PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1762, 29 August 1885, Page 10

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Hon. Minister for Public Works delivered his Statement in the House on Tuesday evoniug, for a copy of which we are indebted to the Government. It is as follows :—

The Hon. E. Richardson : Mr Speaker, I shall endeavour in the Statement I am about to make this evening to bring under the notice of hon. members, in as concise a manner as possible, an account of the proceedings of the Department during the past year, together with a description of the action proposed to be taken during the current one. There will be attached to the Statement the usual tables and representations made to me by the heads of several branches of the department. Many of these are of great interest, and to some of them I shall presently refer. For the convenience of hon. members I shall deal with the various subjects very much in the order that I did last year when I had the honour to address you, sir, on a similar occasion. Circumstances over which I had no control have rendered it impossible for me to examine all the lines of railway and other public works throughout the Colony, and indeed prevented my visiting several parts of the Colony at all. I very much regret that, as I can only speak of works in those districts from representations made to me by permanent officers instead of from my own observation. This more particularly refers to the Auckland district. I was in the city of Auckland when the defence works were put in hand, and it was considered advisable by my colleagues and myself that I should remain there instead of travelling over the district until I was satisfied that those works were well advanced. I propose speaking first of the railways in course of construction, including the additions made during the year to opened railways, and then of the working of the constructed lines. It will be remembered that on the 31st March, 18S4, the Colony had 1464 miles of railway open for traffic, which had cost £11,251,633, and on the 31st March 1885 we had 1477 miles, having cost £11,810,194. There was also on the 31st March last a length of 155 miles of railway in course of construction.

DISTRICT RAILWAYS. Hon. members will recollect that on the 31st October last a resolution of this House was passed authorising the Government to make arrangements for purchasing the various district railways constructed under " The District Railways Act 1877," and the amendments thereto. As soon as possible after the end.of last session I placed myself in communication with the following district and other railway companies :—: — The Cambridge and Rotorua, the Wellington and Manawatu, Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway, the Waimate and Duntroon and Hakateramea and Waimea Plains railway. The correspondence between these railway companies and the Government is all printed and in the hands of hon. members. It will be seen agreements have been come to for the purchase of the Cambridge and Rotorua, the Rakaia and Ashburton Forks, and Duntroon and Hakateramea and the Waimate railways, subject, of course, to ratification by Parliament. The long correspondence which has taken place between the Waimea Plains Railway Company and tlie Government has led to no agreement being come to, and the directors of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company have recently declared to proceed with the proposed sale to Government, and has therefore led to no agreement being come to. I shall not now refer to the details of the agreement entered into with the other companies, as there will be a better opportunity of doing so when the bill to authorise the purchase of these lines is being considered. If the lines become the property of the Government;, there will be a great saving in working them, and in abolishing the troublesome accounting system akin to the clearing-house system in England, which is at present necessitated by the lines belonging to private companies. Under the E. and W. Coast Middle Island and Nelson Railways Act of last session, the Government was authorised to enter into a con-

tract for the construction of railways from Springfield to Brunnerton, and from Brunuertoii to Belgrove, and after a lengthened negotiation, terms of an agreement were settled between the promoters of these railways and the Government for their construction. It is unnecessary for me to refer in detail to this contract, as it is printer), and has been on the table of the House for some weeks. But I shall refer more fully to the subject of these railways presently. RAILWAYS IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION AND PROPOSED, INCLUDING ADDITIONS TO OPENED ' BAILWAYS. I now propose to refer briefly to the railway works which were under construction during the past year. Kawakawa.— On this railway several buildings have been erected, and other extra accommodation has also been provided. Whangerei Kamo and branch line. — About one mile long has recently been constructed from the railway to the wharf of the coal line at the I cost of a private company, and is now ready for working. With regard to the main line itself, a survey is being made with a view of ascertaining the cost of extending it at the Whangarei end to deep water to enable the largely-increasing coal output to be economically shipped. Till that survey is completed, and we have a full report on the cost, I cannot state what course I have to recommend to the House. There is no doubt, however, that the accommodation at present provided will not be sufficient when the WhauWhau and Kamo mines get into full working, and steps must be taken to have the necessary additional works put in hand without delay. Railway to the northward of Helensville. — Hon. members will recollect that last year I promised to procure such information as was necessary to allow of a decision being come to as to the best way of providing additional railway accommodation for the district to the north of Auckland. I would now call special attention to some representations on this subject, which are attached to ] this statement. It will be seen from these representations and the maps attached to them that although the waters of Kaipara afford a j large amount of accommodation for the ship- ! ment of timber both to our ports and to those outbide the Colony, still there is a large tract of heavily-timbered country, as well as a considerable area of rich agricultural land, situated in the valleys all through the district, that from the construction of the country can never be accommodated from the seaboard, and therefore can only be brought into communication with a market by railway. It is proved beyond doubt that the heavy timber grown in the neighbourhood of the railway between Auckland and Helensville, as well as that brought by water to Helensville, can be carried to Auckland at a rate which pays the railway and the timber owners ; and it is to that traffic we have to look for revenue for many years to come to make the railway remunerative. The Government is therefore of opinion that the "railway should be extended from Helensville northward, and that the extension should be steady and gradual, constructing a short length annually, so that as the timber is cut away from these localities that now feed the railway, the line should reach successive areas of finest lands, tapping each one in turn. With this view it is intended to ask for a vote to enable the line to be continued to Kaukaukapa, saving several miles of circuitous navigation of the Kaipara river, with all the heavy timber which is now brought to Helensville for the Auckland market. The line can be continued up the valley of the Kaukaupapa till it reaches a very large and valuable kauri bush about nine miles distant, and thence onward by way of Wellsford, Port Albert, Kaiwaka, Mungaturotoro, Maungakuramea, Wairoa Falls, Maungakahia Valley, Kaikohe, and the Omapere Lake to the heads of the Hokeanga river. It will be seen from the engineer's report that the line will not be a costly one to construct, and that it will provide direct communication with a very large amount of land now in the hands of the Government, as well as a large tract of land which will yield a good paying traffic to the railway when constructed. In connection with the surveys for the railway, I desire to take the opportunity of conveying my thanks to Mr Mitchelson, the member for Marsden, for the pains he has taken in communicating with the engineer engaged all possible information which could in any way be useful to them ill the very difficult task of determining the best route to be adopted. A map has been carefully prepared, and copies of it will be attached to the Statement, showing the various lines of route explored; and also by distinguishing the course, the areas respectively of Crown lands and purchased lands adjacent to the railway, and how much of the same is forest. The reports, amongst other things, show conclusively that the railway from Kawakawa to Whangarei could at any time form a portion of the Main Trunk line, and, therefore, other provision will have to be made for it. Kaipara — Waikato. — On the portion of this railway, between Helensville and Auckland, many of the sharp curves and steep grades have been improved, and considerable progress has been made in the passenger station at Auckland, which will, I hope, be finished in November next. On the portion between Auckland and Te Awamutu several improvements have been carried out at wayside stations in connection with the proposed Huntley branch-line for the purpose of developing the coalfields at Taupiriri. Surveys and plans are now in hand with a view of inviting tenders for a bridge over the Waikato. As soon as a contract is made with the Waikato Coal Company, as directed by the Railway Authorisation Act of last session. Waikato and Thames. — At the time my Public Works Statement was made last year this railway was completed and opened for traffic from Hamilton to Morrinsville (18 miles), and the formation of the section from Morrinsville to Te Aroha (12 miles), and also the construction of the bridge over the Thames River was in hand. Since that day these works have been completed, and the platelaying on the line is now in progress, and it is anticipated that the railway will be opened to Te Aroha about February or March next. At the Thames end of the line the rails have been laid on the 4| miles previously formed, and the formation of the Hikutai section, being a further length of eight miles towards Te Aroha is now under contract. The bridges on this length will shortly be erected, and plans will be prepared for the remaining portion of the line to Te Aroha. In addition to these works, it is also proposed during the current year to complete the station accommodation between Morrinsville and Te Aroha, and to generally equip that portion of the railway for traffic. Hamilton to Cambridge.— This railway, 12 miles in length, was opened for traffic on the Bth October last. NORTH ISLAND TRUNK RAILWAY. Marton -Te Awamutu. — Immediately after the route of this railway was determined upon by Parliament, I gave instructions to have the contract surveys put in hand, and. the Engineer-

