PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14843, 8 December 1913, Page 9

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY.

DEBATE ON ESTIMATES. XLL-yiGm SHTIKG,. MR MASSEY AjvD HIS CRITICS. (srtGAL to "tbs raws.") WELLINGTON, December 7. The discussion on the Public Works Statement and Estimates, which was proceeding in the House of Representatives when the telegraph office closed yesterday morning, continued throughout the night and long after the rays ci the brilliant early morning sunshine w" commenced to penetrate through the windows of the stuffy, ill-ventilated, and talk-ridden Chambor. The Prime Minister, speaking shortly after midnight, remarked that up to an hour previously the debate had been one of the dullest and tamest that be had ever listened to upon tho Public Works Statement and Estimates. The reason was obvious: tiiere was no rault to find Members were eatisfied with the Statement, and with the provision mar'o by tho Minister of Public Works upon the Estimates. He could not understand members on the other eide of the House finding fault with the Government for borrowing too much money. They were a progressive party, and were going to do everything possible to develop the country. The success that had already attended their efforts was indicated in the increase of exports for the last twelve months. If it had not been for the wretched industrial upheavals— Mr G. W. Russell: You don't claim credit for that, do you ? Mr Massey (emphatically: "I certainly do not." iie knew exactly what the underlying reason for these upheavals was. The Prime Minister went on to justify the allocation made for new buildings, and . asked the eition whether they objected to euch items as £65.000 for workers' dwellings. £125.000 for school buildings, £10,000 for hospitals, and £50,000 for mental hospitals. For post offices £110.000 was provided. This was one of tho lepacios that had come down from i revions Governments. Ho admitted that £4.36,000- in one year for public buildings looked a big thing. At first sight he thought it was too much, and he still thought that too much was being spent on post offices, but with this exception he did not think that it was possible to improve upon the proposals. It wan true, as had been stated, that work on the South Island Main Trunk Railway had been 6topped, but the reason was that the first survey was wrong, and that the route was over country over which the line could scarcely be built. A new route had therefore to be chosen. Tho momber for the Bay of Plenty had said tho Government had starved Advances Department, but of new money in the twelve months ended 31st, 1913, the Government had advanced £937,435. That did not look like starving the Department. Mr Mac Donald: That is about half. Mr Massey: The amount spent by the previous Government was spent during the election year. Mr Russell: What are you spending now? Mr Massey said he did not know the figures exactly, but ho believed they were advancing at the rate of abont a million a year. The present Government had raivl the limits for advances to settlors : d workers and to local authorities, which limits had been reduced by tho previous Administration. The Government had also given local bodies assistance by giving them the advantage of. the Government guarantee when they went on the market to raise money. This measure was necessary because it was quite impossible for any Government to borrow all the money reouired for advances. Tho Prime Minister concluded, his sroeech by arguing in detail that the Government had kept the pledges given by him during his speech in Wellington in 1911, on the lines of several previous utterances, and he emphatically asserted that none of tho new railways which were to be authorised had been put on the list for political purposes. THE ESTIMATES. The debate 'on the Statement concluded just before 5 a.m., and the House went into Committee of Supply for the consideration of the Estimates. In aJiewer to questions, the Minister of 'Public Works said he proposed on the Supplementary Estimates to ask the House to vote £10.000 for damage done by floods, with particular reference to the Gore floods, for which a vote of £2500 would be proposed. Between 5.30 and 6 a.m. Srr Joseph Ward aeked if the Prime Minister proT>osed to put through the whole of the Estimates before the House rose. ''Yes." said the Prime Minister. Sir Joseph Ward protested, and moved to report progress by way of emnhatic protest. Speaking at 6 a.m., the Prime Minister eaid he did not care if the session lasted another fortnight, but many members had run after him asking to let them get away. He did not car© whether ho got away or not. After 6, a.m. a motion to report progress was lost by 31 votes to 16, and the committee, entered on the usual ftjstom of voting millions of money in the early hours of the morning, when most of the members in the.Chamber are fast asleep. The Estimates had passed through committee at 6.55 a.m., and at 7 a.m. the House rested from its labours, and adjoumod until 10.SO a.m. on Monday for consideration of local Bills.