THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

Southland Times, Issue 3784, 7 August 1880, Page 2

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

♦ [By Telegraph.] Wellington, Friday, Aug. G. In the House o£ Representatives this evening, The Hon. Richard Oliver, Minister fo r Public Works, said — Sir, following the usual course, I propose to begin by briefly reporting the operations of the Public Works Department for the seven months which have elapsed since I had a like honor last December. I shall condense through part of my statement as much as possible, as 1 do not wish to weary the House with a multiplicity of details, and becatiso it will, when printed, be accompanied by fullieports from various heads of departments, by copious tables, and by maps which I hope lion, members will find useful as exhibiting the progress we have made in the construction of the railways already authorised. NORTH ISLAND RAILWAYS. Kawakawa Railway. — Beginning with railway construction in the north of this island, the work on the Kawakawa Beach line has been continued. A bridge, which is the most important work except the terminal wharf, is in coui'se of construction. Whangarei-Kamo Railway. — The works let on the Katno contract of the Whaogarei railway have been much delayed by the constructor, and are not yet finished, although the contract time his expired. The delay has seriously interfered with the development of the coal trade of the district, and with a view of assisting this industry I have sanctioned the laying of a branch to connect the main line with a shipping place in the borough of Whangarei, the local authorities having permitted the use of the streets for that purpose. An exploratory survey between Helensville and Whangarei has been made fort he purpose of ascertaining the practicability of constructing a railway through that country. Another survey of a similar character has been made of the district between Whangarei and Kawakawa. Reports on these routes, with explanatory maps, will be placed in the hands of hon. members. The Kaiparu-Waikato Railway has been finished satisfactorily, and fie station buildings are nearly completed. The line between Newmarket Junction and Waikouriti has been finished and opened for traffic. The gap, however, between Helensville and Auckland, caused by the non-completion of the Waitaki contract, still remains, and the condition of the work at the summit tunnel gives no promise of being finished in the contract time, which ends in September next. The workshop site contract at Newmarket is being pushed on energetically. The contractor for the reclamation in Auckland .having failed to carry out his contract, it was taken out of his hands, and a portion of it has been relct to another contractor. The Ohaupo contract has been finished, and the Waikato Railway is open as far south as Te Awnmutu, about two miles and a half from the confiscated boundary. Waikato-Thames Railway. — The Grahamstown contract of the Waikato-Thames railway is completed, and the Shorthand contract nearly so. The Waikato contract, extending 12j miles east from Hamilton, is progressing favorably. A survey of this line has been completed from Hamilton to Te Aroha, and up the Thames Valley for 13 miles from Grahamstown, leaving about 19 miles still unsurveyed. Foxton-New Plymouth Railway. — This lino was opened as far south as Stratford on the 19th December, and a further section to Ngarei will, it is expected, be open in a few weeks. Some other portions of this line between Stratford and Carlyle arc under contract. Some are being done by day labor. Between Carlyle and Wanganui the Waitotara contract is approachieg completion. The Waverley section of the Carlyle wharf contract has been let, while some portion of the works in the neighborhood of Carlyle are now being prepared for absorbing unemployed labor. Commodious workshops have been built at Wanganui, and a contract has been made for a new railway station and wharf at Foxton. Wellington- Woodville Railway. — The works of the Carterton section, over twenty miles, have been vigorously prosecuted by the Department, the average number of men employed being 275. It is expected that by September next the whole distance between Wellington and Masterton will be open for traffic. The Greytown branch was opened on the 2Gth May. With the view of finding work for the unemployed -in this district, some men have been engaged in earth-works and bush clearing on the Opaki section beyond the Carterton contract, and on the Crofton section of the Wellinston-Foxton railway. Sometimes as many as 350 of the unemployed have been set at work. This number has now fallen below 100. Napier- Wood ville. — The rail way is nearly completed to Makotoko, about 70 miles from Napier. The last contract of live and three-quarter miles will shortly be ready for public traffic. Works are being pushed on towards Tahorite, about 12 miles further, and surveys of the country to the south have been completed for about fifteen miles more. Napier- Wallingf ord. — An examination of the country from Napier to Wallingford, thiough the districts between the Tukituki river and the sea, has been made, but the country appears to 6e very unsuitable for railway construction. MIDDLE ISLAND RAILWAYS. Nelson-Greymouth.