BIG SAVINGS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 August 1939, Page 9

BIG SAVINGS

IN PUBLIC WORKS COSTS CLAIMED BY MINISTER. USE OF MODERN MACHINERY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Savings in time and money by the use of modern methods of construction on public works were claimed by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon R. Semple, during the financial debate in the House of Representatives last night. Figures were quoted by the Minister ihowing the cost of constructing the Melson, Whenuapai, Ohakea, Harewood, and Whangarei aerodromes both by mechanised methods and manual labour. These showed, he said, that the use of machinery would result n an aggregate saving of £556,591 as well as a saving of seven years, two md a half months in the time of construction. Discussing the public works expendiurc of approximately £24,000,000 budgeted for, Mr Semple said that only £12,634,000 of that sum was under his tontrol. the balance being under the mntrol of other Ministers of the Crown. The Government was paying £80,534 annually to private people for Government accommodation, and the lim was to try to build a home for every department of State. The imount paid to those people was sufficient to pay interest and sinking ? und on a greater sum than was estimated to be required for public buildbig this year.