PUBLIC WORKS STATEMETS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 139, 13 December 1887, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMETS.

Thu Hun. Mi Mitch.Gson, Minister fur Public Wui ks, lirbv i '. i! the Public Works St,ale.ii ut. la-I nigir. -f v\ liicli t.lic following is a summary. ihe Minister commenced as follows :—- In the statement which I am about to make this even ng I shall not attempt iu describing the various works to go into minute details, as I find that all essential p irtioubirs as regards the pr igress of the construction of the ra ihvays and other works arc more completely given in the r ports of tho engineers which have been already laid upon tho table of the House than I could hope to give them iu any statement of reasonable length. To commence, therefore, with the railways, as I find it has been usual to commence wUI that class of works, I find that the to®^ - length of railways opened on the 3*fc March last was, in the North Island 032 miles, and in the South Island 1090 miles, total 1722 miles. On the 31st October last there were opened for traffic 1731 miles, of which 032 were iu ihe North Island and 1112 in the South Island; there were also at that date 170 miles of railway in course of construction, of which S 7 were iu the North Island and S'.) iu the South Island. The total expenditure on railways, including cost of provincial linos and purchase of district railways, up to 31st March last was Ll 1,089,711, and liabilities on tlie 31st March wore L 150,371, making in all L14,0G9,057. THE SEAWAPD BUSH. The Seaward Bush Railway is completed, and is opened for traffic from Appleby to Waimatua, a distance of about five miles, and from Waimatua to Otcremaka, length about six miles. The work is now in progress by the unemployed, and is expected to be finished by the end of March next, from Oteramika to to Waimahnka, a c i: stance of 12 miles. The contract survey is completed, hut no works have as yet been put in hand. Tho total length from Appleby to Waiinahaka is 23 miles. The balance of tho loan of 18SG, together with £IO,OOO (inclusive of £SOOO for rails, proposed to be allocated under the loan now contemplated, will be sufficient to finish the lino for traffic as far as Oteramika. and if the allocation proposed is approved of the work can bo completed by April or May next. Tho rate of expenditure proposed, exclusive of the amount required for rails, is LSOUO for this year and L 2500 for next year. LV JSDEX-Wr VROA. The Lumsdon - Mararoa Railway is completed as far as it is contemplated to carry it at present, bc’ug now open from Lumsdcn to Mossburn, a distance of 10} ir '’cs. EDEXjALE - FOETEOSE. The Edendale-Fortroso Railway is now completed and opened from Edendale to Wyndliain, a distance of 4 tries, and the formation is finished for 3} miles, wl ,: lc a contract has also been let for another two miles It is hoped that the h’ne will bo completed to Glunham by March, ISB9. ADDITIONS TO OI>ENED LINES. The expenditure on additions to opened lines, which deludes a multiplication of works such as additional railway stations, additional goods sheds and engine sheds, additional sidings and additional rolling stock, &0., as in the past, has been a very considerable item of our outgoing under the Public Works Fund. Tho amounts thus expended in 1883-84 have been L174,1G9 ; in 1884-85, L 140,320 ; in ISSS-BG, L 00,902 ; ; n ISSG-S7, L79,7G1. It will thus bo seen that the expenditure has been ooutMuously decreasing, the fact being that the railways in many cases wore very poorly equipped previous to 1883-84, while they arc at present fairly we 1 ! equipped in every particular.