— The works on the Nelson to Greymouth line on tho northern end have been continued by the completion of the railway connecting 1 the City of Nelson with the port, and an extension of three miles beyond Foxhill by the Bullgrove contract, now almost completed. At the Greymouth end, the Still water contract, an extension of the original Brunner railway for three-quarters of a mile has been found to be a work of considerable difficulty and expense, the contract price for 03 chains being L 12,234 for formation only. The harbor works at Greymouth, which have been earned on as a part of the improvement designed to develop tho coal industry in that district, were almost suspended for some little time while awaiting Sir J. Coode's report. It arrived iii March lust, :ind it is satisfactory to iiud that the work already executed has beun approved aud adopted by him as part of his design. Hoki'.lka - Greymouth Railway. — ;Some small contracts on theGroymouth-Hokitika Railway have either been finished or are near completion, and no new works wore begun this year. l'icton-llurunui Railway. — Tho last one and a-quarter miles of the railway from Picton to Blenheim have boon completed, aud the station buildings at Blen'i«'m are in hand.

Hurunui- Wairaki Railway, with branch;'!* 1 — Tli's new works on the main iin<i from luiunui to Waitaki are : tho Waipara :ontra,'t, exteriniiig'from Ambjrley to the CVaipa«-a river ; and the W.;ka Pass seejon, nine miles long, a continuation of the me through the Pass to Waikari and tluritnui Plains. The latter section was •esorved from contract in order to provide work for the unemployed. Christchurch -Springfield Branch.— The Sprin-lield cutting was completed in February last. Little River and Akaroa Branch.— The Ellcsmere formation contract on the Little River and Akaroa branch was finished in March. A contract lias just been made for a portion of the platelaying. Ashburton Branch.— The first 10£ miles of the Ashburton branch will be opened for traffic on the 7th of April. Opawa Branch. — On the Opawa branch the bridge over the Opawa river has beun built by contract, and the remainder of the work, with the exception of another bridge, has been reserved in order to give work to the unemployed in the neighborhood. Canterbury Interior and Main Branch Linn. — The works which have been carried on during the year are two bridges, those over the Eyre and Temiika rivers, which are now finished. Work on tiie lines Kouth of the Waitaki has been almost entirely confined to the improvement of stations, the increase of wharfage, and other necessary accommodation. Branch lines. — Further railway extension has been made on the following branch lines, viz : — The Livingstone, Catlins River, Tapanui, Edcndale, Lumsden, Otautau, and Orepuki branches, and on the Otago Central Railway. On this latter the Wingatui section is under contract, and at the Hindon section work has been afforded to large numbers of the unemployed. THE GENERAL DEPRESSION. The great depression from which nearly all our industries has suffered lately has thrown many workmen out of employment, and the Government have been called on to alleviate the consequent distress by finding work for them on the railways and roads which are in course of construction. Wo have thought it our duty to comply with these requests, and I am sorry to say that no less a number than 1674 of these men tire now being employed at low wages in various parts of the colony. Although it is to be deplored that in a new country of such great natural resources as ,Ne» Zealand this state of things should oxist, yet it is by no means a new j oxperience in the history of the colony. At various times during the last twenty years the authorities have found it necessary to afford similar temporary emplo}'ment, but fortunately the need for the interference of the Government has in every case soon passed away, and has been succeeded by a large demand for labor in the ordinary industries of the country, and at the highest rates of wages known in any part of the world. I believe, Sir, that hon. members will agree with me iv thinking tl: at this season of depression will also pass away, and