PUBLIC WORKS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 764, 22 July 1916, Page 14

PUBLIC WORKS.

THE OTIRA TUNNEL. ELECTRICITY FOR TIMARU. DISCUSSION OF THE ESTIMATES. [From oar own Parliamentary Reporter.] ' WELLINGTON, July 21. The Public Works Estimates were considered in the House of Representatives this evening, the House going into Committee of Supply shortly before the tea adjournment, and the discussion being continued in the evening. The Hon. W. Eraser said the Estimates simply represented the unexpended votes of last year, and there was no money Available for new works. At the conclusion of the session he would confer with the county councils with a view to deciding which works it was most necessary to carry on. He would travel throughout the country and invite the county councils to meet him in convenient places. To enable the transfer of votes from works authorised in the Estimates to other works, provision would be inserted in the Appropriation Bill. As there would be only about £420,000 available this year for roads and bridges. and as there were items totalling £(500,000, it was clear that some cutting out would have to be done. As to railway construction, the alloca-j tions on the Main Trunk line amounted to £395,300, and on branch lines to £51,500, while last year out of a total expenditure of £513,882, a sum of £493,439 was spent on the Main Trunk lines and £80,440 on branch lines. Mr. Geo. Forbes (Hurunui) urged: the completion of the Otira tunnel, I which, he said, would go a long way i towards assisting the development of j the country. Although there had| been a suspension in regard to the j South Island Main Trunk line, they; had not abandoned their chum fori its completion. Mr G. J. Anderson (Mataura) said no more should be spent at Otira than'would keep the work going. They must spend enough to keep the water out, but it did not matter if it was not finished for all the good it j would do. A Member: That shows you know! nothing about it. Mr J. Craigie (Timaru) urged that! the Lake Coleridge electric system j should be connected up with Tim-: aru, Geraldine, and Waimate. He; was sure this would pay if done. j Mr J. Colvin (Buller) said now! that so much money had been. spent on the Otira tunnel it would j be folly not to go on with it. The| work would assist the Westland and' country districts. Mr G. V. Pearce (Patea) contend-' ed that it was inadvisable to spend j so much money at present on the! Otira tunnel. At this juncture the expenditure might well be trans-J f erred to roads and bridges. It was I a question whether the Midland rail- [ way would pay when completed. The proper policy for the Govern-! nient was to make the roads first, i