PUBLIC WORKS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18253, 23 November 1933, Page 11

PUBLIC WORKS

review of. policy STATEMENT TO HOUSE PROGRAMME OUTLINED BACK COUNTRY ACCESS (Parliamentary Reporter.) •WELLINGTON, this Jay. A review of the operations, of. the Public Works Department during the year ended March ill last, and an outline of the policy to he adopted m the immediate future were contained m the annual statement of Lie department which was presented m the House this afternoon by the Minister, the Hon. J. Bitchener. “The recent activities of the lublic Works Department have been influenced not only by the factor of reduced finance and the consideration of the economic value of works under review from time to time, but by the continued need lor the opeuiugl-up of avenues ot employment,” comments the Minister. ‘ llio lastmentioned consideration—the necessity of providing for those who liavo Jos their usual occupations has require that public works construction should be regarded in a somewhat different light from that in which it was viewed m former years. More so than in the past it has been necessary to weigh expenditure upon works classed as definitely and immediately or shortly productive, but where the proportion spent m wages would be relatively low, against expenditure on works which are ot less economic value, in that a return for Die outlay would be inadequate or deferred, but which are capable of absorbing a greater number of men. MAJOR WORKS LIMITED “It has been my endeavor to hold a fair balance between the demand for the ono and tho need for the other, JUK accordingly all proposals for new works arc closely examined from all angles before any decision is made to proceed. 1 am making it my business, and where necessary, by personal acquaintance by inspection, to see that the reduced, though still large, sum of loan-money voted for public works is spent to the best advantage The contacts I have had with local bodies during such visits of inspection have been most helpful in coming to an understanding of their problems. “It is a pleasure to me to be able to record that my efforts to acquaint myself as qu ; ckly and as fully as possible with the department’s work have been greatly assisted by the loyal help I have received from all members of the staff of the Department . “The co-operation of the Munster ol Employment and tho Unemployment Board has been of considerable help in determining the works that are most suitable as unemployment-relief works. It will be realised by members that limitations of finance precluded the institution and completion within any one financial year of any series of major works, and in the expenditure of loanmoney this year the effort has been to apportion the allocation of approximate, ly £3,000,000 over as wide a field as possible. This lias led to the instituton of a number of more or less modest schemes affording employment in various parts of the country for the greatest possible number. The practice has been to employ relief workers as far as possible on a co-operative contract basis. This has my full endorsement, as I believe it tends to promote a more healthy and contented spirit amongst the men. With assistance from the Unemployment Board it is proposed to extend the system of work under co-operative contract as far as can be done —that is, whilst the need remains for works of this kind. CREATING EMPLOYMENT “It may be thought by some that, there has been an undue reduction in public works expenditure from loanmoneys, but, with regard to this,. I would express the belief that the increase of £700,000 over last year was as far as we could go in the light of the very real need for keeping expenditure from loan-moneys as low as possible. It is probable, and this would have been in full accord with my own views, thar the expenditure could have been kept at the lower figure of the previous year but for the necessity of creating useful work for unemployed men. “Although public-works expenditure is at a necessarily low figure, the lower cost of materials, coupled with financial assistance from the Unemployment Board, has checked to some extent the fall in the volume of work; in other words, the country has obtained relatively more work for its loan-money than it has in the past. “It will be recalled that in relation to the public-works policy the Government recently decided to further the Unemployment Board's effort to stimulate the languishing building and allied trades and thereby, among other things, to reinstate artisans and others in their accustomed occupations by proceeding with such deferred works as the Wellington railway station and the Dunedin post office. The former involves expenditure under the railways improvement vote, but the acceptance of a tender for the erection of the Dunedin post office absorbs portion of this year’s : allocation for the erection of public buildings. PROPOSED EXPENDITURE “The proposed expenditure of public works loan money for this year may be grouped under four headings which indicate their general purpose, namely: £ (1) Improvement of lines of communication and transport (railways, roads and highways, harbor works, etc) .. 1,049,000 (2) Development of electric power .. .. 075,000 (3) Erection of public buildings 190,100 (4) Land development (including settlement of uhemployed workers).. 954,900 “Railway construction, which a year or two ago was th£ principal activity of the Public Works Department, has now become a very small part of its work. The only railway construction ■ works carried on last year were the Stratford Main Trunk line and the deviation of the Wellington-Tawa Flat railway. The former has now been completed, and handed over to the Railway Department to operate. Work on the Wellington-Tawa Flat deviation, with the exception of rail laying and ballasting, which will be done by the Railway Department, will be completed by the end of December. “There is an increase in the proposed expenditure on hydro-electric development for the present year. This is accounted for chiefly by the ; necessity for an early completion of the Waitaki River scheme in South Canterbury. Although the building of the dam in the Waitaki River is

