PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1925, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

15V THIC HON .1. G. COATES, MINISTER Of REBEIC WORKS

(Per Favour <if Government)

YEI-bINGTOK, Sept. 15. The [[on i. O. Coates (Premier and Minister of Rithlio Works) submitted lae following statement on Public Works to the House:

Mr Speaker. This i> t In* sixth u< r arsioit upon which it has been my privilege to

present to you the si mi nn 1 Statement of the Public Works Department. In last year's Statement the tonv of some workers to look upon loan-moneys as a means of providing i hem with an opportunity of earning their living was stressed and condemned. The number of works of pressing need during the year has been so great that, instead of it reduction, there has been an increase—of nearly ;| thousand- in the number of men employed on public works. This position need create no anxiety, as the works undertaken are of public utilj; v ami directly or indirectly remunerative. With tin- exception of the year 10-22. when costs were higher, last year’s expenditure proved a record. Tt is gratifying to be able to add that the amount of work done was relatively greater. I his last. i> due to the excellent work of the Department's Engineers and other oth,.,.rs and to the industry am! loyal en-nperatinn of all other employees, and I take this opportunity of expressing to all concerned my sincere thanks and appreciation.

While ii is inevitable that. public works of a varied and extensive nature should le carried cut in developing a young country. *if these are not to prove wasteful and no remunerat ivc It js essential that the sources of wealth-production should lie- expatided concurrentlv. One of the most difficult tasks of the Minister of Public Works is to ha la lice ami utilize money and labour available so that, progress may not be hindered, while production is increased .sufficiently to allay all anxiety as to the source from which the interest on moneys expended will

The prnnnunfomev.ls made in l.ondon recently concerning the necessity ol rationing loan-moneys compel us to consider very carefully our programme of proposed public works so that any curtailment of our activities contingent noon the difficulty of borrowing may ho ell'ectcd witluut serious dislocation ol tl’.e labour-market and with the minimum of inconvenience to the workers. The providing of public utilities and increased population are complementary of each other. Better communication by mad and rail means closer settlement and greater productivity of our lands. Increased population necessitate.-. the extension of the telegraph, the telephone, the electric light and electric power for domestic use. and the economic working of our farming and subsidiary industries. And the facilities have an aesthetic as well as an economic value to the community, who h enhances and renders more attractive living and working in the country, and thus helps to stem the drift of population to the. towns. LOCAL BODIES' RORHOWTNB. f have previously urged the need of co-ordinating Government and local bodies’ expenditure mi public works, and something has already been don - in this cnnneetioii. The | resent syslem in my opinion, is still likely to permit of ill-considered and uneconomic expenditure upon schemes which might well he deferred, if not definitely rejected. 1 am certainly convinced that before loans arc approved by the Goverinor-General in Cuinu il much closer and more expert- examination is required by a bod; of men 'lUaliltcd 1,, .1.-1.-r-min--a In. lb. i Ho | osier d ho v.hwh t lie power in raise money is being asked arc ill the best interest of Ilia reqiE-i ion ing, locality or of the cr.nmry. WORKS! rOMIM.KTED DURING YEAR. The unisinmling work completed during the year was the major stage of t!ie Mangaliao hydro-electric station, v. hi cl i wn? officially opened by the laic Rt. floii. W. T’. Massey, this being indeed one of bis last, public rut-. Tt is new supplying the greater part of tin southern iml of the North Island. t!ic transmission-lines reaching and Icing in operation from Wellington in the south to liuiiiiytltcrpp in the north, am! to Mastcrton and Dannevirko in the cast. In addition, the lines have he a extended nearly to Wanganui, and are reachimr out to Xsipier.

Front a railway point ol view 111 most, important milestone was tbo fin: bnnd.iiin over to the Working Rail ways Department of |],e Arthur’s Ibis Section of the .Midland Railway, com pl"le with its oleefrilieatinn system, number of other short; sections, total line over 20 miles, were completed am handed over, while rails were laid o an additional TO miles. R A IT,WAY CONSTR UCTTOX. During the last financial year a to tal length of 20 miles Ad chains n railway was handed over to the Rail way Department for incorporation will the general railway system of tin country. Details are as follows: 11 nntly-A waroa Branch Railway, mile AA chains. (iisbornr-AVairoa. Raiway CUakarakn Ngntapa Si--Iion) 11 miles. T 1 chains Stratford .Main Trunk Railway (Ko Imratalii-Taliora Section). A miles 1 cha i ns. -Midland Railway fOtira to Arthur’ Pass Section) S miles Id chains. The whole a total of 2d miles .5- ■ !ia ; r.s. .SOUTH ISLAND I.TXF.ft. On the Ir-n hape-Murchison Sectio) pin le-h ing is in (regress on the Ka "oiliri oortioii. am! iliis slionld lit

