HEAVY FINANCIAL LOSS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 208, 3 September 1943, Page 4

HEAVY FINANCIAL LOSS

LABOUR MINISTERS’ LACK OF BUSINESS EXPERIENCE The lack of business experience on the part of most of the Labour Ministers had resulted hi the loss of thousands of pounds to New Zealand, was a trenchant point made by Mr. Will Appleton, National candidate for Wellington Central, speaking last ■night in the Wanganui Opera House He was speaking in support of the candidature of Mr. E. J." Kirk, who is contesting the Wanganiu seat in the interests of the National Party.

“An example of the characteristic optimism of the Minister of Mines and Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb—the man who is always taking his hat off to the miners—is typical," said Mr. Appleton. “JJe sponsored the Pakihi land development scheme, in his own electorate, Buller, and this was to be turned into ‘first-class laud’ at a cost

of £6 an acre. The report of the Lands Department, 1942, states: ‘As regards the Pakihi Block, it was decided to discontinue further development as these lands will not stand up to stocking.’ The cost then was £33 4s per acre, a long way above £6—and every penny has to be written off.

“Then let us have a look at the cost of the Blackball mine. Here again Mr. Webb made a slight miscalculation. This mine was to be abandoned by the owners when the Minister of Mines took it over in 1941. The Government paid £30,000 for it. and £4BOO for plant, and Mr. Webb claimed that the Government had bought it for thousands of pounds less than it was worth. He said he was satisfied that he had not saddled the country with a liability—all that was needed was a few extra miners to put the mine definitely on the paying list.

“The loss for the first nine month of working was £8729, but a subsid;

of £1714 from the War Expenses Account was also paid, so that the total loss to the country was really £10,433. The loss for 1942-43 was £19,497, but in the Mines Report the amount of subsidy is hidden.”