The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1922. PUBLIC WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1922. PUBLIC WORKS.

When considering the operations of the Publie Works Department as disclosed in the Minister’s statement delivered in the House on Tuesday, it is necessary to bear in mind that the conditions under which those works were carried out were such as existed between April 1, 1921, and Marell 31, 1922, and those conditions were not so favorable as can be claimed at the present time. After making due allowance for the special factors affecting last year’s programme, the figures concerning expenditure indicate the execution of considerable undertakings, but there is no means of ascertaining whether the cost fairly represents the value of the work done. The taxpayers have to take the details of the expenditure largely on faith, yet there can be no question that, in view of the extensive employment of labor-saving devices, that the results should favorably compa/e with those of previous years. In round figures the outlay last year was seven millions, of which over three millions was absorbed by railways, over half a million on roads, about the same on telegraphs and on education loans account. With regard to the expenditure on rolling stock, that properly belongs to the railways department, and in commenting on the reference to the railways in the Financial Statement we expressed the view that it would probably be found that the Cost of additional equipment had been met out of loan money, a conjecture that has proved correct. In' common fairness to the department it should be credited with having made good use of the greater part of the money spent. To a considerable extent the bulk of the expenditure last year was either for developmental purposes, or for earning rsyenue.

directly or indirectly, and from that point of view can be regarded as satisfactory. The Minister’s policy, as outlined in his previous statement, made a strong point of concentration on finishing “particular work, rather than the diffusion of money and energy on many works.” The soundness of such a policy is selfevident, but its execution doubtful. The Minister admits failure in this direction, and attributes the cause to the world-wide financial depression and consequent unemployment. It was not until the close of the last financial year that the money market became more favorable for obtaining loans at a reasonable rate of interest, therefore the Minister can only mean that it was lack of funds which restricted the activities of his department, though it could not affect the policy of concentration being strictly adhered to, while unemployment should have helped rather than hindered this policy. The provision of money for work for the unemployed was an emergency act, the expenditure involved being chiefly, if not wholly, in the current year, and might well be treated as outside the public works fund, in a category of its own, and should not be allowed to affect the concentration policy in the least. To admit that such an extra puts the special policy out of joint is to acknowledge that the department is carried on in such a hard and fast groove that it cannot cope with an emergency without dislocating its main policy, from which so much was expected. The taxpayers must take heart of grace at the Minister’s promise of a resumption of the concentration policy “as quickly as circumstances permit.” With the possession of the latest and most effective mechanical aids, the completion of public works should be expedited enormously, because it is these aids that set the pace, and the chief concern is not how much money they save, but how much more speedily the works are executed than in past. For the current yeathere will be available eight and a-quarter millions, of which it is only proposed to spend five millions, and as half the year has already passed, it must be presumed that a good portion of the amount has already been expended. In providing good heavy traffic roads where no railways are running the Government is taking a right course, but where gaps exist between two ends of a new line, the utmost concentration should be exercised so as to bridge those gaps as speedily as possible. 'The Stratford Main Trunk line is a case in point, and its non-completion may be taken as a fair sample of the methods of the department. No such opportunity for many years past for rapid .progress has been presented as is the case now, and it should be utilised for all it is worth.