PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 15956, 18 October 1922, Page 10

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

HEAVIEST EXPENDITURE ON RECORD POll ROADS AXD MAINTENANCE. LARGE EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS. THE CONCENTRATION POLICY'. LABOR-SAVING METHODS UTILISED. (Official Message.) WELLINGTON, last night. Tlio Public Works Statement, as submitted by the Hon. J. G. Coates, was delivered' in the House to-night. The various reports and accounts appended, to this Statement (the. Minister proceeded) will show that the total expenditure on railway, hydro-electric, road, bridge, and irrigation construction works during the past, financial year has passed all previous records in Ihe history id the Dominion. .

Expenditure of money need not neecs■•inly luivei a proportionate result in completed works. If the cost of construction, materials; and' labor, be high—ns it was during the past financial yearit follows that special .effort must be made to increase, the actual result from such outlay. A heavy expenditure has 1 ecu incurred in the purchase of up-to-date labor-saving machinery, and this means my Department has' been able, despite the relatively high cost of materials and labor.' tci' produce (ho maximum result possible in. the existing circumstances.

The Public Works. Statement of last year indicated a policy of concentration on. particular works, rather than the diffusion of money and energy on many works. Concentration oil. works of particular importance means the application of all the financial, mechanical, and human resources of a. construction Department to the completion of these works so that they may .soon become revenue-producing and' self-supporting. Diffusion of these resources over a creator number of works inevitably means a lessened reproductive result, and since interest and sinking fund on unproductive" works must be found by the taxpayer, an increased, capital cost of such works.

That I was tillable to carry into full effect, the policy of .concentration previously outlined is attributable solely to the effect in this country of the worldwide financial depression, and' consequent? unemployment. Wheni unemployment 'lie-; came general throughout the Dominion it naturally became a matter of Govern-, ment policy to assist as far as possible the alleviation of distress. Whatever steps may have been taken in past crises of a similar nature, thei Government had no doubt that the true economic remedy was to provide employment in various localities on works of such a nature as would assist in the normal and 1 profitable development of the country. It whs accordingly decided' to carry on with certain railway construction works of secondary importance, Which in other circumstances would have been closed down for the time being. While, therefore, 1 regret to have to state that, circumstances necessitated a temporary modification of the policy of concentration and. maximum achievement, lion, members may rest assured (hati every pound devoted by the Government to the relief of unem'ploymcn has been expended! on road and irrigation works of primary importance, and on railway works of not less than secondary importance. It is of primary importance to the country as a whole that there should be no considerable measure of unemployment. Fortunately, there are already indications, of a return to more normal conditions, and as quickly as circumstances permit concentration on works of First importance will be continued. Such a policy is undoubtedly in the best interest not only of those works selected for completion, but those which will be temporarily deferred, for T have no doubt it will mean that they also will be completed at an earlier date, and at less cost, than would' otherwise, be the case. It may be of interest to lion, members for me to mention a few railway works which have had special', attention and which will continue to be pushed forward to completion or to a. pavablei point.

On the North Auckland line the Golden Stairs tunnel has within Hip last few days been pierced through on the bottom ' heading. The heavy work referred to in my last Statement, between tha railheads running north from Auckland and south from Whangarei, is now so far advanced that rails should be laid over the whole length,' with the exception of a mile, by the end of the year; and shortly thereafter the. through connection of 130 miles of line will be made between Auckland and Whangarei. Owing, however, to the extremely unstable nature of the country in this locality, it will probably be many months before the formation can ho brought, lo a condition of stability to'enable the line to be worked by the Railways Department. 611 the East Coast Main Trunk line*— Tauranga eastwards. —good progress, has been made; while as to the westwards section, beiween Tauranga and Rati kali, the Department is pushing ahead with the preparation of plans for work to enable the isolated section of over forty miles from Taifrariga eastwards to bo connected up with the general working railways system. 1 purpose inviting lenders for the construction of this twenty-two-mile section and to have, the work completed, and through communication established, with the least possible delay. Unfortunately, the history of big constructional contracts in New Zealand has not- been a. satisfactory 'ohe, and in future, before letting a contract, the Government, will have to be thoroughly satisfied that to do so will be in the best interests of the country.

Many large works are in hand, and great progress is being made, but the completed 'results will come into next year's Statement. Work'hns been continued on a small scnle on the Waipu branch railway; nothing has been clone on the Waikokowai or W.ilpa graVebpil access lines. The Waihi lino'eastwards to Tauranga has not- been suspended as intended, but, on the contrary, the large number of unemployed! in the Auckland district has led ta an increased number of > men being placed on this section of railway. The Gisborne-Wairoa line has also been continued as a relief work, and a considerable amount of work' has been done on the Napier-Eskdale section and beyond. The Tutira section of the Napier-Wairoa line is one which Ishonld like, to have taken im hand vigorously and completed to a point where a branch off the main'road would enable a large area of profitable country to bo served, but I regret that the ways and means available, after providing for liabilities of work already planned, have not permitted it.

