PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 130, 13 July 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

(By the Hon. John Hall). i — — — j Wellington, August 9. Mr Hall delivered the Public Works \ Statement this evening. He began by regretting the loss of Mr Oliver, and the heavy task thereby imposed on him. After recapitulating the contents of the c tables attached to the Statement, he c proceeded to speak of Bailways. The I considerable expenditure of the year, ' amounting to .£969,165, has been almost wholly upon works already begun before the period 1880-81. Including the expenditure during the first quarter of the current year and the liabilities outstanding on the 30th June last, it has not ex- r hausted the votes of last year. No single group of lines can be said to be * absolutely finished and provided with suitable appliances; but I am glad to -. inform the House that the calls for ad- f ditional accommodation and increased ' plant are diminishing in importance, the » lines being for the most part equal to an . extended traffic. Beginning in the r North, after alluding to the Kawakawa and Whangarei lines, and the Kaipara line, he said the AUCKLAND-WAIKATO line was of considerable interest to the * colony at large, and had advanced (since I the date of the last Statement) on the *' Southern side of Auckland, to Awamutu, " a point within three miles of the south- *■ em boundary of the confiscated territory c in the Waikato district. The line, thus ? extended, is now close on one hundred Xl miles in length, and, with the Kaipara r lhie, will form a continuous railway of v one hundred and forty miles. I WAIKATO-THAMES. ]• Some progress has been made with this [■ lino. Prom the Auckland- Waikato line at Hamilton the formation towards Morrinsvillc is finished for a distance of fourteen miles, and the remaining four miles of the sections are in hand. No s part can be usefully .worked until the p bridge over the Waikato, at Hamilton, is erected. The ironwork for it has been already shipped. At the other end of the Thames-Waikato line a contract has c been let for the formation between () Grahamstown and Kopua, where a deep- *' water wharf can be obtained. n NAPIER-WELLIXGTOX (XORTIIERX DIVISION). T The Northern division of the trunk line between Hawke's Bay and Wellington has been lengthened by four miles tl thirteen chains, ending at Makatoko, tl opened last year. The gap in the trunk h line is thus reduced to about eighty 1( miles. The exact position of portions a of the work remaining to be constructed tl ■within the Seventy Mile Bush, has not f< been yet" determined. Some work has I been done on the Southern portion of t< this railway, but no extension'has been 1( effected, and the Northern terminus re- f] mains at Masterton. a NEW PLYMOTJTn-FOXTON. n The Northern division of this trunk 8. line, being the portion from New Plymouth to Hawcra, a longth of about " fifty-one miles, is completed. Twelve n miles between Ngaie and Normanby * ] were opened for traffic during the last ? financial year, and the remainder will be ** opened in a few days. The further ?' division of the New Plymouth-Poxton lino, being the length between Hawera *' andFoxton, has now a total extension -?1? 1 of ninety-eight miles, of which nineteen ■" miles between Kai Iwi and Waverley C( have been opened during the year. The a < length remaining to unite Waverley and Vi Hawera is twenty-five miles, of which Vl the precise direction between Manutahi ir and Hawera is as yet undetermined. a] The present surveyed line passes near the Coast, but we consider that it would be C1 preferable to adopt one further inland if it should turn out to be economically S( practicable. The Wanganui Wharf has £ been finished, and has a total frontage £ available for vessels of about 940 feet. *j Steps are being taken to provide neces- " sary station buildings on the reclama- n tion, and to bring the new station into P proper working order. li I'OXTOX-WELLIXGTOX. V( The earth-works on this part of the &, trunk line (the total length of which is p, about seventy miles) were began in the tl neighbourhood of Wellington by the a ] labour of the " unemployed," but funds n , not being available for its continuation b! the works have been discontinued. The t House will be aware that with a view of a] carrying on the project a Company has been instituted in Wellington. The rr promoters have boon in treaty with the pi Government for terms, including the cc grant of land on the line of the earth- c ], works executed, and of material already tl: provided. The Government propose tl: also to undertake the definition and sur- ec vey of tbo whole line, and, in any Sl arrangement which may be made, to n) reserve to the colony the right of pur- Y( chase. The completion of this work a , would open unbroken railway coinmuni- 0 ] cation between Wellington and the £ whole Wangauui and Taranaki country a: by a lino of 240 miles. This matter will b< come before the Legislature in conncc- t> ( tion with a Bill to be introduced em- 01 powering grants of land for purposes of m this kind. • REWIRED TO COMPLETE TRUNK LINE. re Unsurveyed intervals of 120 miles on & tho west, and 160 miles on the east, m separate the extremity of the Waikato as line at Awanmtu from Waitara (Tara- P ( naki) and Napier respectively. The Government will lose no opportunity se which may present itself for obtaining tlj such information with regard to theintcr- m vening country as will enable the best & mode of completing" this main arterial °^ mo to be determined. P £ to PICTOX-HURUNUI. hf Crossing the Strait we enter thePicton- m Blenheim section, on Avhich the only be work completed during the year is the tb ixtension to the town of Blenheim, a cc iistance of one mile and a quarter, in- ti 1 ;1 tiding the Opawa Bridge and Blenheim" th station. Pc NELSOX-nOUNDELL. at The works on this section are the for- (IS nation of three miles of extension from so he inland terminus at Foxhill to Lell- ec frbve, a forest countiy, from which a fir imber traffic may be calculated on, uith loi •eiy small increase to the working ex- " i lenses. The permanent way is finished, ah ,ud the station works are so far advanced of sto admit of tho line being opened hn- rei aediately. tic

