PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 8998, 9 November 1907, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

THE TRUNK RAILWAY.

Wellington, Nov. 18. > t .1 „ Hnnso of Representatives Iu tho *"*"?, ° Hon.; .Tamos Mothis ovonin? «g ijo^» &T*«lol&l the Works Statement. H* began>.th a referbtatomo improvement m the i oUC frti of tho Minister for Public (tho Hou. iu v„Blanrt.mS,The year had! been marked" by progress. The totalspeurtitnro ou all works and services borne npon the Public Works estimates amounted t02£2,205,G05. Apart from Special Accounts tho amount aotuallv drawn from Public Works Fund was £3,010,319, tho largest expenditure on such works for years. THE YEAR'S EXPENDITURE. Tho following was the expenditure under each head for the the lato financial year. Railways. New construction, £919,730; additions to open lines, £308! 130. „ t T) Utilisation of Water Power.— £4G,G<>4. Roads.— £347,470. Public Buildings.—£22l,o2o. Immigration.— £14,333. Purchase of Native Lands.—£.)l3o Lighthouses, Harbour Works, antl Harbour Defences.— £4304 Tourist and Health Resorts.— £42 272 Telegraph Extension —£ll4,ofiß.< Development of Goldhelds.— £ll.004. Defence Works. —£14.8. 4. Departmental.—£lo,7lo. Minor Works and Services.— £O3OO. . . T Cost and Discount Raising Loans, etc.—£sl74.

Total.— £2,035,115. This total is less by £olii tiian the total expenditure for tho year previous. WAYS AND MEANS.

At the 31st March, 1900, the available balance of ways and means lor Public Works purposes was £492.298 aud further funds were received as under: — Balance of £1,000,000 raised under Loan Act of 1905. £182,080. Amount raised under the similar Act, 1900. -£943, GOO Premiums received on Sales and Renewals of Debentures.—£ls,B34. Transferred from Revenue.—£77s,Miscellaneous Receipts. —£lsoo. Gross T0ta1.—£3,410,378. Tho ordinary expenditure of the vear amounted to £3,040,319 and charges and expenses in connection with financing amounted to £10,059, thus bringing the total disbursements up to £2,050,978, leaving a credit balance at tho end of the year of £339,400. * For tho current vear it is proposed to provide additional funds as under: — Balance of 1900 Loan.—£so.4oo. New Loan of 1907. £1,000,000. Transfer from Consolidated Fund. —£Boo,ooo. This will give a total available ways and means of £2.215,800. The estimated expenditure for Public Works for the current year, excluding separate accounts having their own wavs and means, amounts to £2,10C,.951. thus leaving a balance of £108,849 to be carried forward to next-year.

uAILWAY CONSTR UCTION.

ali'ie 'lirtc financial yc'ar was'the most active as regards railway works pi-' any rear during the last quarter of a ccutury. On now construction alone £i)U',7;SO was expended, and in addition the Railway departments outlay on improvements amounted to £J:2(i,OGO. Tims additions to open lines were £308,150. Hntt Railway and Road Improvement Account. —£:Ju,l)3S. .. ilaihvav Improvements Authorisation Act Account. s 'This brings' up the yross total expenditure 'on works for the year to£l,«lo,71lo, Iho expenditure ou the Mam Trvmk Lino last year, including tho £dlue ot permanent way materials, was £400,000 and for the current year £;S30,000 is proposed. Next year w'ill seo the completion of this jjrenfc work and this large expenditure will then cease, and money he ttvailahlo for other purposes. Since last statement, 50 miles of railways have been completed and opened and rails are laid and ballast trains are running on an additional 80 miles.

PROGRESS OF LINES. all lines under construction. Those ■:,]■ more immediate interest; to us

