RAILWAY CONSTRUCIION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18465, 28 January 1922, Page 6

RAILWAY CONSTRUCIION

5K kbb fctuns: or oaNOBNXBATioai. jsmaama cataanoiis. The Pabiio Worlds Statement, brought iuwi by tbs Mon. J. G. Ooetas in the . House of Eepresentativea yesterday, contained tbe following, among other, references ■ to the progmmmo of railway construction: — In submitting my second Pabiio Works r Statement 1 have to announce a very different state of affairs from that which existed 12 months ago. 1/ast year the work of my department was delayed and rendered' du* usually expensive through scarcity of maternal and the difficulty of procuring suit- . able i labour. The latter circumstance was due to the fact that almost all employers of labour, who had of necessity been restricted in their operations during the wax, had lauchod out vigorously again on varioue necessary works. Consequently tho departanont had great difficulty in making the progress which was desired. A higher rate " «f wages, improved conditions of living on the works, more and better mechanical appliances, and the rearrangement and encouragement of the staff were factors which Itelped the department to overcome the diifi- ' «ol ties and maintain an improved rate of progxeeau , Oondifions now are quite different Tfao ■apply of material send labour is considerably. greater than funds will permit me to utilise. ' Still, the improvements in working conditions and the reorganisation that has proceeded should bear fruit. Wherever

possible work is being carried out on the . basis of payment by results, with appreciable benefit both, to the workmen aoa to the department. Last year I announced that certain departmental reorgoniaation was considered advisable to decentralise the administration me ranch ee possible and place more direct , awqymmbflity on tbo district engineers, with ahe object of expediting work. This policy ’ yh as been put into operation, with marked improvement in administration. A large quantity of labour-aiding machitnery has now been installed with very beneficial results. So far the staff and workmen have not reached the maximum results, but already a very large improvement jn output is apparent, and, as those directly engaged with the plant become more _aocnstomed to the altered condi tiona which it Spa about, stQl better results may bo dently anticipated.

Legislation baa bean teamed with the ois i jfeot of improving the construction and V maintenance of the arterial roada of the dominion. Hria aboold occupy a prominent I place in future legislation. as it is a subject that demands aa urgent attention here , oa it Is now receiving in practically all the most progressive countries in the world. I rirfor'later on in tins statement to a new system which is proposed in connection. . with appropriations tor roads and bridges. ' .Under tins system the money available for roads and badges will be spent to the very best advantage, _ and where it is most urgently needed in the development of the dominion. Much attention is being given in other countries to the subject of road improvements in relation to motor traffic. With the development of this means of transport the value of good roads cannot be overestimated, and future railway construction

most be considered in the light of posaU bilitiee in this respect. The experience of aoiiie ooancriM goes to show that aatisfaotory oonanimicatian can acme times be provided by motors on good roads in less time and at considerably lower .boat than by railways; and this new factor in the development of the country most be kept ~ in view. During the war period the purchase of bridge material, rads, and sleepers was restricted as moon as possible, and our stocks became depleted. Heavy expenditure has therefore been necessary for large quan- ' titles of material daring the year; in fact , the - total. public works expenditure for the 32 months has been greater than at any period in the history of New Zealand. On railways it exceeded the record of the past 40 years, while on hydro-electric devolop--1 '! ment it was two-and-a-half times greater than in any previous year. The present financial aLroamstancea demand that expen- > • diture must be reduced; work con be undertaken only according to the money available. Last year 1 announced a policy of concentration in regard to railway works. A / perusal of this statement will reveal that rjtf this principle has been followed, though not as. for as 1 had hoped. It will be adhered to in future; and I again emphasise the necessity and wisdom of such c ; '_a course. It was not possible or reason - - able during the war to discontinue work ' on rnsny- hoes; the Kolhu Valley line, the , Waiakn Branca line, the Tab ora Section of the Stratford-Main Trirrik line, and the Otago . Central line, for instance, wore so nearly finished that common sense demanded thoir «>mplefcion. The Waipu . Stench, was discontinued for a time. V though, certain work was afterwards done there. 1 No work has been or will be commenced

■ on the. ' Waikokowai or Waipa gravel pit > access lines. The Waihi Eastwards will be A suspended when Athenree is reached, but V possibly financial considerations will necessitate an earlier cessation. Work from Taurange, westwards bad been suspended, except in the vicinity of the wharves and station. Work on the Wairoa-Giabome Seer I ,tion bos been stopped, and a halt will be called at on early date on the Ngatapa , Section of the Gisbome -Wairaa lino, except in regard to maintenance and preliminary work on the tunnels. No further work has been opened up on the Napier end of the East Coast Railway, but efforts have been 1 directed to finishing the first length so ■ that work on this line also can be stopped. Work on the Waimate Branch Railway was discontinued. Otago Central. railway was completed to Cromwell and disoon- ,' tinned,' ■ i ' _ , Thus, in aooardanoe with the policy of concentration, work an five lines has been . suspended, while on four construction was so for advanced as to enable them to be , completed this year. ‘ With duo regard > to the snbney likely to be available for 1921-22, it was necessary to suspend operations on, eight additional lines, in order to make provision for possible urj.-omploj-yient sums will bo allocated for certain works distributed over the dominion. The works upon which effort will he concentrated , will be the Midland line, North AuoJdahd' connection, and the East Coast Main Trunk; but financial provision will also ibe necessary for the completion of the Waikokopu Branch (the excavation work being- now nearly finished) and for the Stratford-Main Trunk os far as Maticre. EXPENDITURE. The expenditure for the financial year ended 3Q.st March, _ 1921, under all votes and accounts appearing on the public works appropriations was £3,866,027. If, however, the expenditure under the special accounts (which have their own ways and, means) , is deducted, the net charge against the

