POLITICAL FAVOURS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1929, Page 5

POLITICAL FAVOURS

WHERE THEY HAVE GONE.

REVELATIONS BY MR RANSOM

A telling rejoinder to the Reform party’s allegations that the new system of automatic allocation for public works grants would result in a scramble Unpolitical favours was made by the Hon E. A. Ransom, Minister of Public Works, in the House of Representatives last Friday! Mr Ransom said he had not been at all cncerned with the statements of the newspapers, but he was concerned when the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon J. G. Coates, took up the same attitude. The Minister gave an assurance that there would! be, no attempt to distri\te : political favours as far as the )res°nt ‘'-stem was concerned, “Since tne Leader of the Opposition has said that there will be a scramble for poliical favours, I propose to tell the Rouse where the favours have been going for the past’three years,” Mr •tansom said. “Under the ordinary loading vote last year the Whangarei road district, part of which is in the electorate of the Leader of the Opposition, received £191,501. Mr Coates: How many electorates ? Mr Ransom: Three electorates. J Mr Coates: Or four? : ’ ■•- • The Minister said that notwithstanding this generous vote to the Wharigarei district, a further sum;; of £15,490 was allocated out of the outlying district vote of £55,000, while! £6892 was paid out of the Consolidated Furid in respect of renewals and flood darnage. The grand total was thus £213,883. (Cries of surprise from the Government benches). In addition ;tb that, a return from the Wharigai-’ei office showed that the expenditure last year on construction amounted to £49,704, and on maintenance £35,408, a total of £85,112. The total expenditude on construction and maintenance on roads and highways, including relief works, was £298,995 in that one road district of Whangarei.

If every road district in. New Zealand had been given - an equal allocation, said Mr Ransom, it would have required a fund of £3,886,935.

Those figures .would . show,. ..the. .Min- , ister thought, a’ clear explanation of his reasons for the alteration in automatic allocations. If it could be shown that his system was not fair and equit- ’ able, a-nd if it could be shown that any political, favours were being handed out, he; would..put ri thuM|:l’right before the allocation l nmde. *•{#» Mr :6oates Bisjyjw? have macra' the allocations.;; 'jijVMk .The Minister:, it, l late to .put it right. iV’*Ay ”;$I ..-Uj-, Mr Coates: But yoii ddn’t" know what basis you are working on. ' You.,,can’t have the slightest idea. EXPENSIVE j. AUCKLAND ROAR. ■ Later*' in ppeeeji jshe MihfsW remarked! waa ; - sorry to have again to refeh 'to the question of political favours, but he ought to telf.'the Housa ‘about . -a ,r6|dj;d|<' l | ; ‘'pisti t was j partly - ih the Leader .ipf the’; .Opposition! §,,Jit |i%as typical of the wasteful expenditure which he (Mr Ransom) would liiot stand for., .This, .wps .the Waipu-Oak-ley Road. Some years ago there was a movement, on foot ~to Make a •-yailway over the 17 miles between these townships, and the estimated costs was However, Mr Massey 'and the present Leader of the Opposition, then Minister of Public Works, cided to 'build a road instead, and it had htsen in the course of construction for a long time. Recently' he was asked to authorise further i. .'expenditure, and he called for explanations. He then found, that the estimate in 1922 was £68,000, hut in 1924 it went to £BO,OOO, .and in March, 1929, the actual expenditure was £154,662. v-T, V 1 Members: Why? , The Minister-: A,nd N it, .required £15,300 to complete, so that ytlie total cost will be £169,962. , ■ ■ ■ , Members:- Whew! : - £IO,OOO A MILE. -•> . The* Minister: Yes, practically £IO,OOO a mile, and I am asked to perpetuate expenditure of that description, but I am not prepared .; to do it. This is in a district where there are backblocks roads which have been unmetalled for forty years. The Hon. T. M. Wilford: Are there many men working • there ? The Minister: Strong complaint was made jby the Leader of the . Opposition abou,t the discharge of some men from that road work. He said .he had known some of Them for years, and the complaint was that they were disturbed in their employment. Actually ' every one in eighteen of the population was working for the Public Works Department in the Kaipara district, while the average for other parts of New Zealand is one in 100. Mr Coates; Steady! You have not told the whole story. You omitted to say you. did not find the money. It was Highways Board money. Mr J. S. FletoEer: It is costing the country that money.