THE PUBLIC WORKS' SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2871, 8 September 1916, Page 6

THE PUBLIC WORKS' SYSTEM

HON. W. FRASER. AT HAMILTON.

By Telegraph—Press Association.

Hamilton, September 7. The Hon. W. Fraser has had an exceedingly busy time at Hamilton during the past three days. He has been besieged b.v deputations for grants. Delegates from no fewer than ten county councils waited upon him, while numerous deputations from road boards and othor local bodies also petitioned. He had great difficulty in making tho fact clear that items on the Estimates wero not necessarily authorisations, and that nothing more than was actually authorised could ho granted. Mr. Young, M.P., declared that the present svstem governing the operations of tho Public Works Department was very misleading, as votes were placed on the Estimates when there was no hope of granting them. Tho Hon. W. Fraser agreed that the system was the most stupid that could .be conceived, and ho did not altogether blame hi« predecessor l ;, n* settlers and local bodies wero willing parties to it. Thev asked for sums to be placed on the Estimates which were not urgent, sininlv as a lover .to secure future grants. In conscquenco items accumulated to ■ such an extent that they could not be met. Last year thero was nearly a million on the Estimates, and only £420,000 to meet it. Among the matters mentioned to Mr. Fmsor was tho aucstion of national regulations governing, motor traffic, and tho need for a national road tax on motors.

The Minister said thero would undoubtedly havo to bo a tax on motors in the near future. This would amount to fairlv larrte sum, and would have to be utilised to make roads suited to motor traffic. He favoured motor traffic regulations and a mo'tor traffic vote. Ho remarked that he believed that tho majority' of the Cabinet favoured a national tax and regulations.