Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1899.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2279, 22 September 1899, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1899.

In the opening paragraph of the Public Works Statement it is reported that satisfactory progress has been made with the works in hand. The Minister (the Hon. W. Hall-Jones,) says that the progress of settlement and the profitable utilisation of valuable timber that have followed the construction of our present railways, have manifested the necessity of making further extensions of certain lines. Some of the proposed lines that are urgently required in the interests of settlement also give promise of earning the interest on the cost of construction from the moment of opening. ': A large borrowing policy for the completion of our railway system, irrespective of the results likely to be obtained therefrom, is to be deprecated. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that, as a question of colonial policy, the completion of the main trunk lines from Auckland to the Bluff, within a reasonable time, is much to be desired. In regard to other lines, it will also be necessary in order to meet the requirements of our industries, and to develop the resources of the colony, to keep pace with settlement, and so assist our settlers in getting their products expeditiously and cheaply to markets and ports of shipment." Regret is expressed that notwithstanding the somewhat increased funds available, provision cannot be made this year for all the projected new railways and extensions of existing lines, which have been petitioned for from time to time. The Minister states that he has only been able to provide for about one fourth of these works, being those that are most urgently required, or which will be immediately reproductive. On 31st March, 1898, the available balance of ways and means for public works purposes was £326,492. Further funds were provided out of loan, by transfer from the Consolidated Fund and other sources, so that the available ways and means totalled up to £1,297,182. The expenditure during 1898-99 was £916,327, which left a balance of £380,855 at the end of the year ; but against this were liabilities amounting to £446,283. It is now proposed to provide additional funds by a new million loan to be devoted to specific purposes described in the schedule to "The Aid to Public Works aud Land Settlement Bill " which has passed both Houses. It is also proposed to transfer from the Consolidated Fund a further sum of £450,000, making altogether a gross total of available ways and means of £1,830,855. The estimates of expenditure for the current year total to £1,355,098, leavan unallocated balance of ways and means for public-works purposes of £522,830. It is explained however, that the date of the appropriations will probably limit the actual expenditure to about the same amount as last year, and the balance available for next year (1899-1900) will therefore be greater than the £522,530 unallocated. The hope is also expressed that there will be a surplus on the Consolidated Fund this year out of which another grant can be made to the Public Works Fund which, together with the unexpended balance available uuder the latter fund, will be sufficient to meet the actual expenditure under that fund to March 31st, 1901. " What stops shall be taken then to obtain further ways and means for publicworks purposes, must be left for the next Parliament to consider. The total appropriations proposed for railway-construction purposes during the current financial year amount to £336,500, including £60,000 for the Otago Central, —a mueh required line which Government now exhibit a more earnest desire to push forward than they have done in the past. The House is asked to authorise the appropriation of £455,280 for roads and other work* under the control of the Minister of Lands, and to vote for their payment during the year a sum of £330",000, also £47,278 under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Account. The report of the Lands and Survey shows that during the past year 312 miles of dray roads and 399 miles of bridle roads have been constructed : 350 miles of roads have been widened from bridle to dray roads, 139 miles of bridle roads have been improved, 96 bridges over 30ft spans were built, and . r >7") of new roads surveyed for \ construction. The works, together with the maintenance of 2979 miles of road 6 already constructed, have cost for

the year £282,352. A very good record ! The vote last year for roads on goldfields amounted to .£(32,625, the expenditure being £46,549, with liabilities on March 21st, amounting to £45,746. The sum proposed to he i U . l m of? fof lh,; curreilt vear is c o-\r/ °" aecount of which a vote of £, 0,000 is asked for. It is proposed also to take a vote of £40.000 to be appropriated on works for the development of the goldfields. Among the works to be provided for on the goldfields we note roads—Arrowtown to Macetovn, £4OO ; Skippers-Bullen-dale, £200; Shotover river track, £100; Nokomai road, £250. The sum of £2,144 is on the Estimates as subsidy towards the bridge and approaches at Skippers. The gross total votes submitted to the House for public - works purposes amount to LI, 355,098, as compared with L 1,237,536 last year. In concluding his Statement the Minister quotes the words of the late Mrßallance in 1892, which he believes, he says, expresses the mind of the country at the present day. "If any interpretation of colonial patriotism and aspirations is correct, we must continue to open out the land for settlement by money spent upon roads and bridges; we must still continue, slowly it may be, to take our railways forward to those points where they will serve the purpose of tapping districts of high producing capacity."