HURUNUI BLUFF. C The main line, the longest continuous c trunk in the colony, measuring, from the s Eurunui River, the old provincial bound- i iry of Nelson and Canterbury, to the i Bluff, 443 miles (exclusive of branches), i has during the year been completed i Erorn Amberley to Waikara, an extension j of seven miles at the northern extremity, s leaving nineteen miles to complete the i whole distance to the Hurunui. The c extension from Waipara to Waipari, a s ilistance of nine miles, will, I hope, be I completed in time for the ensuing wool t and grain season ; but the section from 1 thence to the Hurunui awaits further c survey. 5 BRANCHES. , ] During the year a portion of the Tin- r well branch to Mount Somers, ten miles £ sixty chains, has been opened for occa- 1 sional traffic. An arrangement | has \ been made with the Bakaia Forks Com- c pany under which the Government j work this company's line twenty-two "v miles seven chains in length. On the s Waipahi-Heriotburn branch fifteen miles \ forty-three chains have been fully 2 apened. Arrangements have been made o for interchange of traffic with the Wai L mate Plains Company, thirty-seven t miles, under which the business is now t carried on v.'ith through booking. s s OTAGO CENTRAL. Works have been prosecuted on the -j Eindon section of this line by " uneniployed " labour. All hands, except a few who have small contracts, are now j! lischarged. On the Wingatui contract r ;he formation is practically finished, exjepting the small tunnels at the sixth md seventh miles. The working survey s finished to Hyde, and from Kough- x •idge to Lake Hawea. This important + ivork is in an exceptionally favourable y position for being prosecuted by a coni?any aided by grants of land on the irinciple I have already referred to. I aitst that by this means the work will £ je gone on with. RIVERTON-OREPUKI. £ The works on the Eiverton contract, " >ix miles, which include ballasting and r permanent way, are now finished. £ g OTAUTAU-NIGHTCAPS. g The Opio and a portion of the Wai- p ;ola contracts are ready for the laying 1 >f the permanent way. The whole Hue ii o the Nightcaps Coalfield may be 1 inished without difficulty during the \ >reseut financial year. f< INCREASE OF WORKING LINES IN THE COLONY. a Summing up the additions made to jj he working lines in both Islands during v he year, we have a total of one inudred and six miles. This gives a ength of 1257 miles of trunk railways . md branches now in work. To complete v he mam trunk liije in both islands the ° bllowing additions will he required :— n !ri the North Island, from Wellington ° o Foxton, seventy miles ; from Waverey to Hawera, twenty -five miles ; and rom Waitara to Awamutu, one hundred "V md twenty miles, being a total of two r< lundred and fifteen miles, besides the A jap of eighty miles on the Wellingtonpapier line. In the Middle Island a ength of about 140 miles between Bleu- ri leim and Waikari will complete the a runk line from Picton to the Bluff, t 1 leviewing the year's experience of work- A Qg the railways, he said that important p hanges had been effected in the adminstration of this department, and that he results of the traffic for the year a iave been, on the whole, satisfactory. n n the passenger traffic there has been a v onsiderable falling off, an indication in 0 greement with that furnished until eccntly by the Customs and other re- j enue returns of the general depression a which this colony has been placed, n ,nd the forced economies that have been he result. The decrease has not been n aused by any increase in passenger „ ares, which have not been raised. In |j ome cases reductions have been made. n ?his falling off has affected chiefly the •usiest parts of the country. On the a . lurunui- Bluff lines, which furnish c . hree-foiu'ths of the whole receipts, it s j learly reached 10 per cent, on those of the (receding period, though the length of M ines open to traffic has been augmented. ?here has been a contemporaneous and cry general and large increase of the ir ;oods traffic revenue, amounting to 24 S1 iercent., and dependent, not alone on C1 he increase of the tariff, but of tonnage £ lso. On the two classes of receipts, *?' tamely, passengers and goods, there has " ( ieen an increase of nearly 10 per cent. c: 'hanks partly to this augmentation, ni nd partly to increased economy in lanageinont, the net returns from the nilways, as a whole, have, during the al ast year, been equal to £3 Ss 3d per re 3nt. on the cost of construction. The "SS ecrease of traia mileage consequent on tl tie greater care everywhere visible in in be administration, together with large TV conomies in the railway staff, had re- v< ulted in a considerable growth of the tc et revenue. The gross revenue of the B ear 18S0-81 amounted to £836,454, tl gainst £7G2,572 in 1879-SO, an increase oj f £73,882. The net revenue was tl !314,497, against £182,562 in 1579-80, bi n increase of £131,935, the difference ti etween these two increases, £58,053, 3 eing clue to the causes already pointed ut. Notwithstanding the increase of lileage under work (9 per cent.), the m 3tal cost of maintenance and traffic was ai educed from £580,010 in 1879-S0 to "v\ !521,057 in ISSO-81, a reduction exceed- n] lg 10 per cent., and as large, probably, R s due care of the lines and plant will ca ermit in the existing state of the traffic. \j •nly two openings for further economy sem to be suggested on the face of le copious returns as to the working ilanagement for the year. I refer -n rst to the selection in future purchases fo f tlie types of locomotive which ex- p erience suggests as most suitable, and £ x ) the employment of the fuel which, aving regard to its cost, has proved lost effective. In this connection it will c satisfactory to honourable members n lat I should observe that New Zealand jal alone is now used on the locomoves, and that these returns show that _ le Westport coal may claim to rank in oint of value for locomotive purposes S P bove that obtained from the Newcastle ?ew South Wales) mines, which stands icond on the list. The second hope of ( :onomy arises from what appears at i-st sight the excessive proportion of ni icomotive expenditure under the head t° Shunting." The item in question is .out one-fourth of the total (£137,000) ! Class B, " locomotive power "in the to itum No. 3, and if a moderate addi- an Dnal expenditure in the extension and ag

squipment of some of the stations would climinish the charge materially, the re- 1 3ult would sensibly affect the net t revenue. The proportion of the whole c working expenses due to maintenance is s 35 per cent. Of this amount the cost of 3 the daily operations for keeping the ' permanent way true in form and level f absorb 23£ per cent. The cost of i material in" repairs of the way is 5 per I cent. ; that of maintenance of bridges, 3 signals, and other works of the kind, f 5 per cent. ; and the repairs of stations 1 and buildings one and a half per cent. £ Take again the analysis of locomotive 3 sxpenses, which in the whole enter for ] 26J per cent of the annual expenditure, t It will appear that 21 per cent is for run- 1 ning expenses (fuel, oil, labour, &c), and 3 5£ per cent for repairs and renewals of the c locomotives. Eepairs and renewals of ( svagons and carriages make 5£ per cent 1 Df the total. We have then in all, 22£ t per cent of the annual expenditure de- 3 roted to renewals and repairs of rolling t stock, of permanent way, bridges, cul- ( verts, and buildings, in addition to the g 23£ per cent as already stated for daily 3 operations in keeping up the gauges and 1 :evels of permanent way. I will not say t ;hat extra charges may not arise from t time to time for entire renewals of p ■sleepers or rails on sections of the v system, but these will not, I think, come c ipon us on a scale to make us anxious, t Dealing with roads, Mr Hall said : — Of i' [he road works under the vote of £06,650 1 tor roads, &c, north of Auckland, part c liave been earned on by the several i Dor Councils of the district under li igj&ments as to the objects on which c the several grants were to be expended. f< k portion of the vote has been applied s to the construction of a main road be- i: tween Auckland and Mongonui, and is s being expended on this work under the s superintendence of the Chief Surveyor }f Auckland, Mr Percy Smith. The r works done on this road have made it v 5t for wheeled traffic as far as Wells- t ford, a distance of fifty-five and a a quarter miles, ami they include three fe Dridges of considerable size. On the p lext two sections contracts are in pro- s jress in the neighbourhood of Whan- to rarei. Thence to Kawakawa, Whan- c jaroa, and Mongonui works are also in s progress, and between Mongonui and t A.wanui contracts are completed, or are t! n progress over about eighteen miles. £ Chese, when finished, will make a road v jctween the two last-named places fit o :or vehicle traffic. Of the whole dis- c ;ance from the North Shore to Awanui t< ibout forty miles of new road will, 0 >n completion of the contracts now in land, have been formed, a portion of vhich. has been metalled. AROH A DRAINAGE. Q In the Waikato and Thames the most c mportant.works are the Aroha drainage, j >n which considerable progress has been j, nade. About eight and a half miles )f drains remain to be done. WIIATAWHATA BRIDGE. a The bridge across the Waipa, at B fVhatawhata, on the Hamilton-Raglan a •oad, in length 520 feet, was opened in si \.pril last. a: TE BORE BRIDGE. a The Te Rore Bridge across the same c< Ivor, two and a-half miles below Alex- Q mdra, providing communication be- -^ ween Kawhia and the Waikato and li Auckland Railway, is under contract and pj >rogressing satisfactorily. "y MOUNTAIN AND COAST ROADS, TARANAKI. 