in-chief employed a large staff of surveyors to permanently locate the line, with the result that the department was able to call for tenders in February last for about 15 miles at the northern end and about 13 miles at the south end. These contracts were let in April last, and the works have been commenced at both ends. About six miles of the formation works of the northern section were retained to be performed by the Maori population resident in the district, and it must be most satisfactory to hon. members to hear that the whole' of this work has been taken up in small contracts by these men, and that the works are well in hand. And not only this, but Natives are pressing the department to let them have contracts for further works on the extensions of this line. It will be my endeavour to comply with their wishes. The heaviest work on this line is the Purotarau tunnel- between the watersheds of the Mokau and Wanganui rivers, about 48 miles south of Te Awamutu, and it was considered desirable that the work should be undertaken at an early stage of the proceedings in order that there might be no delay in continuing the line when the other lighter works are completed up to the tunnel. Tenders were therefore called for the works some months since, and a contract for its completion has recently been let at a satisfactory price. Ten» ders have also recently been called for two further sections of this line, that at the northern end being about 12 miles in length and at the south end about eight miles. Of these the tenders for the southern section have been received and are now being dealt with. We have already let contracts for three 6tationmasters' houses along the line, to be used in the meantime as engineers' offices. On the road from Kihikihi a contract has been let for a bridge to cross the Puria River, and beyond this a road is now being constructed to give approaches to the various works along the northern end of the railway. Some 50 navvies are at work upon this road by contract. A survey has been made for a road about 15 miles long to connect the Purotarau tunnel with the head of the navigation of the Ongarua and Wanganui rivers, and this work is now being carried out by small contracts. It will be very beneficial in all owing to the contractors' access to the railway works, and will also be valuable after the line is completed as a means of opening up the country. The road is being laid out on the Wangauui River and the railway line where it traverses the Murimotu Plains. There is also a road from Napier which it may be found advisable to continue inland till it strikes the railway; A careful survey has been made of the Wanganui River, with the result that, by the expenditure of a comparatively small sum, that river will be made valuable for steam navigation, and thus ensure easy communication with the railway. A private company has been established to build a steamer to work on the river, so there is every probability that by the time the heaviest stores are required for the railway the Government will be able to get them up at a moderate cost. The railway will strike the river about 140 miles from the sea, and it is estimated that the necessary work to render the whole length navigable can be done quickly and at a moderate cost, and the work has been put in hand. Independently of the great value the means of communication will be in reducing the cost of carriage of railway material, there can be no doubt that there will be a very large passenger traffic along the river to view the grand scenery through which it traverses. The permanent way materials required for the work now under contract at both ends of the line have been, already contracted for. The location of the rest of the line is being rapidly proceeded with, and it will rest with the House by its votes to determine at what rate of progress this line shall be continued. In order to enable hon. members to realise more satisfactorily the state ! of the case regards this important railway, I ask attention to a map which will be attached to the Statement showing the position of all works now in progress in connection with the construction of the line throughout, including roads thereto, which I have already described. Napier to Woodville and Palmerston. — During the last financial year a further length of nearly 12 miles was opened at Tahoraiti, being 81 miles from Napier. A contract has been let for 13 miles further, coming within one and a-half miles from Woodville, and it is proposed to let another contract shortly to embrace the necessary works to complete the line to Woodville and the station work there. A very careful survey has been made for the line through the Manawatu Gorge, and the Engineer-in-chief has been able to locate it in such a manner as to have no steep grades or very sharp curves. The contract plans for this length are in a very forward state, and as they are ready it is proposed to call for tenders for the work. Those who are conversant with the nature of the banks of the Manawatu River through the gorge will understand that it is of the utmost importance to bestow the greatest possible care on locating the railway, as the slightest variation one way or the other in such a position means very large loss or gain in cost of construction, and hon. members will, I hope, agree with me that to ensure and gain the best line it was better to wait a month or two and have this work thoroughly done. This at least has been my endeavour. The line j between the Gorge and Palmerston is of the easiest description, and the surveys of this length are now in hand. On the portion of this railway previously opened for traffic — namely, I from Napier to Makoko, a considerable amount of money has been expended during the year in providing water supplies and other additional accommodation along the line, and also for some improvement to the railway-station at Napier, and it will be necessary during the current year to still further increase the accommodation at some of the stations, in order to provide for the ' increasing traffic. Wellington-Woodville. — The works on the extension of this railway from Masterton to Morrisville (19 miles), which have been considerably retarded by floods and bad weather, are now approaching completion, and a portion of this section, reaching from Masterton to Opaki, is expected to be ready for traffic about December next. Beyond Morrisville the only work done has been the completion of the Owapurua Bridge, which is to be used in the meantime for road traffic. No further extension of this railway at the Masterton end is at" present proposed, but a section of about 14 miles from Woodville southwards to Pahiatu will shortly be surveyed for contract, and some of the works along it may be put in hand during the year. A portion of the lbe has already been constructed. The Wellington passenger station has been removed to a more convenient site, and provision has been made for a large increase in traffic, which is expected to ensue when the Wellington-Manawatu railway is completed. Foxton, New Plymouth.— The last link on this railway was finished in March last, thus completing through communication over a distance of 190 miles from Foxton to Waitara, and during the present year a contract has been entered into for the construction of a branch

