , Sir. Joseph Ward: .We sent out the authorities;

Mr Massey, Leader ; of the- Opposition, repeated former complaint's that the House, was not fully informed about .the cost of raising loans. If the country knew the cost.of the five mil-lion-loan it would bo .startled. ... Sir Joseph Ward: Did you'hear "me read the High . Commissioner's cablegram? ' ;, •Mr Massey said' "Yes," but affirmed, ■that even after hearing the cablegram members could only guess at the cost of the operation. Then' he repeated his views on the system of public votes, suggesting that' tho Prime Minister would "blue pencil" the local votes of a member who contradicted him just before they were dispensed. • Members: Oh!

■ Mr Massey:-.l'm not going to suggest that it is done. I'm only suggesting tiie possibility. (Laughter.) Mr Witty:; You mean that you'd do it?

Mr Massey: No; but I want a better system. Regarding electrical development he" was glad that the Lake Coleridge scheme was being'taken up and tested before the Government went in for an enormous expenditure. T.he Hon. R-. M'Keiizie I never said so. . - Mr Massey: "You did -by implication.". The Government, nqwever, ought not. to' continue its dog-in-the manger, policy. Local authorities should' be "allowed to carry out their own' schemes of hydro-electric development, and he would allow private enterprise to come in, so ' long as monopoly was guarded against. There was enough unused Native and Crown land in Kawhia County alone to supply the full requirements of New Zealand for the next few years. There were lands lying idle while settlers were leaving •the country. Mr G. Laurenson suggested, that there were ' not two bigger political scolds in the country than the two previous speakers. They had been railing, howling "and lamenting, to liis ownknowledge, for twelve years, the same speech all the time. He (Mr Laurenson) knew every word of it. He could go back to 1894 and quote complaints about lack of financial information. The Leader of the Opposition had no sense of proportion. He used the same violent language about. a contemptible triviality as about a two million matter; .

Mr Massey: Truthful George. Mr Laurenson: Just as truthful as I Bill. (Laughter.)" Mr W. H. Herries said! that in" the old days every- sixpence .of 7 expenditure was scrutinised, but :a five million loan seemed a matter of indifference to the member for -Lyttelton.-- • He congratulated ; the ' Government -upon having started' the East Coast Railway from the Waihi end. The Hon. R. M'Kenzie declared that Mr Allen's: vajfue charge about extravagance could not be taken seriously. It was. utterly' impossible'to make a proper comparison ■ between the-cost of the early railways' and those: of the present -day. The early railways were mere tracks, built of forty-pound rails, and carried on wooden-bridges. To say the expenditure now was extravagant was' entirely misleading. It was also quite wrong to -talk of extravagance in ! public buildings." The ; expenditure for the current year was; largely on new post offices at Wellington and Auckland. The Leader of the Oppositionhad tried to deceive the country in his ! statement respecting possible borrowing for water power development. -As a matter of fact, it' would _ be : necessary ■ to spend five or six millions before- the ' development : could be; properly carried • out. He was sure; it would pay: the! country very well ti) ; b6rrow for the purr ' pose. " As; for Mir MasSey's' complaint ; xhut money voted'for-rokds and": other; works had'not been'fulli' -speiit, it was ; in practice always' found ne.cessary rto : veto from 25 to 30 per.cent, more- than they could ppssibly in the year.; The Prime' Minister, in said that there, was - "really} very • little to reply to, the Opposition;speaikers\hav-; tng confined themselves; to-mere general complaints. " : Mi* Allen, ih'e . critic ot wasteful expenditure, had supported the construction of worlcs costing enormous sums; The groundless complaints respecting" non-presentation of details of loans had been made over 'and over again.-and just as often answered. it was all done for party purposes-in'-the hope of .injuring the Government. The. Prime Minister was speaking when the Telegraph Office closed.