PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12699, 31 October 1904, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

[ ROADS AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS. WATER POWER, [BY TELEGRAPH.,; ' Wellington Saturday. In the course of his Statement (part of which was published in Saturday's Herald), the Minister for Public Works deals with the following matters: — ROADS AND BRIDGES. The ordinary worjc of the Department of Roads for the year was comprised under four votes—three under the Public Works Fund and one under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Account, containing; together 2051 items, each of which represented a * separate work. The total, amount voted under tliese four votes was £100,704, out of which actual net expenditure, inclusive of £398 charged to unauthorised, was £322, In addition to this a sum of £19,099 was expended by the Department on road work, etc., out of the Land for Settlements Aocount. The actual net expenditure, tliertv fore, out of all votes was £341,793. The total authorisations outstanding at March 31, 1903, out of all votes and accounts, was £337,689. During the year 1903-4- there was authorised ■ £261,16-3, making a total issue of £598,852, of ' which £345,777 was expended and £9+, cancelled, leaving- £158,582 of authorities outstanding at April 1, 1904, which is £179,107 loss than at the beginning of, the year. The total length of roads dealt with by the Department of Roads during the past year amounted in all to 5458 .miles, viz., 426 miles dray roads, and 201 miles bridle roads constructed; 577 miles-dray roads and 239 miles bridle roads improved; 2696 miles dray roads and 1319 miles bridle roads maintained. There were also, including those subsidised by the Government, 118 bridges, of over 30ft span, built, the total being 10,428 ft, and 490 miles of engineering survey completed. These figures include 82 miles roads constructed, improved, or maintained, and 12 bridges, totalling 495 ft, and 81 miles of engineering survey on estates purchased under the Lands for Settlement Act, the cost of which is charged to the Land for Settlements Account. They also include 78 miles of roads improved or maintained out of moneys under the control of the Minister for Mines. Most of the new roads and bridle roads have been made to give access to lands recently taken..up, although a considerable amount has been spent in the older districts on bridges, and other .improvements to roads. As long as it is the policy of the Government to settle people on land to which no roads have been made, it should be a cardinal point of such policy to construct at least unmotalled dray roads to the lands so disposed of, and the expenditure required for that purpose should take precedence of road expenditure in localities which ' already are roaded up to that degree.