WOEKINO RAILWAYS. Coming now to the working railways, I find that tho receipts for tho year ending 31st March last were L99S,7GS, and tho expenditure LG99,072, the nett profit being L299,G9G, or L2 Gs per cent on tho outlay of L 13,017,567. In the short time which I have had at my disposal I have not been ablo to examine closely into all matters of detail, but reductions in expenditure are boing made wherever I have deemed it possible, and I believe that still further economy can be effected, even with the considerable addition to our business, which I confidently look forward to, as I am assured that we may expect a largely increased grain tonnage this season. It may be well hero to inform tho bon. members that economy can very often be effected by reducing conveniences. It is essential for the aihrhiistration of this valuable property that commissioners should bo appointed who can act independently, and who will deal with the railways and conduct their business unfettered hy political control. For this purpose I have prepared a, Bill, which is now before the House, and I be I ’eve that great as are the benefits which the colony has already derived from its railway system, much bet'er results may be reasonably expected if tho proposals now before Parliament are assented to. EOADS. The next subject which I have to treat upon is that of all classes, and before going into tho details of this subject, it may he interesting to lion, members that I should give them the results of a return recently prepared, showing the leugth of roads constructed and improved in the Colony generally out of the Public Works Fund from the commencement of the Public, Works policy. These I find to ho as follows : Dray roads, North Island, 3,234 miles; Middle Island, 1.108 miles.—Total dray roads, 4,342 miles. Horse roads, North Island, 2.452 miles; Middle Island, 1,12 G miles. —Total horse roads, 3,578 miles. Grand total of roads of all classes, 7,920 in'les. A number of largo bridges have also been constructed, not to mention smaller bridges and culverts which \vAyf boon taken no special account of, and l find that the nurqber of those large bridges is —in the North Island, Oil bridges, having a total length of 48,239 feet, and in the South Island, 134 bridges, having a total length of 32,750 feet. dotal for both Islands, 705 bridges, having a total lenght of 80,989 feet' MAIN HOADS, The works undertaken by the Government, under the head of “ Main Roads,” ■insist principally of the maintenance of the roads from Oxford to Rotorua, Tauranga to East Cape, Tauranga to Napier via Taupo, Nelson to Westport, Greymouth, amt H ikitka. Hokitika to Christchurch and the H last Pass Track. EOADS AND BE IDOLS. Under the head Miscellaneous Roads and Bridges a number of new works have from time to time been undertaken, varying in extent during the last four years from about LG 1,090 to about 1x40,0 )0 per aiim -n, and we have thought it to make provision for the such of these works as are incomplete, and also to some extent for works of a similar character in tho future. Thu principil works in hand during the last year was a bridge over the Baber riv.r at the Lvell, for which a contract, is in process—citjmated total cost,, about 158,500; briego over tho Waiau at the Hammer plaincost about Lio.oO-): midge over ihe Clarence river, now completed —cost a 1 out Bid, 000 ; road, Kaikouia to Ciarenci.—• e-t.im it •<! cost, L 12,001); road, Jvdki va to Waino, also now completed —-cost about Li 3,590 : and bridges over the Ciutha at B :rnno..t and It D r ugh. wb -n have cost respectively abon: Ll2, > and Lit.9on, I find that on arouat a: roads ou ch§

Goldfields the (‘xpondHuve for the fou years ending Marsh 1887 has Ir en, in round numbers, 1/27,000, L 15,000 L 32,000 and L'Vi,ooo respectively. while for tho present a. nl two loiiu.viu r years the amounts proposed to be provi i are L 31,000, L 30,001 and LIO7GO respectively tho amount thus allocated for New Zealand is large, but most of it will be requiioi to meet existing engagements. m "WATER WORKS ON 1 OOf/DFIELDS On account of water wo~ks on the goldfields the expenditure du:ing tho last four years has been respectively in round numbers LIG,OOO, L 3.000, LO,OOO and L 7.000, while for this and nextycar the expend'ture proposed is only L 1,200 and L3OO IMMIOJIATION As regirds tho important question of immigration, I find that for the period between the Ist May, 1880, and the 30th Nov, 1887, I'tOO nominated immigrants havo arrived in the Colony, towards the cost of whose passages the sum of £12102 I;ss has been contributed by their friends in the Colony. During the above period 80 farmers have arrived who satisfied the AgentGeneral that they were possessed of the requisite capital (amounting in a ll to j 1,34,40.5) as required by the regulations of the 28th September, 1885. _ The total ) number of immigrants, exclusive of small farmers introduced since the inauguration of tho immigration scheme by the colonial Government, is 113,953. The expenditure on immigration during the last four years has been respectively in round nurn - hers L 107,000, L 57000, L 12,000 and L 12.000, and for this and the three following years the expenditure proposed is respectively L1G,120, L‘20,000, L‘20,000 and L 14,000, being a total allocation for immigration purposes out of tho funds in hand. BLENHEIM: - A WATEP E. On the Blenh cim - A watere Railway the I foimation, without bridging, is made for 4£ miles south of Blenheim, and a contract, called the Dash wood contract, has also been let for the formation of 3J miles further, and is progressing slowly. It is estimated that tho works will he finished in (February next. From the end of the Dashwood contract, to the Dashwood Pass, 2J? ir'les, tho contract survey is completed, but the works have not yet been put in hand. The total length from Blenheim to Dashwood Pass is 101 miles. A preliminary survey has been n ade from the Pass to a convenient slopping place on the southern bank of the A watere, b\ miles further. This makes tho total aistauco from Blenheim to the A watere about 1G miles. To complete the line to the Awatere would cost about LOO,OOO, which is much more than could ho afforded for it out of the loan now proposed. It has therefore been decided to recommend the allocation of LO.ooo oi ’y, by means of which, in conjunction with existing funds, it will bo possible to complete tho first 5 m"'es at tho Blenheim end for traffic, and to connect it with the A watere by a dray road, and also to build tho railway laldge over the Awatere for use in the meantime as a road bridge. This wi” be a great boon to the locality, as the river is a very dangerous one to cross, and it is also tho only large river remaining unbridged between Pieton and the Bluff. The rate of expenditr-e proposed is for this year Lo,ooo, and for the two following years L 15,000 and L13,G75 respectively, mal "ng in all L40,G75. TEnortm extension'.