Two works: of considerable importance which last year I indicated' would lie concentrated upon with a view to early completion were the Midland railway and the Waikokopu line. Unfortunately, essential material for both of these works was lost in the wreck of the Wiltshire, and the delay in obtaining dupli<ate supplies has to somei'extenl affected Ihe time of completion. Every effort is being made, however, to minimise this unavoidable delay.

The good results that were anticipated from the use of modem mechanical construction plant has been fully realised. The most significant feature is a reduction of earthwork cost of 30 per "cent. Tho'large expenditure necessary for this plant has already been mentioned. In, addition, T must here stale in order to provide for unemployment, the number of men on construction-works generally has been very largely increased', with ,UiQ natural result that tin's year's expenditure exceeds Inst year's by over three millions. It may lie ns well iff explain, however, that some of (Ills expenditure will not be recurring. I refer par-

ticularly to the item 'Additions to open linen," where an expenditure of £1,856,380 has occurred. This, however, represents principally a large purchase of rolling-stock to make up (lie shortage created 1 during the war period . The Minister then briefly outlined the achievements of the Department during the past ten years. EXPENDITURE. The total net expenditure' tinder all votes and 1 accounts appearing on the public-works estimates for the financial year ended 31st March. 1522. was £6,9^2,039. On tin's sum £5,286,687 was expended out of tliu Public Works Fund, and the balance, £1,635,352, out of accounts which have their own waysi and means rind arc rpiite separate from the Public Works Fund, the details being as follows: Railways— £ New'construct 1.276,820 Additions to open lines ... 1.856.380 Roads 564T59 Public buildings 344,739 Immigration 247.528 Lighthouses, harbor works. and harbor defences ... 18,774 Tourist and health resorts ... 17,996 Telegraph extension 590,981 Development of mining ... 2,130 Defence works (general) ... 15,586 Departmental ... 128,002 Electric power supply and development 600 Irrigation and water supply 82,713 Lands improvement 17,478 Plant, material, and stores ... 106.432 Timber supply and sawmills ■ Jot P.W.D.' 16,369 Cost and! discount-, raising loans, etc 174,250 5,460.967 Railways Improvement Authorisation Act 1914 Account 141,860* Land for settlements account —roads to open up Crown lands ...... 51,471 Aid to water power works and electric supply account ... 834.060 Waib.ou.and Ohinemuri rivers improvement account ... 51.379 Education loans account ... 563,201 Totals 7.105.938 proportionate cost of loan raised under this account. WAI'S AXD MEANS. On the. Ist April, 1921, the. ways and means lor public wcrt'KS purposes were £Hti9,4b9. Additional funds were received as follows: Under Finance. Act, ISM), .section 15 (public works) £560,000 : under Finance Act, 1921, section 10, £2,675,111; aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1921, £2,156,290. Other receipts : (a) Recoveries on account, of expenditure of previous years, £11,616; (b) special receipts in connection with lb© Ellesmetre and Forsyth reclamation and Akaroa railway trust account £1583 £5,401,600. Thus making available for expenditure a gross total of £5,891,089. The actual net expenditure on all works and .services chargeable on the Public Works Fund' for the year was: (a) t'liaer appropriations, £5,286,687; (b) under section 6, subsection (1), of the Fllcsmere Land Drainage Act, 1905, £439; (c) for charges and expenses of raising loans, £174,281; making a total of £5,461,407. '..'...

This left a credit balance in the ways and means acount at the. 31st March, 1922, of £429,682. Legislative authority exists for providing further fundsj as follows : In terms oil" Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1921, £2.844,710. It is proposed, to make further provision this session for an additional £4,000,000; transfer from accumulated surpluses (part of £1,250,000). £1,000,000—£7,844,710. .Making available for the current year a total of £8,274,392.

The estimated, expenditure, on public works for the current year (exclusive of accounts which have their own wavs and means) is £4,967,223. which will leave a credit balance of £3,307,169 to be carried forward to next year (1923-24). Exclusive of the • before-mentioned funds, statutory authority at present exists for raising U.ie following moneys for public undertakings which are not chargeable against the Public Works Fund, but which have their own statutory ways and' means, \'v/.. : Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910, £31.000: Finance Act, 1919 (addition for Waihou and Ohinemuri rivers improvement account) £34,000: EJectric-power Woo'ks Loan, 1919 (£4,229,990), and Finance Act,' 1920, section 15 (electric-power works (£2,750,000), £6,979,990; total, £7,044,990. PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

Parliament Buildings.—A large amount of work waa carried out in this building during tfie year, and was nnally completed in time for the opening of Parliament.

