THE INCREASING COST

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1920, Page 1

THE INCREASING COST

OF ALL PUBLIC WORKS. ' 1 i HON J. G. COATES’ STATEMENT. (Our Parliamentary Correspondent.) 1 WELLINGTON, Oct. 30. Hon J. G. Coates (Minister of Public ' Works) speaking on Public Works said the cost of constructing railways in New Zealand as in every other country, bad increased tremendously in recent years. He believed that the general increase was something like 100 per cent. A plant that had been estimated to cost £5.000 had actually cost £17,000. The Department was paying over £l2 for cement that used to cost £4 to £5 per ton. Drain pipes were costing £IOO per ton instead of £3O. The fact that there was more money on the estimates than in other years did not mean fhat move work was going to he done. All costs had advanced, and ho feared that the Minister for Finance was going

to find it difficult to keep pace with the demands of the Public W orks Department. The Minister pointed out that the introduction of steam navvies was going t 0 involve increased expenditure on railway construction, sinse the machines would increase the pace of the work. He believed that the quickened pace was going to mean an expenditure of £600,000 per year, apart from the Midland line. In order that other might keep abreast of the navvies If any further increase was made in the number of machines there must be a corresponding increase in the expenditure in that it would involve the employment of more men. He would want roughly 1000 additional men when he had all the work going. If the Department concentrates vigorously on the completion of the main lines it would soon he needing about £3,000,000 a year for construction. Tlic development of hydro-electric power also would involve heavy expenditure. The Government’s schemes and the. local schemes were going to involve an expenditure of between £17,000,000 and £18,000,000 within the next six years. He hoped that when loans were offered to the public, they would he taken up.