ready for handing over hv the end of November. On the Murchison Section formation and clearing are in hand. The peimanent location of the line has been completed to 73 miles and trial survey is in hand to 81 miles. On the Westport-Tnangnlnia Section work is in progress from To Ktilta to Cascade Creek with the object- of providing means for transport of coal from the mines in that virility now being opened up. Plate-laying has been done up to S miles. A telephone lias been provided between West-port and To Ktilta and the necessary buildings provided on the

section for the accommodation of officers and workmen. The cent re-lino railway beyond Cascade Creek lias been relocated to 16 miles. EXPENDITURE. The total net expenditure under all votes and accounts appearing on the public-works estimates for the finttnciav year ended 31st. March 19‘20. was £0.253.952. Of this sum £1.373.370 was expended out of General Jhirnns'vs Account, and the balance £1 835.582 out of special accounts. WAYS AND MEANS. On the Ist. April, 1921. the available ways and means for general public works were £888.023. Additional funds were received totalling £5,470.2:8. Less Treasury Bills redeemed, £500,000: Transfer to Main Highways Account Construction Fund, £220,000, leaving a balance of £-1,753.2-18. The net expenditure on works and .services chargeable against the Genera! Purposes Account for the year was: £-1.373.809. There is available for public works, general purposes, a total of £9,380,359. The estimated expenditure under the account for the current financial year, including the transfer of £200.000 to Main Highways Construction Fund, is £-1.918.500.

FLOOD DAMAGE. I regret that it is again necessary to state that on account of exceptional Hoods damage to roads and bridges lias been very considerable. The Department's exr.enditiirc under this heading fur the past year again, unfortunately, const ii utes a record. In very many cases the cost of restoration was quite beyond the resources of the local bodies. and the Government was appealed to for liberal assistance. I desire to point out in this connection that the granting of Government assistance for restoration of flood damage is very closely controlled. The Department's ever-increasing expenditure under llond damage might indicate the development of a policy whereby all damage ; due to Hoods, even of a more or less . trivial nature, is subsidized. This is! 1 by no means the- position. Every ap- j pli.-ation for Government aid is very; earofullv investigated by the Depart- | inenl. and before any subsidy is ap- ; proved the local body’s ability to meet : the cost of restoration from its own financial resources, and the question whether or not any or all of the damage can rightly In- attributed to neglected maintenance, ill-considered de- . I sign, faulty construction work, or to! causes beyond the reasonable provision ' of the local authority, arc carefully, ' gone into. ' ROWER BOARDS. ETC. Apart from tin* work done directly by the Depal tinin-t. the Rower Boards throughout the country have carried uni a i onsidcrahle amount of work in distributing power purchased in bulk from the Depart tnent. At the cud of * the financial year 39 Boards had been 1 formed, covering an area of (>2,520 square miles, nr (si per lent, ul tile - 1 total area of the Dominoiii. The total 1 population in the area controlled by 1 these Boards is 770.510. or 50 per cent of the population of the Domin- * ion; the unimproved capital land value - of the Rower Board areas amounts to t £231.185.1)7-1. or 70.3 per cent, of the e total unimproved capital value of tho 1 I),amnion. ■i RAILWAYS. I I t-. ~|. a,jit me tiu-lvi if... I!alia a■i I i,:p, „i ■ a,. \n; lid i/.al mu Cl. 1911. - a mounted to £255.'71. lor new staf I i,i■ is and station-yards, good-slu-ds e and terminal la,iliii,-s at Auckland, Wellington. Christchurch. Addington. Lyttelton, I’aeroa, and .Yew Rlyniniitli : tiuplica Lion. Newmarket, New l.vnn: t;r.id.* easement'. Renrosc—Mercer : I l;• v. line. A m-kln ml-We-iliehl : new lino in llutt Valiev; deviation, Relichct e Ray : signalling, interlocking and safX ety appliaiu es ; electric lighting. The t proportiunate lost of raising the loan f was £ 19.533. ADDITIONS TO ODEN LINES. 1 The cxn.-mfitiirc out of tin* Rubikt Yicrks Kuml amounted to £712,922 for the provision of additional rollingi stock, tnrpauli.tis. West ingliouse a brakes, stcam-licatiug, workshop machinery, improvements and additions to sintion-buil,lings, extension of sidings, ;* bridge-works, subways, ,-ranes. weigli--1 bridges, additions to workshops; tablet. telegraph and telephone facilities; s additional dwellings; signals and interlocking; and purchase of laud. , .MENTAL HOSPITALS DEPARTMENT. I At Hokitika the No. I unit, being i part of a new scheme proposed, was <ompleted. A residence for the Medical Superintendent, and also cottage for night nurses, were erected. The f attendants’ quarters were renovated and the construction' of a villa to aci commodate a considerable number of > patients was put in hand. All buildings have been, connected with the licw | drainage system, and electric lighting installed. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. Since the period of depression following the Great War the expansion of | the telephone and telegraph systems in New Zealand lias been iinprecedents cd. am] voar by year a greater amount of capital Inis been rcuiiirod to limine,• | the development of these services. For the year ended 3Ut March. 1925. tincapital expended ill extending the leloi phone and telegraph systems amounf- . -cd to £957,291. Although there is already one telephone for every thirteen a persons in New Zealand, the potential demand for telephone service is still very great, and every expansion of the I' service gives rise to still further extensions. Twenty-one new exchanges were opened during the year, and to these ami other exchanges throughout the Dominion over twelve thousand new connect ions were lead,-; this being the greatest number of new stations connect'.'.l during any year since the inception of the telephone-exchange

