PUBLIC WORKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 247, 18 October 1922, Page 8

PUBLIC WORKS.

A RECORD YEAR.

SEVEH MILLIONS SPENT.

£3,C00,C00 FOR RAILWAYS.

NEW LOAN OF £4,000,000. £5.274.392 AVAILABLE. (l> Telegraph- Parliamentary Reporter.) \Y KLLIXGTON, Tuesday. The annual Public Works Statement made ii* appearance in the House of Itepmscntativea this evening, when it was presented by the Minister (the Hon. .). C. Coatesi. Tlie document, with its attendant V>timates. is a very lengthy affair of some hundred and sixty pages, but it is of a colourless nature, being for the most part a record of the work of the past year.

The Minister states that he was unable to carry into full effect the policy nf concentration on particular works enumerated last year, owing to the unemployment prevailing in the Dominion, the liovernment having to provide employment in various localities of such a nature as would assist in the normal mid profitable development of the country. After reviewing the work accomplished during the past ten year*, when £15,17H,422 has been expended, the Minister states that the total net expenditure under all votes and Recounts appearing on the I'ublic Works Kstiinates for the financial year ended 31st -March. 1022. was £n,y22.039. of this Finn £3,286,087 was expended out of the J'ublic Works Fund, and the balance, £1,03,1,352, out of accounts which have their own ways and means and are quite separate from the Public Works Fund. A brief summary of this expenditure, as well as the total expenditure since the inception of the Public Works policy to the 31st March last, is shown in tabular Expenditure. Expenditure Total for Year Expenditure Class of Work. ended :ilst to :;ist March, Ma nil, u>:;:;. I'j-j:;. RailwaysNew Construction £1.270.820 £:J5.46<1.02n .\ddirlons to open linos 1.856.380 12.20n.(!^l Itoads oiH.ir.'.l in.l 1 l.'.XiO I'iihlic ruiildinps .. M 44.730 ,s.ii:>,.->.i;i>:{ Immigration 2,0H7.271 Uiibi houses, haih'iiir works, and harbour defences 18.774 1.17.">.."53 Tourist and henlth resorts 17.f>0iJ 304.181 T"lPsjraph extension ,j'.io,:i,sl ."1,000,41', l>. -v .■ I,l[l m flit of mining 2.i:'.u S6.~i.Bu.*> Defence works (genera 1 1 .-..."■ e <3 1.096.n."2 Ilrpartraentnl 1.517.40T Irricntion and water supply 52.7K! .".3^.Sn2 I Claris improvement. 17.47s 157.540 l'lant. material, and s:ores 10G.4. n ,L' 43.~.,(538 Tiiulier supply and sawmills for l'ublie Works Department 10.509 ir..3t!'.i i-HlsiiiK loans, etc. 174,280 1,4*27,038 Knllway* Improve. ; ;,'nt Autboiisation Ifll4 necount 111.S00 811.37!) Land '-or Settl-'-nients .\ceoimt—loads 10 ■ .pen up Crown lands -.1.171 403,113 Aid to water power works and electric supply account .. 534.000 1,638,007 "Vnlhnn and Ohlnpmuri lmpioveuienl Acroiint r>4.370 243.4.",;! Education Loans Account r.G3.2ii! 777.772 THIS YEARS ESTIMATES. The actual net expenditure on all works and services chargeable under the I'ublic Works Fund for the year was i0.4n1.407. This expenditure left a credit balance in the ways and means account at March 31. 1.22, of £429,082. Legislative authority exists for providing further funis as follows:— in terms of Aid to Publiv Works and Land "Settlement Act, 1921, J12,844,710. It is proposed to make further provision this session for an additional £4.000,000, and to transfer from accumulated surpluses (part of £1,250,000), £1,000,000, making available for the current year a total of £8,274,392.

