A MILLION A MINUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 21, 27 October 1919, Page 4

A MILLION A MINUTE

PARLIAMENT ON PUBLIC WORKS VOTES

THE ESTIMATES PASSED

The House of Representatives passed tho Public Works Estimates .in what probably was record time early on Saturday morning. A general discussion nn tho first item occupied members during the greater part of tho sitting, and was devoted largely to stating the needs of. particular districts. Jinny references were niado to the impending retirement of the Minister of Public Works (Sir William Eraser). Sir William Eraser, replying at 2 a.m., thanked members for their kindly references to himself. Something had been said alxmt tho need of a "bold, progressive policy" of public works, Ho would point out to members that as a matter of fact a sum of about .£2,700,000 was being made available for railways, roads, and bridges, including tho statutory ap. propriatlons. A larger 6um had never been provided in a single year. Tho monev. ho was convinced, would not nil be spent, because labour would not bn nvailnble. Ho had been told that no could eefc laliour if lie paid attractive wages. That might be so, but if he obtained lalxiur in that way other industries would go short, and the farmers would' suffer most. The reduction of the vote for public buildings would not enable him to spend more money on roads and railways. A policy of immigration undoubtedly was necessary, added Sir William Frnser. The Dominion had room for thousand* and tens of thousands of new settlers. Public works, including tho hydro-elcc-trifl schemes, could not make ranid progress unless labour was brought into the country. The adult male population of New Zealand had not increased in recent years, and tho present shortace of labour was a hard fact that could not 1m set aside by any mere adjustment of wages. It had been stated that the vote of ,£150,000 on the Estimates for housing was too small,. Tho fact was that the Housing Bill provided .£750.000 in addition to the ,£150,000 on the Public Works Estimates. Tho House went into committee on the Public Works Estimates at 2.12 a.m., and voted the total sum of over four millions within four minutes. The House rose at '2.20 a.m.