Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 16 June 1913, page 10


NEW STATE WORKS.

BRIGHT OUTLOOK FOR THE

FUTURE.

"MINISTER AT NEWCASTLE

NEWCASTLE, Sunday

Another stop in Newcastle's rapid industrial

progress was made on Saturday, when Mr. Griffith, Minister for Works, laid the foundationstone of the new Government workshops at Walsh Island. A few minutes later Mrs. Griffith and Miss Flowers hammered the first rivet into the keel of the new ferry for vehicle traffic between Newcastle and Stockton. In the afternoon Mr. J. S. T. McGowen and Mr. Flowers, M.L.C., VicePresident of the Executive Council, laid the foundation stones of the new hospital at Newcastle.

The day was a red-letter day for Newcastle. Many prominent citizens and heads of public departments and private companies, as well as members of Parliament and visitors from Sydney, were present to witness the ceremonies. The party was conducted over the island by Mr. A. E. Cutler, engineer-in-charge. Much work has already been done on the island,

which consists of reclaimed land. Between 200 and 300 workmen are engaged there. Great interest was taken in the hydraulic drills which were boring through large steel girders, and also in the girders, which had either been placed in position, or were about to be fixed for the foundations of a large engineering works. The island will, no doubt, in a few years' time be the centre of a busy port- Opposite, on the western side, are the now steel works of the Broken Hill Proprietary Co.

Mr. Griffith declared the foundation-stone well and truly laid. The works, he said, were in the near future going to be the most up-to-date engineering shops in the Commonwealth.

Mrs. Grliilth and Miss Flowers each hammered a red-hot bolt, which had been placed in position by the workmen, into the keel' of the now Stockton ferry, and, amid loud' cheers, declared the rivets well and truly, driven. An adjournment was then made to a large shed, where refreshments were served.

GOVERNMENT PIPE FOUNDRY.

In responding to the toast of the health of the Minister for Works, Mr. Griffith said that he had always strongly deprecated the old centralisation tactics of former Governments. The wiser policy was to distribute industries throughout the State. He was spending a great deal of money in developing Kembla for the southern coal trade, and he intended to spend much for Coff's Harbour and Newcastle to develop the North Coast railway and the Dorrigo plateau. He was doing something to remove some of the industries from the capital and bring them to Newcastle. The new works he had undertaken were the Government workshops, a dock- (applause) and a pipe foundry to provide the pipes required

by the Government.

Recently, continued the speaker, he had been compelled to give a contract for £500,000 for" pipes, which he know from investigations if the proposed foundry had been in operation could have been manufactured at a sav-ing of £100,000. The pipe works would be commenced simultaneously with the engineer-ing works, and for quite a comparatively small sum. The surplus would remain in the TroaBury, and the work would be as economically and as well done as work for any contractor.

Mr. Griffith explained how it came about that the works on Walsh Island had been started. When the contract to supply the warships had been in operation for some time he found that there' was a certain clashing between the State and Commonwealth departments. After two or three conferences with the Minister for Defence" it was arranged to sell the works to the Commonwealth. The agreement had been drawn up, and the Commonwealth agreed to take over the plant and works for £800,000, and to pay £67,000 In cash for the work which had already been done to the warships by the State Government. That £67,000 was the money with which he had to establish the works at Walsh Island.

OTHER IMPERIAL WORKS.

He had heard a few weeks ago that negotiations were passing between the Commonwealth and the mother country with regard to other Imperial property. He had investigations made, and found that the dedication of the land occupied by those works was made to the Imperial Government on the condition of Sydney being tho centre of the Imperial fleet The Imperial station would be removed on the first of next month, and, consequently, that agreement would lapse, and that property would then belong to the State. Negotiations had been carried out in Melbourne between Mr. Davis and the Commonwealth Department, and it had eventually decided to give the State £600,000 for that property. The £800,000 for Cockatoo Island and the £600,000 for the other Imperial property would not be paid in cash, but would be passed to the account for properties transferred to States, and the Commonwealth would pay the State 3 per cent, per annum. That meant £49,000 from the Commonwealth Government to the State every year.

PROPOSED STATE-OWNED STEAMER.

Already there was work in hand for the engineering shops on Walsh Island. The Stock-ton punt would be built there. An order had been received from the State Brickworks Department to build a steamer to carry lime-stone from the Manning to the works at Botany. He intended constructing three dredges. (Applause.) For the next three years there would be plenty of new work. A good deal of reliance would be placed upon the workmen, who would be given the best conditions, and he felt sure that full value would be given for the money paid In wages. He desired to be in a position in regard to those works to be able truthfully to assure the taxpapers that they were getting 20s worth of work for every £1 spent.

The area now occupied by the old workshops at the Dyke would be utilised by vessels bunkering coal, and coal-loading facilities would be provided as soon as the workshops were removed. He wished to congratulate the men who had been working on the island. The preliminary operations had been completed, and the world would be erected very rapidly. It would not be long boforofthey were in full swing, and making pipes for the Government

of the State.

He had been taxed over the arrangements he had made with the Broken Hill Proprietary Company to establish an iron industry at Newcastle. If he had been able to get hold of the two or three millions sterling that were necessary to construct such an industry, the Proprietary Company would never have had a look in. All the money that the State Treasurer could get for him was required for duplicating railways, opening up new country, irrigation schemes, and other works.

The Mayor of Newcastle (Alderman H. M. Shedden) who presided, said that they felt a great favour had been bestowed upon Newcastle by the Government's action in starting

such works.

Mr. W. C. Grahame, M L.A. for Wickham, proposed the health of the Minister, and in doing so said that he believed that the Minister was doing the right thing In handing over the dockyards to the Commonwealth at a fair valuation, so that they should at all times establish in New South Wales the whole of the Federal works. Newcastle had gained the works to be erected on Walsh Island by that move. in the near future the works would employ something like 2000 men.

Mr. A. R. Gardiner, State member for Newcastle, said that before the present Government came into power they went from end to end of this State preaching the great policy of decentralisation. That policy had been given effect to In what had been taking place on Walsh Island. There was a possibility that the Government works, after Cockatoo Island had been taken over by the Commonwealth, being removed to some other place in Sydney Harbour, but Mr. Griffith said that there was a more suitable site at Newcastle.

Mr. J Estell, member for Waratah, believed that the aspect of Newcastle had been materially changed since the opening up of mines in the Maitland district. They had to look for something else to keep Newcastle going, and the place was becoming a great Industrial centre. of .,,_,_,

Mr H C. Langwill, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said that it seemed! to him when he was watching the ceremony that day that Mr. Griffith was doing more than laying the foundation-stone of the engineering works, and Mrs. Griffith and Miss Flowers more than lay-ing the keel of the ferry. It would really lead to Newcastle's prosperity and industrial proscrew Brown, member for Durham, and the Mayors of the municipalities of the district,

also supported the toast.