PUBLIC WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS.

THE GOVERNMENT POLICY* RECENT CRITICISM, VIGOROUS REPLY BY MB. FRASE& Interviewed a few days ago, Mr. W. D. S. Macdonald, Sl.]?., wlio held the portfolio of Public Works in. the Mackenzie Administration, passed strictures upon the public works administration of tho pitsont Government and upon its financial policy in relation to publio works, when Mr. Macdonald's remarks wore brought umder his notice last evening, the Jlcn. W. Ifraser (Minister for Public Works) made llio following statement on the .subject raised by Mr. Mao« donald)

"Mr. Macdonald begins his criticism'of my administration of the Public Wfirks Department with a plaintive whine as- to my treatment of his district and especially, as to the railway from Gisborno to Nojiier. The amount appropriated for thi» line in last year's Estimates -was .£15,000, and I have spent .£15,077, to March 91. on that particular portion, and incurred liabilities amounting to .£3115. What » shocking instance of ingratitude on his part! As to the line to Motu, it is berna pushed on with all reasonable opted, and is nearly completed. To have extended the liue beyond Motu," added the Minister, "would havo been impossible, as it has not been authorised, but Wie road from Motu to Opotiki is making fair pro* gress, and will give employment to montf men during tho winter. Work for the Winter, "Mr. Macdonald proceeds to say," tinned tho Minister, "that in March last year there were 10,200 men employed on' Government railway mid road works, whereas tho number has now been reduced to -1000. It ds a pity flint ho Should indulge in such flights of imagination. The -official figures lor-March of last year aro 7705, not 10,200, ami for March of tlys year -1900, not -1000. This dilforeneo partly accounted for by the fact that 1 have encoura.gsd the local bodies to do more of the road work, and havo also lot mor.u contracts, and also that I realised that it was necessary to keep both work and money to provide for employment during tho winter months-, when little or no work is going oil on farms. Moreover, I don't think that a large army of. co-operative workers is any evidence o£ prosperity. What Has Boen Done. "Let ns see now," said Mr. Finsor< "what has been dono in regard to roads, railways, and bridges. From April I,' 1012, to March 31, 1013, tho sum of ■£429/ 253 has been expended on tho construction of roads and bridges, and <£42,248. on maintenance of main roads, making a total of .£471,501. On railways during the period there has been expended .£081,190. On eifht out of tho twenty seven different lines under construction, I havo actually expended moro than tho appropriations. It may surprise Mr, Macdonald to learn that the total expenditure of votes under my control in tho Public Works Department for tho year ending March 81, 1913, amounted to ■£1,908,071. I distinctly stated to tho House that the appropriations I was. ask- 1 ing for were intended to carry me on till; tho hew Estimates were framed, say ill! October, 1913, and that statement wilV bo fulfilled. A Rash Critic. • , "Mr. Macdonald," the Minister went Ott to .remark, "has been particularly rash in bis criticism of tho financial arrangements that have been made, or left unmade. He happens to bo wrong in every instance. Our arrangements liavo cer- ; tainly not been of tho slipshod character 1 of our predecessors, nor nad wo occasion to pledge and pawn every asset wo pos--1 sesscd as our predecessors nad to do. Their ; fate might easily havo been ours had we followed their exumplo of spending money [ before wo were sure of t'ho 1 wherewithal to defray such expenditure. ' 11 r. Macdinuld will learn all about this 3 when Parliament meets. As to our in- - ability to lend, as wo should havo liked } to havo done, to local bodies and others, ' I have already publicly staled that our ■ predecessors granted loans amounting to • ,£075,000 and loft ,£17,000 to pay tlieso " loans with. Tliey received during 1911-12 3 .£1,500,000 from {'lie Post Office for their " State Guaranteed Advances Department, , to lend out again. We received, during 1912-13, only .£500,000 from that eourco, 3 owing to excess of withdrawals over de- ' posits. Is it any wonder that we were unablo to comply with tho requests for " loans? Mr. Macdonald says that thoro • was no necessity for curtailment of ex. " penditure, as the country was very proß--8 porous. Is he not ignoring the fact that " we have to gn abroad for our loans, and s that during all this Balkan War trouble money was dear and difficult to obtain. Why," even Austria had to pay six per " cent, for its loan. In conclusion, let mo say that I have never doubted our ability' t.-uneet our engagements, but I have persistently declined, and properly so, I conceive, to make promises for next year, till I I know what amount of funds would bs r available for' expenditure."