A TRUE PROPHET

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1932, Page 2

A TRUE PROPHET

PUBLIC WORKS SYSTEM

LESSON OF HISTORY.

“Reversing a telescope on an object places that object in the right perspective,” says a statement issued by the Associated Chambers of Commerce. it has never occurred to many people that there may be an alternative to the present system of the State carrying out public works through the Public Works Department, whereby the waste and extravagance on puunc undertakings could be obviated. There is an alternative, and it is that all public works be carried out by private enterprise under contract® with tlie Government, as was the practice at the start.

A prophet spoke over 60 years and time lias proven him to lie a true prophet. He was Air J. Cracroft Wilson, C. 8., a member of the House or Representatives in 1870. When members were discu,using tlie Immigration I and Public Works Biil of 1870—which measure sought to create the Public Works Department and establish the machine y for the State to have public works carried out—Air Wilson prophecy is still to be read in the glimpsed the years ahead and his Hansard report of that debate. He s.nid “that the increase in taxation might easily become excessive through tlie desire to govern too much and through the vain illusion of establishing 'State wealth by vast enterprise” and added: “I venture to say that, if thte scheme is carried out in its entirety, not many years will elapse before tlie truth of what I am now urging will bo proved; that the whole system will lead to an amount of taxation that will be unbearable, and that it is a scheme in which observation and science have had no band but where empiricism and expediency have done everything.” This prophet was not without bis backers. Air H. Driver, a supporter of the Government, attracted considerable attention by bis criticism of the Government bill. He said that the only way to ensure that the money would be properly spent was to appoint a board to assist the Alinister of Public Works. Not a shilling, should be spent except upon the recommendation of such a board, even if a good deal of preliminary expense were incurred. He believed that the scheme would sooner or later be thrown down to be scrambled for unless proper machinery were provided for the expenditure of the money. It was impossible for any Government to resist the pressure that would be brought to bear against them to spend money improperly. As it hate proved, there was more than a hint of another true phophecy in those last two sentences. The Bill was passed, with the inclusion of a clause providing for the setting up of a Board of Advice, to assist tlie Alinister of Public Works. But no board was appointed, and tlie next year a bill was passed including a clause deferring its appointment, while in- the next year again a third act repealed the provision altogether, How did this come about? It was because the Government at that time took the case for public work strongly in hand and spent the money wisely and well, It wa,s helped materially in this by con- I tracts with private enterprise, as is made clear in the first report of the Public Works Department in 1871, m g which the Minister states: “Two principles of action have been adopted; ~ first, the execution of all work of con-

tract and secondly, competent, professional supervision. Thus, waste ot money and of labour is prevented and commensurate results obtained.” In those lines lie the solution to mo economical performance of public work's to-day, The report of 1871 and the speeches in Hansard show plainly that the State looked naturally to private to execute all the public works of tlio country; did the Government consider . building roads, bridges, railway lines or any other public work, it secured the services of competent private contractors, and it was never intended that the department should become tiic huge’ employing machine that we have known in later years, or that it should ever carry out the great bulk of public works at the enormous cost that the taxpayers have good reason to know, But governments came and went, rose and fell, the department took more and more works into its own hands, it grew and was expanded beyond its proper function, it became subject to political purposes and it precipitated public undertakings which were not ro necessary for the development of the country as they were for keeping employed the growing army that now bore the name of the Public Works Department. There was no board of advice, no expert check on (lie wisdom of the expenditure of these millions. The system had boon “thrown down to be j scrambled for.” and taxes loaded the nation. The phopheey had come true. Tl is time for the country to get back to the proven practice that brought 'jatkd'action and economy to the Dominion sixty years ago-—the lotting of all contracts to private enterprise and the restriction of the department to its proper sphere as a clerk of works, ami, it: might: well be added, the careful investigation Ito forehand of the economic rather than the political necessity of carrying out any particular piece of work at all. najaraiMßiM wammmmmmmmmm *n