give place to another period of prosperity not inferior to that which we have until lately enjoyed. The disorganization of labor is already beginning to find its own remedy by bringing into existence new industries in the chief centres of population, and developing the self-reliant spirit of our working classes. There are also the most encouraging indications of a revival of the goldh'elds industry, which may ba of the greatest value to the colony at large. Meantime it is satisfactory to find that, although many of the men thus employed by us are engaged in work to which they are nnaccustomed, yet from their labour the colony has obtained a fair equivalent for the outlay. GENERAL PROGRESS IN RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. The sums voted by Parliament for additional railway works in the last session, exclusive of preliminary surveys for lines not yet authorised, amounted to L.2,308,700. On the 31st March, L 856,550 of this sum had been expended, and liabilities incurred amounting, to L 910,506, making a total of L 1,767,056,, 767,056, leaving an unexpended balance on last year's votes of L 541 ,644. Recognising the necessity for spreading the expenditure of the remaining Public Works Fund over a period of at le.ist three years, and believing that as some ot the railway works had been adopted in times of great prosperity Parliament would not disapprove, in our changed circumstances, of having an opportunity afforded of reconsidering them, 1 have not been in haste to press on the construction of new works — in fast, in the Middle Island, only one new 'section of railway has been commenced since the end of our last session. Many new sections were got ready for contract, and in some instances tenders were invited and received, but the grave considerations connected with a falling revenue and increased deficit from our finished railways could not be evaded, and obliged us to defer the acceptance of some of these tenders, so that time might be given for re-examination of our future railway policy. ROADS. The expenditure of the votes for roads in the North Island has for the mostt part been entrusted to the various local governing bodies. The main roads under the charge of the Government have been maintained as usual during the year. These include the great South road, Auckland ; the Tauranga-Taupo, and the TaupoNapier roads, as well as several other important roads, on all of which a considerable amount of [work has been done. The road works instituted on the West Coast between Waingongoro and Stoney River, crossing the Waimata Plains, have been carried on very satisfactorily, and the two sections of the roads will probably meet in a few days. The character of the country is very favorable, no natural obstacles having been met. The cross-road from Stratford to Opunake through the bush is also being pushed on, and good progress is being made. The) amount expended on roads and bridges iv the South Island during the past year is very small, and no new works of importance have been undertaken. SNAGGING THE THAMES KIVEIt. Although not such a public work as is usually referred to in a Statement of this kind, I cannot refrain from mentioning the self-reliant and public-spirited efforts made by Mr Firth, of Matamata, to remove the snags from the river Thames at his own cost. In these days, when colonists are too much in the habit of looking to the Government for almost everything, it is refreshing to see a public work so useful to the community begun, carried out, and finished by a private person without even an application having been made to the Government for aid from the funds of the colony. WATER-RACES. As will be seen from the report aud statements attached, the expenditure upou water-races does not appear to have produced the large benefits which might naturally have been expected from it. Noae of the companies subsidised by Government have been a success, and in most cases the undertakings have been abandoned. The total expenditure and liabilities upon water-races upon goldfields, up to 31st March, amounted to L441,(;;J3. Of this amount, L. 42,329 gives no return whatever. Works which have cost L 86,485 have been handed over to local bodies, while from those races which are comparatively successful — viz., the Charleston, Nelson Creek, Waimen, and Mount Ida races, costing L 312,819 — the yearly roturn presents only about 1 per cent. The number of men, however, to whom these races afford the means of remunerative employment is 771, and their earnings per man uverage Ll4O a year,

