WAGES PAID BY STATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 September 1922, Page 4

WAGES PAID BY STATE.

CONDITIONS ON PUBLIC WORKS. AN ACCUSATION ANSWERED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. An accusation that he deliberately advised local bodies to hold off public works and so detrimentally affect wageearners was answered by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. J. G. Coates) in the House to night. This delay, lie said, was advised because of the peak price of materials. He gave instances in which prices had fallen, and as a result of waiting for. twelve months work had been done at' an infinitely cheaper rate. In one case £2 per yard was asked for road metal, which ultimately was supplied at 4s 9d per yard. This amply justified his policy of delay, which concerned' the interests of the taxpayers and consumers. Relief works were started not with the idea of cutting down wages, but with a view to providing temporary employment for idle men. But for this necessity such would never have been started, and as this was a time of restricted expenditure lavish wages could not be paid. It had been suggested £1.000,000 should be expended on telegraph and telephone extension. It must be, remembered, however, that in such work the bulk of the expenditure must be on material, and not on labor. To get revenue ' from such an expenditure meant a readjustment of charges, and that was a difficult matter to arrange The efforts of the Government to solve the unemployment problem had all gone in the direction of finding men work, and everv part of the Dominion was treated impartially. As far as possible local work was being found for local men. There was a perceptible diminution of unemployment now. and he hoped in a few months it would have altogether disappeared.