railwaytrom New Plymouth to the Br'ea^wate??"' This is expected to be completed about Noyember next. Nelson and Roundell, — The formation works on the Waiti section of the railway beyond Belgrove for 2^ miles, which were stated last year to be in hand, were completed in February "last, and 'a survey has also been made during the year for a continuation of the line to the Hope junction. EAST AKD WEST COAST AND NEWON RAILWAY. I have now to deal with the construction of a „, railway that has hitherto led to considerable discussion in the House, t allude to the East and West Coast (Middle Island) and Nelson railway. It is desirable that I should explain the views of the Government in reference to the construction of this line. I need hardly point out that they were a substantial part of the original scheme of railways in 1870, for it was then contemplated that there should be a main trunk line in both Islands. Parliament has on various occasions sanctioned the construction of both lines. Even before the general scheme of railways and the public works policy of 1870 Parliament had authorised the construction of a railway from Nelson to Cobden. The mode that had been provided for its construction was grants of land, and as much as 10,000 acres were to be given for each mile constructed; and as. the estimated length of railway was 220 miles, this meant the granting of 2,200,000 acres for the, construction of the line. Part of the line was commenced, and 31 miles have been completed under various Public Works Acts. In 1878 proI vision was made for connecting Christchurch I with Cook Straits and with the West Coast. ' In the schedules of the Railways Construction Act of that year the lines Amberley to Brunnerton, Greymouth to Hokitika, and Amberley to Cook Straits were provided for. In 1881 Parliament' made a further provision for the construction, of these lines ; for by the Eailways Construction and Land Act of that year the railway East and West Coast (Middle Island), Waiau and Beef ton, as well as Bellgrove and Nelson Creek, were scheduled. The act of last year — the East and West Coast (Middle Island) and Nelson Railway Act — amended the Railway Construction and Land Act of 1881, and, as hon. - members are aware, a contract has been entered into by the Government with some gentlemen v in Christchurch and Nelson in pursuance of the authority thus given. It is unnecessary to detail at any length what has. been dpne since the contract was entered into, as papers laid on the ' table of the House, coupled with the debate, must have informed hon. members. There now, , however, seems some difficulty in obtaining the construction of the lines under' the act of last year, and it remains for the House to. consider what should be done. The Government are of opinion that the lines are of immense importance. They' will tend to increase the mining population, and ' to develop a large amount of mineral traffic and, commerce generally. There are also consider^' able tracts of land which will be profitably occupied by settlers, whilst the bringing of the produce of the eastern side of the Middle Island to the west at a cheap rate will tend to promote the welfare of West Coast settlers, and open' a new market for agriculturists on the eastern side. The North Island will also be benefited, because there will be direct communication beginning at Nelson, through the North Island. It is, I think, • ' to be regretted that the construction of this line • ' has not been considered by a committee of this House, but as' that has not been done, the Go- ' vernment believing that it will benefit the • ' Colony, as well as the districts concerned; to ' have these lines, intend to ask for a moderate vote this year for the purpose of commencing 'their construction. A sum of £150,000 has been placed on the Estimates for this purpose. The \ Government are of opinion that by the proposal they" are placing the matter in a position to which no part of the Colony can reasonably object, while they are removing from the districts concerned the sense of soreness and injustice under which they now labour. They hope hon. members will combine to aid the Government in dealing with a subject that has engaged the consideration of every Administration that has held office, for in no sense ought it to be dealt with as one of party. Westport-Ngakawai. — In this railway considerable additions have been made to the roll-ing-stock on account of increased output of coal. i Greymouth to Reefton. — This railway is in the same condition as last year, namely, formed for ' a distance of 60 chains beyond Brunnerton, but some minor improvements have been made during the year to stations at Brunnerton and Greymouth, and a considerable increase has' been made in the rolling-stock. Greymouth to Hokitika railway. — At the date of my last statement, .there was a length of ten miles of this railway partly formed, six miles at the Greymouth end and four miles at the Hokitika end. Since then a contract has been let for laying the rails on the section at the Hokitika end, reaching from Hokitika to the vicinity of the Arahura, and a further formation contract at the end of the railway, including a bridge over the Arahura river, will also be let during the present financial year, and also ja. contract for the completion of formation and plate-laying on the six miles, at the Greymouth end, Picton-Awatere railway. — The formation is completed for 4£ miles to the southward o£ Blenheim, as stated last year, and a contract for a further length of 3£ miles is in progress. Works on this latter section have not been progressing satisfactorily, and I have, therefore, recently been obliged to take steps to secure a more vigorous method of procedure for the future. A further contract will shortly be let for continuing the formation of the line towards Dashwood Pass. Hurunui-Bluff and Branches Railway— Main line. — The construction of the bridge over the Hurunui River is now well advanced. The formation of the section from thence to the Red Post (9£ miles in length) is already completed, including station buildings, so that a contract for platelaying can be let as soon as the bridge is finished, probably about October next. The extension of the railway-station at Dunedin has been continued during the year, and the new platforms have been in use since Ist November last. It is hoped sufficient accommodation has bow been provided for some years to come. The new passenger house, which is designed to be of masonry, has not as yet been commenced, as it is considered it will be postponed for the present in view of the very large expenditure which has already taken place. < Malvern Hills- White Cliffs Branch.— A contract for the extension of thjs railway for about 24 chains across the Selwyn River is in hand, and is expected to be completed. in about a month or so. It is believed that the work will bo of great utility, and will facilitate the development of further coal mines. A still further extension of this railway to the vicinity of Lake Coleridge would probably prove reproductive on account of the high class of coal obtainable there, but the Government do not consider themselves justified in undertaking the work at present.

A'shburton Branch Railway. — A .contract for the formation of a further length of this railway of about two and a-half miles is now in course of progress, and expected to be finished in January next. When this is completed, platelaying upon it will be put in hand without delay. Little River Branch. — The completion of this railway, including platelaying and station up to the' Little River township, 36 miles from Christchurch,'is now under contract, and is expected to be finished about January next. Any further extension of the line towards Akaroa will be a charge against the Lake Ellesmere and other endowments reserved for the purpose of constructing this railway, which if sold to advantage, will materially assist in completing the line throughout. Ngapara-Livingstone Branch. — The tunnelling on this line, which was stated last year to be in progress, has now been completed, and a contract has been entered into for platelaying on the first four miles. The formation of the remaining eight miles is nearly completed, and tenders will shortly be called for platelaying on this length also. Palmerstou-Waihemo Branch. — A contract for the completion of this railway, including platelaying and station buildings, is now in course of progress, and is expected to be completed next month. Length, about nine miles. • Catlin's River Branch. — The works on this railway as far as Port Molyneux road will probably be' completed and ready for traffic in September or October next. Length, about eight miles. Waipahi-Heriotburn Branch. — As regards the extension of this railway, which has been advocated from time to time, the Government are desirous, if possible, of meeting the views of,those interested by the question as to whether the opening up of the country which requires to be developed in this district can best be done by the extension" of the Waipahi-Heriotburn railway by extending the railway from Lawrence, as has . been advocated by other persons, and we have therefore decided that before any further extension is undertaken on either of these lines, a complete survey and representation should be obtained as to hqw the object desired can best be brought about. The survey will be put in hand ' during the recess, and the decision of the Government upon jt • will be announced next session. Edendale-Toi-tois Branch. — This work remains \n the same condition as last year, as it seems doubtful whether any sensible increase to the ' traffic would take place if the rails were laid on tie four miles additional formation already completed beyond Wyndham. The question has therefore been kept open till it is decided whe.ther the line should be further extended at ' preset. ' A vote will be proposed to cover the cost, of platelaying over the four miles now formed, and the Government will ascertain ' whether a further extension of about two miles will command the traffic of the district. If 1 so, ' they will' recommend the extension. "'• Waimea-Switzers branch. — The formation of the first seven miles of this railway, which' was alluded to last year as in hand, has now been ' completed with the exception of the bridges. Seaward Bush branch. — On this railway, the formation is completed for 5§ miles, and a contract has be.en entered into for plate-laying. ' "Otago Central railway. — So much has been said during the year about the position of the works on this railway that I trust hon. members will bear with me if I refer to them somewhat in detail. It will be remembered that when taking a vote for this line last year, I stated most > distinctly, that although we took a very large vote it would be impossible to spend much' of the money during the financial year then current year, and in practice this has proved to ibe the case to even a greater extent than I bnen ■ thought. For the Wingatui viaduct, plans and specifications had been prepared with the view of importing the , ironwork from England, but these I have had altered so as to admit of the whole of the work being done in the Colony, • and the contract has already been let for the superstructure of the bridge, by which we shall . get it done at, a price little if anything beyond what, it would cost if imported from England. The contract for the masonry and concrete work on the piers, which are exceptionally heavy, has. been let in such a manner as not Jto delay the erection of the superstructure. | A , contract has been let for laying the permanent , way on the first section, about eight miles jhi length, and as soon as the formation is completed up to the Wingatui viaduct, the permanent way will be laid thereon also, so as! to expedite the viaduct works, as far as possible to ensure the railway getting the carriage of all the material to be used for its construction. The whole of the rest of the work required for the formation of this line -to the end of the 33rd mile, where it merges into the plain, are now under contract, with exception of a few short pieces which were left in a very rough state ' when the works were stopped two years since. These will be put in hand in small contracts very shortly. It has been my endeavour [to press on this work, and I am satisfied that no .. time has been unnecessarily lost hi getting'it' in hand. As stated last year, the Wingatui Viaduct is the key to the whole railway, and the , Colony is. suffering the loss of the interest' in ' the outlay, on this line owing to. that work having been neglected. • , Invercargill, Kingston, and Branches (includthe Western Railway and Lumsden-Mararoa Branch). — A contract for the completion of iihe first 6| miles of this railway has now been ljet, . and, is expected to be completed in January next. ■ ' j „ Riverton-OrepuM. — This line has now been „ opened for traffic throughout its length of about . l&miles., ' „ .. Creosoted < Sleepers.— rAfter several attempts .extending! .over some years, a contract has , recently been .let for the supply of 150,000 ■ ereospted ,' railway sleepers, with the view Jof Utilising white pine, rimu, and other timbers, i which, without some secret of preserving process, are not fitted for such a purpose. The xate per sleeper is 4s, and should the contractor succeed in producing them at this price, ]of which there seems now to be little doubt a great advantage to the Colony will have been gained. Once a creosoting apparatus on the scale required by the terms of the contract is obtained, it will be possible to use white pine not only for bridgework on the railways, but also for harbour works and for the works of local bodies throughout the polony, thus doing away with the necessity of importing so large an amount of timber from abroad as is now done, as well as makrag all our timber-works last much longer. ' WORKING RAILWAYS. I have already stated that on the 31st March last there were ' 1447 miles of railway open for traffic, and that the total cost of these lines was £11,810,194: The receipts for last year from all isources amounted to £1,045,712, and the expenditure was £699,026, leaving a net profit ! of £355,686, which is > equal to £3 0s 3d per cent, on ..■the outlay. I think hon. members will agree with me that this result is very favourable. It Is 10s Id per cent, more than that earned during 4toe previous year, The rates of profit were