well advanced, it Is now at one of the most dangerous stages from the point of view of flood-damage risk, and should therefore be pushed on to completion as quickly as possible. The number of men employed on this work was therefore increased recently from 530 to SBO. BACKBLOCKS SETTLERS “Another division of the department’s work for which I have thought it wise to .ask for an increased appropriation this year is the construction of roads and bridges. Last year the vote had to be curtailed considerably, and the completion of many roads necessary to settlers could not be undertaken; but, notwithstanding this, the Public Works Department, assisted by the Unemployment Board, had more men engaged on metalling of settlement roads than in any other period of its existence. This year the Unemployment Board is again giving assistance to the Public Works Department towards the labor costs in metalling roads to baelcblock settlers, and I am doing all I can to provide money for metal and other materials required for this purpose. Every proposal is well investigated before work is started, and I am quite satisfied that such work provides one of the most fruitful returns we can obtain from the expenditure of loan money.

“During visits of inspection, 'particularly in the North Island, I have been impressed with the numbers of settlers, many of whom have been established for considerable periods, who are dependent on unmetalled roads for access to their holdings. The difficulty of carrying on farming operations with indifferent access i needs no mention, and it is my desire to continue the policy of my predecessor by assisting such isolated and established settlers as much as possible, Even a thin coating of metal of 9ft. or 10ft. width would afford considerable relief, and on those side roads which serve perhaps only two or three settlers, and where traffic is light, such relief could by this means be given at a considerably lesser cost than would be occasioned by the construction of the full-width metalled road of standard depth, and available reading funds thus be made to go much further than at present. Every effort will be made in 'this direction, but full regard must be given to the general circumstances of the road and extent and weight of traffic likely to use it.

LESS FOR HIGHWAYS

“On main highways it was not ’practicable to spend more than £159,323 on construction, and this was financed mainly by a transfer of £IOO,OOO from the revenue fund. This year it. is proposed to provide a sum of £2(10,000. On account of the advanced state of deterioration of a great many bridges on main highways the Main Highways Board desires to carry out a more energetic programme of bridge renewals. The safety of the travelling public is. more important than the improvement of existing highways, and the greater portion of the finance provided for construction of main highways will, therefore, be spent on bridge erection. “Tho expenditure of £90,568 last ■ year on public buildings was exceptionally low. The greater part of it : was obsorbed by school buildings and jmental hospitals. More activity is proposed this year in the erection of school and mental hospital buildings. “A considerable number of landdrainage and flood-protection schemes ' are in hand, as well as work in connection with the clearing of land. On 1 this work it has been found that ’ camps for unemployed single men are very suitable, and 1500 men are now in camp engaged in these operations. In addition to this, there arc .1200 .married unemployed men on land-develop-ment. When arranging work for un- . employed men preference has been given wherever possible to land ini- , provement and development. “Sovoral camps were also establishj cd for the clearing of willows, wmch . had so obstructed the flow of certain ! streams that continual flooding of tho , adjoining lands was occurring. Good work has been done in Ihis direction, f and local bodies are urged not 1o r overlook the necessity of maintaining * these streams in their improved rondo J lion, and so ensure flint, full value is 1 obtained for the expenditure. Money 1 provided under tho settlement ot uu- ' employed workers vote has been ex--1 pended under tho supervision of tho * Public Works Department principally 3 on the erection of cottages and farm ' buildings, fjut scene smaller amounts were utilised for fencing, drainage, provision of implements and fertilisj ers. With the setting-up of the Small 1 Farms Board it is expected that a greater amount of work will bo done , this year in the settling of suitable workers on the land.”