PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23351, 17 November 1937, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

MINISTER'S ANNUAL REVIEW A POLICY OF DEVELOPMENT IMPROVEMENT OF ROADING SYSTEM In his annual statement, which was tabled in the House of Representatives last night, the Minister of Public Works, Mr R. Semple, traverses the operations of the department for the current year—more than half of which has already elapsed. The largest item of expenditure is main highways, involving the sum of £4,165,200, and, in addition, it is proposed to spend £966,000 on roads other than highways. Provision is made to expend £3,311,457 on railways, this vote being made up of £1,108,000 for the construction of new lines and £2,203,457 for improvements and additions to open lines. Public buildings will account for an expenditure of £1,689,000; land development for £864,500; and hydro-electnc development for £700,000. Of the total expenditure estimated by the Minister, £10,440,957 will be provided by loan money and £3,884,500 by revenue. From Main Highways revenue, £2,572,000 will be obtained; from the Consolidated Fund, £1,150,000; from the Electric Supply Account, £745,000; whilst £567,500 will be made available from general revenue. The Minister mentions that the electric supply system of the Dominion, after paying interest and operating charges, has provided £1,660,543 in reserves, 'of which £313,614 has been used to pay off portion of the original capital outlay.

MINISTER'S REVIEW ECONOMIC VALUE OF WORKS SAVING BY MECHANISATION ATTENTION TO BACKBLQCK ROADS At the outset of his Statement, the Minister reaffirms the policy of the Government as to the construction of public works wherever it is possible to obtain sufficient economic value to justify the work undertaken. He states that he is prepared to admit that on many works the men are earning high wages, but he is satisfied that, wherever work is carried out on the co-operative contract system, the State is getting good value for its expenditure. The men oh every class of construction have improved wonderfully in skill and in output of work during the year, and now they are an army of men of whom the nation can be proud. Modern Equipment Continuing, the Minister says: I gave an indication in last year's Statement that the policy of the department would be to a large extent to expedite and lessen the

cost of public works by the use of machinery. This has been done, and a sum of approximately. £ 500,000 has been spent on modern plant for our works. This expenditure appears large, but the department had no equipment to start with. When I mention that the department has nearly 1200 works in hand requiring some type of plant, .the disadvantages under which it was working can be realised. I have not endeavoured to replace men by machinery where it cannot be shown that a substantial saving will result, but rather to preserve the balance between speed and economy. There are many classes of work which can be carried out almost as economically by manual labour, supplemented by a small amount of mechanical plant, as they can be entirely by machinery, and in order not to increase the number of unemployed at the present time I have adhered to the former procedure even though some sacrifice has been made to speed in completing the work.

Many instances .of considerable saving in cost of construction can be supplied. Notwithstanding the fact that the department has spent fairly large amounts in the purchase of machinery, it has been able to increase the number of men employed from 13,696 when the present Government took office to a maximum of 20,100 during last summer, and the number now employed is approximately 19,000. With the exception of that still needed for the new State highways and for renewals, most of the plant immediately required has now been purchased. Works of a special nature will, of course, still necessitate the use of suitably designed plant, and some provision for this will be made. Metalling Backblock Roads While I am convinced that we are catching up rapidly on our main highway and railway systems, I feel sure that more could be done towards the metalling of our backblock roads. I have 'asked the en-gineer-in-chief to prepare a fiveyear plan for metalling these roads, and an estimated cost of completely metalling all roads used for the transporting of our primary products

A sum of £966,000 is proposed for expenditure on roads other than main highways for the current year. As I have said, - I should like to extend a policy of completing metalled roads to all primary producers throughout the country. I have very definite ideas concerning the improvement of settlement roads and I wish to make it clear that I do not intend these roads to be built to the standard of our main roads. I am decidedly of the opinion, however, that, before they are metalled, alignment and curvature should be laid out so that these roads can be progressively improved as the traffic increases. It is essential that once a road has been built to serve any district, it should be reguarly and properly maintained. I look to local authorities to do their part in the upkeep of improved rural roads upon which the Government spends money. Main Highways

