THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 234, 3 October 1896, Page 2

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

NELSON OVERLOOKED. (Abridgement— By Telegraph from the Government.) Wellington, October 3. Tho Public Works Statement was presented oarly this morning by Mr W. HallJones It said : — On March 31, 1895, there was to credit of part 1 of the account £268,526, and during the year £150,000 was transferred to tho account from the Consolidated Fund, and some small items also came t.o credit, making thc total £ 420,708. Thc'expenditure amounted to £389,618, leaving a credit balance at the end of the year of only £31,1.0. Part 2 was in credit at March 31, 1895, to the amount of £2_,fio4 aud credits during the year raised the total to £36,604. Tho expenditure amounted * to ' 22,681, loaving a balance at the end of March last of £13,923, or a total balance available on the wholo Public Works Fund of £45,073. There was also £31,425 to the credit of tlio Lands Improvement Account, and £5,020 to tho oredit of the Native Lands Purchase Account. There was also authority for the creation of further debentures on Hicse last two accounts to tho extent of £31,200 on the former, and £30,800 on the latter, so that the gross total of waya and means available was £134,418. Under legislation of this session tbe following additional sums will be made available, viz., fnr railways t250,000, for development of thermal springs and natural scenery £50,000, for the lands improvement account £250,000, for tbe native lands pnrchase acouat £250,000, tot.l £1,000,000 It ii also proposed to transter from revenue to tbe credit of tlia public worka fund £150,000, and about £21,000 will also probably come to credit from other souroes. Adding to these amounts the calance remaining on the 31st March last, namely £134,418, there will be a gross toial sum available of £1,304,118. The liabilities on 31st March last wero £320,636 and after providing fnr the same, there is left the sum of £983,782, beiog the largest sum available for public works during the last few years. Money will be spent for the development of thc goldfields ; £50,000 for the improvement of the thermal springs and natural scenery, ; £132,276 for purchase of native lands : £30,500 for telegraphic extension ; £1,23Q for harbours and lighthouses. The toUl appropriations proposed in the Estimates accompanying tbis statement amount to £1,112.861 as compared with £792,596 voted list year. The amounts under th* several accounts ara as follows : Publio Works Fund, part 1, £677,676; Public Works Fund, part 2, £13,923; Lands Improvement Account, £209,966; Government Loans to Locil Bodies Account, £50,000 ; Native Lands Purchase Account, £162,376 : total, £1,113,861. Amounts aro required for railways as follows ;— Completion of rh ilway to Awatere £2,500 ; railways, including Midland railway, £263,923, as against £215,550 last year. In regard to roads tho statoment says : Tho principal roads constructed during the year have been —in Nelson, the new read from Wangapek i to Karamea. This was continued for about six inilesat tho Wangapeka end, and work was ulso begun on the western end at tbo Little Wanganui river. In Marlborough the works are mainly for tbe improvement of the means of communication between settlements in the So nds. 11l Westland, the now route across thc Southern Alps, by Whiteombe's Pass, was partly fo'rmad as a footpath for seventeen miles, leaving 11 miles to be done this year to reach the Rakaia river.