Pufalio Works Fund is £3,140,758. WATS AND MEANS., ' On April U 1320, the'' availv . able Trays and means lor public works ptrrposer were £219,302 'Additional funds were received as follows: — •i Under Finance Ac*, 1919 (No. 3), section 29 (aid to public works) ... _. ... ... ... £300,000 Under Finance Ac*, 1919, seet. tion 6 » 760,000 , Under Finance Act, 1930, sec- * tion IB (pnblio works) ... 1,940,000 Transfer from Consolidated •f Pond (section 33, Appropriation Act, 1230) ... } • Other receipts—- , (a) Eeooverie* on amount of expenditure of previous years 19,637 fb) Special noetpto In connection with the Ellesmere and Btoreyth Eeclamaticm ‘ and Akaroa Railway Truet Account 1,557 Thus making available I ior expenditure a gross i total Of £9,630.686 The actual net expenditure m all .works and servioee chargeable on the Fublio v* Works Fund for the year was—- * (a) Under appropriations £3,110,574 v | (b). Under section 6, subsection (1), of the Elles- ■ mere Land Drainage Act, , 1906 ; ... _ ... ... «f» (o) For charges and exit' peases of raising loans 184 Making a feto! of ._ £3,141,197 This left a credit balance In ‘ the Ways and Means Amount at March 31, 9?®., of „. £489,489 . legislative antbsfftjr exists for providing further lands m follows, In terms of—(a) Finance Act, 1930 i' 1 (balance) 560.000 .-.‘l « (b) Ffnanoe Ac*, 1931 ... 2,500,000 It Is, propoffd to make further provision tHo session lor an additional Making Available tor Sis sto:, , ■ opnrjzQ gt. year a total of £8,549,489 jij Tb&£sttm»tod expenditure en public works for U the .‘current year (exclusive of accounts which ‘ I, i own ways and means) is £5,490,080, <>' , wliiw wftl - leave a credit balance of £3,059,400 to bo carried forward to next year (1932-33), Jincbda .ejt ,^- r ; - ftmda*, f'l» 1 /

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(tetubary aatliottty «k present exists for tslsfog the Joliowiag moneys tar public undertaking* which tie not chargeable (gainst the PnbUo Works Pond, but which hare their own statutory wsq« end means ■ela.t («) AM to Water-poww Works Aot, UK> £31,000 (b) Finance Act, 1919 (addition for Waihoa and' Ohinemnrl Birers Impeoroment Aooonnt) ... ... 82,000 (o) Electric - power Works Loan, 1959 £5,442,490 (d) Fteanca Act, 1930, section U (eleotrio-power WOT tart _.„ ... 8,500,000 £9,055,490 RAILWAY CONfiTRUCmON. • Three sections of completely constructed lines were banded ewer to the New Zealand Railways Department for ordinary traffic daring the year, viz. Hnarau to Mmingaturoto 2 miles 5 chains Maungaturoto to Kanganui 4 miles 25 chains Kiorsroa to Portland ... 5 miles 23 chains Total ... 11 miles 53 chains Several other sectione were sufficiently advanced to admit of goods and passengers being carried, _a convenience that has been greatly appreciated not only iby settlers but by the travelling public. Thus is particularly the case at Touranga, where _ both passenger and goods traffic are carried' to a regular time-table on a length of over 40 miles. The total net expenditure on construction, improvement, and maintenance fear the year amounted to £1,423,544, as follows: Construction of now lines ... ... £ 944,150 Additions to open lines ... ... 421,316 Railways Improvement Authorisation Act, 1914 Account 63,078 Total _ £1,438,544 ADDITIONS TO OPA LINES. The expenditure -by tbelEStow Zealand Railways Department out W the Public Works Fund under this heading amounted to £421,315. Of this sum £112,248 was expended on, providing workshop machinery, additional rolling stock, and the usual fittings therefor. The(balance, r covered expenditure upon improvements to workshops, engine depots, station facilities, water services, additional dwellings, signal, tablet, ond telephone insitallatious, interlocking, gaeworks extension, and purchase of land. RAILWAYS IMPROVEMENT AUTHORISATION ACT, 1914. The expenditure under the Rail ways Improvement Authorisation, Act. 1914, amounted to £63,078, for grade easements, additions to workshops, formation of new linos, signalling, interlocking, and Ba.foty_-a.p-pliances, and extension of terminal facilities at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.