The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1914. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 127, 22 October 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1914. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

In the Statement brought down in the House on Tuesday night, the Minister for Public Works declared, with not a little pride, that the public works expenditure of the. past year was the largest of any single year for over thirty yc:'.i'.->. The statement is rather'quaint; wlit-i it i;-, remembered that for years previously the Hon. W. Fraser's party had been complaining of the excessive, expenditure of the wicked Liberal Governments and the consequent'piling up \ of the country's debt. The uusatisfaetory state of affairs was to be altered when Reform mounted the Treasury Benches. It has been; but in a different form to what was promised. Not only loan expenditure, but the ordinary working expenditure was to be reduced. The results are now before us. The previous Governments managed t» transfer from tho Consolidated Fund to the Public Works Fund the following amounts:—l9oß, 1909, 1916, £BW,W» eacayear; 1912, £509,00»; 1913, £750,000. Tho present Government transferred this year £350,000, although Uo taxation is now heavier than it Itaa ever been, and tho revenue of the various public departments much greater, whilst from the way things are shaping it looks as if there will bo no money available to transfer at the end of tho present financial year. Wo do nof "olamc the Government for spending what it ias. Not at all. To develop the country money must bo found for roads, bridges, railways, etc. If the money could be •Maiaed wifhtnt damagiig our credit we would borrow four or five rail!io»9 a, year, not threo millions »9 the Minister proposes this year. But we do blame the Reformers for finding fault with the amount of public works expenditure when not in office, and then substantially increasing it when they are in power. Tie present Statement is a contingent one. That is to say, the votes asked for arc coatingeat «a tie ability of tho Government to borrow money at a reasonable rate, If not, a tapering-off policy will perforce have to be followed .by the Minister. Tarannki has nothing to complain of in the apportionment of the proposed expenditure, except that the vote for the StratfordMain Trunk line is not commensurate with its importance. List year about £90,000 was spent on this work; tkis year £IOO,OOO is proposed. At this rate wo may expect to see what is acknowledged to be tho most important railway work under construction in NewZealand completed in ten or twelve years' time. The proposed vote of £40,000 for the Tc Eoti-Opunako line will give general satisfaction, furnishiag as it does an earnest of the Government's desire to quickly complete (h» work. Tenders have been accepted Tor the first contracts, and work is to be commenced forthwith. Work is proceeding on the Mt. Eginont branca, connecting with the quarries, metal from which will soon be available. Ia the matter of roads, Taranaki'a requiremeats have aot Seen everlooked. The important main road from the Mimi to Te Kuiti is to receive the attention the Minister promised when he visited laa district. From Mimi to Mokau, over Mt. Messenger, £SOOO has been allocated; from Mokau to Te Kuiti, £7OOO. and a further £7OOO for the Awakino Valley road diversion. For the road bbtwetn Tongaporutu and Mangaroa £7500 is set down. It is an expensive road to make, owing to the nature of the country to be traversed, but it is destined ta become the arterial road between the Oliura and this part of Taranaki, t,n\ as such is entitled to every penny of the proposed vote. In regard to vote* for public buildings, Taranaki's most urgent wants appear to have been recognised. Tho total appropriations for road works last year were £785,000; this year they figure at over a million. The Minister fqr 'Public Works has an intimate knowledge of the requirements of the backblocks, and it must be said that he has done his best with the money at his disposal to meet them. Expenditure on public buildings amounted last year to £545,881; this year it has been increased to £710,758, but the increase is accounted for by the cost of the new Parliamentary Buildings. Workers', dwellings last year cost £41,741; tfniA year £02,000 is asked for. The first stage of the Lake Coleridge electrical scheme has been practically completed. The cost will be £203,438. It is gratifying to learn that the works will in the near future be self-support-ing. tAI together the programme is, as stated by the Minister, a fairly extensive one, and gives promise of a busy year, or rather half-year, for half the financial year has gone No doubt all the expenditure is absolutely necessary, asd we only hope the money will be available, which, unfortunately, is not at all certain.