highest on the Brunner and Napier lines, amounting in these cases to £4 16s anil £4 0s 5d per cent, respectively; while on the Hurunui-Bluff line, with all its branches, the profit was £3 13s Id ; on the Auckland line», £2 12s ; on the Wellington-Masterton line, £2 2s ; on the Foxton-New Plymouth line, 18s 6d. The rates for the other railways vary considerably, and descend in one case to 3s 5d per cent, on the Picton line, which was the lowest for the year ; the average result being, as I have before stated, £3 0s 3d per cent. A very large number of alterations have been made in the tariff charges, as also in the classification, the object kept in view having been to assist local production by lowering charges on all goods which it has been found would help the settlement of the country, a return is attached to the Statement showing changes made during the year. Many more would have been made, which would have had the effect of bringing a large amount of traffic to the railways had it not been found that the moment any change was made in the direction where it could be done advantageously both to the railway and to the owners of goods, claims were made for similar charges on other lines where such would have resulted in heavy loss to the railways. I have not been able to inspect all the railways, but those I have travelled over have been kept up in a good state of efficiency, and the rolling stock on the whole is in a better condition thau it was at the commencement of the year. I have visited the workshops at Newmarket, Addington, and Hillside, and in all cases have found them in full working and good order. The returns of work done show good results and fair prices. It must be very satisfactory to hon. members to hear we are erecting two large locomotives in the Government workshops, being aided in this by using, so far as practicable, duplicate parts of other locomotives that have been for along time in stock, having been received here with engines previously imported. There is every reason to believe that these engines will be completed in a satisfactory manner at a cost notfmuch exceeding those imported. The representations which have from time to time appeared in the newspapers of the Colony regarding the bad quality of alarge quantity of material for wagon work, as also wheels and axles, will no doubt have attracted the attention of hon. members. It. has been considered desirable that the correspondence which has taken place between the department and the Agent-general on the subject should be laid before the House, which will be done. From this correspondence it will be seen that the difficulty in getting redress from the English contractors has been so great that I have thought it necessary to discontinue getting these articles from England, a course which, I hope, will meet with general satisfaction. Tenders called in the Colony for a large number of axles j to'supply the place of those condemned met with little response. It therefore became absolutely necessary for the department to commence making them, and the result has been that, we are now making not only axles, but wheels also, at a price not exceeding those which were being imported. These wheels and axles on being tested are also found superior to many and eqUal to the best sent out from England, thus proving that we now import no material of this class The manufacture of these items alone is providing work for a very large number of workmen, and is also keeping fully employed the very extensive machinery at Hillside and Addingtori, which had not previously been in full work. The work is' as fairly divided between these shops as it can be with a due regard to economy, and the other railway workshops throughout the Colony will be engaged in fitting up the new stock as fast as wheels are sent to them. The whole of the new stock will, I hope, henceforth be made in New Zealand, excepting, perhaps, certain of the heavier class of locomotives which may from time to time be required, and such articles as cannot atpresent be made in the Colony. Amongst those will be some steel engines, which have recently been ordered by way of experiment. Hon. members will remember that I last year renewed a promise made by my predecessors in office that tenders should be called in the Colony for locomotives. I decided, after consulting the officers of the department, that it would afford the best chance of success to local manufacture if we arranged to build the engines of one pattern. This was done, and the result has been that we received tenders from several of the best firms in the Colony, and have let a contract for the manufacture of 10 engines at a price not more than 27 per cent, above the cost of those of the same class imported from England. The Colony, through its representatives, has so determinedly expressed its desire that this experiment should be tried, that the Government had no hesitation in accepting this tender, as we found that price was proportionably as favourable as that now being paid in the Colonies of Australia and New South Wales, where they have been building locomotives for a g_reat many years. Before leaving' this subject it may be desirable that I should refer here to a transaction which has recently taken place with regard to some 20 locomotives which were ordered from England in July and November 1883, to be delivered for shipment between June and March 1885. In October last I received a cable message from the Agent-general to the effect that two of these engines were shipped,and that they wereso heavy that it would be necessary to strengthen all bridges on the lines they were to run upon. On inquiring as to how this could be I found the engines with tenders, as constructed, were 10 tons heavier than they were specified to be. I immediately refused to take these engines, and after a very long and expensive correspondence by cable and letter, the contractor, finding that we would not take the engines as built, agreed to alter them in a manner satisfactory to the department at their own cost. These engines as altered are now coming forward. In the meantime, being disappointed in not receiving engines at the time when they were expected, I was obliged to order others, and succeeded in making a contract with the celebrated Baldwin Company, of Philadelphia, to supply 12 engines on the same specifications as those sent to England in 1883. The order left New Zealand on the 6th December 1884, and we have had advices of the shipment of the whole number at New York by the Ist May 1885— namely, five months from the time of the order leaving here. And a still more satisfactory part of the business is that they will be fully £400 per engine less than the English ones. As it is evident from our experience in the case of these locomotives, and also from the case of defective axles, which I have already referred to, that the system of inspecting at present in force in England is far from satisfactory, it has been determined by the Government to inaugurate a better system for the future, as it is quite clear .that the subject has not been receiving the attention it should have done, and that the Colony has suffered great loss in the past from this cause. In the endeavour to improve the present system of inspection the department is receiving the cordial assistance of the Agent-general, and he is desirous that the Government should take steps to have it reme-

died. The total passenger traffic on the railways, as shown by the printed returns, was : For (heyear 1880-1 ... ... 3,2?2,(»1 I For the year 188-1-.") ... ... 3,23;i,5t5(5 From this it would appear that there hah been a decrease in the actual number of people travelling, but such is not the case, as an alteration was made towards the end of 1883 for the convenience both of the public and the railways by which all passengers who got into a train at flag stations were booked to their destination, each one counting therefore as one passenger, whereas during the greater part of 1883, and in all former years, each one was booked twice, and counted as two passengers. This apparent deduction in numbers has given rise to a statement which has been very widely circulated, to the effect thab owing to our rates being high, the traffic has fallen off, but it will be seen from what I have just stated that this conclusion is not justifiable. The total traffic in goods and live stock for the last two years has been as follows :—: —

