PUBLIC WORKS POLICY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 697, 24 November 1933, Page 6

PUBLIC WORKS POLICY

"Post")

finding employment actiyities curtailed by reduced financial resources a DIFFERENT outlook

(Special to

Wiellington, Thursday '"The recent activities of the Public "Wjorks Department have been influenced not only by the- factor of reduced finance and the consideration of the economic value of works under review from time to time, but. by the continued need for the opening-up of .avenues of employment," said the Hon. J. Bitchener, in presenting the annual statement of his department to the House of Representatives last night. "The last-mentioned consideration— /the necessity of providing for those who have lost their occupations — 'has required that public works ■construction should be regarded in a somewhat different light from that in which it was viewed in former years," he said. "More so than in the past it has been necessary to weigh •expenditure upon works classed as definitely and immediately or sh'ortly productive (bat where . the proportion spent in wages would be relatively low) .against expenditure on works which are of less economic value (in that a return for the outlay would be inadequate or deferred) but which are capable of absorbing a greater number of men. It has been my ende,a.vour to hold a fair balance between the demand for the one and the need for the other, and accordingly all proposals for new works are closely examined from' all angles before any decision is made to proceed. I am. making it my business, and, where necessary, by personal acquaintance by inspection, to see that the reduced, though still large, sum •of loan money voted for public works is spent to the best advantage. The contacts I have- had with local hodies during such visits of inspection have been most helpful in coming to an understandng of their problems. "It is a pleasure to me to be able to reeord that my effort to acquaint myself as quickly and as fully as possible with the department's work have been greatly assisted by the loyal help I have received from all members of the staff of the department. Co-operative Action "The co-operation of the Minist.r of Employment and the Unemployment Board has been of eo.nsider,a.ble help in determining the works that are most suitable as -unemployment relief works. It will be realised by honourable members that limitations of finance precluded the institution and completion within any one financial year of iany series of major works and in the expenditure of loan money this year the effort has been to apportion the allocation of approximately £3,000,000 over as wide a field as possible. This has led to the institution of a number of more. or less modest schemes affording employment in various parts of the country for the greatest possible number. The praetice has been to employ relief workers as far as possible on a co-operative contract basis. This has my full endorsement, as I helieve it tends to promote a more healthy and contented spirit amongst them-. With assistance from the Unemployment Board it is proposed to extend the system of work under co-operative contract as far as can be done — (that is, whilst the need remains for works of this kind. Reduction Justified "It may be thought by some that th'ere has been an undue reduction in public works expenditure from loan moneys, but, with regard to this, I would express the belief that the increasei of £700,000 over last year was as far as we could go in the light of the very real need for keep-^ ing expenditure from loan moneys as low as possible. It is prohable, and this would have been in full accord with my own views, that the expenditure could have been kept at the lower figure of the previlous year but for the necessity of creating useful work for unemployed men. A1 though public works expedlture

is at a necessarily low figure, the lower cost of materials, coupled with financial assistance from the Unemployment Board, has checked to some extent the fall in the volume of work; in other words, the country has obtained relatively more work for its loan money than it has in the past. It will be recalled that in relation to the public-works policy the Government recently decided to further the Unemployment Board's effort to lstimu,late the languishing building and allied trades and thereby, among •other thimgs, to reinstate abt'isans and others in their accustomed occuptions hy proceeding with such deferred works as the Wellington Railway Statioh and the Dunedin Post Office. The former involves expenditure under the Riailways Improvement vote, but the acceptance of a tender for the erection of the Dunedin Post Office absorbs a portion of this year's allocation for the erection of public buildings. This Year's Allocation "The proposed expenditure of public works loan m,oney for this year rna.y be grouped under four headings which indieate their general purpose, namely: — ) 1(1) Improvement of lines of communication and transport (railways, roads and highways, harhour works, etc.), £1,049,000. . (2) Development of electric power, £675,000. (3) Erection of public buildings, £196,000. (4) Land development (including settlement of unemployed workers), £954,000. "Railway construction, 'which a year or two agO' was the principal activity of the Public Works Department, has now become a very small part of its work. The only railway construction works carried on last year were the Stratford Main Trnnk line and the deviation of the Wtlling-ton-Tawa Flat railway. ■"There is ,an increase in the proposed expenditure on hydro-electric development for the present yar. This is accounted for ehiefly by the necessity for an early completion of the Waitaki scheme in South Canterhury.