PUBLIC WORKS.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18140, 3 October 1930, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS.

WAYS AND MEANS.

EXPENDITURE FOR CURRENT YEAR

ESTIMATED AT £5,242,815

POST OFFICE DISMISSALS

AGAIN UNDER DISCUSSION.

(Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Friday. The Minister of Public Works, (Hon. W. B. Taverner), delivered the Public Works statement this morning. The statement of receipts and expenditure is thus epitomised:— On April 1, 1929, the available ways and means for public works purposes were, £3,889,083. Additional funds were received as follows: —-Under Finance Act, 1927, £729,036; under Finance Act, 1928, £583,229; recoveries on account of expenditure of previous years, £62,859; Ellesmere and Forsyth Reclamation and Akaroa Railway Trust Account receipts, £1612. Total, £5,265,819. The' net expenditure on works and services against the General Purposes Account for the year was:—Under appropriations, £4,386,515; under Lake Ellesmere Land Drainage Act, 1905, £439; under Lake Ellesmere and Akaroa Railway Trust Account, £B2; charges and expenses of raising loans, £518,158; under Finance Act, 1929, section 32, £12,500; making a total of £4,917,694. This left a credit balance for general purposes at March 31, of £348,125. The estimated expenditure under the account for the current financial year is £5,242,815, and arrangements are being made with the Minister of Finance to provide the necessary funds. The gross cash expenditure on works and services under the direct supervision or control of the Public Works Department itself was £7,781,734. This includes expenditure from the Public Works Fund, Consolidated Fund, Main Highways Account, Electric Supply Account, Railways Improvement Account, and various other accounts.

The Department also collected in cash a total of £628,951 as revenue from electric-supply and irrigation undertakings. The total, therefore, of gross cash bxpendiutre and revenue ior the year was £8,410,685. This figure is exclusive of interest and loan charges, credit-in-aid for works of various kinds and sundry relatively petty items of revenue, and gives some indication of the volume of work handled by the 'Department’s staff. Post Office Estimates. The House went into Committee of Supply to deal with the estimates. Consideration of the vote of £2,828,141 for the Post Office account was resumed. A division was then taken on Mr Savage’s amendment to reduce the vote by £lO. Mr D. Jones (Re-form—mid-Canterbury), said that Mr Savage had advocated the settlement of salaries and wages in the department by a process of arbitration, but he had not specified any process. Members would desire a clearer indication of what they were asked to vote for. The Post-master General, the Hon. J. B. Donald, said he realised it would be desirable to place salaries in the department beyond Parliamentary control. He would investigate the methods that had been suggested. The amendment was rejected by 39 to 25.

Mr A. Harris (Reform—Waitemata), then moved to reduce the vote by £9 as a protest against the Government’s failure to give effect to the recommendations of the M to Z- Public Petitions’ Committee in the cases of L. C. Rains and others (the Auckland Telegraph Office employees dimissed on charges divulging Information). He asked all members who disapproved of the system of tapping telephones and spying to support the amendment, and he further complained that Cabinet had failed to grant justice to the men concerned. Mr Savage supported the views expressed by Mr Harris. Mr R. Semple (Labour Wellington), stated that even if the men had committed an offence, punishment had been unduly severe. 'He contended further, that there was no satisfactory evidence that Rains had committed any offence. The debate on the amendment moved by Mr Harris was continued, for the remainder of the morning. Mr F. Lye (United —Waikato) expressed the opinion that a substantial fine would have met the case instead of dismissal. He suggested the Minister should undertake that Cabinet’s decision would be reviewed. He cotfld do this without committing himself to a promise that the men would be reinstated. .The House adjourned at 1 p.m.