NEW PLY-MOUTH-SEKTRY '• HILL DEVIATION. 'L'hc deviation ox' the Now Ply: niontlivSeutry Hill line, V,;Hira< i-aiho bridge to thu New Plymouth station, about cue nnlo and t.irceqnarters. Work was undertaken with a view to reducing the grades on existing route, some of v. Inch nre as iteop as 3 iu -10 and also for the purpose of avoiding numerous level crossings. The liuo will be ready for traffic ■v. 3.1 eariv dni'o. lispeiiclitnre last >-tar"£-2i,2'i : i, vote this year £15,000. •" 3TR VTF'ORD ON(:J ARU R. ;!'ih. ; section as far <is Huiroa. jinariV Bi'Ueen miles i'roia Htratl'ord is nearing completion aiid will shortly be' available for traffic and n commencement will bo made with {he To Wcra section, which will bring the Hue into touch with the n,aiu road from A\ hangamomona and will thus draw a largely increased iravjie to the railway. On completion of the Main Trunk it would be convenient to transfer to the Ongarue end, portion of tho departmental staff and plant and a number ol workmen. But first surveys must definitely determine the point on tho mai'n lino that will best serve for a junction. It is possible that in the Mokau Valleys n.ny j.ro. v to i:,e tlie bettor point cf junction: Impend it vno l.ih-fc year n?v: year £20,000. WrtJVf KGMONT BRANCH. •I'lie wor|<s to the crushing station arc Hearing completion. This portion will be handed to the Railway Department and regular crushing" of stone commenced by Christcm*. Expenditure last year £17.258; proposed fur ci,rre:,t y l: ar £15,000. •\!AIN TIUJKK.

A amount- of work has boon i':u')'icd'out during the year and expenditure bus greatly exceeded any previous your. At the north cud t!i'.">. rail head 'has advanced to the top of the spirnl two miles ami a half beyond Eaurimu, or 201 miles from Auckland, and rail laying is now iu baud southwards of that point, .I'll.! farautioa works beyond the spiral are well advanced so that rnil lavin"- as far as Yvaimariuo raid Maka'tolio, will probably proceed without interruption. A great deal of work lias been done at (ho Mukutoko viaduct bat the structure is still far .rum completion. The contract fii'SO e-pijed'ou Jsth June last, but It is unlikely that the- viaduct will i-c ready for tho " rails until March next, Tho contract for tins is hold In- ,T and A. Anderson, of Christciuirch who aro also contractors for the superstructures of theMaugauui-o-te-ao and Maugaturnturu viaducts further along. The concrete piers imrt abutments of tlic latter viaducts liavo arleady been coustrcutcd by tho Department and are awaiting the erection of the superstructures by Messrs Anderson. Their contract time for these works expires in February next, but it'seems unlikely Bt present that they will be completed by that date. The mil? will easily reach Makatoko by jMarch so that, if tho viaduct is completed bySthon rail laying bo'carried cii to fho Maugamii-o-te-ao and as lioou as tho latter viaduct is ready, can bo continued to Maugaturnturu, and so on. At the south end of the hue the section between Taihane and Mataioa, six miles, was handed over to tho Railway Dpeartment for regular working in June, the section •Mataroa to "Waiouru will bo handed, to tho Railway Department by Christmas. Section Waiouru to Raugatana, 14 miles, has been used for goods since May and rails extend 3 miles further and by a- temporary lino ns far as Hapuawhouua viaduct, another two miles, makii'-g altogether an advance in position of rail head at the south end of the line during tho year of 2<i miles. iL'he f)r«t. thron miles beyond AVaioaru, hdwover, is on n temporary l'ne.' The permanent lino along this' section embraces somo very heavy earthworks. It is well in baud and is expected to bo ready lor platelayiug iu the course of a few "Trfthe. course of a few months the lindSoSune will be handed over for regular traffic. It is Proposed to Ju ■ through tickets tho 24-milo and Wellington, fiL«g '^ as the gap by coach. Byl«M southern section will uo i i' kino, reducing the R*pj7 }f £ £ and by March to Makatote 11 mi c£, the whole being comipletod m* Uer than Christmas I'M. Expenditure last year, exclusive of pernant" 5 way ami materials £302,101; proposed yofce £330,000. SS

Construction'works are reported as in progress on various South Island linos aud lines north of Auckland, as well as surveys for linos to connect Tanraiiga with' Rotorna, and Waihi. Tho Gisborne-Motu line is also being proceeded with. In tho South Island the Otago Central is stopped for the present at Clyde, but work is to bo pushed on on tho Midland. £70,000 is provided for the duplication of (he Hutt railway and for the road. The Bnildings I Vote includes new buildings at Waitara, Eltham aud Feildiug, and additions at Palmerston North; new Post and Telegraph Offices at Aramoho, Ohakuue, Taihape, Utiku, Kiinoolton, Apiti, Terrace End, Foxton aud Waikanae, and additions at Manakan and Woraroa. The Agricultural Buildings Yote provides for additions, at Woraroa, and offices at Palmerston and New Plymouth. Roads are voted £390,238, Tourist roads £27,403, loans to local bodies £50,000, also £25,000 for road maintenance.