3? On the Taranaki promontory the road 3B ,t the back of Mount Egmont has been 3: detailed for a distance of nearly eighteen 3S uiles. The formation of the Coast Eoad, tc >r that leading from the Waingongora S1 hrough the Waimate Plains and the P Parihaka Block to Stoney River, has ii >een completed during the j r ear. It is r i low practicable for wheeled vehicles L hroughout its entire length, and far C aore than half that length is already tl gravelled. The Committee are aware if hat in addition to facilitating settle- li nent in a very promising district this tl york is one of special political import- oj ,nee. It has been carried out to a large tc ixtent by means of the Armed Con- n tabulary force. p< T IAINTENANCE OF CERTAIN NORTH ISLAND A ROADS. A number of other roads have been aaintained, improved, extended, and urveyed in the North Island, for parti- y ulars of which the reports of the En- 7? ;ineer in charge may be consulted by ?J onourable members desiring fuller etails. With one or two important cc xceptions these are not new works. w Sf KLSON AND WAIKAU TO AMURI AND THE p SOUTH. *■ Turning to the South Island, considerble progress has been made with the P^ oad from Tophouse through the Upper s^ Pairau Valley to Tarndale on the way to °* tie Ainuri, and so soon as. the outstand- •*- lg contract for improvements in the n< Pairau Gorge is completed wheeled 01 chicles will be able, for the first time, P 1 3 travel from Nelson, Picton, and S £ ilenheim to the Bluff and Riverton in w hie extreme south. The road is now : pen from Tarndale southwards, al- J e bough still interrupted by some un- re ridged rivers of considerable magni- Ci ade. w PELORTTS VALLEY, NELSON, TO PICTON ?C? C AND BLENHEIM, BY RAI VALLEY. *" Of this road fourteen and one quarter f. nles are being formed and gravelled, nd will shortly be finished. The *? ITakamarina and Kaituna Bridges are nished. Twenty miles, including the fj 1 Lai Valley Road, remain to complete a jr image road between the Nelson and *? iTairau districts. m NELSON AND DULLER, VALLEY. |. Two contracts for forming and gravel- „. ng on the Nelson and Buller Valley ar loads will complete the communication v >r vehicles between Nelson, and the "West oast. It is expected this work will be nished during the present month. It ill not without tether expenditure be . high-class road. In particular the n[ateri and Owen Rivers, and Granite .■/ reek, require bridging. «. REEFTON-GREY3IOUTH. vc The bridge over the Inangahua, at m .eefton, is nearly finished. It has five o f jans of 60 and four of 15 feet. AV j HAAST PASS BRIDLE TRACK. ar This track is open, and communica- ab on exists between the Lake Wanaka p r [strict (Otago) and Westland. Some th iconsiderable works are still required ho > finish the line satisfactorily. G( Ci rßisTciiUßCii-i roKrrncA. sic Considerable work has been necessary thi i repair damages by flood on this road, ay id to place parts of it in more security po jainst future casualties of the kind. rai

Eef erence was next made to harbours, ( lighthouses, and coal fields. Regarding c the latter, he said the largest output of t coal during the year 1880, it will be ob- ] served, is from the Kawakawa mine, j Bay of Islands, which produced a a ' ' glance coal " largely .used by the Union t Steamship Company. The Kawakawa ] mine, opened sixtjeen years, yielded j 54,865 tons ; Kama* (Wangarei), four 3 years, 6,382 tons; Taupiri (Waikato), 1 five years, 14,817 tons ; Waikato (Wait kato), four years, 15,849 t0n5; Waiman- j garoa (Buller), five years, 880 tons; c Banbury (Buller), two years, 3892 tons ; 1 Brunner (Grey), sixteen years, 32,505 tons ; Coalpit Heath (Grey), four years, 14,330 tons; Springfield (Malvern), four years, 7060 tons ; Homebush (Malvern), eight years, 7873 tons; Prince Alfred * (Otago), two years, 1089 tons; Prince Alfred No. 2 (Otago), two years, 2030 tons; Shag Point (Otago), eighteen 2 years, 36,066 tons ; Walton Park (Otago) J ten years, 19,370 tons; Abbotsroyd [Otago), five years, 8216 tons; Kaitangata (Otago), five years, 15,830 tons; Kaitangata No. 1 (Otago), 3 years, ° 10,799 tons. It will be observed that * up to the 30th December last, the date to which the returns are made, the out- I put from the great Brunner coalfield, of * which so much has been on good grounds Bxpected, had not been extensive. Since that time, however, the yield has largely increased, being from the Banbury mine r upwards of 10,000 tons for the half-year = ending 30th June last. No doubt this * important field will fully justify the c large expenditure which has been in- I eurred for its development. I am in- c formed that one of the difficulties obstructing the development of these mines is likely to be diminished shortly, n steamers having been ordered designed a specially for service to Westport as col- t liers and passenger boats, and if the d management of the mines keeps pace a, with the improvement in the means of transport, next year will probably show }n important growth in the working of a this field, which supplies a coal that com- n petes favourably with any in this hemisphere in the Victorian market. The total output of the coal mines of the si colony is 300,000 tons for the year 1880, n showing an increase of 68,700 tons on d the yield of 1879, and of 137,700 tons on 0 that of 1878. As I have already stated, a ISfew Zealand coal is now exclusively a used on New Zealand railways. A list f af accidents during the year is given, I 2ausing death in two cases, and injury ;o the person in twenty. — Waterworks ?n goldfields were next alluded to. v Surveys. s ' otago central railway. The working survey of the Otago Central Kailway has been continued and a ;ompleted, except the part between -"■ Eyde and Roughridge, which will not M ;ake long to complete. c PASSES OF SOUTHERN ALPS. 5 A reconnaissance survey of the passes it the heads of the Eakaia and Hokitika Rivers has been made, which has ifforded important and satisfactory re- ** suits. There has also been a further ex- * c imination of several Northern passes, it the instance of the promoters of a :ompany in course of formation at a: 3hristchurch for connecting Westland te vith Canterbury and the Southern trunk gine of railway. The height of the S >asses thus determined are as follow :—: — : tVhitcombe Pass, 4180 ft; Mathias's 3 ass, 4230 ft; Arthur's Pass, 3014 ft; si lurunui Pass, 3150 f t; Hope Pass, k 1230 f t; Lewis's Pass, 2870 ft; Ada Pass, si >300 ft. The distance from Brunnerton 0 Christchurch by several of the lines a( uggested would be about — Whitcornbe p Pass, 184 miles; Mathias's Pass, 184 \, iiiles; Arthur's Pass, 142 miles; Hu- ti unui Pass, 151 miles. The route by the s jewis Pass is longer, having in view e < )hristchurch as the terminus. That by p he Ada exceeds it by about thirteen niles, according to the character of the me adopted. None of the passes of a] he Southern Alps offer a fitting gradient m the western side, without a long de- -g our, or zigzags, a consideration that aust not be lost sight of when the protosals come to be practically dealt with. ?he promoters of the project advocate p he route by the Ada Pass. £ The progress of the Telegraph and m onstruction of Public Buildings were „. hen returned to.— A considerable reiuction has been effected during the last ifteen months in the staff of the Public cl Vorks Department throughout the ~ olony, the number of officers dispensed "' idth being 95, the aggregate of whose P alaries amounted to £21,664 annually. °' 'roposals for the Current Period. The Colonial Treasurer was able to R ilace before the House a very gratifying tl tatement of the condition and prospects £ f the ordinary finance of the colony, fj "he improvement he was able to an- li lounce will in due time have its effect rj n the resources at our disposal for the c : irosecution of public works. With re- n arc! to the Loan expenditure, however, v > r e have now reached the period when fo lie operation of the pledges on the sub- la act of further borrowing, which were v < equired of us in 1879, are to be practi- ai ally felt, and our expenditure on public tt rorks must be less than it has been for l a ome time past. The balance remain- pi ug of the Public Works Fund on the £> Ist March last was .£1,860,373. Of tl] bis sum i- 645, 793 is absorbed by the qi xpenditure between Ist April and 30th 01 une, and by liabilities, irrespective of £ fative land purchases, outstanding on y< :ie latter date. There remains there- fin n-e but .£1,214,580 available for addi- es public works, and for engage- aj lents in respect of Native land pur- ai liases. For this latter purpose i' 87,623 m fill be required during the current year, In nd .£lOO,OOO should be reserved for en n-ther liabilities. When honourable sp leriobers call to mind that the payments til ut of the Public Works Fund during m le nine months of 1879-80 amounted lh ) £1,750,350, and during 1880-81 to Cs 1,958,351, and when they are aware pg iat, of the expenditure we can now la: fford, a considerable share must be de- m oted to the completion of works already fo 1 hand, and to the further equipment ca f railways already being worked, they th ill not be surprised to learn that we th re compelled to disappoint some reason- ye ble expectations , and to postpone for the pr L-esent some important undertakings wi le value of which is admitted. I trust, to owever, that this limitation of direct pr •overnment expenditure will to a con- mi derable extent bs compensated for by an le operations of companies, which will va themselves of the facilities we. pro- f . )se to offer for the construction of ) thi ilways by the system of land grants, of

Our proposed expenditure mil in the I ] course of a day or two be laid before 1 the House in detail in the Publis Works ' Estimates. As already stated, a large ! part of the votes asked is required in re- ] spect of works, or contracts for works, j entered upon under, previous authority, t It -will also be found that a considerable < proportion of the expenditure of the < year will be devoted to roads and bridges. < This is partly with, a view to facilitate ] the settlement on Crown lands, and 1 partly to render justice to those portions < of the colony which have benefited but •< little by railway expenditure. < Eailways. ] I now come to the proposed railway 3 works : — | I. — KAIPAKA-WAIKATO AUCKLAND-HELENS- J VILLE. i It is proposed to finish the equipment and minor works still necessary on the Kaiparaline, of which the last section ( bas just been opened. "* II. — WAIKATO-THAMES. ' This vote will cover cost of the bridge over the Waikato at Hamilton, and continue the line for a great part of the 1 distance towards the Thames at Aroha. * It also provides for the construction of ' the Thames portion of the line as far as * Kopua. * 111. — HAMILTON-CAMBRIDGE. ' "Upon this branch, about thirteen * miles in length, it is proposed to break y ground. The country is easy, and the I line will be much below the average in ( cost. It will demand little additional * plant, and possesses considerable politi- ( sal as well as commercial importance. x IV. — NAPIER-WELLINGTON. •. The works towards Tahoraite on the northern division will be carried out, and for completing outstanding conbracts and engagements on the southern Jivision a considerable sum will be re- . quired. V.— WELLINGTON-FOXTON. * A small vote is required to wind up , accounts on these works, including payment for land. , VI. — FOXTON-NEW PLYMOUTH. c The vote asked for the northern divi- ( ion of this line will complete the works low in hand. The vote for the southern j livision will provide for the formation £ af the line between Waverley and Patea, g md from thence to Manutahi. It will ilso provide for the survey of the un- f finished section between Hawera and x Patea, and cover outstanding liabilities. VII. — NELSON-ROUNDELL. 