PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15955, 17 October 1922, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

POINTS FROM THE STATEMENT. DIMINISHING INTEREST IN RAILWAYS. NEW SYSTEM OF LOCAL GRANTS. iPurliiunenUiiv Rejxjrter.l WELLINGTON, this day. This year’s Public Works Statement will reflect the general condition oi public finance by its avoidance of any innovations which mean additional financial liabilities, but there is no slackening of pace of works in hand. Provision is being made for continuing hydro-electric works at the programme rate, involving a liability for til© current year of one million sterling, a large portion of which is for generating plant and equipment. Railway construction is being confined to completing work in hand. The Minister in this connection is able to refer hopefully to the progress of bis policy of concentration, with a view to linking up isolated lengths of unprofitable lines, the most notable advance being that of the Midland railway, which will be open for through traffic between Christchurch and Greymouth by March. . There has been a, noteworthy change in the railway construction policy during the past few years. Former Public Works Statements were eagerly anticipated by members with a view to discovering if their representations for additional railways had been approved, but apart from tiie effect, of the financial stringency there has been of lat© years a diminishing interest in new lines. It. is realised, that first-class roads may servo a back blocks district better than a railway without adequate roads as feeders. Therefore it is not surprising that this year’s Statement. devotes more attention to the reading policy than to further development cf railways. In preparing the Public Works Esfimates this year (be Minister has followed a new plan of indicating in advance to the local authorities, through the district. engineers of the Works Department., the gross amount, of vote for each district, leaving the /details to be completed by general agreement between the engineers and representatives of local authorities. This system, according to the Statement, lias worked satisfactorily. The basis of allocating votes is slated in a. general way to' lie according to the actual needs of the district. In this respect the rates struck bv (he loc.il authorities provide a valuable due to tin' real urgency of roading and bridging requirements. Where counties have struck the maximum rate for the purpose, their votes are likely to be more generous time those for districts which have contented themselves with a smaller call on ratepayers. The fact that they may have put heavy pressure on the Government for grants from the works fund in not so effective as tho imposition of a heavy rate as a sign of self help. The Statement will probably be discussed in the House on Friday, in conjunction with the Public Works Loan Bill, authorising the borrowing of a further four millions sterling for public works.