POINTS OF VIEW

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5325, 11 February 1947, Page 4

POINTS OF VIEW

^T the week-end, a member oi, the New South Wales Cabinet gave us a flattering appreciation of a visitor's view of New Zealand. At the same time, a member of the New Zealand I Parliament was telling them in | Brisbane what Queenslanders ! had been lucky in avoiding. The | Hon. C. E. Martin , Attorneyj General for New South Wale/, ! said in the course of his in- | formative talk : "We 'have an | acute housing shortage, as in | every other country. We have j to re-establish the State brick works. Tiles, too, are in very short supply and it may 'be necessary for the State to estabi lish its own tile works. I have | been struck by the variety of | design, the beautiful gardens and the obvious pride of the tenants in their States houses. I am afraid many of your buildings here look far better than the greater number of our schools, which have been rather poorly treated." In speaking of a £29,000,000 works programme, Mr. Martin said it was the policy "of 'his Government 'that the works programme should be drawn up having regard to the need for ! public investment, explenditure | being sufficient "to provide that j available resources were fully | employed, without being at such | a limit as to create a demand j for and withdraw resources i which were already employed d® i essential tasks. It was impera- | tive that any puhlic works pro- ■ gramme be tied into the general policies relating to full employment. To aid this purpose, a State Development Council had been set up. There is a policy matter stated here that assumes a special significance in view of the visit to the Rotorua district this week of a very important delegation, | representing seven State depart- [ ments, which -is surveying the f possible sites of important features of the development programme for the North I Island. The New South Wales | Development Council is an inner j Cabinet, which concerns itself | with. works schemes, co-ordinat- { ing the activities of the various j Government authorities to eni sure that maximum progress is j made with urgent projepts, and ! to re view* from time to time the j progress of the State's . underj takings. The council also dej termines policy matters relating j to building materials in short L supply and to the decentralisaI tion of industry. The plans that are now being formulated in New Zealand evidently are being prepared on the same broacl basis. Jf the same long view is taken when they are ready to receive the imprimatur of the Cabinet, we shall build well for the future, but this cannot be uone while one departrnent's clamant needs are being withheld or diverted by another* department. Then again, the progress of any one projeet can be hamstrung by non-coperatioix on the lower levels. ~ If Mr. Martin could have indicated how that co-operation can .be achieved through all the members of the body politic, he would have sho.wn himself really to hold the key to a prosperous and happy community.