1 Six thousand two hundred pounds a yill finish the expenditure on the exten- c .ion of three miles to Bellgrove. 1 Yin. — GREYMOUTH TO NELSON CREEK. S This line is in the direction of Beefton, v md is completed as far as Stillwater. 3 [t is anticipated that its continuation t ivill form part of the scheme of , the t jornpany which is projected for the con- I itruction of a line between the East and West Coasts. r ix. — Westport-Ngakawau. t Additional rolling stock is required for his line, as well as some expenditure I "or land and sundry small works. X. — PICTON-HURUNUI. * A vote will be proposed for liabilities * md sundry work on the Blenheim ex- * ension, anil for at length breaking E jround on the Great Trunk Line to the J South. * XI. — HURUNUI-WAITAKI AND BRANCHES. It is proposed to complete the exten- J, ion to Waikari, which has been very ong on hand, and to proceed with the -, ihort length to Hurunui. _ xii. — Votes will also be asked for on iccount of the Branch Lines now in fl u-ogress to Pah-lie Creek, Upper Ash- j mrton, and Little Biver. The compleion of the junction between Oxford and j Springfield branches will have valuable £ economical results, and we propose to c rash on this work, XIV. — WAITAKI-BLUFF AND BRANCHES. 0 A considerable vote is asked for works t: md liabilities on the main line, and on he Duntvoon, Ngapara, Port Chalmers, }] 3righton Road, Outram, and Lawrence j tranches. p xv. — Also Votes to meet engage- b nents on the Ngapara, Livingstone, I Palmerston, Waihemo, Catlin's River, 1: Vaipahi, Heriotbum, and Edendale, t< Loitois branches, and the Otago Central r< inc. T XVI. — FOR THE SOUTHLAND LINES, in- * ( hiding the completion of the branch to k )tautau, and to the Nightcaps Coal- tl ield, and the continuation of the Ore- ' tula line to a point at which it will Si jecome useful, a sufficient amount has S( teen placet! on the Estimates. i £ Of the total proposed expenditure on t< Railways, I may inform hon. members 1 £ hat a considerable amount (about " E'436,000) is to cover outlay during the *< irst quarter of the current year, and r< labilities on the 30th June last. There i* eniains only about .£580,8135 for further c: expenditure on Bailways dm-ing the re- t< naining nine months of the period .881-82. It must not be supposed, " lowever, that the expenditure of the b ast financial year was in excess of the P otes for that year. Those votes d mounted to £1,572,000. The expendi- I ure brought to book on the 31st March 1 £ ast (covering the liabilities over from the f 1 irevious year, 1879-80) amounted to s^ >9G9,1G5, and this siun, together with lie exj>enditiu - e of the last March-June b uarter and the outstanding liabilities ** n 30th June last, amount to about 11,405,906, or £166,094 within our last ci ear's authority, after an expenditure of a! ye quarters and provision for all claims " xisting at the end of that time. The ggregate of the votes now asked J c mounts to a large sum, but the House " ciay depend upon their being carefully m usbanded with due regard to the period a] ver which their expenditure should be &' preacl. I have already said that nego- 11] Nations liave been opened with tlie pi'O-lotei-s of companies for cariying out the ■*■ ! nes froni Wellington to Foxton, and from lanterbury to Westland, and that one art of the proposals is a grant of Crown n< mds by way of subsidy. The Govern- w lent are assured that subsidies in the "* )rm of land grants would induce ipitalists to undertake useful work of P £ lis character, which the condition of "* le Public Works Fund and of the re- b £ snue, and the pledges of the colony, Iti reclude the Legislature proceeding " ith at present. Although with regard ) the Otago Central Lino no definite to: i-oposals have yet reached the Govern- P f lent, Ido not doubt that so favourable M l opportunity for the exercise of pri- W( ite enterprise wiil be taken advantage c ; . It appears also far from improbable W{ tat the continuation of the line north ° 1 Auckland, which has already been on

partly surveyed, may at no distant date s be undertaken on similar conditions; s With this view I shall bring down t a Bill authorising such . grants within 1 limits to be laid down, and under < arrangements to be subject to the i approval of Parliament. This mode 1 of engaging private, enterprise; in ttie t development and colonization of the 1 country the Committee is well aware ia 1 no novelty. It has been employed on ''& the largest scale in the United States, in 1 Canada, and also. in Queensland, and 1 with good results'. The method of divi- s ding the territory abutting on the pro- 1 posed lines in alternate blocks of mode- 1 rate area for grants to the Railway a Companies, and for retention by 'the i State, removes all possibility of the land c being occupied advantageously in very a large areas, a danger which in any case c would not be serious, since the peopling 1 of the adjoining lands is the most ob- : c vious mode of making the railway enter- r prise profitable. c Roads. * I continue to bring all our proposals '* under this head within one view, what- r ever department may be charged with their execution. But there is a dis- ? tinction between our other suggestions * and those for roads to open Crown .