REVISION ADVOCATED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18530, 17 October 1934, Page 5

REVISION ADVOCATED

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY LABOR LEADER’S VIEWS LOANS SHOULD BE RAISED , (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. “The whole of the activities of the State seem to begin and end with the unemployment fund,” declared the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M, JSavage, in opening the debate on the public works statement in the House* yesterday. One would hope, he added, that the department could get back to the rapid rate of operations when it used to be a department of State employing men capable of facing anything so far as work was concerned. The Minister, however, had h(td to explain that lie had entered on a larger programme in order to provide opportunities for unemployed with the aid of the unemployment fund, but he should be employing a considerably larger number of men, even if he had to utilise loan money. While he did not contend that we could borrow our way back to prosperity, there were means, which he had previously explained, of financing public works. From his experience of the great benefits of irrigation in Australia, he was convinced that the steps taken to commence irrigation work in South Canterbury were in the right direction. COMPLETION OF RAILWAYS One of the worst sentences in tlie statement, continued Mr. Savage, was that which mentioned that the last major railway construction undertaking had been completed. Personally, he was satisfied that the day would come when there-' would be a Government which would make railway connection with Gisborne, and would also do something about some of the lines in the South Island. Railways had, no doubt, been built which might better have been left alone, but that did not mean that railway construction should be a dosed book, that we should work in the interest of oil and motors. The country should have these, services, but they did not constitute the last word. If New Zealand had to close its railway system to-morrow and leave the people to the tender mercies of motor ,and oil interests, we would bo in a worse position than we were in to-day. It would be a different story to tell. The immense profits made possible in land through railway development did not alter the fact that the railway system could give service in future where motors were impossible. Mr. Savage said that at one time the public works statement was looked to to see how the citizens were going to be employed, but now it was picked up in fear and trembling. The present state,ment was certainly better than the last one, but that was not saying much. H© referred to the activities of the Unemployment Board, whose funds, he said, were derived from workers, often from girls working in factories. lie proceeded to refer to Arapuni and asked if the dam and works were on a sound foundation. The total outlay on electricity development schemes was high, ami he hoped that the Government would find a market for the supply.

RELIEF WORK RATES. Mr.' \Y. E. l'arry (Lab., Auek. V.) said' tlie'-department ’a work rt*gardiii{r unemployment was foreign to ttiat-de-partment, and if they vvo.ro going to allo w things ,to go bn as at present, the department was being turned practically into an unemployment camp The wage paid was a starvation one it was timo the Government re-coo-the whole position. Men were being employed on national works nt relief rates, under which they woie unable to earn 10s a day, which was stated to be the amount they could earn. He considered that the contract price should bo fixed' high enough to enable men to earn 10s a day.. Ml. W. E. Barnard (Lab., Napier) considered that even if the basic rate was fixed at 10s a day, if a man whs able to earn more, he should receive it. .Mr. ,T. O'Brien (Lab., Westland) criticised the Government for the amount spent on the main highways and asked how many new roads had been constructed which would open up land for settlement. He considered that there were many more suitable places in New Zealand on which £‘dfio,ooo could be spent than on the road, to Milford Sound. Ho urgod that the Haast Pass, road should be developed down the coast instead of from the Otago end.

' VALUE OP IRRIGATION Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Coal., Otago C.) cofigratulated the Government on what it bad done in the way of irrigating the dry areas of Central Otago, but urged that there should be greater co-operation between the Public Works Department, and the Mines Department, as there were places in his district where a dam would provide water for irrigation and also assist gold-mining. He advocated the extension of the Haast Pass road * when the finances justified it, but considered that the Queenstown-Glenorchy road should be undertaken first. Mr. JVC. Webb (Lab., Buller) criticised the department for, paying relief on the Westport aerodrome only Iss a week, and also, urged the early completion of the Lewis Pass road. The construction of roads, railways, bridges and aerodromes would benefit posterity, - and should not be done at standard wages. Mr. E. P. Healy (Coal., Wairau), referring to the unemployment camps, said it was not the camps that the men, even the married men, objected to; it was the conditions under which thgy.had to live, and the wages they were paid. Good conditions Were provided at the Waitaki dam, and these could be provided at any camp. Mr. S. G. Smith (C0a1.,, New Plymouth) said he was sure the Public Works Department and the Unemployment Board did their best to find suitable work for men near their homes. 7s. - AERODROME PAYMENTS. Mr. Smith was subjected' to considerable interruption frongthe Labor benches when ho defended the. Government 's actions. Mr. Speaker warned Messrs. R. McKeen and W. J. Jordan that if they continued to Interrupt he would havo to ask them to leave the Chamber. Mr. Smith said he agreed that the men at Westport should not have to work for 15s a week, and said that that position did not exist at the New Plymouth aerodrome. He added that if ~all the work on ■ the aerodromes was paid for at standard rates) the cost would be' in the vicinity of £500,000, but the average paid to the men working on aerodromes was 13s a day. He regretted that no provision was made for assist ing in the provision of a road-to Mount Egjnont. Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton) said that a largo sum had been spent on a wharf at Waitangi in .the I Chatham,lslands, but apparently it was built in the wrong position. She presumed that the wharf was built on the recommendation of tijo officers of the department,,and sue sought an explanation from the Minister regarding it. She thought that some provision shpuid Jiavo been made’for meeting damage caused by flood and similar -catastrophes. • BACKBLOCK ROADS Mr- W. J. Broadioot (Coal., Waitomo) commended- the department for metalling backhlock roads, also the clearance of willows from rivers. Mr. F. Jones (Lab., Dunedin S.) referred to the difficulties the men had to contend with- in camps, and said he thought the Government should make adequate payment, especially to single men, who were doing such valuable work. He thanked tne department for the public buildings that were being erected in Dunedin, and asked for further accommodation at Seacliff Mental Hospital. He considered the Haast Pass road should have been proceeded with before the Te Anau-Milford road.

Mr. W. H. Field (CoaJ., OtakiJ urged the department to undertake the deviation of the road just north of Wellington to avoid the Paekakariki Hill. Mr. 8. Semple (Lab., Wellington E.) regretted that there was no reference to li»fj stoppage of railway construction and jinked now long people were to be asked to pay interest on the £8,000,000 to £10,000,000 sunk in uncompleted railways. He thought that it would have been more profitable if the money had been spent on various works round the country, or had been concentrated on one of the uncompleted lines. If the Government did not intend to complete the lines it should keep in repair the work that had been done. He also urged the completion of Parliament Building. The debate was adjourned.