THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 9831, 21 October 1895, Page 2

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

(From Orb FmdiKENTABt Reporter.) WELLINGTON. October 21. The Public Works Statement is to be laid oh the table to-night, and the Premier has courteously consented to give me an outline of its salient features.

The amount proposed to be appropriated under Part L (public works expenditure) is £425,253, as against £578,639 voted last year, being a decrease of £152,277. It is proposed to alter the law in regard to the method of taking appropriations under Part I. so that money may be expended for three months after the close of the financial year, and the appropriations will therefore include the Maroh-June quarter, instead of votes being asked for till the end of the financial year. Practically, therefore, there must be added to the amounts asked for one-fourth. In the case of the Otago Central, for instance, £25,000 is asked for, but to this,, the Premier explains, has to be added £6,250 to include the amount to bo spent before June 30. To effect this alteration an amendment of the Public Works Appropriation Act will •be necessary, and it will bring the public works expenditure in conformity with the expenditure in connection with the Consolidated Estimates. For Dunedin Gaol a further appropriation of £6,000 is asked. The absence of any vote for the new cable steamer is explained by the fact that the contract is not doe till next year, and no progress payment is provided for. The total appropriations amount to £876,993, as against £1,250,000 last year. The expenditure on all works and services throughout the colony out of the Public Works Fund up to the 31st March last, including the value of provincial and the purchase price of district railways, was as follows Railways ... ... ...£16,006.853 Roads 2,916,526 Immigration... ... ... 2,146,654 Public buildings ... ... 1,944,900 Purchase of Native lands ... 1,297,854 Lighthouses, harbor works, and harbor defences ... 910,103 Telegraph extension... ... 699,022 Development of goldfields ..: 578,306 Defence works—General ... 429,719 „ ~ Departmental 384,842 Cost and discount raising loans and other charges ... ... 1,333,336 Total £29,647,175 Bailway Construction. Kamo-Kawakawa.—Last year the Government spent £9,419 on this line, and now an appropriation of £B,OOO is asked for. The line will be finished to Wakaparaat an .early date, and thus tap the Puhipuhi forest. The Government recommend putting this timber on the market at an early date. Kaihu Railway.—This line was taken over by the Government on mortgage. In respect to this line it has been urged that by completing the liu. ; . to Waima Station a considerable increase of traffic‘would be ensured. It is proposed to take a vote of £3,000, but this expenditure will be dependent on satisfactory arrangements being made for acquiring the partially-constructed portion of the line. Helensvillc northwards.—Last year we only expended £2,000, but the Makaru tunnel, which blocked the work, has now been finished, and the contractor will proceed expeditiously with the rest of the line. It is proposed to take a vote this year for £6,000. Grahamstown-Te Aroha.—£s,7oo was expended last year up to June 30. To the 30th this year £3,600 was expended, and we are now.taking a vote for £3,400 for the balance of the year. A proposal has been made by a company for the construction of a loop line from Sandon to Greatford (Wellington-Foxton line)) which was referred to the Railway Department, who have reported adversely, and, as it was held that its construction would divert traffic from the Government line now running, the powers are refused for the p'resent. North Island Main Trunk.—lt is proposed to lay the rails to the Mokaera section on the south end of the Poro-o.tarai tunnel by March next. On the south end of the line progress is being made between Mangamobo and Mang&naka. We ask an appropriation this year for £5,000, and the expenditure at both ends .will be about equal.

The Eketahuna - Woodville formation works are now completed to Newman. Last year we spent £25,849, and this year we ask for a vote of £25,000, which will take the line to Pahiatua.

Greymouth-Hokitika. for to cover liabilities and other contingencies, and this will be the last vote required. There were liabilities of £5,365 at the end of the financial year. The following appears under the heading of the Midland Railway The rejection by Parliament of the Bill embodying the recommendations of the Select Committee appointed during last session to inquire into matters affecting this railway has prevented the proposed now contract with the company being entered into. In consequence this company gave notice in January last of its intention to appeal to arbitration, and it appointed Sir B. L. Burnside as its arbitrator. The Government object to arbitration on the grounds that the company has broken its contract, and has consequently disentitled itself to this remedy; but, under protest, the Government have appointed the Hon. Sir Charles Lilley, late Chief Justice of Queensland, as arbitrator on behalf of the Crown, without prejudice to the position taken up in the matter. As the proceedings are now svb judice, it would not be proper for me to say anything further with reference to this particular matter. As Government were advised that the company had committed a wilful breach of its contract, and had also shown unreasonable and inexcusable delay in the prosecution of the works connected with the railway, it was decided to take possession of the line under the Railway Construction and Land Act, with the view of carrying on the work on behalf and expense of the company, under the powers contained in the Act; and formal possession was taken on the 25th of May last. Since possession was taken the construction of the works has been resumed on the section between Jackson’s and Otirfc and sixty workmen are now employed thereon. Preparations are also actively in progress for resuming work on the Belgtove BPf.f.jnnj and I hope to have a number of men at work in the course of three or four weeks. The appropriation proposed for this railway for the current year is £IO,OOO, which amount will be expended on the Belgrove and Otira sections. No appropriation is proposed for the Springfield section this year, as no work can be done at that end of . the line until the full plans are in possession of the Government. The company has so far declined to hand over its plans, and if it persists in that attitude it will be necessary to make fresh surveys and compile new plans.” Otago Central Railway.—The section of this railway between Middlemarch and Hyde was completed and opened for traffic during the last financial year, but suffi

cjently since been »w(' the KfMora-BhwJna® sections. Tbe whole tfe forinoc •«**» is now under fonnationiaud %bb a mile dir two of Use lafctor.dad the eitmfc tion of the Nyd» tnbnel fcoompleted suwl lining built for sit and a-ijfuirter chains. The Capbnrn Bridge is well in hiaad, and plane of the Taieri Bridge have been Completed ready for lithographing. The expenditure # on this line last year amounted to £28,131, which was again the largest expenditure on any railway works in the colony, with the single exception of the North Island Main Trunk Railway. ' We ask for a vote this year of £25,000, which will enable the construction of the work to go on with reasonable diligence.

Appropriations will be taken for the purchase of the Femhill Railway for £1,150.

The Gatlin River expendttnn last year was £6,863. The proposed vote this yearia £7,000 to complete the line. Owake-Seaward Bush.—The expenditure on this line last year amounted to £8,476. and the vote proposed for the current year is £B,OOO, which will enable last year’s rate of progress to be maintained.

Working Hallways.

We propose to take for additions to open lines £40,000. The expenditure last year was £28,309. The increased vote is due to the want of trucks for the carriage of sheep, frozen meat, etc.

Miscellaneous Votes *»r the Ensuing **ar. Under this head are reads on geldfieWa, £27,000; the development of goldfields, £20,000; telegraphic extension, £30,000; Auckland auxiliary asylum, £12,000; continuation of the Dunedin Gaol, £6,000 ; school buildings, £20,000 (which is an increase of £5,000 from last jeur); hospital and charitable institutions, £8,000; lighthouses and harbor defences, £4,000.