The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1913. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1916, 26 November 1913, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1913. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The chief feature of the Puis}ic Works Statement laid before Parliament ycsterilay_ by the Minister of Public Works is the evidence it affords that a vigorous and progressive policy of development is being carried out by the Massey Government. The enemies of the Government have been zealously endeavouring to create the impression: that public works throughout the country were being starved, and progress checked. _ This, malicious misrepresentation is answered and exposed by the fact that, despite the disturbing influences at work in the early part of the past financial year, which necessitated the exercise of caution, the total expenditure on public was the largest in any single year tor the past thirty years. It may be expected that those newspapers and politicians who have been worKing_ themselves into a frenzy over their charges of starved public works will now turn round and rave at Ministers for having spent too much. _ It is, perhaps, worth notinp the principal items of public works expenditure over a period of wars. The figuhs we give below show the net expenditure for the years stated : 1910-11, 1911-12, 1912-13 „, & £ Rails-ays ... 1,101.071 1,125,908 1,14883* go?<»s 253,168 424,578 374.343 IclegrapU oxT tension 111,807 147,693 251,375 Public build- _ «ngs ;. 321,60S • 350,090 445,102 L i g h i houses and harbour works ... 8,427 12,576 16,785 Grand total 1,591,918 2,190,791 2,347,385 A comparison of the different items of expenditure goes to show that the Government has done very well indeed in the circumstances' in which it found itself at the beginning of ; the financial year. We should have preferred to sec a still heavier expenditure, on roads and bridges, and trust that during the current year the Minister will be in a better position to give effect to the desires of ■ the Government in this direction. The Public Works Fund is in a much better position than it was twelve months ago. The total amount available for expenditure out. of that fund during the past year was £2,829,434, and the total disbursements were £2,452,4®, leaving a- balance at the end of the year of £376,965. The amount that should be available this year is nearly a million greater than that of the previous twelve months, and is made up as follows: .0 Balance brought forward .176,905 Balance of lnnn of 1911 100,000 Balance of loan of 1912 894,'77i Transfer from . Consolidated Fund surplus 675,00(1 Proposed nsw loan ; 1,750,000 Total 3,786,71® -The estimated expenditure for the current, year is *£2,995,575, which would }eavc a balance of over £800,000 to begin the next vear with. It- will bo Men that the Public Works Fund is, as of old, mado up mainly of borrowed money. The annual transfers from the ' Consolidated Tuncl Surplus of revenue over expenditure constitute practically the only other means of replenishing the fund, and at the present rate of expenditure they may be said to pro-vide-about'one-fourth of the money required for public works purposes. It is,_ of . course, quite out of the question to hops for any material change in this resocct at present. The, progress and development of the country' demand that, the expenditure on public works shall be maintained. The most, that can be done by the Government is to see that the money is wisely expended, and to the best advantage on necessary and. 'as far as possible, reproductive undertakings;