The estimated expenditure on public works for the current year (exclusive of accounts which have their own ways and means) is £4.967,223. which will leave a credit balance of £3,307,169 to be carried forward to next year (19-23-24). Exclusive of the before-mentioned funds, statutory authority at present exists tor raising the following moneys for public undertakings which are not chargeable against the Vuhlic Works Fund, but ■which have their own statutory ways and means: (a) Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910. £31.000: (b) Finance Act, 1910 (addition for Waihou and Ohineniuri Rivers Improvement account). £:i4,000; (c) Electric-power Works Loan, 1919, £4,229.090; (d) Finance Act. 1920. section 15 (electric-power works). £2.750.000, making a total of £7,041,090.

TELEGRAPH EXTENSION*. During the year 106 miles of new telegraph and inter-urban telephone pole line, carrying 098 miles of wire, were erected. The telephone-exchange plant (subscribers' lines) was also considerably extended by the erection of no.) miles of pole line, carrying 5271 miles of open aerial wire, and b'3 miles of leadcovered cable, containing 1.5.110 miles of wire. The substantial increase over the digures of the previous year is due to supplies of material which had been -under order for a considerable time becoming available.

The telephone exchanges were increased by six during the year, while twenty-six others a r e in various staje-i of completion. The number of new subscribers connected with telephone exchanges was H259. and this increase necessitated additional switchboard capacity at forty exchanges. There are 6132 applicant!* awaiting telephone connections. The installation of automatic exchanges is proceeding at several places in the Auckland metropolitan area, and also at Cliristchurch. With the completion of automatic-telephone exchanges at the larger centres the system will be extended to the country exchanges where continuous telephone service j 3 desirable.

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY. The Ilorahora power plant has now completed its second year of service since it was taken owr from" the Waihi Gold Mining Company. The revenue for the year « as £25.207, showing a net profit of £"2.">22. as compared with a loss for the previous year of £0282. Supply ),a« been given to Hamilton borough and to four Electric Power Boards, viz., Thames YalW, Cambridge. Central, and Xft Awamutu. For this purpose the

transmission lines have been extended by 07 miles. The maximum load at powerhouse during the year was ,">Bookw out of the plant capacity of 0300kw, but this ha* since been reduced owing to a temporary reduction in the mining load. In order to provide for the normal increase in the demand contracts have ■been placed for two additional generating units of liOOOkw each, which will ln'ing tlie full powerhotusw capacity up to 10.300kw, or 14.000 h.p.. which it*is anticipated will he fully loaded up before tlie Arapuni works are completed. The headwork a and powerhouse extensions to accommodate these additional unite aiv now in hand. MAXCAHAO ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY. In addition to tlie two plants in actual operation work is at hand at Mangahao, Arapuni. and Waikaremoana. At Maurahao substantial progress has been made with the excavation and lining of the two main tunnels, the by-pass tunnel for the Mangahao dam, the excavation for tliw Mansaliao and Arapeti dams, tin* foundations for the powerhouse, and with the transmission lines to Wellington. For the supply of the neces = ary materials thirty-live contracts, amounting in all to £277,000. have been placed.

ARAPUXI SCHEME. Tlie Arapuni scheme stands on a difTorent footing to the others that have previously lieen put in hand in New Zealand in that it cannot I* , developed to advantage.in stages to mevt the load as it prows. Owing to the large dam and heavy headworks. this scheme cannot pay until tho output, reaches a'hoiit .'iti.OlK) l>.p., and the only district which could ofl'er a suHieient demand to ensure this load being reached in the early future is Auckland city. But the City I'ouneil had recently arranged to consolidate and increase its steam | lant to J(i.(!0;i li.p., and it was neeeseary. therefore, to know definitely 'hefore putting the Anipuni works in hand whother the city intended to take power from Arapuni when available or to continue to operate its steam plant. A contract was therefore negotiated providing for tlie supply to the city from tlie Arapuni works, and this contract, lia-s been i-oinpletvd by the Auckland Electric Tower Hoard.' which in the meanwhile was formed to take over tlie whole electric supply system from the 1 ity Council. This' contract anticipates that the Hoard will take a supply of at least ir»,o(Wk\v i:?n ; <>0() h.p.) in liliS. when it is anticipated that tho Arapuni works will be ready to supply, the Hoard building up its load to this or such greater demand as may he available in the ineainvhilv by means of its steam plant. In thy meanwhile the surveys and preliminary at Arapuni have been put in hand.