Tin-: CUAL INDUSTRY, Almost every month brings new di .- ovcric:-: o'i coal in some parlor tiie colony. in* ! it lias become apparent that Ne v L :;i!:m<l is exceptionally rich in JijH luiiiL-ra:. Our most important li»>-- /•!: steam '.-rs arc utmost wholly supplier* ' v 'tu Hie lonl mine-; of t'uo colony, and the iix.hj extended use of native coal will effect * living of LBSOO on utir railways in t: « Middle Island for the current year, in a-idition to an almost equal amount hereto-iio-c saved on those in the North Island. WOUKIXU RAILWAYS. During the reces3 the management o£ the working railways has been the subject of inquiry by the Royal Commission appointed by hiß Excellency the Governor to report on the Civil Service of the colony, and also to some extent by the Royal Commissioners on Railways. The r« ports of these gentlemen sue calculated to be of great service, and point out many defects iv organism and practice, so»n • of which have been already removed, or are in course of removal, « :|Q u.e vLok question oi: t!:e management of the railway is under consideration, in connection \iith the reports of the Commissioners. The Working Railways Department began the financial period under circumstances exceptionally unfavorable, heavy floods in the south having interrupted traffic over more than 100 miles of line, causing loss of revenue as well as a largc^ expenditure for repairs. Amongst the first effects of the commercial depression from which we have been suffering has been a diminution of our railway traffic. The result was to be expected, and the .efforts of the department were directed to obtaining greater economy in our system of railway arrangement; and by working with a smaller staff of officers and men, and by reducing the number of trains and speed at which they were run considerable saving has been accomplished, while the convenience of the public has not been materially curtailed. The train service has already been ieduced by 370,000 miles a year and the staff has been reduced by 266 men ; and it is estimated that these and other economics which have up to this time been effected, will save on the year upwards" of L 44,000. Serious and constant attention is still being given to economise charges, and I ..am satisfied that the working expenses will be much further reduced. As these alterations to which I have referred can hardly be said to havo»commenced until after the prorogation of Parliament, they had but a small portion of the last financial period wherein to operate. lam sorry to say that for the nine months ending 3lst March, the railways only have a return equal to slightly undei 2\ per cent, per annum, while the rate of interest which we have to pay is over five. The loss on the cost of lines, which stands at L 8,629,582, was at the rate of L 237,730 per annum, and had to be furnished from taxation. In the prosperous years through which we have just passed we did not seriously regard the railway deficit, but thought only of the immense advantages of railways in settling and developing the resources of the country. We pointed to these advantages as justifying the expenditure, and spoke of our railways as remunerative undertakings, whether they contributed interest on their cost or not. ' Now, if the colony were a large Joint Stock Company, with equal shares and an entire command of interests, this view might be correct ; but the benefits of our railways .are very unequally distributed, ,m§jiy districts being quite unprovided-4iith them, while all have to contribute to the taxation from which the loss is made up. This charge on the colonial revenue is so great that it is a serious element in the expenditure of the colony, and it becomes questionable whether a desirable outlay in some of the departments of the Government can be continued if our railways be not made more nearly self-supporting. The failure to obtain a greater direct return from our railways, such as is looked for in ordinary commercial enterprises, is no doubt mainly attributable to the smallness of our population. We are still a small community in point of numbers, and are thinly scattered over a wide extent of country. Our people are so few that they fail to furnish traffic enough, either of passengers or of goods, to make.our lines pay at the ordinary rates hitherto current. We have already many more miles in proportion to our population, than either England, France, the United States, Canada, or any of the Australian colonies. In Great Britain there is one mile of railway to about 2000 inhabitant*, while in New Zealand there is one mile to every 406. For every mile of railway in Victoria there are 108 per cent, more customers than we have; in the United States they have 43 percent; in Canada, 53 per cent; in New South Wales, 148 per cent ; in Great Britain, 383 per cent ; and in France, 614 per cent more people per mile of railway than in New Zealand.:; If