ESTIMATES PASSED.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 62, 10 October 1930, Page 5

ESTIMATES PASSED.

Mr Coates said the first point in the statement to which he desired to drew the Minister’s attention was tie extraordinary expenditure oh v the construction of railway lines. It had been estimated in a recent paper submitted to the House that new lines would involve an annual loss of approximately £750,000, and it was probable that these estimates had been based on a flying survey. He doubted whether in a number of cares they bad been based on an engineering survey. He was afraid when the lines at present under con. strvetion were completed they would amount to nothing more than a liability. , ihe problem of railway construction costs demanded, the earnest attention of every member of Parliament, continued Mr Coates. It was wrong for the-country to proceed with construction' at the pace bc"ing set at present, and even if it necessitated adjourning Parliament for a mouth or six weeks ho was

strongly of opinion that, the House, should ire given an opportunity of thoroughly examining the position. Mr Coates asked the Minister if h e would state whether the policy of paying standard rates of pay on relief works was not having the effect of attracting people from other industries. He had no criticism to offer for the payment of standard r ; atea on recognised public works, but for single men, at any rate, he questioned the wisdom of granting the same pay on relief works. It was in the interests of the country that until it was known whether as a result of the co-ordination of the transport services the railways w°uld ffot prove such a costly concern; as at present indicated, the Government should retard the rate of expenditure, at least until such time as the report had been received from the Select Committee appointed to consider lipes under construction. Furthermore, he believed a review '•:i these projects was a matter for a committee of experts rather than for a select committee.

NO EXAMINATION. Mr J. S. Fletcher complained that there had not neen tne necessary examinations mane oeiore tne hydroelectric power scneines iu New Zealand haa been initiated. Mr H. E. Holland said he hoped the Government would not weaken under ill-considered attacks on the railway lines under construction. The Government should fulfil its policy of joining up the main trunk lineSj and he hoped the fact that the Select Committee had been appointed in thig connection did not indicate that any departure was contemplated. He did not see how it would be possible for the committee to complete its report during the session, and he believed that its personnel should be enlarged and that it should continue to sit during the recess. He had no doubt as to Its competence to conduct the investigation. „ " ( TARTY CAPITAL. Mr W. D. Lysuur said tlie only conclusion, lie could draw from the speech of the Leader of th e Opposition wag that he. wAs trying to' make party capital out of railway construction. Mr Lysuur asserted that when the Gisborue-Napior line was" completed it would tup 5,000,000, acres of good laud, and he hoped the Government would push it cm. Mr H. G. R. Mason deprecated personal criticism of the hbad of the Public Works Department. If the departmental head was doing the work of 10 men instead of on e it was the responsibility of the Min-

Railway Policy Discussed. The Hydro-electric Schemes. Urgency was accorded the discussion o£ tlie Public Works Statement and the passing of the Public Works Estimates, in the House oi Representatives to-day.

ister, who should stand the criticism. If one man was expected to do everything there was bound to be trouble. Mr D. Jones said, he hoped the Government would look on the question of railway construction from Hie point of view of New Zealand’s inter - est, and not party interest. it should take into full consideration 1 the costs of construction and the danger of losses, and it should hesitate before placing any additional burden on dhe farming commuriity. COMPLETING THE PROGRAMME. Mr H. T. Armstrong fsaid that If the policy of making people w<ho were introduced theT e would bfl! disastrous results to the Dominion. He contended that the estimates for the. present year’s expenditure ,amounted to approximately half of that which had been indicated when the Government assumed and it would consequently take eight years instead of four to complete the programme on 1 which it had been elected. Mr K. S. Williams said the Government would be wise to give careful consideration before expending large sums of public money. 'Difficulties had always to be faced, and the circumstances were continually changing. Mr C. A. Wilkinson claimed that the public had been misled in connection with the hydro-electric schemes. There had been nothing but' a series of, disasters from beginning to end. Mr R. A. Wright said it was a pity Mr Fletcher had not waited till Professor Hornell’s report had been received before proceeding to criticise New Zealand’s own engineers. The report, might completely vindicate the engineers, and he believed it might be shown that the Arapuni works would still prove a successful concern. THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM. Mr E. J. Howard expressed the opinion that the railways would last a long time yet. The trouble with the transport position was that other services were permitted, leaving the vest to the railways. Mr G. G. Munns defended the policy of completing main trunk lines and closing non-paying branch lines. He said that when it had been proposed to close some lines th 6 residents in the district affected had found it possible to make them pay. He claimed that it was manifestly un’fair to expect the railways to carry fertilisers free, while farmers transported the rest of the goods by motor lorry. Mr J. McCombs gave details of the amount of capital invested in hydro-electric schemes in New Zealand, and stated that coal plants in Britain provided cheaper power than that available iff the Domifiion. Mr McDonald recommended the Government to gpend relief work money on draining land occupied by soldier settlers and others. This, he stated, would bo more productive than the present relief works A start could be made with soldier (settlements in which the State already had an interest, alter which attention could be directed to Crown and possibly eventually to private lands. AN URGENT PROBLEM. Mr. VV- IX Stewart ©aid the Public Works Statement, together with., the Budget, indicated that the Government was being irresistibly forced to' accept the view that the programme of public works expenditure must bo reviewed. Wliarshould ho emphasised was that the problem was an urgent one. It was too urgent to await the report of the Select Conunifcie in railways under construction, and it was too urgent to delay giving serious consideration to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the operating railways- Trie factor that was causing the greatest concern was rapid growth of loan expenditure in the Public Works DepartmentThis was a serious matter unless it was to be productive of satisfactory results.