From these figures it will be seen that, with the exception ot timber and grain, there is a very considerable increase in all heads. The decrease in timber and grain carriage is easily accounted for —the former by reason of a very marked decrease in building in the South Island, and latterly in the North Island, and the fact that little grain of this season's harvest was carried previously to the end of March. The returns of the Registrar-general show that the acreage of grain grown in the provincial districts or' Otago and Canterbury hail been only about 4000 acres less than during the previous years, and I am informed that the increase in the yield will-probably make up the deficiency, so that we have every reason to expect that much of the loss of tonnage which now appears will be made up during the year. This brings me to the question of some alteration in the rates for carriage of grain made during the year. One of these alterations consisted in the ret uction over the district between Waikari and Oamaru of rates on short distances (between eight and 16 miles) to the extent of Is 6d per ton, keeping rates as they were for the first eight miles, and this has had the effect of securing a larger amount of traffic, which was being lost to the railways owing to the easy road carriage. When the alteration was made, however, other parts of the Colony complained ' that the rates of their districts had not also been reduced. Such strong representations were urged in this direction that the Government made the reduction general except for distances of eight miles and under. The effect will be a gain by the first reduction and a loss by the second, involving a loss on the whole of from £15,000 to £20,000. But this will, of course, depend upon the tonage carried.' Another large reduction was made on the carriage of native brown coals from Waikato, Malvern, Shag Point, Green Island, Kaitangata, and the western district of Southland, the cause of making this reduction being that our statistics showed that, owing to the reduction in the price of imported coal, the consumption of local brown coal, of which we carried last year 164,000 tons, was being seriously affected. Whether this reduction is sufficient to keep up the demand remains to be seen, but it must be borne in mind that our rates are now very low, and relief in the'direction of further reduction must not be looked for by the mineowneis. There are a few items which I think it right to draw the attention of hon.members to, which tend to make a comparison between New Zealand and other railways appear unfavourable. First I would refer to the great and increasing cost of iepair,s to fencing, and that by a decision come to in 1884, the Government have undertaken the whole repairs of railway fences in terms of the Act. This appears to me very unfair, and why such a difference should be made in the case of boundary fences between the Government and private individuals as compared with those between neighbours all over the Colony, I am at a loss to understand. The cost is very large and increasing yearly. Then there have been granted in the past private hidings in every direction to an extent unheard of I believe on other railways in the world. These sidings now number 251, and have the effect of causing a very large additional quantity of rolling-stock to be kept up, and also make the average load per waggon very much smaller than it otherwise would be, besides adding fully £10,000 annually to the cost of shunting as well as the consequent extra injury to rolling-stock. For the Post Office Department work has been done during the year to the value of about £19,700, and for various other departments, and especially for the Education Department, free tickets have been issued and reductions made in rates to the value of about £9000, all of which would be credited to revenue if the railways were in the hands of a private company. These items alone amount to fully 5s per cent, on the total cost of railway construction. Much has been said lately as to the prospect of railway revenue for the current year, and a considerable amount of unnecessary alarm has been created by statements as to the probable decrease in revenue made both in this House and outside. We have now before us the actual results of the first four months of the year, and although the anticipation expressed in my last Statement, and again in the Financial Statement of my hon. colleague, the Colonial Treasurer, this session that there would be a substantial increase in the receipts during the current year will not be realised. Still, considering the depresssion which has existed all over the Colony, and more especially in the Middle Island, I trust the result of the year's traffic will not be unsatisfactory. It is true that a great falling off in the quantity of grain carried has taken place during the four months ending 31st July; but it is equally true, and beyond * doubt that the amount of grain now along the line, which has at some time to be carried, is much larger than usual at this period of the year. While it must be admitted, therefore, that some reduction has taken place in the receipts, it is also a fact that a very large reduction of the expenditure is at the same time being effected, and this I shall be prepared to explain in detail when the Estimates are before the House. Excursion Trains. — Although some small attempts had been made in previous years to provide cheap excursions an some of the lines, they were made on such a limited scale that they did not procure much revenue to the railway. The season was so far advanced by the time I had an opportunity of looking into the matter that I could not get the traffic

organised to such an extent as I had wished. It will be seen from the general manager's report, however, that no less than 47,536 passengers availed themselves of these trains during last hoa=on, and if the present instructions are carried out I hope that fully double this number will be carried during the next season. Independently of the fact that these trains gave an opportunity of travelling to a very large class of the public who could not otherwise afford it, they will, I hope, so accustom the public to travel that a general reduction of the passenger fares may be found possible within a reasonable time. Before leaving the subject of railways I have to state that 1 have seen no reason to alter my opinion that tho best method of managing them is by boards of commissioners. I have taken a considerable amount of pains in preparing provisions for the appointment of these boards, and the measure of success or otherwise which will attend their labours, always providing that due care is exercised in selecting good men, will depend upon the amount of power Parliament will give them. After very careful consideration of this question, however, the Government has come to the conclusion that it is not desirable to ask tho Hou&e to pass such an important measure as this Railway Commissioners Bill. Hou. members and the country generally have had an opportunity of fully studying it, it, and it has therefore been decided that the House shall only bo asked to carry the bill through its primary stages this session. When that is done it is proposed that the bill shall be widely circulated, in order that the subject may be fully stated and discussed by all who are interested in it before it is again introduced next session. The present staff is good, many of the officers having had much more experience than men receiving much higher pay in the adjoining Colonies, and our system of account is far superior to that in force in some ,of the Colonies, and enables us to complete our accounts much more rapidly and accurately than they can do. Indeed in one instance lately we have lost a valuable officer through his being offered higher pay in an adjoining Colony, and the same Government which took him from us is adopting many of our methods of keeping statistics and accounts ROADS NORTH OP AUCKLAND. The amount voted for these roads last year was £103,800, and against this there were liabilities to the extent of £30,130, leaving £73,670 available for further works. Of this sum, £3670 was kept in hands to cover contingencies on works in cour.se of construction by the Public Works Department, and the balance (£7000) was allocated to the various counties for works, to be spread over the pez'iod ending tho 31st December 18S6. The amount allocated to each county was as follows :— Waitemata, £1200 ; Rodney, £11,000 ; Hobson, £9000 ; Whangaroa, .£12,000 ; Bay of Islands, £1000 ; Hokianga, £7000; Monganui, £9000— total, £70,000. Of this amount, £8200 was for the Main North road on the east side of the Island, and £3000 for the main road on the west side, and there was also a sum of £5500 directed to be expended, in works which were specially defined, leaving £53,100 for ordinary [county worses. Special care has also been taken to provide in the agreements made with each of the counties concerned that the whole of the money must be expended on new constructive works, and not in anything of the nature of maintenance. ROADS AND BRIDGES GENERALLY, INCLUDING MAIN ROADS AND " MISCELLANEOUS ROADS AND BRIDGES." North Island. — South of Auckland, the roadworks in the hands of the Government in this portion of the Colony during last year have consisted almost entirely of the maintenance and improvement of main roads. In outlying districts, such as the roads from Cambridge to Rotorua, and Cambridge to Taupo ; Tauranga via Napier via Taupo, Seventy-mile Bush, and various roads in the Bay of Plenty ; and also the maintenance of the Auckland to Drury road, to such extent as the tolls collected upon it would admit of. As a considerable amount of misapprehension seems to exist as regards the Government connection with this latter road, and the keeping up of the tolls upon it, it may be as well to state that as it is not a road in an outlying district the Government under ordinary circumstances have nothing to say to it, but has consented to assume control of the maintenance for the reason that the Counties Act is not in force in the district through which it passes, and because the numerous road boards concerned have never been able to agree among themselves as to what proportion each should bear in the cost of maintenance. These local bodies, however,* are continually urging that the tolls should be taken off, but it is manifest that this cannot be done till they either arrange to take over the control themselves, or else subscribe amongst them the necessary funds for the maintenance in lieu of the tolls. The amount which it is necessary to contribute towards the Seventy-mile Bush road this year will be much less than last in consequence of the advance of settlement along it and the short distance which has to be maintained owing to the extension of the railway. It is hoped that after this year the contributions from the General Government funds may cease altogether. Middle Island. — The chief road works in the Middle Island have been the completion of the road from Blenheim to Nelson, via t)ie Pelorous Vallej and via Saddle, and various improvements in the road from Nelson to Westport and Greymouth ; also the construction of the Kaikoura and Waiau road a length of about 30 miles, which is well in hand. A survey has also been made for a road from Kaikoura to the Clarence, and the works along this distance will I soon be put in hand. The bridge over the Clarence is now well advanced towards completion, and we may therefore shortly expept to have completed a coach road throughout from the Waiau township to the north side of Clarence River, and thus get rid of a long standing obstruction to the progress of settlement between North Canterbury and Blenheim. Bridges are also in progress over the Taipo River, on the road from Christchurch to Hokitika, the Taieri River in Otago, and the Clutha and Beaumont at Roxburgh, also in Otago. In the case of the Beaumont Bridge, as in the oase of the Wingatui viaduct, which I have already alluded to, the plans of the superstructure as originally prepared would have entailed the work being ordered from England ; but I have had these plans altered similarly, so as to admit of the work being done in the Colony. A contract has also boon let for the construction of a bridge over the Waiau River at the Hanmer Plains, and this will supply a wiint which has been long felt in the shape of a safe road to the Thermal Springs near Jollies' Pass, as well as to the whole of the interior of the Nelson and Marlborough districtg l The Hanmer Plains Springs, the curatiyp. properties of which are well known, ha,ve been almost inaccessible hitherto in consequence of the dangerous nature of the ford over the Waiau. When the railway is opened to the Red Post the

