"Cheap Criticism"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 212, 23 September 1937, Page 3

"Cheap Criticism"

— Press Association.)

CONTROL OF ROADS • DEFENDED "Saving Lives is Above Party Politics" BILL THIS SESSION

(By Teleeraph

WELLINGTON. Last Night. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Somple, referring to the elimination of level crossings in the course of the Address-in-Keply debate in the House of Eepresentatives to-day, said that for years we had been talking about getting rid of these death-traps on our higliways but the work had not been done. Mr. S. G. Smith: The Highways Board and the Bailway Department agreed that the crossings should be eliminated. Mr. Semple: We have gone further than that. We agreed to d'o the job and are doing it. When we started out on the job every leading paper in the country commended our actions, but now we have the Opposition stating that the erection of some bridges to eliminate these crossings is wasteful exnenditure.

Mr. Hamilton Criticised Mr. Semple contended that the criticism being levelled at the Government to-day was similar to that which had been hurled at the Seddon and Ballance Governments. He took the leader of the Opposition to task for characterising the people who had not voted for the Nationalists as "members of the mob" — not fit to have a vote, not fit to manage this country. Mr. Hamilton would have to answer for that statement at the nest Election, as he would for the assertion that the churches of the country were tending to ally themfelves with the Labour movement. The Minister proceeded to critiqise the past Government 's Public Works construction policy and said a good deal had been said by the Opposition about uneconomie jobs. There were 2186 Public Works jobs in progress in the Dominion. He had travelled f rom one end of New Zealand to the other and would say not one of those jobs being done was not desirable. The Government had been able to increase the work being done, because it. had adopted scientific methods of construction. "Almost Slander" Mr Semple said certain statements had been circulated about him which had amounted almost to slander. He was referring to the subject of Public Works contracts. He had been accused, he said, of bringing foreign machinery into this country for use on Public Works. This was quite untrue. Our own machinery came first, then machinery of other makes, if it proved suitable. "I have'never presided at a meeting of the tenders board in my life," said Mr Semple'. *'I have never used my influence in any shape or form to divert tenders. I left it to my engineers to select the most suitable tenders, and this they have always done. Proof of my statement lies in the Public Works office, and I invite the Leader of the Opposition or any member of ifc to visit the offices of the Public Works Department and inspect that proof." Mr. Semple went on to .deal with the j savings which had been effected in : public works, especially in the construci tiou of aerodromes. It had saved the | country £140,000 in oue job alone. If the aerodromes constructed by the previous Government at the cost of £600, 00G had been carried out under tho present Government with modern methods, the work could have been done at £200,000, a saving of £400,000. which could have been used to create dozens ■of HiSUitf -•Wheeibarrow Minds." v Moreover, said the Minister, beside# the money being saved the jobs were being done in half the time. The same people criticising the Government 's modern machinery said the wheeibarrow had always been with us and always would be. Some people had wheeibarrow minds, "he added, Modern machinery had saved the country tens of thousands of pounds. Speaking of the wages paid to public works employees, the Minister said the average wages paid to the men did not average £4 per week. That was not too much for a inan to. keep a wife and children decently. In connection with his campaign to reduce road fatalities, the Minister thanked churches, automobile associations, the police and all those who had assisted him in his efforts in this directiori. By the law of averages, he said, they had kept 70 people out of their coffins this year. He had had the welcome co-operation of the organisations he mentioned, but he could not give the Opposition any credit for its assistance. All he had got from them was cheap criticism. They called him the Mussolini of Transport, the Czar of Transport, etc., but he could justify any of his actions as a Minister, and he had been able to contribute something to the saving of human life and protecting those people who neede3 protection.

Humanitarian Legislation. This session, said Mr. Semple, he would ask for legislation to give further control over transport. New Zealand, he said, was the only country in the world which had showu a reduction in road fatalities, and still the Government was receiving stupid criticism, The matter of the toll of the road was too sacred for party politics, and the least we could do was to agree on an effort to save human life and to give the credit where it was due. Mr. H. Atmore congratulated Mr. Semple on his efforts to reduce road fatalities, and referring to the Governftent lggj&latiott ia geaeraL aiid that i*

long as the Government concentrated on Avork of a humanitarian nature it would have more support from the people than if it devoted its concentrated attention on the abstract balancing of the Budget. He congratulated the Government on its education policy and advocated the use of the national credit to its fullest extent. Mr. H. E. Herring, referring to the guaranteed prices, said that although there were comparatively few dairy farmers in his district, most of them appcared satisfled with the Government 's policy, and somo had written spontaneously to him saying they were now able to look forward to the futurc with confidence and expressing a great measure of praise for tho Government. The House roso at 10.30.