PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENTS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 21 October 1914, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENTS

NEARLY THREE MILLIONS SPENT

PROPOSALS FOR CURRENT YEAR

£40,00a FOR THE OPUNAKE BRANCH RAILWAY.

The Minister of Public Works delivered his annual Statement last night. He premised his proposals by saying that they were subject to requisite funds being obtainable in the present position of affairs.

PUBLIC WORKS FUND FINANCE.

Last year's expenditure amounted to £2,949,992, the largest sum in any single year during the past thirty years, viz., £2,524,620 out of the Public vV'orks fund and allied special accounts, and £125,466 out of the Consolidated fund. Trie principal items of expenditure wee: Railways, new construction ... 606,448 Railways, additions to open lines ; 498,449 Roads 377,979 Pub-lie buildings 369,600 Telegraph extension 392,648 Cost and discount raising loans, etc 105,450 Ways and Means. On April Ist, 1913, the available ways and means were £626,741, £675,----00J was obtained by a transfer from revenue, and about two and three-quar-ter millions from loan, making a total of £4,089,841. The disbursements Were £2,891,257, and at the end of the year there was a credit balance of £1,178,----584. For the current year there is to be added to this balance, £350,000 from the Consolidated revenue, and £3,227,----628 from loan, giving a gross fund of £4,756,212. The estimated expenditure during the current year from this fund is £3,402,758, leaving an estimated balance at March 31st next of £1,353,454. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. The Statement showed that during the year 59 miles 19 chains of railway had been completed and open for traffic and that a number of lines had been pushed forwardeoul a(vD3d!. .ysEPYlff pushed forward. The following references were made to lines in Taranaki: Stratford-Main Trunk. Another important section of this railway—from Pohokura to Whangamoraona —6 miles 13 chains in length, including a tunnel through the Whangamomona ridge, was completed and opened for traffic on July Ist last: Beyond the new terminus earthworks are com- ! plefced and rails laid for a distance of four miles to. a station site at Kohuratahi, and formation, principally heavy cuttings and banks, is in hand over a further length of three miles. There are two tunnels- just beyond Kohuratabi, one of which (23 chains long) is approaching completion, and the second is just opened out. Ballast is not obtainable in_ ..this locality and has to be hauled all the way from Mount Egmont. At the eastern end of this line there has been increased activity during the year, and formation work is in progress over a length of six miles from the junction with the Main Trunk line at Okahukura. Included in this lengtha is the Okahu tunnel now being excavated tinder contract, and due for completion in July, 1916. The tunnel contract covers two miles and a half of the railway—namely, one mile and a half of formation in addition to the tunnel itself. Six small contracts are in hand besides, and several co-operative parties are also employed on railway and ser-vice-road formation. As suitable material for concrete is not obtainable in this locality, the Department is installing a plant for the manufacture on a large scale of bricks

to be used in .tunnels and culverts on the railways. The expenditure on this line during the past financial year was £67,432 at the western end, and £21,443 at the eastern end, or a total of £88,875. For the current year a vote of £100,000 is proposed. ' ' Mount Egmoht Branch. The quarry site lias been finally fixed on a ridge to the south of the Mangamawhete creek, where there.is a mass of rock sufficient to provide nearly 2,000,000 cubic yards of metal. Formation work extending over 60 chains was completed during" tbe year, and some cnlverts put in. There still remains to be- done some alteration of : grades at the selected quarry.site, and the installation of the machinery for i quarrying and crushing the rock' and transporting it down the mountain side to the railway. " During the last financial year £5933 was expended on this line, and for. the current year a vote of £7500 is proposed. It is confidently expected that the South Taranaki and other intervening districts where metal is scarce can be supplied from this proposed new source with this very necessary material at quite a moderate cost. Opunake Branch. ' Surveys along alternative suggested routes bebween the main line and Opunake were completed during the: year, and after full consideration a route was adopted from Te Roti, along section boundaries north of Skeet road, past Kapuni, Auroa, and Pihama, to a, station site near Opunake.. It is proposed to commence construction work on this line forthwith, and a tender has already been accepted for the first section. The survey of the Manaia branch is proceeding, and work will be commenced thereon as soon as it is warranted by the progress made on the Opunake line. The expenditure during the past financial year in connection with the surveys amounted to £828, and for the current year a vote of £40,000 is proposed. Other Railway Works. During the year the sum of £299,644 was spent on rolling stock, tarpaulins, pneumatic coaling cranes, Westinghouse brake, car lighting, petrol car, and workshops machinery. The expenditure on grade improvements on the North Island Main Trunk line was £25,585. The vote for the. current year includes £500,000 under the heading of additions to open lines," of which amount about £300,000 will be spent on new rolling stock and workshops machinery, and £200,000 on various new works to be carried out by the Working Railways- Department during the current year.

ROADS AND BRIDGES

The proposed expenditure for tlie current year is: • '•■ ♦ S o3,^. ••• £500,000 Jiack block roads 200,000 Roads on goldfields 50 000 Land for settlement grant ..." 170,000 National Endowment account 40,000 Maintenance 45 000 PUBLIC BUILDINGS. _The proposed expenditure is: New Buildings (Public Works J?und) .- £369 600 Maintenance Works "(Con- '■ . solidated Fund) .78 897 Maintenance Schools (Con- r ■ ■ ■ solidated Fund) , 103,156 £710,756

TELEGRAPH EXTENSION filti a totfl'of^foS 1: 8 r°teS asked '«

CONCLUSION. A numbsr of other details are given and in conclusion the Minister ah tiie expenditure proposed is absolutely necessary, and mSre could ba spent to advantage." °a

PU3LIO WORKS ESTIMATES

The following is a.synopsis of the expenditure proposed for the current Fund -rge °U tke Public WoSb

Public Works, departmental 93,000 Railway construction 960 000 -PubJic buildings ... koq'nnn Lighthouses, etc .... :V. Tourist and health resorts 9n 000 Immigration "" Roads, bridges"" and ' other )o°° works 7^n nnn Development of goidfieids"" [[] 4600 Telegraph extension ..." 410 000 Contingent defence .. v""" ggffl Lands improvement "; js'^q T°tal -TT~3^2^sß There are also some votes chargeable beiS'llTO^O 11'8 ' men! Ac'cou'S 0 Landa Among, the new road votes and re votes are the following items: — Ball Road \ pn Maben Road ...;.; ™ Moeawatea Road ...". -- 2 iSx Tangohoeßoad 2?XH Tawhiti Stream Bridge "" joo Whenuakura Valley Road 1775 Kaponga Post Office additions""" 550 Kaponga Police Station ?ln Okaiawa Post Office (re-votedV Q?n Patea, Post Office (re-vo\edr. 3500 Stratford Post Office (on account> 1000