coach journey to the Springs will be reduced to about 24 miles. Thei'e is every reason to expect that they will be then largely patronised by persons in the South, who cannot afford the expense of going to R6torua or other similar springs in the North Island. The bridge, which is almost entirely of ironwork, is being manufactured in tho Colony. Roads to open up Crown lands before sale. — On these works which are under the control of my colleague, the Minister for Lands, the expenditure during the last financial year has been £49,314, and the liabilities at the end of March last amounted to £70,072. The individual works done and in progress are so numerous that I cannot conveniently describe them in detail, bat they will be found fully recited in table No. 4 attached to this Statement, and from that table hon. members will, I think, be enabled to realise that a fair amount of attention is being given to the opening up of lands for settlement hi all parts of the Colony. There are still, however, many millions of acres of Crown lands to be opened ,up, so that a large amount of work of this class will require to be done for many years to come. The expenditure during the present financial year is expected lo reach about the amount of the liabilities existing in March last, viz., the sum of £70,702, and that is all that it ig proposed to ask for as a vote, but in addition to this sum it is proposed to ask the House to authorise the incurring of further liabilities during the current year to the extent of say £80,000. ROADS UNDER THE ROADS AND BRIDGES CONSTRUCTION ACT. Main Roads (one-fourth of the cost of work to be provided or repaid in 10 years by tho local body, and the balance to be found by the Government).—Under this heading the total amount of the applications received on the 30th June 1884, when reduced in accordance with the Act of 1883, came to £250,484. Of these applications, those which were for bridges were granted in full, while as regards those which were for road works, exclusive of bridges, the available funds only admitted of their being grauted to the extent of 30 per cent, on the amount applied for. The total amount'thus distributed for bridges and roads works together amounted to £103,294. In addition to these ordinary applications there were also applications for repairs for extraordinary damage by floods amounting to £13,577, and grants were made on these to the extent of £9005. The total applied for altogether on account of main roads Was therefore £264,061, and the total granted £112,299, of which £60,975 was for bridges and £51,324 for other works. The amounts granted within each of the several provincial districts will be found in the following table :—: —

District Roads and River Works (total amount granted to be paid in 15 years).—On account of this class- of work the total amount applied for during the year ended March- last has been £34,593 (including applications amounting to £1186 for flood damages), and in pursuance of this application loans have been granted to the extent of £26,002. Of this sum £25,402 was for roads and £600 for river works. The several amounts granted within the various provincial districts are shown in the table below: —

It will thus be seen that the total amount granted for the year has been £138,301. As several local bodies have, however, since decided to deal with their grants under different sections of the Act to those under which the grants were originally made, the amount finally granted has been thereby reduced to £108,678 for main roads, and £25,274 for district roads and river works, so that tb.e grand total for the year as revised up to 31st March has been £133,952. Roads and Tracks, &c. for the Development of Goldfields and other Mining Districts.—lt has hitherto been usual for these works to be described in the Public,, Works Statement, but as my hon. colleague, the Minister of Mines, has already made a Statement to the House dealing with the whole question of mining works, it will only be necessary for me to allude to them very briefly. I may state, however, from my previous knowledge of such works that the rough and mountainous character of the country where gold and other minerals; exist render the construction of roads and tracks imperative before the mineral resources of the Colony can be developed, and that it is impossible to expect that individual minors, or even mining companies can do then" work without considerable aid from the Government. The expenditure during the year on works of this character has been £18,630, and the liabilities at the end of tho year were £33,122. Of these amounts a considerable portion is represented by subsidies to local bodies, who have undertaken to do the works required on the principle of receiving £2 to £1 on the cost of construction. Further details on this subject will be found in table No. 5. Waterworks on Goldfields.— -These works are also under the control of the Minister of Mines so that I need only state with respect to them that the expenditure on the construction of water races during the year has been £8209, and the liabilities at the end of the year £7369 The principal portion of the expenditure duriutr the year has been on the Mikonui Water-race in Westland, and the Mount Ida Water-race in Otago. Further particulars will, if required be found in table No. 7 attached to this Statement, PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS North Island.—Through the operates of the Native Land Purchase Department during the past year 16 negotiations, some of which were open for the last 13 years, have. been tSt Bay Several other open negotiations have been considerably advanced, and Ire now in the final stages of completion. Under these circumstances it is only considered necessary to a?k for an appropriation of £70,000 for the current financial year, as against £90,000 last yearA ??ISaS «;* Pa?air entary Pape/lettered V 2*4884,, on. this subject, will shortly be laid

before the House. This will show the whole of the land purchase transactions, complete and incomplete. The results being in round numbers about as follow': — Completed transactions, 4,040,000 acres; incomplete, 1,100,000;— total expenditure, £1,000,000. IjtMIORATTON. The number of immigrants introduced for tho year ending June 20, 1885, was 12G2. Those consisted principally of persons Avho.se passages had been held over during the temporary suspension of immigration, and to whom ] rei'ervrd in. my Statement last year. So far as the Government have been able to ascertain, these engagements have been fulfilled with a"U persons who wished to take advantage of the nomination in their favour, and there are, therefore, now no outstanding obligations on the part of the department with respect to these passages. Since the 19th of November 1884 even nominated immigration has been restricted to special cases of families. This is done under a system devised to meet cases where husbands have come out to the Colony on the understanding that they would be permitted to nominate their wives and families whenHhey had succeeded in providing homes for them. Nominations in favour of 310 persons have been received since the issue of these instructions. Payment of half the passage money is required to the .extent of £8 10s for each adult, and £5 for each child, including cost of outfit. The total number of immigrants of all classes introduced into the Colony since the inauguration of tho immigration scheme by the Colonial Government is 111,948. A return which has already been laid before the House gives details of the classes and nationalities of these immigrants. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. Telegraph 'extension during the year consisted of the erection of 190 miles of new lines and 437 miles of additional wire. The work of connecting Taupo with Cambridge by a line 65 milesin length has been completed. This was undertaken with a view of providing an alternative route to the north, and has had the effect of shortening the distance to Auckland by 80 miles, besides cutting off a considerable length of coast-line. A line from Collingwood to Cape Farewell Spit lighthouse has also been finished and opened for public use, and as a weatherreporting and signalling station for passing vessels will be of great value. The telegraph-lines in use in the Colony at the end of March last extended to a total length of 4264 miles, carrying 10,474 miles of of which 2820 miles is i duplexed. Telephone exchanges were set up during the year at Nelson and Oamaru, and arrangements have been made for sUch exchange at Timaru and Napier. The exchanges now in operation are seven— viz., Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invcrcargill, and they yielded a gross revenue during the { last financial year of £10,008 3s 6d. The expenditure on new works and extensions of all classes last year was £25,799, and the vote proposed to be asked for this year is £25,900. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The expenditure on public buildings during last year has been considerably less than for the previous years, having been only £117,361 'f0r 1884-85, against £164,376 for 1883-84, and against £153,072 for ISS2-83. The liabilities on account of public buildings at the end of last year were also considerably less than at the end of the two previous years, having beea only £10,424 in March 1885, against £41,753 in March 1884; and £82,862 in March 1883. The principal works in hand, when considered individually, have been the new convict prisons at Auckland and Wellington. The largest portion of the expenditure during the year has been — For school buildings, £66,069 ; ( lunatic asylums, £24,992 ; and post and telegraph offices, £8955. The expenditure on lunatic asylums consisted principally of final payments on account of contracts f orthe asylums at Sunnyside in Canterbury and Seaeliff in Ofcago, which had practically been completed before the date | of my Public Works Statement. The de- , signing aud construction of tho Industrial Exhibition Building in Wellington has also been carried out by the Public Works Department ; 1 and several small courthouses have been erected in various 'parts of the Colony. Of the works proposed for the current year the largest item is for school buildings, lunatic asylums, and hospitals. Lighthouses and Harbour Works. — The lighthouse at Kaipara, which was stated last year to be in progress, has since been completed, and a light has been exhibited there since the Ist December last. At Jackson's Head the beacon which was recently erected was unfortunately carried away during a heavy gale which occurred on the 13th and 14th March last, but steps arc now being taken to replace it with a structure of a more substantial character. In pursuance of the Act passed last session, the construction of harbour works at Westport, which had only to a very slight extent previously been undertaken by the Government, was placed in the hands of a board, with power to borrow to the extent of £500,000, and that body is now taking vigorous steps towards the opening up of quarries by railway and the acquiring of all necessary plant in order to carry out the works with efficiency and despatch. All the harbour works plant and rolling-stock which the Government had upon the ground has been handed over to the board. The harbour works at Greymouth have also been 'handed over to tho board, in pursuance of the Act of last session, with power to borrow to the extent of £50,000, and they are being carried on vigorously and in a satisfactory manner, the whole of the harbour works plant and rolling-stock which the Government had upon the ground, and which in this case was of considerable extent, having been handed over to the board as in the Westport case. In the Greymouth case, however, a considerable amount of work had previously been done by the Government, costing in all £127,018, and as I think it desirable to place on record the very great improvement which has resulted from the construction of these works, I will quote here a hort extract from the last annual report of the Engineer-in-chief, which puts the case very clearly — " It is now about four years since the Grey Harbour works began to have a beneficial effect on tho bar, and this effect has gone steadily on, increasing month by month as tho •works progress. A table, which gives an abstract of the depths on the bar for the last five years, shows the improvement that is taking place. It will be seen that in 1880-81 tfioiv Were 315 days on whteli the depth was le-/i than 12ft, whereas in 18S 1-85 there were. 20S days on which the depth was more than 12ft. The improvements indicated in the table have resulted entirely from tho construction of a Wiole at the south side of the river, and in addition to carrying ttvirf on as hitherto the Harbour Board has recently let a large contract for the construction of a training wall on the north side. „ , , , Before leaving tho subject of Jmliour works I may also mention that the Government have •decided to ask the House to give the necessary power to both the Grey and Westport harbour Boards to expend some of their funds m supply.