Side by side with this programme there must, of course, be a continued improvement in main highways to keep pace with the growing traffic from these country roads. For this reason, and because of the ever-in-creasing motor vehicle traffic, and the apparent inability of local authorities to cope with it, 4000 miles of highways were last year taken over by the Main Highways Board and made State highways. The anticipated expenditure on highways this year is £4,165,200. The undue loss of life and the number of personal injuries arising from road traffic have made it necessary to render the main highways safer for all classes of road user. There is ample scope for activity in this direction, and my efforts to prevent daily tragic happenings on our public thoroughfares will not be relaxed until everything possible has been done to provide that standard of construction and maintenance on main highways which will ensure safety for everybody. Dangerous Crossings In my last Statement I referred to an extensive programme for the elimination of dangerous railway level crossings, and to the desire of the Government to expedite this work. Notwithstanding the difficulties encountered in finding the best solutions to the problems arising from widely Varying conditions, I am gratified to be able to say that very satisfactory progress, as indicated later in my Statement, has been made. Railway Construction A vote of £1,108,000 is asked for this year for the prosecution of the Government's railway construction programme. Particularly good progress has been made on railway works with the modern excavation plant now in use. A total of 2800 men is now engaged on railway construction. On the South Island Main Trunk and Westport - Inangahua railways particularly good progress is being made. Tunnelling on the former railway is again the key to the rate of progress, but all this is now well equipped with modern tunnelling plant. Hydro-Electric Schemes It has not yet been found possible to make any very drastic alterations in the existing procedure in relation to hydro-electric development. During my visit to Australia, and at. other times, I have given considerable attention to this important feature of the Government's activities, and as opportunity offers I hope to be able to effect improvements in the general organisation of the electricity-supply business. The various State hydro-electric schemes continue to show an improving financial position, and with increasing demands the position should still further improve. The revenue of the Electric Supply Account has grown to £1,216,468 this year, and a continued increase is anticipated. Public Buildings

Last year it was anticipated that a greatly accelerated programme of erection' of public buildings would take place, but owing to scarcity of skilled labour and structural steel it has not been possible to maintain the rate of progress expected. These factors have already proved a source of considerable delay in the building programme. The Department is now in a position to call tenders for public buildings to the amount of £250,000, but is awaiting the. investigation into the whole question of the order of precedence in building. Erection of Aerodromes With the increase in commercial air services and the requirements of air defence, the department has been exceedingly busy during the year on the construction of aerodromes and the preparation of plans for air defence. As will be seen under the section of the Statement headed

"Aerodromes," there has been rapid progress in air services, and the building of a chain of emergency landing grounds necessary to render these services safe has received particular attention during the year. . The money for aerodrome construction is now provided from the Consolidated Fund, with a considerable amount of assistance from Employment Relief Funds. It is hoped to make even more progress on aerodromes during the coming year, and a sum of £320,000 is being provided from revenue for this purpose. Irrigation Schemes Irrigation, which in the past has been mostly confined to the arid regions of Central Otago, is now making good progress on the plains of Canterbury. One scheme there is completed, and two others are in course of construction. Investigations into the possibilities of this class of public work are still being exhaustively pursued. I am still convinced that' this is one .of the best classes of work from which the country will benefit. River Control Among the problems facing the Dominion is that of river control and river maintenance. Major works of river control, and flood protection have to be largely justified on economic grounds. River maintenance and the prevention of deterioration of stream channels, and of destruction of valuable land, are more difficult problems, and, in my opinion, the time has arrived when the State should, to a much greater extent, assume the direction of this class of work. The whole question of river control and river maintenance policy is now under review by Cabinet. I can anticipate next year's Public Works Statement with the information that the Government has just authorised the immediate putting in hand of river improvement and willow-removal works in the Waipa Basin of the Waikato River, and in the Hoteo Valley, in Rodney County. Both these works are major ones, and the need for them has been apparent for some time. Appreciation Since I presented my last Statement, the Minister concludes, more than sufficient time has elapsed to enable me to say with confidence that the engineer-in-chief of the Public Works Department and his staff have made wonderful progress with the Government's programme of public works. Severely handicapped for want of trained staff, by lack of materials, by scarcity of up-to-date plant and skilled workmen, it is remarkable that in so short a time such an efficient organisation as the Public Works Department now is should have been created, and, as Minister in Charge, I am proud of what has been done.

I am grateful to the department's officers for the energy and willingness they have displayed in carrying out the Government's intentions with regard to public works.