PUBLIC WORKS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14051, 22 July 1916, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS.

I! THE EAST COAST RAILWAY. SOME STRIKING CONTRASTS. (From Our . Parliamentary Reporter.)* . ... WELLINGTON, this day; When the* HouSe went into committee on the public works estimates last even- . j ing, Mr Fraser explained that the estimates contained simply the unexpended i balance of last year's votes, because he ' had no money available for new works. That being the case, he had to see how he could' meet local bodies' greed, with contingencies necessitating .certain ex- ■. pendit'ufe. Tho only way lie could see of doing so was to take power by which money he expended; on works not referred to in the estimates ; by elimination from the estimates of certain other works not so urgently required, and -which could stand over. In order to ai-rangji this it was his intention, shortly after Parliament rose, to arrange with variqus County Councils 'to meet him at certain places, in order to determine what votes could be dispensed with for. the time being, and as to what works they would like to have votes transferred . to. -.. „ There would only be about £420,000 available this 'year' for roads and bridges. • Mr Herdmadi pleaded strongly for a big scheme of . : backblocks roading. He thought a,, big loan for such a purpose I was not only desirable from a humani- . tarian view point, but would be a> good payable proposition. . Mr Webb. urged ai development policy financed by a stiff tax on lands served by new lines. The discussion . took the usual course of .: members^ urging' their locarVieeds. Answering the criticism that the East Coast railway had been starved tjie Minister saidi that last: year £132,738 had 'been expended on various seotions from Waihi to Tauranga, Gisborne to Motu, and Gisborne to Napier sections. This veair's allocation on the same lines "totalled £101,000. ; v Tlie Otira tunnel came in for criticism. Mr \Pearc6 - declared that the f money spent on the tunnel was wasted. I The population on the West Coast was decreasing. There Svas no advantage in completing the tunnel,' as coal could be freighted to Lyttelton cheaper -than by rail, while passengers easily made the complete journey in a day. Mr Ngata, urged the completion of. the East Coast line, because so much money was locked up in uncompleted sections. It was being constructed "'at eight different points. Tliree branch lines in wellsettled Waikato districts had £36,000 expended on t'hem, -whilo the badlvroaded- East Coast .district throughout | its whole length had only 37£ miles rf railway. The Minister of Works assured critics of Otira tunnel thai- they were wasting time. The work . had been begun, and I would have to be finished. Shortly afteu. 12.30 a.m the first item v-as passed. The items were then carried rapidly, without discussion and the estimates were-roompleted at 12.55 a.m., when , the House rose. ,-•','.'■ ' wmmmmi*mmmm*m±m—mm