As regards the subject of teleg . j aph extension I find that during the present financial year telegraph and telephone coinmur : c'ition has been greatly increased. The proposals for further telegraph extension in ihe estiiratcs for the present yep-, include the const-notion of hues between Knipara Hoads and Tekopurn, Blenheim and Awatere, Opliir and lirkers (Matakar’u), Mi”ers I'jat and Lawrence, Honcley and Berarelc and the erection of an additional wire between Wellington and Auckland by way of Foxton, "Woodville, and Napier, as we’ 1 as a local wire from Foxton to Wood\ lie. The expend'ture for the last for- years has been respectively about LID,OOO, L2G,000, L 30,000 and L 19,000, and for the present and three following years the amounts proposed r 'c L 20,100, LIO,OOO, L(),000 and L 5,000. re a Lie nuiLDixos.

Tlio princip d public bv’lduigs in course of erection during the last year were some additions to the 1: ratio asylums m Christchurch and A no' and, the cons! action of a now pr’ it' lg oflr i at Weff'ngtou and the continuation of the works for tlio new prisons at We in,, .on and Auckland. Du.'ng the O! rent year it is proposed to put ‘ i hand a gasworks and doctor’s residence at Seac-lfffe Asylum, a doctor’s residence and fa.mb' "Idiugs, ore., at the Asylum at Su T lyside, and the addition of a male wing at the asylum at Auckland. It is also proposed to ask for a vote for a now asylum at Poiirua, for the WelMugwOu district, rnd also for the long-proposed pub'c office in Auckland. The erection of a post office ' i Wellington will shortly be undertaken, but as Unvcr- neut consider that this is not properly chargeable to tho loan it lias been decided to provide for it out of the abolished revenue. On public bulk" igs gcncially, the expenditure during tlio last four years has been, in round numbers, respectively, L1G,400, L 11,700, L 87,000 fid L 89,000. IIAimOK defences.

Tlio cost of the harbor defences of New Zealand up to the end of March last was L 318,827, and I find that a further sura of Ll 30,000 is required to pay off existing liabilities and complete the undertak '.ngs at present in hand ; this sum has therefore been allocated to harbor defences, and will be required for payment to the extent of LBO,OOO this year and L-50,000 next year. Up to the end of September last the total expenditure was L 353,483, of which Ll 7-1,012 was for guns, ammunition, torpedo boats, torpedoes and other war material imported from England, the remainder, L 179,471 for works with N in the colony, including land purchases. - Wo had hopod to be able to do without a loan at all, but we came to the conclusion that we must ask for authority for Looo,ooo under part one of the fund, and assuming that this is granted our total assets under the fund, counting from 31st March last, would be L 1,075,000, and we wouhl propose to allocate the expenditure of this sum during the present and next three years as follows for immigration with debits (consisting of expenditure, liabilities, and engagements at 30th September) amounting to L 13,000. We propose to allocate L 70,720 for Public Works Department services with the debits, amounting to LGOOO ; wo propose to allocate L 13,000 for railways (other than those provided for under part.-, 2 and 3 of fund) with debits, a moil - ting to 1j3500 ; wo propose to al’oeate L 3500 for roads of all classes with debits, amount-