this contrast with other countries were confined to the South Island, which contains by far the largest portion of our railways, it would show the disproportion Btill more foicibly ; for instead of having 406 people per mile of railway, which I have said is the average for the colony, the. South Island has only 330 people per mile. In New Zealand our average receipts per mile last year were L 648, while in England they amount to L 3885. Yet even with these comparatively large receipts, the railway dividends declared in England only average 4£ per cent per annum ! Next in importance in my opinion among the reasons for .want of commercial success in railway working is the needlessly low tariff adopted in many districts. Between two places to which my attention has been called, where before the railway was made the freight charged was L 3 per ton, our. railway rate is 16s 10d. In another instance the former rate wa3 L6, and is new 17s 2d. In another, it has been reduced from L5 to 22s 2d. No doubt at the commencement of a railway system in a new country it is easy to make mistakes, and by no means easy to make railwayspay with only 406 people to everj' mile. The -result, however, has proved that the reduction was too great, for although our chief end and aim in railway construction is —by facilitating travelling and cheapening t!ie transit of goods — to open tho country and develop its resources, we now discover that we have gone too far, ami find ourselves face to face with a state of things as unpleasant as it was unexpected. I hope, Sir, that I shall not be misunderstood as advocating any illiberality in the management of our railways; the best policy is to reach the multitude. I fully adopt the opinion expressed by Mr Gladstone when discussing the best means of making the Metropolitan District -Railway pay: he said that " as a rule the State, or individual, or company-^tlirives the best which dives deepest down into the mass of the community, and adapts its arrangements to the wants of the greatest number. But, Sir, our population is, as I have already said, so suniil, and the country is so sparsely settled, that rules of the kind jußt quoted have amongst us I only a limited application. The large use made of the railways, however, : proves that, if our people were as ninner- ' ous as the resources of the country warrant us in expecting they will become, our railways would pay far more than mere interest on cost. Even with our present tariff, the tonnage carried on our railways compares very favorably wi'h the neighboring colonies— Victoria carrying 1062 tons, New South Wales 2299 tons, and New Zealand 2247 tons per 100 of population. The number of passengers on the New Zealand Railways last year was 2,032,279, being 578 per cent, of our population ; and the number in Victoria \v.ojs 3,829,256, being 437 per cent, of the

population. Now. our freight traffl: i not capib'e of md- 'ito it; ivis'\ ho\v\ ■■.• low the rate may b". nor ( :n we raise on tariff beyond a fur payment for th services rendered, lunvevar much we migh Jr^"*, he inclined to do so. Our prin i;>ni rail .^ ways skirt the sen coast, and w • ;;r restricted in our tariff by tiie compeiitioi of water carriage. On the inland railway.too, the tariff, rates are at prose;, t inurstrictly limited than liny would u.-ualh be, because of the cheapness of horse feed and the competition of ordinary vehicles Even if this were not so, I shouli not in any case advocate cx..v ■•siveh high rates. Ii will tikv tim •:o '!'• velop a tiuo system of. tariff adapted tc our circumstances, and our efforts musi necessarily be carefully made and constantly watched. But railway rat-;-; ihat are only designed to bring in live p.-;- c % nt. on the cost surely cannot b ■ i-o:isid,-rc'.l high, and if competition nnd modes of conveyance permit their adaption, wo need not despair. I believe, Sir, in ultimately attaining a good ivsul 1 .. Wo have covered the country with those stimulating and civilizing agciu-k-s, and in th.-ir neighborhood settlement with population nnd industries will increase. ; and then the railways will become, if we desiiv it, an ai 1 to your revenue instead of a source of temporary embarrassment. At present, however, there is a feeling of great disappointment at the result as shown by the yearly balance sheet, and amongst other remarks it has been proposed to sell the railways. No doubt, Sir, if we could find a purchaser for them at cost price such a course might seem to present an easy solution of the difficulty. Nevertheless, 'l ie.ir. Sir. the proffered solution will not help us much, for it is clear that no company would buy our lines except at a price calculated to 3'ield at least the current rat'; oil interest, which