“TOO MUCH ATTEMPTED”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29503, 3 May 1961, Page 14

“TOO MUCH ATTEMPTED”

Mr Goosman On Works (N.Z. Press Association) HAMILTON. May 2. "New Zealand has become over-committed. We are trying to do too much too soon. Costs are being forced up, and if this continues there will be a calamity," the Minister of Works (Mr Goosman) said in Hamilton today. “We have bigger problems than money facing us at the moment. Manpower is one of them. Hamilton has its development problems, but then we have probems throughout the country," he said. Being a country dependent on its ability to export. New Zealand would And itself in difficulties by forcing up costs.

“If costs are forced up and the Federation of Labour goes to the Arbitration Court for a general increase, then it could be disaster for New Zealand,” said Mr Goosman. There was one industry in the country more over-com-mitted than any other—the building trade. Competition in tendering for building was not good. Often major projects attracted only one or two tenders, he said. In many cases, when tenders were accepted. the prices were well above the estimates tor the scheme.

Mr Goosman was making his first official visit to Hamilton since his re-apooint-ment as Minister of Works and he inspected the £1 million arterial road scheme in Hamilton which also involves the lowering of the railway line.