A Great Construction Plan.

“When I took over the Public Works Department 13,000 men were employed, while we now have 17,000 and probably more.” The Minister said engineers of the department had submitted proposals for a three years’ plan of works involving an expenditure of £17,500,000 and designed to employ up to a maximum of 20,000 men. “We are submitting the proposals to close examination,” he said, “classifying them into the categories page 12 page 13 of essential or non-essential. We want to be sure that works carried out will be some form of national asset, for it is no use retracing our footsteps.” Not many men were yet employed on the three main railway construction schemes, for much preliminary work was needed, including the establishment of proper camps. However, the point had been reached when some preparatory work had started on the South Island Main Trunk line on which it was hoped to employ 1000 men by the end of the year. By the end of the year it was also hoped to employ 1200 on the Gisborne line and 500 on the Westport-Inangahua line.