ing further facilities for shipping coal at these ports and extending the railway to the mines. In view of these proposals it should bo remembered that the works are really being carried out for the benefit of the Colony, as it is epen to Parliament to claim them at any moment. Meanwhile, under local management, thoy .appear to bo progressing very satisfactorily. ICAIJBOUIt DKVKNCFn. Existing Defences. — At the end of March last it was considered advisable, owing to thothreatened outbreak of war with Russia, to place the chief ports of the Colony in a state of defence, as far as the means at the disposal of ihe Colony admitted, and to commence the construction of the necessary works for tho reception of the guns. Those; works were proceeded with vigorously, and in about three months the whole of the guns available in the Colony were mounted and the uecossary magazines, stores, barracks, and enclosing parapets are now in a fair state of completion. Defence Works at Auckland. — Works were undertaken at North Head, Point Resolution, and Mount Victoria. The first two works are almost completed, and the third will be completed for about £1200. The total cost of these works, when completed, will be about £12,200. At Wellington works have been erected at Point Halswell, Gordon Point, and Kaiwarra. These works are in a fair state of progress, and barracks have also been erected for the constabulary. The cost of the works at Wellington, when finished, will be about £15,000, which includes the ranking of a considerable extent of road and the erection, of a redoubt on Mount Crawford. At Lyttelton works have been constructed at Battery Point, Sperm Point, and Er^kine Point, and barracks have been erected for the constabulary working there. The works will shortly be completed, and their cost will approximately be £5200. Works have been constructed at Taiaroa Heads for the defence of Port Chalmers, and also at the Ocean Beach to protect Dunedin from bombardment. The cost of these works which are also nearly completed, will be £9600. The cost of the land will bring the total for all these works up to about £52,000. Torpedo Defences. — A small number of submarine mines were supplied by the admiral commanding the Australian squadron. These have been laid down at Auckland. The 64-pounder converted guns, also supplied by the Navy, will be mounted at Auckland and Wellington. Proposed Additional Defences. — Taking into consideration the recent improvements which have been made in the construction of ordnance and the methods of mounting guns on coast defence, it was considered advisable, for the better protection r ,of the harbours, And to prevent their bombardment at along range, to provide 2'd guns of the largest type, as well as 20 machine giuih. Whitehead torpedoes, "and other necessary accessories for coastal defences. Tliese will be supplied shortly at a cost of £166,000. It is proposed to mount the three heavy guns and the 20 machine guns at the several ports, and also to provide for tho defence of the Bluff. The cost of the works will be greatly reduced by the employment of the constabulary in their construction, which will be extended over a period of about three years. I It is also proposedto establish complete systems of torpedo defences for all pprts, as without this additional outlay the batteries themselves are not considered to be thoroughly effective. The cost, including all necessary firing and ob- ! serving stations, boats, cables, and stores, will be , about £35,000, and will include all the modern I implements in this branch of military science. The total cost of this scheme of defence will not J exceed £30,000, which is considerably less than '< has been paid for the fortifications of any of the ' principal Australian ports. At the same time the natural advantages afforded by the places to be defended in New Zealand, and the adoption of the latest improvements in ordnance, should render their security from attack equally well ' assured. PUBLIC WORKS FUXD. On the Ist April 1884 there was £488,912 to the credit of the Public Works Fund, to which had been added £359,000, the last instalment of a million negotiated in January 1884. Together these amounts made £877,912. To this must bts added receipts during the year of £100,000, the proceeds of deficiency bills, £500,000 temporary advances, and £845,440 the instalment of tho million loan negotiated in January lost, which was brought to credit before the end of tho financial year. There was bcsidvS £4113 received under the Railways Construction Act 1870. The receipts therefore amounted altogether to £2,327,005 ; as against this, the expenditure was £1,363,727, leaving a balance of £990,208 on March 1885. Of this, however, about £2:50,000 was outstanding as advances in the hands of officers, and there was £600,000 besides reqnired to pay off the deficiency bills and the temporary advances. The expenses of negotiating the last million of the three million loun had not been brought to account, but, on the other hand, an instalment of £155,000 of this loan remained to be paid. It wil' be seen, therefon-. that the famous three million loan, together with its little sister the • £250,000 colonial inscribed loan, all had passed away on the 31st March last, excepting about a quarter of a million, and about a like amonnt in the hands of officers to be accounted for. In these figures the million loan authorised for the North Island has not been included, that loan, as hon. members are aware, not having as yet been raised ; the funds for the works so far undertaken on that railway having been temporarily provided by advances from loans authorised for other purposes. These advances will, of .course, have to be recouped when the loan for the North Island line is floated. The credit balance, therefore, at the commencement of the present financial year was, as I have already stated, £990,298. To this has been added £155,000, the last instalment to which I have also alluded to, of three million loan, and £1,500,000 for the loan of that amount floated in May, making together £1,645,298. On the other hand there must be deducted from this sum the £600,000 required to pay off the deficit bills, and to repay temporary advances last year. There will thus remain a little over two millions available for expenditure on Ist April next, last subject, however, to tho quarter of a million in the hands of officers, to be accounted for and subject to tho cost of negotiating the million loan in January, ,>nd the million and a-hnlf in May last. It i>necessary f should say a few words as to liabilities, because, although the subject is yearly explained by Ministers, there yet seems to he a considerable want of knowledge concerning it. The votes taken each year for public works expenditure do not represent, and are not meant to represent, the expenditure, on account of liabilities already in existence, and authority to I enter into further liabilities without reference ! to the time it make take to fulfil them. Hence, with two exceptions which will be seen in the Estimates when brought before the House, the votes which I shall ask for will represent in all