at present may be stated al 7to 10 per cent. These arc the rates given for money advanced on freehold security, subject to little risk and requiring from the owner scarcely any personal attention ; while railway investments are •xposed to dangers of various kind*, such as floods, heavy payments for accidental injuries, depression of. trade, and so on. If, therefore, we seek to sell our railways, which are now paying only 2\ per cent. interest,we shall have to accept for them a Bum representing only a portion of their cost. Probably we should have to face a loss of millions of monej , and certainly we should still be liable for the payment of the whole of the interest as at present, while we should abandon all chance of retrieving our position by improved management, and forfeit for our railway system the advantages of increased population and growing industries. If the colony were to sell the railways to a private firm, what would that firm do to ensure a profit ? That may be answered in general terras : it would manage better. Well, Bir, I admit that our management is capable of improvement. I conclude that the Government will probably never be able to manage so well as a private firm might, but no private firm is likely to engage in such a gigantic undertaking, and gross mismanagement by large public companies is a state of things with which we are not entirely unaquainted. Of course a railway company would try to charge higher rates for carriage, but why cannot we ourselves do that? Why should we Bubmit to a heavy loss of capital to begin with, and then to" the payment of extreme rates as well ? Another, and not the least, objection t«v>-he proposal is that a company occupyin^ts&ch a position would be a great power in the^State, a power whose influence would probably not always be wielded in the interests of the people. I feel quite sure, Sir, that it will never be necessary to accept this alternative, for I believe that careful and intelligent management and the natural growth of traffic will yet make our railways commercially successful. THE FUTURE. Sir, the Housejwill remember that at the end of last session the Government expressed their opinion that the character of various lines of railway in course of construction had not been sufficiently examined before their adoption; that in the prospect of an [insufficiency of funds to complete them, they ought to be reconsidered; that we announced our intention of advising the appointment of a Royal Commission "to make a fuller and more complete investigation of the co»t and economical value of the works commenced and proposed than it would be possible for Government to complete before the next session of Parliament." His Excellency the Governor accordingly commissioned five gentlemen from different parts of the colony to make the inquiry. The Commission promptly entered on its duties, and after taking evidence in nearly every district in which railways are being constructed or are proposed to be made, they have presented a very valuable report as the result of their labor. Copies of this report have, by command, been laid before Parliament, and although the conclusions at which the Commissioners have arrived may not be universally approved, yet we feel sure that the colony will recognise the impartial system on which their enquiries have been condu 'ted, and we believe that these gentlemen have well earned thethankß of the community. In saying that the Government would not be understood as adopting implicitly the whole of their recommendations, it is perhaps hardly, we think, within the bounds of possibility that a report dealing with so many works and proposals in all parts of the colony should be accepted in every particular. For the present, however, even the restricted programme recommended by the Commissioners is far beyond our means. The estimated cost beyond present liabilities of completing lines of railway authorised by Parliament is L 6,666,200. That being the case, it becomes sufficiently apparent that we must greatly modify our scheme of railway construction, postponing some important parts of it until population and settlement have largely increased, and initil the railways already constructed have become more nearly self-support-ing. We have not the funds to complete it at present, nor will our ordinary revenue bear the increased demand which every additional mile of railway makes on it for the yearly loss in working. \\\ : : no alternative, therefore, but to confine oui operations to the extension of some of the incomplete lines to such nearest points as will bring them into use, and as far as possible to makefile expesditure already incurred to some extent reproductive. Oi the amount voted last year for public works no less a sum than L2,35G,720 wa* for actual liabilities which we found ir existence, and, further, a considerable amount was made necessary by these liabilities. ReaVUing the position of the Public Works JT*uid7V c have endeavored Sir, to minimirjL-PJIP expenditure, and t< spread it over as large a space o: time as possible. We have stoppec many new works, even after con racts bad been prepared by the De partment and tenders received. Never theless, the country has learnt from nr ifi ' s "" hon. friend the Colonial Treasurer that tin state of the Public Works Fund is mos is^ unsatisfactory. In his Financial Statemcn $?