Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. PUBLISHED E VEB.Y E VENIhG. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1911. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12586, 17 October 1911, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. PUBLISHED E VEB. Y E VENIhG. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1911. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Public Works Statement presented to the House last night by the Hon. R. McKenzie is a very substantial record of achievement. It shows that the Government are carrying on a vigorous policy of development, which must materially assist -m promoting the prosperity of the country^ Railways are being pushed forward,: roads opened out and metalled, rivers bridged, posts and telegraphs and telephones extended, wireless telegraphy installed, public buildings erected m all parts of the Dominion, lighthouses are increasing m number, dry areas being irrigated, and great steps being taken for the utilisation of our waste water powers. When we loqk back and remember the meagre mileage that was added to the railways of the Dominion a few years back, iV is most gratifying to be* able to record that under the progressive administration o£ Mr McKenzie there w«s s opened to. traffic last year 91 miles 35 chains of railway, and that 37 miles 63 chains are actual-, ly ready 'for opening, and,- as m the case of the line to Otoko, much of this additional length is already carrying traffic. We have illustration m this district of what the extension of railway communication means tq> ths country,, and the forward policy that is being adopted m pushing on the railways m all parts of the Dominion must conduce to general ' prosperity. Similarly there has been a very vigorous effort to extend the road communications m country districts. The' year's record shows that 362 miles of new dray roads have been constructed, 195 miles metalled, 127 miles developed from bridle tracks,) and altogether overj three-quarters: of '<i million of money has been spent upon roads. The network of wires connecting the homes and businesses of the people has been considerably extended, , 427 miles of telegraph , and 245.7 ( . miles of telephone wire having , been ' erected within the twelve months. The service to the public m this respect is being made thoroughly up-to-date by the installation of wireless stations, , one of which is to be placed at Gisborne. That and the addition of .several lighthouses to our coasts should do a good deal to ensure safety to those who travel by water. The expenditure on public buildings last year was £432,750, and though the usual charges of extravagance will doubtless be 'levelled, the communities that are benefiting by the erection of commodious post offices, courthouses, and other public buildings will not be disposed to admit that their requirements are being otherwise than necessarily and satisfactorily met. The buildings recently constructed and proposed to he constructed at Gisborne form a eaße m point. Other centres have equal necessities, and the Government, m spending even half a million a year, finds it hard to meet with the public demand, for adequate premises m which the public business may be conveniently transacted. The total public works expenditure for the past year reached £2,039,508, and for the current year appropriationr amounting to £3,143,674 are asked for, which is an indication that the policy of development is not to be allowed to slaclden. There are some people whb affect to believe that the development

of the country oouid be carried on without any addition to the public debt, but if they had the responsibility cast upon them of framing a Budget and still adhered to their laudable determination not to borrow, it is quite certain that many most desirable public works, of which' probably the East Coast main trunk line would be one, would either stand, over or vvoujd be carried forward only at a snail's pace. The Government policy m regard to the construction ot this East Coast railway is one to which no' exception can be taken. The total appropriations amount to £165,000, of whjch the major portion goes to the (iisborne-Motu section of the line. For the Gisborne-Napier section £35,000 is voted, which should enable a very substantial start to be made. The Auckland clamor is to be placated by a vote of £15,000 for construction at the Waihi end. and it is very evident that with four sections under construction, each with substantial allocations, very marked progress should be made during the current , year: The local votes tor roads and bridges are of a generous order, and if the money is available for expenditure; as it was. last year, immediately the appropriations are passed local bodies .will have no reason to complain at .the measure of assistance granted by •the: Government. Much interest centres m the hydro-electric, project upon which the Government -has embarked, and whilst it is, satisfactory to learn that ,th"c. Lake Coleridge, scheme, which is to supply. Canterbury with cheap power and to .abolish the intolerable smoke nuisance m the Lyttelton tunnel, has ;been well advanced, it .is even more .gratifying to know that consequent upon. the advice of Mr Evan Parry, the eminent electrical expert brought from .■Home, the; Government . is ready to go forward with the development of power at Wflikaremoana, to supply the whole 'of the North Island. The promise .of hydro-electric energy at £6 10s 'per horse-i>ower per annum if fulfilled should r do a gfreat deal to build up the industries' of the Dominion. In other respects the Government • are working miVacles with water. In the arid districts of Central . Otago,; at the' Steward settlement near Oamaru, and m various parts of Canterbury great results are. being obtained front a bountiful policy pi -irrigation",-' whilst on the West Coast kome of the old goldmining claims' are to 11 be rejuvenated,'; and the ' industry •made profitable to a large mining pOpuJa'tibh, by a splendid higlvpressure sluicing'system^ that is* v Ming installed. " Al--together' the "Public Works Statement indicates great activity along various iin'es of progressive development ; Large .jniiiis of money are being expended, ahd the;re is ho reason " tb 'suggest they' are Ueihg otherwise ■than.' we^l~"spenl7 : or' that they".' are otherwise than nVcessa'ry to the dbtainmerit v oftrUe progress "and the speedy and effectual utilisation "of the vas( natural resources of the Dominion: ' The Hon. R. McKenzie, as Minister for Public Works, has abundantly proved himself to be the right man m the right place. He is thoroughly progressive and yet intensely practical, and he has the loyal support of a very fine £taff m the officers of the Public ' Works Department, who are carrying forward .works of magnitude of Avhich any. .country might' well be proud.