cases a great deai more thau the proposed 'jxpendituro during the year. But hon. members, before I detail the vote, will like to know the broad estimate I make of the expenditure this year, and of the periods following it during which Parliament will have probably met and the session be proceeding. I must first say that when war seemed imminent we deemed it expedient to contract the expenditure, and it has not been considered desirable to much extend it during tho session. Thus during the first four mouths of the present year the expenditure from the Public Works fund has proceeded at a little . over the rate of £850,000 a-year. Some heavy orders for defence material have been given, and payment may have to be made on this account shortly. Even taking the, defence expenditure into account, however, I estimate that the amount coming in for payment up to 31st March next may be kept within £1,250,000. The expenditure, however, will continue to proceed under the liabilities contracted without reference to any further expenditure to be authorised next session. We must always calculate upon about a quarter of a million being in the hands of officers for advances. Taking this into account, and the million and a-quartor of expenditure which I anticipate within the year, wo shall have available of the balance with which we begin this year" about half a million for next year, on the 31st March. Seeing the period at which Parliament generally meets, and the pressing business which first engages its attention, we think it desirable that provision should be made for another million, which might be negotiated at any time after March when the opportunity ■seems best. It hope it will take us well into 1887, but of that, of course, the House will be best able to judge next year. SUJIMAIIY Or VOTES A&KliB FOB. Having already detailed under their several headings the nature of the work proposed to be undertaken during the current year, it will now, iir, only be necessary for me to state the .unounts [of votes which we propose to ask for on account of each class of undertaking. This being done, I shall have a few special remarks to make on the subject of expenditure on road .vorks, and then I shall bring this Statement,' which, for various reasons, I have been obliged bo make an exceptionally long one, to a close. For the year now current the amounts which we propose to ask the House to authorise are as follows : — «• For immigration, with liabilities at the end of March amounting to £SOOO, we ask for a vote of 630,373, thus providing for new undertakings to the extent of £22,373. For departmental expenditure, with liabilities of £779, we ask for a vote of £28,!)31. For railway works of all classes, with liabilities )f £497,525, we ask for a vote of £1,347,400, ; (■he details for the'suveral classes of works being as follows, namely : — • New uorlis, construction and land, with liabilities jf £2U,'M I ; amount asked tor, £90 J, 300. Additions to opened lines, with liabilities of ;3:i,.iisH; amount aakod tor. £172,100. Permanent way, sleepers and rolling stock, with Labilities ot £131*58(5 ; amount, asketl for, £203.000, oi new lines of railway, with liabilities of j >;H32 ; amount asked ior £3000, The grand total is, as before 5tated,£1,347,400, including liabilities at end of March last amounting to £-197,520. This will give 849,875 for new undertakings. For romls of all classes, with liabilities of 8300,453, we ask for a vote of £586,704. Thisincludes various classes of roads as follows :—: — Roads north of Auckland, with liabilities of Ciii),3i)l ; amount asked for, £09,229. Main roads, with liabilities ot £15,209; amount .iskert ior, £15,100. Miscellaneous roads and bridges, with liabilities of £20,420 ; amount usked for, £5'!,974. Qrants-in-aid under the Koads and Bridges Construction Act and subsidies to local bodies, with liabilities ol £1(30.320 ; amount asked for, £268,329. | lioads to open up Crown lands, with liabilities ot £70.072; amount asked tor expenditure this year, I £70,072. lin.uls on goldiields^yith liabilities of £33,122; ■mioimt asked ior expenditure this year, £50,000. Total for roads of all classes, as before stated, \ (5586,704, with liabilities of £380,453—being an uldition of £206,251. For waterworks on goldfields, with liabilities it £732i>, we ask for a vote of £30,200. For public buildings, with 'labilities of £10,424, we ask for a vote of £156,518. This includes .chool buildings, £08,230, as against liabilities at the end of March labt of Xi 2240. The vote proposed for buildings as a whole this year is considerably less than last year, although the jross amount for school buildings is practically the same, and tho amount available for school miluings, exclusive of liabilities, ib some £6000 ■no re than last year. For lighthouses and harbour works, inluding harbour defence, with liabilities of :i 19,220, we ask for a vote of £266,010, • lius providing £146,700 for new uuder'.tkings. The amount included' in this for labour defences is £230,000, as against liabilities .it 31^ March of £114,700. But the liabilities ,ince that date have been largely increased, and iow mount up to close on the amount of the '•ote proposed. For telegraph extension, with liabilities of £6000, we ask For a, vote of £25,900. For tho purchase of Native land, with estimated liabilities in all of £173,200, we ask for a vote of £70,000, that being sufficient to rneel the probable payments which will become due during the current year. For charges and expenses in raising loan we .isk for a vote of £60,000. The total amount proposed to be voted is thus £2,602,036, which includes liabilities amounting to £1,202,970. Deducting from these liabilities the sum of £103,200 prospective liabilities on Native land purchases, which are not at present required to be provided for, the amount available for new undertakings would thus be in all £1,502,266. But, as already stated, it is only contemplated to spend this year about £1,250,000, which is very_ slightly in excess of the liabilities already existing. BOADS AND BRIDGES. In considering the proposed votes hon. members will be reminded of what has been pointed out by the Government — virtue inadequate pro- . portion for railway construction compared with t.liat for other works. Roads and bridges have assumed a position in the expenditure charged to loans that calls for tho most earnest consideration of Parliament, and if the borrowing powers of the Colony are to be restrained within reasonable and prudent limits, some change will have to be brought about in the way that sums out of loans are voted for these works. With our present laud revenue and our probable | I attire returns from the land fund, the Roads vu\ Bridges Construction Act, jf left unrencsaled, will entail such a burden on the Colony I that cither our borrowing will have to be extended or our loans will not be spent in the construction of railways. To show how borj vowed money has been expended for roads and 1 bridges I need only quote tho following ! figures: — 18S0-1 ... ... - £230,84-1 1881-2 ... ..: ... £145,948 JBB2-3 ... ... ... £210,(505 1883-1 ... ... ... £328,011 1884-5 ... ... ... £317,013

The Roads and Bridges Construction Act only comes into the amounts of the last two years. The amount for 1883-4 includes for grants under the Roads and Bridges ( instruction Act £106,398; and for 1884-5, £149,9fc>2 is included, and when we are about to propose its repeal, we shall have to vote £216,000 to fulfil obligations under it. If this act remains on the statute book, I hesitate to hazard an estimate of what the yearly vote of the loan will grow to. The Government does not undervalue tho need of such colonising work as roads and bridges, nor has the House denied their utility, but the question is : Shall the • Consolidated Fund and districts concerned bear the main part of the burden, or must we go on increasing the debt of the Colony for roadp and bridges ? This is a matter which requires grave consideration ; but meanwhile, without risking the dangers of a too risky alteration of the present system, we shall strive to bring about a change in the mode of charging such votes to loan. At first we can do little more than stop the tendency to increase the votes, and notwithstanding the increase under the act last year we reduced the expenditure on these works by £11,000. The total vote for roads and bridges, including the amount under the Construction Act, and including the amount for subsidies, is about £170,000 less than last year, and I hope we shall be able to do with a less actual expenditure. CONCLUSION. Mr Speaker, — I have extended my remarks this evening to a somewhat unusual length, so many important points having to be dealt with by anyone holding the position of Minister for Public Works, and no doubt I have trespassed too long upon your patience and that of hon. members. It only now remains for me to thank you, Sir, and the House for the great indulgence you have afforded to me to-night, and to express a hope that when we meet next session the anticipations I have ventured to make may be found to be fully realised.

1000-*. }oods Traffic. Wool Timber Firewaod ... Grain Minerals Merchandise Chaff, &c. ... Total goods Tons. ... (52,067 ... 183,149 ... 31,255 ... 432,221 ... 571.:1K! ... 300,tW2 ... 16,470 ... 1,700,1110 Tons. 68,523 1(58,909 76,670 414,590 Oldwll 315.-1,(12.4 17,030 1,719,85(5 live Stock. Horses anil entile Sheep and pigs Total live stock No, ... 3!),55n ... (350,612 ... 695,842 No. 696,790 749,006

Apphca- Grant — tions. Bridges. Roads. Total. Auckland ... £69,201 £11,333 £151.33 £26.466 Hawke's Bay 14,921 7,141 1,294 8 438 Taranaki ... 10,000 3,077 2,039 4,116 Wellington... 36,934 5,633 9,909 15,572 Nelson ... 31,829 21,931 1,311 23 242 Maryborough' 5,125 267 1,448 1,715 Westland ... 9,940 3,840 1,125 4,965 Canterbury... 19,715 446 5,067 5,513 Otngo ... 66,386 8,274 13,998 22,272 Totals ... £264,061 £60,975 £51,324 £112,299

'rovincial District. Auckland Hawke's Bay Taranaki Wellington Nelson... Marlborough Westland ... Canterbury Otago Totals Applications. ... £10,880 250 SOO 15,058 Nil. 600 Nil. 2,101 ifiOi ... £34,593 Grants, £5,814 250 800 15,958 Nil. 600 ML 451 2,629 £26,002