DEBATE ON THE ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 6

DEBATE ON THE ESTIMATES.

•THE ROADS DEPARTMENT. t : In Committee on the Public Works 1 Estimates, . . ■' Mr Herries (Tauranga) askedwhether ] the'/ Minister was ; satisfied; to -leave the

Roads Department in the Public Works Department.'

Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Ross, and Mr. Hogg all complained of tho administration iii. regard to roads. Tho former said tho local bodies in many instances had road-malting implements which tho Public Works Department had not, and tho Department wa3 wise in handing ovor road .works to them. Mi'. Hogan, liko somo previous speakers,, condemned tho merging of £ tho Roads Department in the Public Works Department. Smaller districts were wanted in the North Island, which was much behind tho South in roading. Mr. Allen (Bruce) said the best plan I for tho South was for the Public Works ] Dcpartmout to mako roads or. give tho j local bodies the' option of spending tho money, and tho local bodies should maintain them. ' Tho Hon. R. M'Kenzie said the new Departmental amalgamation was work- ; ing very satisfactorily. Mr. Jennings said it was impossiblo to deal with tho Minister for Public Works so far as,the North Island was concerned, because ho utterly failed to ( grasp the conditions, especially in re- j gard to Maori lands. j Railways and Water Poivor. y •As regards tho vote for the Lawrence- £ Roxburgh line, Mr. Malcolm and Mr. j Anderson strongly protested against tho j continuation of the construction of the j line. . .. . ( Mr. Wright (Wellington South) said , tho House, had tho right to know why j tho Government had changed its mind , on the subject-.... , The Minister for Works, in reply, j said tbo . railway, could not bo left whero it was, but it would. not bo ; hurried. on' as an. urgent w r ork. It \ would, bo carried on as a lighter railway. ] .Mr.. .Massey .inquired, how many j water r po\ver. schemes the Minister, for ] Public Works proposed to proceed with. 1 The; Miliistor replied.that .as soon' as j a satisfactory market could be obtained j for/the Lake Coleridgo scheme tho.Gov- ( ernment would know what the position j was, and in the meantime investigation- ] would be made in connection with other j schemes. .. ' ( ■ Mr. Massey expressed satisfaction ( with the reply. j : Mr. Mander. said a vote.of £250,000 , should have been placed on tho .Estimates for tho Wairoa.'Palls scheme. j .Tho Hon. R. M'Kenzie denied that , he had promised tho Wairoa schemo ] would be developed within four, years, , but he admitted it was a promising ! scheme. j Should the .Capital Site be Removed? . It was moved by Mr. Laurenson (Lyt- : telton) that the item "new Parliamentary buildings on. account, £20,000,'' bo . reduced by/£l, as an indication - that before the expenditure of further money : on Parliamentary buildings, tho Government should acquiro information as. to , the cost that would bo incurred in j transferring the capit-al-to a "nioro suitable site." He appealed to the Premier ! not to make it a party question. Oil i a previous occasion the proposal had received tho support of, inter, alia, the : Hons. R. M'Kenzie, T. Mackenzio, and ( D. Buddo. Ho believed that tho place . for the now capital was the -North Island.' ; The/ 1 , Premier said' that he wished to place on record his dissent to tho proposal. . He: pointed to the largo under-, takings'to which the Government was committed in the' city of Wellington, and the number, of Government officials who-had their residence here. . A proposal merely to call for a roport was apt to tickle .the ears of members, so hp would advise them not to . give .it their ..support. The Hon. R.- M'Kenzie, who spoke in a similar, strain, said that Government works; to the 'extent' of £250,000 were in progress in Wellington. Mr. Glover (Auckland Central) strongly urged the'claims of .Auckland as the capital site. , ■ ' , 1 On a. division,, the amendment-..was negatived by 39 votes to 23. ' ' Replying to Mr. M'liaren, the Hon. R. M'Kenzie said provision was being mado iii tho General Post Office building,. to relievo the :congestion at. the Printing Office. More About the Parliamentary Buildings. In answer to Mr. 'Hcrdman, tho Hon. Mr. M'Kenzie said it was proposed to erect tho now , Parliament Buildings between tho conservatory and the tea rooms and Sydney-Street. . The-present Parliament - Buildings / would' ? remain. Tho new buildings, said the Minister, would bo put up in sections; and might extend over a period of ten or twelve years. Tho present Parliament, Buildings woiild bo used as committee rooms, etc. The: old buildings would bo■ used for Departmental offices. Mr. Herdman: "Is it the intention of tho Government to- do away with tho big Departmental Buildings on Lambton Quay?" The present site,, said Mr. Herdman, was tho most convenient one that could bo obtained. Tho Minister : "No.. That .is a matter of opinion." , Mr. Herdman said he thought the Government would mako a great policy, blunder if they .removed the. Government Buildings from.Lambton Quay;/ Mr. Dillon: "They calculate they will got £12,000 a year for tho site." . Mr. Herdman': "I don't believe it." (Left, Sitting.) . ■- i '