Auckland Stamp Oflice.—An additional story in brick was erected, and alterations carried out.

Warigahui.— Tho Native Land Court building, commenced last year, has been completed. Courthouses.—New Courthouses were elected at Waip'ukurau and Pukekohe. With these exceptions, only essenti.il repairs and. maintenance were tarried out.

Prisons. Prison-building operations were limteedl to the-completion of partially constructed buildings, and the provision of purely essential accommodation.

Police-stations. —Expenditure was restricted practically to the completion of works for which contracts had been'entered into, the purchase of a few properties in eases where there were no olher means of obtaining accommodation, and essential maintenance.

Post and Telegraph.—Plans are. in course of preparation for a. number of post office buildings. During the year departmental buildings were erected", or (he erection completed, at various, places mentioned'. Small buildings were purchased and', adapted: for .use as post offices.

Hospitals and. Charitable Institutions. —Among the works carried out during the year was the renovation, and improvement of military hospitals taken over by the Health Department from the Defence. A very considerable amount, of this renovation -work, however, had tc he postponed owing to financial circumstances, but must 'bo proceeded' with as .soon as funds will 'permit. The St. Helens Hospital accommodation recently erecled at Auckland, and' which is aU, most internally completed, is of brick and provides for thirty-seven beds, to aether with all' facilities and requirements far carrying out the functions re quired in a. modern maternity hospital. Similar accommodation is required in Christchurch, arid as soon as finances will

permit this important work will be taken in. hand. In the meantime the present buildings have been put in repair and additional accommodation has been' pro : vided for thei nurses. EDUCATION.

The- expenditure on educational buildings was £565,670—£563,201 from the Education' loans account, and £2469 from ; the Public Works Fund, the latter! amount being expenditure not provided for by the Education Purposes Loans Act. 1919. This expenditure exceeded by over £IOO,OOO that for the previous year, which was at that time a. record. The large expenditure was. owing to the fact that during war-time the amount approved for the election of educational buildings was reduced: to. a. minimum, and after the war closed very substantial grants were approved to overtake the arrears of urgent works, the cost, of which had greatly increased. So difficult was it, however, to obtain the necessary labor and materials that there was considerable delay in carrying out the work, and consequently much of the expenditure during the past year had reference to authorities given during previous financial years. While at the .'ml of the financial year 1920-21 the unexpended commitments were £825,661, at the end of the last financial year the amount was only £366,766. Of the total expenditure for last year £328,228 was for primary schools, £101.199 for technical school buildings, £81,IS? ..-,; secondary schools, and £39.071 for university buildings. Circumstances, however, necessitated n considerable curtailment of sums approved for new buildings, rind the total new grants for the vear were only £105,424, as against £724,902 for the previous, year. Grants were confined, to cases of the greatest urgency, and were, made ns far as possible for, actual school accommodation, chiefly in backblock districts. Wherever possible temporary accommodation in the form of rented buildings is being utilised in lieu of providing permanent buildings. At the close of the year there were before the Department applications amounting, ruder all heads, to £600,576. of which £461,403 had reference to public schools. The urgent necessity of providing fund's for the many pressing requirements is. fully recognised, audi it is boped, in the not far distant future, to revert to the progressive) building policy initialed a few vcars ago. LIGHTHOUSES.

Owing to the site of the East Cape lighthouse at East Island having become dangerous,, it- was decided to transfer the lighthouse to the mainland. Tis removal was undertaken during the latter part oi." the year, and its re-erection on the mainland is Hearing completion. It is intended to proceed with the erection of automatic lights on Gable End Foreland and Mercury Island' as soon as the Department's lighthouse expert, is available. TOURIST AND HEALTH _RESORTR. No new works of magnitude were undertaken, but considerable improvements and' additions were effected. The work of substituting iron for wood' watermains at Rotorua will be continued, as well as improvements' at the various resorts. Thei necessity of the new massage building at Rotorua- is recognised, and will he proceeded with when finance? permit.

ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAIN TFNANOE.

