PUBLIC WORKS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3319, 24 October 1919, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS.

___.(,__...——- THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSALS. ‘‘ -OUTLINED IN STATEMENT 0 _.OVER £3,000,000 ALLOCATED. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION RESUMED. NO NEW UNDERTAKINGS. WELLINGTON, Tzxis Day. The Public V\_7orks statement was presented last night. by Sir Will‘i.anl Fraser and contains no remark-aible features, for the reason that_the main problem has overshadowed the position, and the Minister ‘expressed’ the opinion that the spending authority provided will not by any means be fullyhutilised while the present‘shortage of labour continues. There has been a substantial in-ere-a.se in the number of men engaged on '»';.blie work this year, and the Minister_hoped to make further additions Lis total requirement being 1500 more men. ~ = According to the financial statement the money available in the current year for pubiic Works is £3,025,689, but this is an_undeljstatenlent,~ as the Minister for Public works showed a total amount in <’.>:cess of three aria a half millions.

- Provisions for roads and bridges this year constitutes .a record_ The- only set-off to this excellent feature of the statement is the frank admission by the Minister that the spending auth-C-rity is hardly‘ likely to be exhausted. NEED 110 R IMMIGRATION. He ‘again referred to the necessity for encouraging immigratioli, pointing out ,that, owing to the war losses and suspended immigration, the natural increase in the number of workers only places the Dominion in the position reached prior to the war. RAILWAYS. CONSTRUCTION. . The railways development policy indicated is to resume construction on alllines where -work was suspended, during the war, but not to start fresh undertakings which would dissipate. the countryfs suply of labour and prevent any substantial progress. WATER POWER DEVELOP MENT. Regarding water power development, the statement referred to the purchase of the I-lorahora undertaking, ‘but fails to revea.l the: price to be charged to local authorities for current, this being a matter which will have to be investigated during the recess_ Provision is made for active development of the 'l'apulli and Mangahoe schemes in the North Island. It is intended to secure authority to .’b-or-row the whole amount necessary to complete these works. It is not proposed to establish a hydro-electric board of control until these under"taking'g, are more forward. PUBLIC BUILDING. The public building programnie is small, the Minister being of opinion that housing should come first. Provision must, however, be made for school buildings, and the amount indiicatedin the staemcnt is the only POl--,tion now available this year, the rejmainder coming from a "special 10an_