DEFENCE WORKS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 3, 4 January 1936, Page 10

DEFENCE WORKS

NAVAL AND AERIAL

HON. R. SEMPLE IMPRESSED

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, January 3.

The view that the employment of Public Works Department labour on naval and aerial defence works was justified and would probably be ■continued by the Labour Government was expressed by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple), who is on a short visit to Auckland.

During the day Mr. Semple visited the Hobsonville air base and the area at Kauri Point where works in connection with the naval defence system are being carried out. He hopes to visit the Devonport naval base during a future visit to Auckland.

The works now in progress had yet to be fully considered by Cabinet, Mr. Semple said, but he personally was impressed by their usefulness. It was self-evident the Dominion had to have some form of defence system, and to his mind an efficient air force and naval division were the most important requirements. Consequently money spent in providing adequate facilities for these two services was providing a national asset and as the works under way or planned for early commencement offered employment to a large proportion of civilian labour, they were well worth while.