Tlie sum provided 1 on the estimates for road and l bridge construction and maintenance was less than lor the- previous year, hut t lio expenditure* lias been greater—indeed, the heaviest on record for this class of work. With a view to increasing the general productivity of the Dominion, the expenditure has been confined principally to those roads that are at present the only moans of communication to and throughout settled districts where railway facilities do not exist, and in the l development of new districts. These activities have been mainly in the direction of formation of new roads, construction of bridges and culverts, metalling existing roads, and general maintenance. The works of greatest magnilure have been carried out by my Department, but local bodies have been entrusted with the execution of such undertakings as came within the scope of their capabilities. It is estimated there are at the present, time approximately 50,CC0 miles of formed roads and bridle tracks in the Dominion, of which miles are metalled. Itl is further estimated that an additional 20,000 miles require to- be formed before the roading of the Dominion can be considered complete, even to an elementary standard. The desirability, and indeed the necessity, of roads of a sufficiently high standard to carry all classes of traffic become apparent caeh year, and it is now generally recognised' that this standard ran only be attained by proper organisation and modern equipment. The severe tests applied to road-surfaces by swiftlymoving and' often heavy motor traffic have indticed some local bodies to adop 4 a more modern and permanent method of surfacing 1 than mere, metalling. The result of their experiences, I am inform od, has demonstrated that it is more economical to adopt this svstem than incur the expense of costly repairs incidental to the previously existing systems of construction and maintenance. Much information has been collected by my Department regarding !' model')] methods of main-highway construction, and other mat tea's relating to the road ing problem generally, all of which will be available for immediate use when the Highways Bil lias been, placed on s the statute-book of the Dominion. The esti' mates for roads this year have been prepared as far as possible on a system oi factors representing .areas, productivity, loans raised by local bodies, mileages of formed' roads, amounts: re ; quired for roads still to he formed'and metalled, and values of Crown arid, native lands still available for settlement, the last two of which are. of the greatest: importance when consideration is being given to the claims of the several dis-; tricts. The construction and improvement of roadsi was jointly discussed' by the district engineers and the represehfa-; lives of the* various local bodies, and as far as practicable the allocation of the moneys available was mutually agreed to, and I desire to record my appreciation fo the reasonable spirit, shown by local bodies in recognising ' the monetary limitations existing at the present time. During the past- year the Department has continued, to as great an extent as possible, to avail itself of local body organisation for the expenditure of Government- grants and subsidies. There has ueeii a'tremendous demand 1 throughout the country for the putting in hand ol i'oad and bridge works, but financial considerations have dictated tho necessity of the selection of works of special merit for authorisation, rather than a general authorisation for all works, and! although this has meant deferring many undertakings of considerable local importance the majority of local bodies have adopted a helpful attitude and 1 have materially assisted the Department through a difficult poried. , TELEGRAPH EXTENSION.

During.the year 106 miles of new telegraph and inter-urban telephone, pole line 1 , carrying 998 miles of wire, were fretted. The) telephone exchange plant (subscriber*' lines) was also considerably extended by the erection of 555 miles of polei line, carrying 5271 miles of open aerial wire, and'. 63 miles.of lead-covered i able, containing 15,110 miles of wire. The- substantial increase over the figure?of the previous year is due ia supplies of material becoming available'. The telephone exchanges were incrcasby 6, while 26 others are in various stages of completion. The; number of new ■Fubgcribers connected with telephone exchanges was 9259, and this incrcas*? necessitated additional switchboard capacity at forty exchanges. There are 6132 applicants awaiting telephone connections. Considerable progress has been made with automatic telephone installations, new exchanges having been opened uti Oamaiiu and Kelburn, while the 1 installation of automatic exchanges is proceeding at several places in thoi Auckland metropolitan uvea, andl also nl. Christ church. At Wellington and Dnncdin the

installation of the main exchanges, is in abeyance owing to the non-completion of the*necessary buildings. With the completion of automatic telephone exchanges at the larger centres the system will bo extended ten the country exchanges where continuous telephone service is desirable. The necessary apparatus for a machineprinting telegraph system was received in New Zealand in October last-, and an installation between Wellington and C'hristchureh was opened' for traffic on the'3th December, 1921. The system is now being installed for operation between Wellington and Auckland. This will have the effect of releasing telegraph wires and' making them available for a continuous telephone service between the two centres. CONTINGENT DEFENCE. r

It i.s proposed later to erect a- magazine to store reserves of ammunition far both the navy and the military forces, also- to build l at Ngarunwahia. on the area, of land recently acquired, an ordnance store lo take the military equipment- for the Northern Command. Feathers-ton cam)) will then be dismantled: and' the hutments sold. LANDS FOR SETTLEMENT ACCOUNT.

The opening up of the. various blocks of land set apart for selection under tlio Land Laws Amendment Act, 1193, was pushed on vigorously. The principal works consisted 1 of road-bridges, drains, and other works necessary to give access to bind already selected. DEVELOPMENT OF MINING. The vote 1 was ,s 1 icrllll v overexpended an the purchase of drill equipment, and even now it is anticipated that, during the current year all the Department's drills will be in use, owincr to the evo'r-im-reasing pomilarifv of this form of assistance to the minin<? industry. CONCLUSION.

Tn conclusion, I feel confident that the judgment of the country will be that =nbsta.ntial results have been achieved. The money at mv disposal has been expended in accordance with my ideas of ■vliaf U in the best interests of New 7<\n|ar>d! as a whole: ■under the direct ion of a. thoroughly Qualified' staff, and' with n, elite re<rard to the necessity of obtainin"- in increased production, due to better communications, a.n adequate return for the expenditure.