*. lands. The full amount required for , the roads of this class, viz., * will be shown in the Estimates, but it is proposed to extend tin. 1 construction !i over three years, and nut to expend ■* more than some £50,000 during the current year. The total vote asked for * roads and bridges, including expenditure in the March-June quarter and all a liabilities to the 30th June, amounts to J about £260,000. In a schedule to be •* attached to Statements is a full account of the road works proposed. Beginning ? with the most northerly, and taking 1! them in geographical order, it is proposed to run a road through the fertile region extending from Kawakawa to , Okaihau and Victoria Valley; also to continue the line recently opened be- n tween Victoria Valley and Herds Point Jj on to Kaihu, Wairoa, both by the Coastal line via Maunganui Bluff and f the inland line over the Waioku Plateau. In the counties of Mongonui, Whangarei, Rodney, and Waiteinata there are blocks at present inaccessible, which v will be opened by cross roads run in from the main line. .In this manner v more than, a hundred miles of new road s ; will penetrate the Crown lands lying North of Auckland, which comprise an area of 1,200,000 acres. Passing south of Auckland to the Waikato basin, we t have two roads penetrating the Awaroa S survey district from points on the rail- p way system, and a line to open the v Huihui Taha blocks. In the Thames dis- j trict a very necessary road has at length h been obtained through the Kouiata p block, anicl y is now under construction, a When it is iinished there will be a sum- ii iner coachload from the Thames o through Te Aroha, Hamilton, and o Whatawhata to Baglan. It is of im- f< portance to complete the drainage of Te S Aroha block, and to continue to improve c the coastal main line of road from Tau- s ranga to Opotiki and East Cape, also to a follow up the construction of the im- t] portant fine from Cambridge to Rotorua which, when available for wheeled traffic, will complete a coach road from Wellington to Auckland. Another im- ? portant section, between Cambridge and 1S Taupo, which will form part of a future ® main line from Waikato to Hawke's ■*■ Bay, should not be lost sight of. Sums a varying in amount will be asked for ' these works, as also for a moderate v amount to improve a set of roads in the P Bay of Plenty, branching inland from the coastal main road. These are from Matata (Richmond) to Te Teko, and from Wkakatane to Te Teko and its rj continuation to Galatea on the edge of g . the Kaingaroa Plains. The importance of opening the extensive East Coast district has received much consideration. Ilie road line from Opotiki to Gisborne lias been under consideration during the n past year. It is veiy desirable to com- S( plete it, and so establish communication a . between the Bay of Plenty and Poverty j ( Bay. Branching from this road an in- +. land line has been explored and surveyed jj io the Valley of the Waiapu. Another -g road is to connect Gisborne with the p Waimata blocks ; and that from Gisborne to Wairoa, with branches to Crown g( amis, require forming, so as to afford Q . ;he oppoi'tunity of settling a country ivhich for the present may be o j said to be hermetically sealed from settlement. Coming to Hawke's Bay, it r( '& proposed to open a road from Wairoa m ;o some considerable areas of Crown ands on the Mohaka, and to assist n the opening of the Puketiri bush by a Q . •oad, the local bodies co-operating. The v •oad lines through Crown lands begun g j n the Seventy Mile Bush are to be jxtended from several points according ;o the demands of settlement. The iheep quarantine reserve of 59,000 acres re n the south-east corner of Hawke's Bay, m )eing no longer required for that purDose, is to be laid out, preparatory to p ( lisposal. In the Taranaki Provincial n( District the great success of the recent and sales is an encouragement to the -^ ( iurther opening out of the fertile lands q ( itill remaining for disposal there. With g, ;his view road clearings will continue to m se made through the forest lands in the s j. iVest Coast district. Coming down the j s fVest Coast to the Wellington Provin- n( :ial District, and taking the railway line ™ is a base, it is proposed to run cross-roads \. T nland from several points to Crown j^ ands. With this view roads are pro- a ected from Waverley to Moumahalri, Q iVanganui to Tokomaru, a line to Muri- p ( aotu (inland line originating at Marton), fa .nother extending the Kimbolton Road j. fl rom the borders of the Feilding settle- r0 aent thivugh the Waitapu and Otaina- aE :ajma. Blocks, and. a line opening Tip tHe 'ohangina and Fitzkerbert Blocks. ?he only other works projected on the re . Vest Coast of this island are a line conLecting Crown lands, now under survey, g r nth Otaki, and the completion of the ridle track connecting Waikanae to lungaroa, Upper Hutt. In another art of the Wellington district are — ranch lines connecting the couufay etween the Hutt and Porirua with the o f Railway Stations, and in the County of t U( Vairarapa West cross roads from the an lasterton-Woodville coach road to ex- an msive areas of Crown lands in the 4(5 'ahiatua, Mangaone, Rangitumau, arjd ne lauriceville Blocks. The northern and co , estern districts of the Middle Island, eing but scantily provided with rail- \ e^ ay communication, have a fair claim p a ) a reasonable amount of expenditure q 1 a the construction of main lines of road tk,

