The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. PUBLIC WORKS AND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 456, 11 March 1919, Page 2

The Times. PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1910. PUBLIC WORKS AND BUSINESS PRINCIPLES

" We nothing extenuate, nor let down auaht in malice

Ik the course of a speech made by Sir William Fraser, Minister for Public Works, last week he after referring generally to the imporance or hydro-electric development dwelt particularly upon the necessity that these power schemes must be managed on business principles " business must permeate the whole concern." " There must be no frittering away of money, for every Increase in the capital cost means an increase in the price of power." He went on to explain how the enormous rise in the cost of materials—copper wire, for examplehad enforced delay in extending the Coleridge works. In commenting on this pleasing declaration of wise and prudent policy, the " Cnristchurch Press" voices an opinion which, we believe, will be endorsed by every good colonist. One caunot help wishing, it says, that this concern for business principles had been developed Public Works Department years ago. Had the Governments of the past acted on business principles, they would have concentrated on the essential public works, and especially the essential railways, and completed them as quickly as possible. They would have finished the North Island Main Trunk years before they did, and trains would have been running right through from Chrlstchnrch to Greymouth for years. This would have meant a saving of hundreds of thousands of pounds ; there would have been the gain of several years of fruitful development of the country traversed and the terminals connected, and the actual cost of construction would have been vastly less than it has been, for the cost of construction has been rising year by year While leiterating its regret that business methods were not adopted thirty years ago, the " Press " adds that it is a p'.ty the Department cannot get rid of the unbusinesslike methods that it is pursuing at the present moment. It is idle, it says, for the Minister to say, with reference to bvdro electiic schemes or anything else, that " there must be no frittering away of money," when his own Statement is a detailed exposition of V'c manner in which the Department is frittering away money to-day. It is still spreading money and labour over numerous small works which are not urgent, and which should not be allowed to ilivcrl 'i i 'inpit l penny or i single

pick from vitally urged and important national works. The obvious conclusion is that the system is fundamentally bad, and as a remedy the " Press " suggests that the work of development should be supervised by a permanent non-political Board. In Great Britain, when the Development Fund was instituted, all parties were agreed that it should be under non-political control. The Board makes its recommendations as to expenditure, and the Government may adopt the recommendations or not, as it pleases. But the Government cannot expend any money in the Fund without the approval of the Board. Our contemporary's contention is that there is no reason whv the same system should not be applied heie.