■ the Colonial Treasurer showed that th ' total ways and means on 31st March las ■ was L 3 262,410, and that the liabilities o C the Public Works Fund on the same dat P> amounted Ito 1,2,465,213 1, reducible, he* ever by L 315/768 advances in th hand's of officers of the Governmen thus leaving a balance of £I,l^,«<' - on the 31st March, 1880 clear c ' ti . liabilities. Since the 31st March waj - and means have been augmented bvmi! £*' - cellaneous receipts and recoveries, L2y,i«and during the four months ending 6h July the liabilities of the fund have bee unavoidably increased to the extent c

sI L 330.871. Adding then L:>!Ur,4 tht r balance-, of L1,122,8G'J cm •'>!- -i i" : . «»'■ r deducting L 330.871, we arm- ■-n L«2i,92i: c as the available balance en 31-"- July. The. t position of the av«-ou;i: nriy perhaps be - ' stated move <-!e :r!y f'liM : i:- -ay.-, and o'■ .:'.■:■< oil :>1 ! !•' • '■■■' 'll tc !) . iV.'.';77.:UO 17s ;:. listing o L : cash ■. iin ha 1, ti-eaMi .-.-d deficiency bills, iiv st n -i:t-. ;ini ' guaranteed debentures; r ! ;m .] t ! ie liabilities on the same date ;,,,,. ,,,„;,,; to L 2,202,474. There were, iiov.---vr. iiiipp'st-! outstanding on 31st 1 j Jn'v, L'!'\ !sl <s, m;iking L1,«6G,0«8 the • ' „(.(' I'miniKit of liabilities to be provided • ;' for, an 1 !:aviug :. balance of LK21.923, as i ! al.i'alv stated, for now works and services. t ! Iho estimates which I am about to submit ■ ! ma'v-e si further demand on this balance j <>V L<37 K238, leaving L 147,685 oniy for , future appropriations from the Public j Works Fund. Bearing in mind the importance of spreading the expenditure of Iho bdan-" of $!>;• loan over the next two v- ar<, we should have prefened, Sir, to ask f >r an appropriation of a much smaller sum, but we have not found it possible to do so. The voles for the various works which we now propose are designed to provide for expenditure up to 30th June, | 18*1. After that date, and until we are I again in a position to become borrowers, th<>. only sources whence we can draw supplies foY these purposes will be a portion of the proceeds of the land sales, and a siving from the estimates for the purchase of native lands — a saving which wp have reason to believe may be considerable, but which at present it is impossible to estimate. I will proceed, Sir, to briefly summarise the works proposed : — RAILWAYS. The present contract, Kawakawa, will be completed, and the remaining part of the lin • will be finished, with a branch to the I own wharf, so as to admit of coal traffic being carried on. The line from Kaipara to To Awamutu will be completed lit for traffic. The question of the propriety of constructing the Waikato-Thames railway has been raised by the Railway Commissioners, who have recommended that it should at present be completed only ( o its junction with the projected Cambridge line, and that the Cambridge section of eleven miles should be substituted. The Government intend to have the subject very carefully investigated with a view to determine which proposal will be most beneficial to the country, and will act accordingly. The vote will therefore be proposed in the alternative. The line between Napier and Matatoko will be completed. The Wellington and Opawa line will be completed as far as Masterton, and provision made for the unemployed on an extension to Opaki. Station works at Wellington will also be constructed. The Foxton section and wharf on the Wellington and Foxton line will be completed. Sundry necessary works on the opened lines between Foxton and Kaiawi will be executed, and the extension to Waverley, which is in hand, will be finished. Works in the neighborhood of Carlyle will be proceeded with, giving work to the unemployed. The contracts between Stratford and Hawera will be pushed on, and the formation to Normanby will probably be completed within the present, year. The extension of line from Foxhill to Bellgrove, on the Nelson to Greymouth lino, will be completed. The still water section, now in progress, will be finished, and the Greymouth harbor works carried on. The Picton and Blenheim