and necessary bridges. Our proposals are formed accordingly. Commencing at Cook Strait there are three arterial limes of communication which require opening up or completing: (1) The road along the East Coast from Blenheim by Kaikoura, and the Greenhills to the Waiau township; (2). a road through the middle of the Island from Nelson byjfoe Upper Wairau, Acheron, aM Upper Clarence, to the Hanmer Plains; and (3) from Nelson by the Hope and Buller Valleys to Westpoit and Greymouth. Another important line, is the main road from Blenheim, Picton, and Havelock, by the Pelorus - and Bai Valleys, to Nelson, which will render available a considerable tract of timber land in the Bai Valley, as shown by the Estimates and the detailed statements which will be laid before you. It is also proposed to open up communication by means of roads and tracks with all the outlying districts in: the island where settlement is going, ofi. . The principal works of this kind not included in the main roads just mentioned, are as follows : — In the Provincial District of Marlborough, Awatere shearing reserve ; in Nelson, Aore Val^ ley, Wakefield to Stanley Brook, Mata? kitaki to Marina Valley, Grey Valley to Teremakau, Cobden to Seventeen MileDiggings ; in Westland. and Canterbury, Dillman's Town to Christchurch road,. Upper Ashley Valley ; inOtago, Hindon, Beaumont' to Miller's Flat, Greenvale, Mount Benger, Seaward Forest, and a large number of f pads to open up rung the leases'of which will shortly fall in, and which will be available for settlement: As already stated, the expenditure for giving effect to these proposals for opening up Crown lands will be spread over a period of three years. It is to be commenced without delay. Harbour "Works, Greymouth. There can- be no doubt that the conaition and effects. of the works at the mouth of .the Grey' Biver, and the importance of the coal deposits of the district, warrant andcall for the necessary jxpenditure for continuing the operations adviged by Sir John Co ode. ■f Westport. I ask alsoifor a vote for experiments works at- Westport, whioh will probably be found necessary, and the erection of which may-be justified by the same reasons as the operations at Greymouth. Instructions have been given to have the neighbourhood of Waipapapa and Slope Points'carefuUy examined for the purpose of determining the precise site which should be adopted, and a vote is proposed for the. erection of the lightbouse, and steps will at once be taken to procure a suitable light. The light and apparatus which has for some time been in store at Auckland for erection on one }f the Islands as a guide to the entrance if the Hauraki Gulf, will now be utilized for the object for which it was procured. Small sums will also be asked for the 3rection of leading lights, already in store, at the entrance of Tory Channel, md for placing a substantial beacon in the .French Pass. Public BuildingsT With the exception of additional School Buildings, for which a less sum is asked than for last year, and of inireased accommodation in some of the Lunatic Asylums, votes will only be isked to meet a few pressing cases in which for some time past the public serrice has seriously suffered for want of proper accommodation. * Immigration. Operations under this head have been almost suspended during the past year. Fhe state of the labour market is still mch that we should not feel justified in attempting to renew a large assisted immigration. Believing, hoover, as we do, that a considerable ari ition to the population of New Zealand is as lecessary for the development of its resources as to the prosperity of those who ire now settled "within its borders, we ook forward to being able at no dis* ;ant date to again afford facilities for the ntroduction of suitable immigrants. But at present circumstances do not permit us to do more than to assist a lumber of persons who have been to iome degree surprised by the suspension >f subsidized immigration, and to extend his assistance to a very limited number if single women and of nominated mmigrants who are anxious to join elations in the colony. The Governiient look on State immigration operaions as involving a higher degree of ooral responsibility than perhaps any )ther with which they are charged. The rote asked for, including a Tnim'Trmm staff in the colony and in England, and he maintenance of buildings, is £24,973. After alluding to Major Atkinson's inancial policy, Mr Hall said the chaacter of the proposals to be made on the aeeting of next Parliament must depend o a great degree on the financial ex* >eriences of the current year. ] Jut I wish tow to affirm a few principles which will ie observed in our propositions, sh< uld w« ie honoured with the continued confiience of the country, and should OUK inance, as we anticipate, justify our imaediate forward movement. First, we hall make our proposals a sJ4j^ sters of the whole colony, ot neglecting the claims, n^^^and rospects of any one of its v^&iL disricts; secondly, we shall/ ask^^e jegislature to define its futungfl^^^k airings with all possible precjij^^^^^^ 3 give the fullest guarant^^^^^^^L ower that the undertaking^^^^^^^t ned shall be faithfully carrj^^^^^H lirdly, we shall ask that futur^^^^H swing operations be limited strij^^^^H mount by the calculable prcj^^^^^^^f ie country, and that fcorroiv^^^^^^^^^^H c only employed for works A v^^^^^^| jasonable promise of being r^^^^^^H ye Avithin such a period as^^^^^| nance contemplates. Elaborat^^^^^H ules of proposed works, &c.,,^^^^^M iched to the Statement. |^^^^^H Ocean Mail Services. — Th^^^^^^H '. the San Francisco mail ser^^^^^^f ie past year was .£BI6G, for the c^^^^^l ice of 443,283 letters, 136,443 id 1,110,349 newspapers to the co^^^^H 53,900 letters, 23,314 books, and 43l^^^| 3wspapers from the colony. The^^^^B >st of the Suez-Brindisi semee D 464, for the conveyance of 97,^^^M tters, 37,978 books, and 255,782 ne^^H ipers to the colony; 57,307 le&|^^H )74 books, and 16,679 newspaper«^^^H ie colony. j^^^^H