Public Works Statement.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1896, Page 2

Public Works Statement.

The Public Works Statement was laid on the table of the House by the Minister for Public Works (Hon. W. H^U Jonesi at a late boar last nig'jt. r l iie following is a summary of its con- | tents : The following shows the several loans authorised for services chargeable on i the Public Works Fund from the initiatiou of the public works policy: — 1870, I L 4.000.00 0; 1873, L 2,000,000 ; 1873, L 750,00 0; 1874, L 4,000,000 ; 1876, L75'),000 ; 1877, L.2,200,000 ; 1879, L 5,000.000, 000. 000 ; 1882, L 3,000,000 ; 1882, L1,(.'00.000; 1882, L 250.000 ; 1884, Ll,f 00,000; 1885 1866, L 479.487 7s lid ; 1880, L 1,325,000, 325,000 ; 1888, L 1,000,000 : total, L.27,254,487 7s lid. Since 1888 no loan has been raised for public works purposes, but, notwithstanding this, considerable progress has been made with all classes of public works. Under the legislation of the present session the following additional snms will be made available : — £ For railways 250.000 For goldfields development 200,000 For development of thermal springs'and natural scenery 50,000 For the lands improvement account ... ... ... 250,000 For the Native lands purchaso account 250,000 Total £1,000,000 The expenditure on the services pro vided for uuder the Public Works Fund since 1884, and the average rate of ex> pouditure that has taken place under each Government during that period is : — Stout-Vogel, 1884-1887, average per annum, £1,381,866; Atkinsou, 1887-91, £599,329 ; Ballauco - Seddon, 1891,96, £414,909. The co-operative system having now been in operation for five years, I think I may take this opportunity of giving some facts and figures with regard to that method. The figures for the five years ended 31st March last show that the total expenditure on co-operative works amounted to viz., £528,* 785 by the Public Works Department, and £401,177 by the Lands Department ; and of the total sum no less than £610,---941 was paid direct to the workmen as the value of their labor. The average number of men employed each year has been as follows -.—lß9l 92, 788 ; 1892 93, 1122 ; 1893 94, 1948 ; 1894---95, 2065; 1895-96, 2336: gross total, 8259 ; average, 1652. The earnings of the men per day in the different callings have been as follows :- Navvies, 7s 2d ; concreters, 7s 2d : fencers, 7s 5d ; bnshmen, 7s 7d ; labourers, 7s 8d ; platelayers aud ballasters, 7k 10d ; carpenters (on buildings"!, 8s Id; painter, 8s 3d; carpenters (on railways), 8s 8d ; tunnel men, 9s lOd ; slaters, 10s 4d ; masens, 10s 8d ; bricklayers, 10s 8d ; plumbers, 10s lOd ; plasterers, 12s. The milage cost of sections of railway constructed under the co-perative and contract systems respectively is as follows :— Co operative system — Kamo-Whaka-para, £4412; Tc Aroha Paeroa, £2349. Martou^Te Awamutu (north endi, Mokau Poro o-tarao, £4494 ; Marton-Te Awamutu (south end), Mangaonoho«Mangaweka, L 772 3; Eketahuna Woodville, £5170 ; Eketahuna- Woodville, £4342 ; Otago Central Eailway, Middlemarch Hyde, £4169; Hyde-Hokonga, £7915; Catlins River, end of tunnel contract to Owaka, £6692 ; Seaward Bush, Mokotua to Gorge road, £2703. Contract system — Wbangarei-Kamo, £5676 ; Hamilton Te Aroha, £3502 ; Te Awamutu-Mokau, £4157 ; Marton-Man-gaonoho, £5282; Wellington-Eketahuna, £1974 ; Wingatui to Middlemarch, £12,037 ; Balclutha to end of tunnel contract, £4714 ; Appleby-Waimatua, £1726 The total railway expenditure since June, 1875, has been £15,099,676. The Government has already taken into consideration the subject of light railways, and further information will be obtained during the ensuing recess, and the result of our enquiries will be laid before Parliament next session. At the south end of the North Island Main Trunk Railway considerable progress has been made with tbe works northwards of Manganoho, operations extending 40 miles—namely, nearly as far as the township of Kaikoura. Ad order for the requisite iron and steel materials is now being prepared for transmission to England, and on the arrival of the material in the colony it is proposed to let the completion of the manufacture of the piers and girders, and to have the structure erected under the direct supervision of the Government engineer. The expenditure on this railway, including surveys, during last year amounted to £20,862, and this year we ask for votes amounting to £31,923 — namely, £18,000 under Part I, and £13,923 under Part 11., the latter amount being the whole amount of the ways and means to the credit of that part of the fund. The Ngawapurua bridge, across the Manawatu river between Woodville and Pahiatua, tbe erection of which was commenced in 1883, and which, since its completion, has been regularly nsed for ordinary road traffic, is now in need of extensive repairs and strengthening;, in order to enable it to accommodate tbe heavy traffic which will pass over this railway. The cost of this work will amount to several thousand ponnds. The actual expenditure within the year amounted to £20,577. The Government recognises the necessity of completing this line through to Woodville at the earliest possible date. This year we ask for a vote of £32,000 The total appropriations proposed for railway works, including additions to open lines, surveys, permanent-way materials and rolling stock, and also the Midland Railway, is £263,923. Last year the amount was £215,550, which was by far the smallest amount on record. For the current year we ask for the following appropriations, viz. : — Main roads, £12,000; miscellaneous roads, £21,694 ; local bodies, £465 ; development of thermal springs and natural scenery, £41,715 ; Land Improvement Account, £209,986 ; Government Loans to Local Bodies Account, £50,000 ; Natiye Lands Purchase Account, £162,. 276 ; total, L 498.136. This year provision is made for completing the new office at Hawera, for erecting a new brick building to replace the one recently burned at Mar ton, and for new offices at various plao.es. This year we ask for a votu of L 20.100 —namely, Lll,ooo lor works in Auckland, L-4000 for Porirua, and smaller amounts for other asylums. This year L 26,000 is provided from the Consolidated Faod, and from the Public Works Fund we ask L 22.780, LSOO of which is required for alterations and renovations urgently needed at the Caversham Industrial School, and L2OOO for special grants for school buildings in newly-settled districts. In conclusion, the Minister drew attention to the dnty of seeing that due provision is made for opening up the country by providing for settlers reasonable facilities for carrying their produce to market, Every chain of road forced, and every mile of railway constructed, assist to place our follow <colonists in a better position to compete in the markets of the world. The total appropriations proposed in the estimates accompanying this Statement amount to £1,113,861, as compared with £792,596 voted last year.