line will be completed at the Blenheim end, where there are still some station works unfinished. The section of main line from Amberley to Waikari Plains is to be finished, the nine miles at the Weka Pass being reserved for unemployed. A few urgent station works on the opened line are provided for. The Waimakariri Gorge portion of the Oxford-Sheffield line, which v* ; reserved for the unemployed about a year ago, will be carried on as the demand for work may require. The extension of the Opawa branch to>v:irds Fairlie Creek will also be carried out by the same means. The Ellesmore section of Little River and Akaroa branch is to be completed. The general expenditure proposed on the Otago main line is for completion of stations and other works now in progress. The Duntroon branch is to be finished across the-. Maerewhenua river, the bridge over which is already built, and the formation on the first section of the Livingstone branch, recently resumed to give work to unemployed, will be finished by them. Sections of the Western Railways now in progress will be completed. The Hindon section of the Otago Central Railway, which was opened to the unemployed about a year ago, will be reserved exclusively for them, as it is now almost the only suitable work in Otago on which a large number can be employed. At present there are about 700 men at work there, and although this number will in all probability decrease during the summer months, I fear there is no prospect of a complete cessation in the demand which will be made on us for this kind of employment, aud we have therefore made provision for supplying it on this section. WATER-HACKS — MIDDLE ISLAND. The work of improving and extending the various wate-rraces t now in progress will be carried on. ROADS IN NORTH ISLAND. The proposed appropriation will admit of the road works in Waimate Plains and other native districts being continued, as well as for the maintenance in a serviceable state of certain main roads which it is necessary to keep open for traffic, in addition to the completion of various works in hand. The road from Nelson to Greymouth and Westport is to be improved throughout, 6o as to render it fit for coach traffic, and make it an arterial line of communication between the north end of the island and the West Coast. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, Sir, I would say that although the Government have found it to be their imperative duty to abate the speco 1 at which public works have until lately been carried on, yet we believe that the time is not far distant when the works now temporarily suspended may be resumed, and those now proposed to be curtailed completed. The resources of New Zealand are so great that for her there can be neither retregression nor standing still: but, Sir, it is incumbent on us to recognise that for a State as for an individual a steady progress and an assured prosperity can only be maintained by obedience to the dictates of prudence. I have now. Sir, to express my gratitude for the patient attention with which the House has heard me. ADJOURNMENT. Mr Macandrew, in suggesting thai the House do now adjourn, referring tc the Statement just made, said he was dis appointed, but not greatly surprised. Ha< the late Government been allowed to re main in office, he believed that no interruption would have taken place in th( prosecution of the Public Works policy o 1870. Ho thought the best thing the] could do at present was to adjourn, am think the matter over. Mr Hall said the Government was ii i \ the hands of the House as regarded th c question of adjournment. He thoughi '- however, they should go on with som i ( - other work. He hoped that hon. member t 9 would in the discussion that must neces •0 sarily ensue show how it was possible t )f go on with their jpiiblic works policy a rs they had been doing two years ago. Ther s- was this difference between their presen I, position and that of the preceding tw st years : they knew the real state of affaii sn now, whereas two years ago they did no )f Mr Ireland desired that the Gororntueu

3 w r .;i'.l -(are what it was proposed to do 1 ai'-.i.il [he Kelso lino 'i He had been told \ th i \\v Public Works Statement would inl'urm him, but the line was not men- : tioned. ' Mr Oliver said that thehon. member was J n>>i singular in his desire for information 1 of this kind. It was impossible for them i to fuifil one-half of the promises made re- '< garding the prosecution of railways. They ! would just have to wait on, and see what ' the development of events would bring about. Messrs Barron and Pykc made some observations regarding "the withdrawal of sub.-ilies to local bodies, and after the Government had replied, the House adjourned.