MR. MASSEY IN REPLY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 253, 20 July 1920, Page 6

MR. MASSEY IN REPLY

SCARCITY OF MEN. t Mr, Mnssey said that lie was of exactly tho same opinion as h<> had been before the. war regarding this line. Ho , ha*t knowledge of tho country through which the line was to pass, nmt he-agreed ! Hint there was a large area of good lnnd l to be opened up by it. The whole position respecting public works had chnnsed ■ in tho past half-dozen years. During the war public works on a largo scalo had been out of the question, and now Unit ttoe w;-.r was over some of its effects remained. There was a serious scarcity of •■ men for roads and bridges ivork. Less i

than 4000 men were employed now, and tho Government could easily employ double that number When they should get back to normal ho could not say. Tho present stat? of things hnd not 'been foreseen. With others to had thought that there might bo difficulty in finding employment for thousands of men returning from the war, but the contrary had proved to be the base, ant! probably this was a good thing for tho country. Now Zealand had suffered from prevailing unrest, but less he thought, than any other country in tho Empire, or even in the world.

The suggestion had been made tliat | there had been perhaps a certain amount of favouritism, in that -while this line had been neglected consideration hod been given to other lines in other parw of New Zealand, notably in Auckland. It waa true that Mime construction was gcincr on in the north. Ho did not wisn to be parochial, but it was a fact that tho North Wnnd was still 500 miles behind the South Island in lcngtli of open railwavs, nnd Auckland hnd been tiite Inst province the railroading of which had been taken in hand. There were opportunity for closer settlement in AucKlnnd which did not exist in any other part of the country, and successive Governments had sought, to take advantage of these opportunities for closer settlement and development. This wan going on to-day. Tho Last Const lino was being- 'pushed on, and it would 'be » number of years before it could be completed. Another important line was being built in the North of Auckland. These main lines would have to be fiuished before any new lines were undertaken. , Mr. M'Callum: Ours is not a new line! Mr. Massey said that he did not wish to bo understood to infer that tho South Island line was a new line. It was a niain trunk line, and should' be completed at the earliest opportunity. He understood that some portions of it would be difficult, in construction, but members of the Government were anxious to deal fairly with the matter. It would be quite wrong for him to;.an icipate what was to be in the Public Works Statement. -In any case this had not been considered by the Government. I Mr. Witty: Will you spend the.£ls,ooo ' this year? ~. „ . , Mr Massey: You mean tins financial vear? i hope that a great deal more than' that will be expended. Howeyei, that is for Mr. Coates to carry out when Cabinet comes to a decision, and when Cabinet, comes to a decision it will be set forth in the Public Works Staunient.

Minister of Public Works. Mr. Coates (Minister of Public Works) said that tho statement had been made that 'the available money shoulk be snent in the best interests of the couutrv This irns what the .Government had to take into consideration. He did not wish to say anything againsth ine because, as was well known it bl'nged to a big scheme of railway construction which had been endorsed many Vea" «R°- But hc ' "?• Um f p l Cd to take into considerate which new lines would be of n>f mimediat benefit. From this poin of view he had ■tried to consider questions brought befire him, and from this point of view he would continue to. make lis ecommendations to the Prime Mimater. Mr. J. Bary suggested that.tho Ann St as aerione in /her parts of the L e rtfp%d»lifregard to labour for many years to come.