PUBLIC WORKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 August 1941, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS

WARTIME ACTIVITIES ANNUAL STATEMENT. PRESENTED TO HOUSE BY MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Approximately one-third of the activities of the Public Works Department over the last 12 months has been absorbed by special war work carried out at the request and on behalf of the Army, Navy, and Air Departments, the cost being a charge against the war expenses account," said the Minister of Public Works, Mr Armstrong, in his annual statement presented to the House of Representatives yesterday. “The military works carried out by the department were numerous and extensive and comprised the design and erection of many hutments, administrative buildings, stores, and hospitals, including major institutions for the reception and treatment of returning sick and wounded, as well as other works of a special nature.” The effect of the policy of curtailing public works construction was seen in the reduced expenditure under the general purposes account of the public works fund, which for the past year amounted to £6,280,127, as against £9,238.447, for the preceding year, a decrease of £3,000,000, the Minister contended.

The progress of important national works the completion of which was fully justified and, indeed, necessary had been affected by a shortage of men and material, a condition arising from the world situation.

At the end of the financial year the total number of men employed on all works controlled by the department was 14,797, a reduction of 4734 compared with the number at the commencement of the year. To some extent the shortage of materials. previously obtained . from abroad, had been met by the use of substitute products manufactured in New Zealand under the Government’s plan for developing secondary industries. The main difficulty, however had been to secure regularity in the supply of structural and reinforcing steel for essential works, with consequent unavoidable delays in time schedules. By redesigning minor proposals wherever possible, the demand for imported steel had been reduced to a minimum.

The gross expenditure for the year amounted to £20,327.529. of which £4,267,869 was expended by other Government departments; the recoveries in reduction of expenditure amounted to £7,317,521, of which £1,362.390 was recovered by other departments; the net expenditure totalled £13,010,008, of which £2,905,479 was expended by other departments. In addition, the department collected £2,042,896 for the supply of electric energy, irrigation receipts, and miscellaneous revenue from other sources.

The estimated net expenditure under the general purposes account for