GENERAL REVIEW

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 345, 5 October 1932, Page 5

GENERAL REVIEW

rigid pruning in all public works Estimates TAPERING-OFF POLICY Wellington, Tuesday. Fmphasis was Iaid upoii the extensive reduetion .>vhieh had been made pi Public Works expenditure during the past financial year. Uheeonomie works .had heen clo'sed down,. while | the raisipg pf loan. moneys had. heen materiaiiy . curtailed. The total iiet J expenditure for. the year had been | £4,794,000; as against £8,487,000 for 4 the previous year. Last year's expenditure had heen the lowest since the re-; sumption of activities after. the war.; The .estimates fior the comihg year are further reduced to £2,398,700. , Tfie main- headings making up the J Public Works expenditure for the 8 year were; — -Railway works, £1,021,.000; main highways and roads, £1,- j; .5.8Q,6b(j ; hydro-electrie works, £1,- j| 324,000; public buildings, including |i schools, £480,000; telegraphs and | i telephones, £258/000; irrigation, land and river improvement, £124,000; miseellaneous £7000. It was pointed' out that this year railways expenditure had heen xe•legated to third place on the Public Works expenditure list. The average capital expenditure on railways during the previous three years, had amounted to £3,218,000, whereas last year it had. been reduced to £1,021,000. This substantial reduetion was in part due to the policy adopted by the Government in 1931, when railw;ays were placed definitely upon a eommerciai basis, under the control of a non-political board. The only section wbich showed an increase, compared v/itb tbe previous year, was hydro-electric construction. The capital expenditure in this connection was mainly in respect to the Waitaki schemes, and at Arapuni, where further remedial measures had been necessary. The total outlay by the State on hydro-electric works was 'now £11,500,000. The gross revenue from all schemes was £680,000, and after paying all working expenses, interest, and making ample provision for depreciation, the schemes collectively had shown a nett profit for the year of over £37,000. In completing his brief review of the Public Yforks expenditure, as apart from the detailed estimates, the Prime Minister emphasised that the Government proposed to adhere to the policy of tapering off expenditure ori all fonns of capital work. At the same time it was appreciated that a sudden cessation of such work would aceentuate the present unemployment difificulties, and thus be of no real advantage. Moreover it was considered desirable to* complete' the works already begun, where these would show a remunerative return. Rotorua Estimates The following estimates for works, either proposed or in progress, in the Rotorua district are included in the Public Works estimates: Drainage works and water supply, £500; new effluent pipe line, £1250 (of this amount £1000 has already been expended) ; electrical works and telephone lines, £2500. This estimate is for the year 1932-33, but an amount of £4000 has already heen voted for the current year, and of this £2571 has already been expended; improve7 ments to reserves £100; eonstruction of Blue bath house, £10,000. On this work, £15,903, had been expended to March 31, 1932; the erection oi' pump house and installation of booster pump to supplement water supply, £1050.

The total estimates under the Public Works fund for the year 1932-33 are £2,398,700 as against £5,837,000 voted in 1931-32 and £4,205,274 actually expended for that year. FIGURES COMPARED The following are the Public Works estimates as set out in the annual statement submitted with the budget last evening: —

(expended) 1932-33 1931-32 £ £ Departmental 110,000 151,377 Railways — Construction ... 100,000 590,543 Improvements 110,000 361,845 Public buildings 169,000 454,804 Timber supply ... 300 2,012 Quarries 2,000 107 Harbour works ... 4,000 12,033 Roads bridges etc 477,000 1,082,210 Telegraphs 100,000 249,978 Lands improvement 80,000 88,900 Drainage - 70,000 37,749 Land • drainage 23,400 Plant and stores 20,000Cr.l05,690 Unemployed settlement 500,000 Total 1,786,700 2,963,477