The Globe. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1874.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 49, 27 July 1874, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, JULY 27, 1874.

Mb Richardson has made his Public Works Statement, and the speech will be eagerly read by both the friends and opponents of the present Ministry. The latter will look for any flaw in the speech that may give them a handle for attacking the minister’s policy generally, and they will, of course, find something or another to cavil at. After the first introduction to his statement, Mr Richardson proceeded to inform the House what had been done for the various provinces of the North Island, in the shape of public works, and more particularly in the way of railways and bridges. lie then came to the Middle Island, and this part of the speech is the most interesting to the residents of Canterbury. The Minister said, that the section of railway on the Great South line, between the Rakaia and the Ashburton, would be open in a few days. This is good news, especially to those whose business renders it necessary that they should be travelling on the South road ; for the eighteen - mile drive between the Rakaia and the Ashburton is at all time, a depressing journey, and more than ever now that the late stormy weather has made the roads so bad. We shall, according to Mr Richardson, be able to travel by rail to the Hinds river, after the Ist of next January, and the line all the way to Timaru, ought be open by the middle of next year. The numerous branch lines too, in Canterbury, seem to be in a very favorable state of progress, but the high price of iron, has rendered the suras that were voted for their construction inadequate, and consequently fresh funds will have to be provided. The Otago lines also seem to be going on rapidly. After stating these facts, Mr Richardson proceeded to give a summary of the cost of the various lines of railway in each province. The total amount of lines in construction amounts to 1010 miles, and the appropriation for them is no less than £6,575, 400, or at the average rate of £5520 per mile, for the railways throughout the colony. It is interesting to see the average cost of construction per mile, in the different provinces, and the following may be taken as a rough statement in round numbers : —Westland, £IOOO per mile ; Marlborough, £4500 ; Canterbury, £4021; Hawke’s Bay, £SOOO nearly; Auckland, £5630; Nelson, £5842; Taranaki, £6140; and Otago, £O2OO. This will take many of our readers by surprise, for wo think very few people were prepared to find that the aveiage cost of construction was higher in Canterbury than in Marlborough ; and fewer still, that the lines in Otago wore the most expensive of any. The cost, however, in Canterbury, is greatly augmented by the bridges which have to be placed over our rapid snow-fed rivers ; and in Otago the cause is probably partly the same, and partly the more hilly description of land over which the lines require to be carried in that province. The Colonial Government have tried the experiment of taking over a piece of railway line, and working it themselves, and the result seems to be so far satisfactory—as the Minister for Public Works declared it would pay, judging from the receipts of the past seven months. The latter part of Mr Richardson’s speech is full of interesting statistics showing, amongst other points, the road-work expenditure in all the provinces, the amount expended on bridges and culverts, and the sums of money which had been spent on various water-races. The Colonial Architect’s office was also touched upon, and the conversion of various lines of tramway into raihvay. Mr Richardson wound up his speech with a statement, the first part of which no one will quarrel with : —“ The colony “ has undertaken a gigantic work, it “ is incumbent on the Assembly to sec “ that it is carried out to its legitimate “ end ; and, sir, I have no fear of the “ result.” Mr Richardson may find that there are a large body of people who, while admitting that the work undertaken by the colony is gigantic enough, have very serious doubts as to the ultimate success of the policy to which we are now committed.