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Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 296, 11 July 1929, Page 2

T’i the course of a pve-sessicnnl address at Karamea, Mr. G. C. Flack, M.P. for Motucka, that this session the Minister of Finance was going to ask Parliament to agree to amend the form of the Publ’c Works Estimates as follow' to show: (a.) Estimated total cost of each work when authorised; (b) total expenditure of each' work to the end of the previous financial year; (c) estimated amount required to comnlete the work. This system would enable Parliament to have some control on the expenditure of the huge sums which had fiepn recklesslv snent in the past through the blundering of engineers. “ Personally,” said Mr. Black, “ I am of opinion that the Public Works expenditure will not be adequate!" handled hv Parliament until a Public Works Committee is set up, functioning as other sessional committees, to review the expenditure of the past twelve months and examine the proposals for the forthcoming year. The expert advice of engineers is most necessary, but it should not be the province of any State official to be a dictator as to the requirements of any district or locality: the taxpayers must he relieved of the bureaucracy which has done so much to r-rinnle individualism in this country m recent times.” ’