ing to L 00,002 : wo propose to allocate L 528,330 for waterworks on the goldfields Vwith debits, amounting to L 2000: wo propose to allocate L2OOO for purchase of native lands in the North Island (exclusive of purchases under the North Island Trunk Railway loan) with debits, amounting to LP’jOOO (less Ll 1,000 which is to come into credit from part 2 of fund : LIO,OOO pv telegraph extension, with debits amounting to L2G,070 ; L11,10!* for public buildings, with debits amounting to L120.3U0: L 212,310 fur lighthouses, with dell's amounting to 1/2932 : L'4300 fur harbor works, with debits amounting to L >OO ; L5-J) for harbor defences, with debits aineut. ting to Ll 30,00(: Lt 30,000 for rates on native lands, with debits amounting to L 25.700 : L 25.70 ) for thermal 'ju'nj, with d.i-its amounting to LUi’.ii : !.3',e:i 1 U- charges and expenses t.f raising loan, with d.-bils amounting to LtiOOO ) I <20,000 finally for

a 1! the servic under this fui.il, with debits (consisting f expcdit.iirr, liabilities and engagevi its m 30th September last) unigrati roads < : ail it-mscs, L36G,020: h u .„. Island Trank Railway Loan, Ll2 ,nno, loss amount of Lll,ooo ; telegraph extension, L2G070 ; public buildings, L120,3G0; lighthouses, L 2932 ; harbor works, L 500; harbor defences, L 130,000 ; rates on native lands, L 25,700; thermal springs, L 3,00, charges and expenses of raising loans, LSo,ooo. This amount would have been required for expenses of raising a sufficient loan to cover the actual deficit. It was proposed to further ask for Loon,non, which i< proposed to be allocalel as follows :—Helensville, northward, L 25,000 ; PutururuUotomu, Ll S,ooo; Woodvilie-Palire rston, Ll2o,ooo; Blenheim - Awatere, L9ooo ; Greymouth - Hokitika, L2ooo ; Mount Soiners, L7ooo ; Livingston, Llooo; Otago Central, Lion,ooo; Seward Bush, Llo,ooo; additions to opened liaes, L 122,000 ; surveys, ,£Gooo; charges and expenses of raising a portion of the loan alloc ited for railways, L3o,ooo; departmental, engineer and supervision, L 45,000 ; grand total for railways, L-300,000. Adding this sum of Looo,ooo to tho L 769,235 before alluded to as existing at the 31st March last will give a total of LI ,269,235 tho expenditure of which, including the expenditure which has already taken place, is—ISB7-SB, L 1,127,550 ; for 188889, £986,903 ; for 1889-90, £577,677; and for 1890-91, £248,94-1. It is probable that tiie expenditure on public works *.r the next three years could be reduced to £20,000, £15,000 and L 13,000 respectively making in all for the four years £73,000. I may say that throughout tho whole of this allocation our object has boon to do justice to all concerned, and to endeavor where practicable within the limits of the funds at our disposal to avoid stopping ruthlessly any works on which tho expenditure already incurred would he altogether thrown away and which wouid yield a reasonable percentage in tho event of its completion as hitherto ~i tended. As a whole the chief feature in our proposals to steadily reduce expenses under loan from in rounds numbers L 1,100,000 per annum for this year to Looo.ooo per annum for the third year form March next, and wo believe in that this way the loan expenditure may bo gradually , brought to an end after March, 1891, wsthout on the one hand increasing our burdens much, o.t on the other hand putting too sudden a check on the progress of colonial industries. I would also wish te say in conclusion that throughout the whole of the investigations necessary to frame proposals calculated to bring about this result, and which I confess I have found to be a very difficult task, I have received tho most cordial assistance from all tho chief offices of the Departments over which I have the honor to preside.