BARRIERS TO WORKS PLANS

Chronicle (Levin), 16 October 1947, Page 7

BARRIERS TO WORKS PLANS

STATE CEMENT WORKS IS SUGGESTED WELLINGTON, Oet. 15. A suggestion that the Govermnent should set up its own cement works, was made in the House of Representatives tonight by Mr. M. Moohan (Petone). Mr. W. S. Goosman (Piako) said the Minister and Commissioner of Works vvere wise to eorrect the misapprehension which. had arisen that the works plans which had been prepared for various districts, were actually "tenyear plans". The programmes were enormous and fcrmidable and would take longer than ten vears to coinplete. Aceording to the Commissioner 's report there were only 36,000 men available tror construetion' tasks in the Dominion vvhereas 47,000 were needed. Some-. thing must be done to entice men into construetion jobs or the country would be thrown out of balance with secondarv industries expanding without any real foundation in the nation 's economy. Backblocks Roads Mr. Semple, replying to Mr. J. N. Massey (Franklin), who urged a more liberal expenditure 011 providing allweather roads into backblocks areas iii order to enable produce to be sent out. to the world markets, declared that the grea.test help the State could gi-ve to county ratepayers was by extending the State highway system. A programme for such extensions had been prepared for the Main Highways Board l)ut he could not vet say if the pro posals would be approved/ Mr. Sempie said he liad always felt it was an uiifair imposition on farmers to expect them, through rating, to meet the costs of coustructing and maintaining national highways and he had applied that opinion wlien he became Minister. The burden of highway costs today was so great that the counties simply -ould not have carried it. There were 300 bridges in New Zealand crying out for ref)lacement and only the State could attempt such a taslc. Four tlionsand miles of highway were takeu over by the State under the Bill he introduced some years ago and as th« population grew, the State must assume control of new stretches of highways As this was done so the counties would have more funds to develop backblocks roads. State Cement Works Mr. Moohan said cement requirements for public works, especially 011 such undertakings as the Coal Creeli hvdro-development, were so great and would be so great for years to comft that the Works Department should opou up its own cement works addi tional to tliosc now operating and leavc the output of the existing works for the country 's general requirements. Mr. O. M. Bowden (Karori): Where would they get the labour?' Mr. Moohan: You can get a lot of things if you make up your mind to it Mr. Sempie said the cement questioti wag one that must be seriously cou sidered. There was the possibility of cement works being opened up at Invercargill and at Westport bul whether the Government would do anything in the matter was a question of policy which he would not discuss with the estimajes; befpre the Houset. Z' Mr. Bowdep- stpd iii'-wasi, :w'ell;iknowjh that the diticulties , in building construetion at*' pi'eserit were- llue to_ shortages of steel, cement and labour. What was the reason for the cement shortage? The Commissioner 's report showed that the shortage was due to lack of adequate transport, coal and

labour and yet Mr. Moohan suggested chat the State should erect or acquirtits owu works despite the fact that it was clear from the report of the Commissioner oi' Works, that the existing cement plants were working little more than half the time. Mr. Bowden .said j Mr. Moohan was Fnder-Secretary to> j Building Construetion. "I wisli to j draw attention to the fact that it seems j to be the clear intention of the Govern- : ment to introduce further measures ot | uationalisation, " said Mr. Bowden | who claimed that this was the logical j iuference from Mr. Moohan 's reiuarks. uuiidmg- jjimcuities , I Mr. E. B. Corbett (Egmont) discuss- j ing the vote for ihe maintenance oi j public works and services, drew the j Minister 's attention to anomalies 111 j the building conlrol regulations and j Mr. Sempie, replying to the point raised , said he would be glad to look into cases j where individuals were allegedly pri- j vented from obtaining permits to ereci garages even thougli they had obtaine l all the second-lumd materials neces.sary. Mr. W. J. Sullivau (Bay of I'lCnty, said the building control regulations contained unnecessary restrictions and he considered tiie . regulations Aveie "going just too far". The situation should be examined so that builders could be given eneouragement to get ou with the ;job of providing homes for the people. A system of intert'erence and' controls was hinderiug what builders were setting out to do and madc their taslc more diffieult. . Mr. Sempie, replying, said he wouid not bite at the prospect of a building control controversy but he hatod controls as much as anyone else and he woqld be, the first to help get rid oi eontrdls sis hoon as possible but where there'' was1 an acute shortage of materials, it was necessarv that there shpttld. be some control rather tlian have raft'erty rules and allowing tlu man with the longest ])urse to get the uiost. The Minister said he would however, examine any suggestion that would improve the position.