PUBLIC WORKS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26559, 6 September 1947, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS

LAST YEAR’S COST TOTAL OF £21,070,554 VOTE OF £19,863,974 FOR THIS YEAR Special to the Daily Times. WELLINGTON, Sept 5. The expenditure for the year administered through the -department reached a total of £20,078,102, said the Minister of Works, Mr Semple, in presenting his annual statement in the House of Representatives to-day. In addition, a sum of £992,452 was expended from the Public Works Account by the Education Department on school -buildings, etc., making the grand total £21,070,554. The miscellaneous receipts totalled £5,620,591. The principal items of expenditure were as follows: £ Housing construction .. .. 6,193,779 Road maintenance .. .. 2,191,685 Public buildings upkeep .. 1,347,075 Plant and materials, etc. .. 3,037,633 Education buildings .. .. 992,452 Salaries and expenses .. 896,416 From other accounts ... .. 1,290,887 Total (with other items) 21,070,554 The Minister stated that the estimated expenditure under his control for the year ended March 31, 1948, was £19,863,974. Of this amount, £10,952,000 would be raised in loans, and £8,911,974 would be provided from the Consolidated Fund. Details of the proposed expenditure are as follows: £ Railway Construction .. 145,000 Housing construction .. .. 7,482,000 Public buildings .. .. .. 1,850,000 Lighthouses and harbour ’works 32,000 Roads, etc. ' 382,000 Soil conservation and rivers control .- 400,000 Irrigation, water supply and drainage 400,000 Highways construction .. 561,000 Highways maintenance .. 3,427,089 Maintenance of public works and services .. .. 5,184,885 Total 19,863,974 ’tjtntrnmntmtHnmtamamwttnmnsr