The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1925. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1925. THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

It would api>cnr Innn. the I’nbl if* Works Statement that ways and moans have hoeli ample in the past tear, inr the reenrd of cxjH'iiditurc nil public works is high attain. (II £.->.8(>2.1l ■> voted l„r l!l*2-»-a.*>. £.->.032,712 was actually expended. 01 the balance, unexpended nl' £829.07.3, there were liabilities at. the ®loso of the liuancial year of £(>l.3,BSlth The net unexpended amount was therefore only £213,77-1, which in relation to tilt: original vote of over live million, wins not a I la roe sum at all. For this year the vote on the general estimates is £(>,- 033.000. or practi ally a million more than was spent last year, hut the supplementary votes have to l>e added yet. Deducting the liability of £615.' 809 carried forward, there will, with the amount to lie voted for the supplementary estimates, he available over live millions and a-lndf for public works expenditure. This amount is more than double the annual expenditure in pre-war days. Vet. for this large expenditure ways and means to an even ntueli more substantial amount are in sight, though four millions of the amount may he raised by loan. But at the present a loan of four millions is suggested for the State Advances Department, so that recourse to borowing for public works is not likely to take ] laee. The principal channels for expenditure of polili • works money are railways, roads, buildings, and lately in greater volume. hydro-elect rie works. There is of course a preponderating rate of expenditure in the North Island as compared with the South Island. This advantage applies to almost all classes of public works expenditure, which is at once ail indication of where the greater ijuantity of labor is employed, an outward sign of genera progress. The South Island press and organisations complain mil >o much at the volume of expenditure in the North Island. as the laggard way in which promises affecting important works in the South Island are negelcted. And facts and figures relating to the matter give good wnrrnntry for the complaints. turning to district roads expenditure we notice that last year for the Greymouth road district £.‘>9.321 was voted, hot the ex[>enditure within the. fin rllHMil.l YA!)l' t/ifnlli-wl r.nlt* I

C29.fi0.-i. or about half t.lie amount. This is attributable generally to the late period of the year in which auautliorities for expenditure are issued. For instance, as in this year, the Estimates are brought down in September, hut it. will lie probably Noveinlier lietore the local bodies are advised what votes may lie undertaken. Thereafter proposals have ti lie prepared and approved, leaving little more than three months of the year in which to put through the expenditure. There is thus a large carry over every year, caused by the inevitable delay. Of the detailed estimates for Westland Countv. the substantial vote of £5.009 for Waiho river bridge absorbs a large proportion of the new money available for the district. Some other bridges in the south not appearing in the detailed list, it is understood, are included in the highways vote, but the time available for expenditure is so brief that a. large amount will not l>e spent within the financial year. Tho minor roads and bridges provided for cover a well distributed list, in regard to which the Moodier for Westland took special interest. District votes now are allocated largely on a quota basis fixed by the Public Works Department, and it is largely a matter of selecting the most important and urgent works for attention. In that regard no doubt the best has been done, though some necessary works

will be found to lie missing. It re-

mains for the local authority in connection with the Public Works officers to hasten the construction of tho works so that the community will have the use and benefit of the roads and bridges with the least possible delay.