system in New Zealand. summary. To suminari/.e shortly the opcrniiom of the Department since 1 assume! control. T would point out that in the past six years £6,357.301 has been expended on railway-construction, and during that period 291 miles ot railway have boon brought under ti'aflit*, of which 100 miles have been handed over rn the Railway Department for working, while 191 miles are being operated by the Public Works Department for the carriage of goods mil passengers. The cost of sections landed over to the Railway Depart - nent was £4.836,420, a large part of vhich was expended prior to my ussumng control of the Deportment. On 4.7A1) miles of road, including nain highways. £3.721.500 have been xponded. and during the period covred by Midi expenditure considerable inprovements in road-eoiistrueti in ave been introduced. Bitumen pei’.eration and sealing have been exporilented with and adopted in places

where such protection to road-surfaces was considered desirable and proved to be economical. Under the heading of “Hydro-elec-tricity” 51,000 horse-power has been developed and transmitted to centres where demands exist, at a cost of £2,195,650. tut average cost of £ls per horse-power. An area of 19,85)7 acres of ground has been irigated. which involved the spending of £100.192. a considerable portion of which will provide lor further areas on which water is available, but which have nut yet- been brought into productivity. The expenditure out ol the I’ublie ’Works l-Tind in connection with telegraph extension for the past six years has been £3,353.106, distributed an-

nuallv as follows: 1919-20. £219.379: 1920-21, £330,108; 1921-22, £590.981: 1922-23. £501.575; 1923-24, £717,409: 1924-25, £057,294. A great deal of mechanical plant for the aiding of labour and the carry-ing-out of heavy construction lias been brought into use. the principal items of which are: Thirty steam-shovels; live drag-line excavators: forty-seven locomotives—steam, petrol, and electric; eighty motor-lorries: sixteen tractors; twenty concretc-stone-crushers: thirteen road-rollers; bitumen boilers and sprayers, and a large array of machine tools, steam boilers, motors, cranes, and the other minor machines necessary for the successful operations of the larger units. The rare of the workers on the lines lias had the special attention of the officers of the Department, and wheroever practicable, and where works were likely to last any considerable time, huts’ have boon provided, at a total cost of £107.131. with which sum 2.287 single men’s huts were built, and in addition 313 cottages for married

The institution of tin* Main Highways Hoard, sincl the declaration of some six thousand miles of main highways, together with tlieir own finance, largely provided directly by tne owners of meeluinieal transport, should make adequate provision for the communications which are required, as it were, between the pioneer hach-hlocks road and the railway or the port. "he highways scheme is more or less in its infancy, hut it has, even during the portion of the year in which it has been actively opcratiii". done a considerable amount of work, and as its finances improve as the result ot the steady increase in the numbers oi vehicle sand the extent of their travel, so U'.ie facilitis which can lie derived will increase at an even greater rate. Cenerally speaking', while avoiding! anything in the nature of a boom hy means of borrowed money. I hope t< continue to spend capital on worlo width have tt reasonable prospect ol financial soundness, and which wil improve the general productiveness o ■ eountry and the comfort and eon i eminent of its people.

THE ESTIMATES. WF.S'I LAND VOTK.S. .0 Adamson Road to \\ ;i 1 aroa Inline 200 Kvans Road - £ for C) ... I•”>'* Haddock Robertson road ... -I l'.J Harvey Creek Bridge > Woolhouse Road) dud Harris Undue l.Waimea Creek) i _ lor L') '-’-d da.ks.Mi Hay I’orl Road . AO Kokatahi Road 200 Kokatahi River I‘roteclioo ( L' lor £') 100 Kuniara .1 iim.tion to Kapitea HIM) Lake Kanieri Road (widening)' Hit) Vv'aiho River Bridge A. 009 Reterson Road lAO R i. hard-nii Road HID Stafford tdla iua ) lAO Taoiinelii bye-wash bridge ... lot) Turnbull River Road 100 Wadio Corgc Road Track lAO Waitangi south bank) 200 Wall Road ... 3Vt RAII.W A VS. Clenhope M urcliisou 39,000 Westport-lnungahua .‘iII.IKK) .MAIN 111 C H WAVS. Westport Karnmea S.A'Jd Westport. Nelson U1.7*20 Inangahua .1 titict ion-Waibo ... 9,232 K uniara-Arlhurs Pass i• • A h. .In. i'i .iw Sur.evs AO HI I I,! ’IN t • s-. ITt Walaroa I’tdiee Staiion I.r.im Hokitika .Mental Hospital . . 7.70) Bruce I’ay Landing AO Cook River Land Settlement Lbsou Raft Creek ( Kuka I alii) i-lea ni ng .TOO