ROAD MAINTENANCE. Some local bodies have probably misunderstood the policy in handing over constructed roads to them for maintenance, and I wish to take this opportunity of emphasising th© ] advisability of such a policy. Under the system in vogue, until recently there were many miles of roads which had been formed by the Government, and were still maintained by them. The result * was that the Government have been hampered in. their efforts to develop new country. It is a more businesslike policy that when a road is formed it should be handed over for maintenance to the local body in whoso district it is situated, thus leaving the Government free to utilise to the fullest advantage the sums available for opening up new roads, converting bridle 'tracks into dray roads, and otherwise improving the means of communication. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. The expenditure on telegraph extension during tho year amounted to £«,22?.- There were 1472 new subscribers to the telephone exchanges, the expenditure on which absorbed the greater proportion of tiro vote. The amount allocated for this year is £60,000, injii't'io? £43,877 liabilities. This leaves only ±<10,123 for new works not already authorised. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total expenditure on public buildings last, year amounted to £268,533, namely, £29,526 on school buildings and £22,815 on other buildings, both out of the Consolidated Fund, and £216,192' out of the Public : Works Fund. For the current year votes totalling £25,075 under the Consolidated Fund tin addition to the vote for School buildings, which ha 3 now been placed under class XIII., Minister for Education} and £177,000 under the Public Works Fund are proposed, and in all probability a further sum will be asked for on the Supplementary Estimates. GENERAL. Under this head the expenditure amounted to £11,566. For the current year a vote of £9000 is asked for, which provides for the completion of the offices and laboratory for the Mines Department, Wellington, offices for the Defence Department at the Alexandra depot, Wellington, the completion of the first portion of the new Departmental buildings, Napier, and for making a commencement with the proposed similar building's at Auckland. COURTHOUSES. For the current year votes are proposed for new courthouses at Hamilton, Tauranga and Campbclltown. the completion of the new buildings at Wellington and Dunedin, and additions or improvements at Shortland, Hastings, Woodvilfe, Stratford, West port, Hokitika and Tiniaru. GAOLS. The expenditure under this head was in excess of that for the previous year, but was still not. large. In the current year's vote provision is made for continuing the , work at Auckland, further additions at Wellington, and for minor works at. Napier, Now Plymouth, Wanganui, Hokitika, Tiniaru, Dunedin and Invercargill. POLICE STATIONS. This year votes are proposed for new stations tit Newton, Waiuku, Raglan, and Gore, and increased accommodation or improvements at Auckland, Cambridge, Taumaranui and other places, POST AND TELEGRAPH. The expenditure on post and telegraph buildings and sites was considerably less than during the previous year. The principal item was tho purchase of a valuable property in Christchureh to provide lor a much-needed enlargement- of the chief post office in that city. The appropriation proposed for the current year provides lor new offices at Parnell, Grey Lynn, Whakarewarews, Whakatane, Taurariga, Waipiro Bay, Tokomaru Buy, Puugarclm, Taiiiape a.nd other places, alsovaddit.iouai accommodation or improvements Sit Mangonui, Auckland, To Awamutu and other places. . ■ LUNATIC ASYLUMS. ' : The expenditure on buildings of tho above class totalled £15,812, being principally in connection with the institutions at Porirua and Sunnyside. For the current year a larger expenditure is anticipated, provision being made in the Estimates for the completion of the auxiliary buildings at Porirua and Sunny,side, and for additions at Auckland, Seaclili'o, etc. SCHOOLS. The amount voted for school buildings last year totalled to £124,025, namely, £29,725 under the Consolidated Fund, and £91,300 under the Public Works Fund. The expenditure amounted to - £116,615, namely, £29,526 under the Consolidated Fund, a.nd £87,089 under the Public Works Fund. For the current year a- total appropriation of £103,615 is asked for, £33,615 under the Consolidated Fund and £70,000 under the Public Works Fund. OTHER BUILDINGS. Provision is made for bone-sterilising works at Auckland and the Bluff; grants for new hospital buildings or additions at Whangarei, Coromandel, etc.; infectious diseases hospital at Auckland, further improvements to the Cambridge Sanatorium, and some minor works. LIGHTHOUSES AND HARBOUR WORKS. Votes are provided to carry on the work at Cape Campbell, and for finishing works at Kalmrangi anCT Jack's Point. Provision is made for 'improving the channels at Waipu, Onehunga, and Karamea, and new wharves at Mercury Bay, Mokau, and Bruce Bay. For harbour defences a vote of £4000 is proposed. UTILISATION OF WATER POWER. The final revised copy, of Mr. Hancock's report on the utilisation of water power has not been received, and we shall therefore have to await the* arrival of his explanations; but. if it does not come to hand before the close of the session a copy of the report will be submitted to Parliament without awaiting revision. Mr, Hancock's report does not perhaps go thoroughly into details; but much

further information lias been collected since Mr. Hancock's departure, and & more detailed report on the subject prepared by Mr. P. 8. Hay M.A., M. Inst. C.E. The power shown to bo available is so enormous, and can be developed at such a low cost per horse-power, that manufactues and industries at present unthought of in New Zealand, must before long be established. Mr. Hay shows that the schemes on which lie has reported (and many' others may of course be possible) would develop energy ' equal to 3,700,000 horse-power, about 30 times the amount of power now used in the colony for both tractive and industrial purposes, and considerably in excess of th© total fixed steam power used in the United Kingdom up to 1888, the date. of the latest industrial statistics available.;' At; the moment the great bulk of this powfer is in the South Island, but there is sufficient available in the North Island to * meet - all present requirements, and to ; provide for considerable future development. The expenditure involvel in converting all this waste energy into useful industrial power would, .as might be expected, run into millions. It is estimated that the cost of the schemes sufficient to displace all the steam, gas, and other plants at present in use in the colony, as well as to provide for the running of all the railways electrically, would amount to about £12,000,000.