PROPOSALS'FOR CURRENT YEAR

Colonist, Volume XLVII, Issue 11437, 16 September 1905, Page 2

PROPOSALS' FOR CURRENT YEAR

included the following expenditure: J8. ... KaWakawa-.G^ahamstown • v SOjOOO Hele'nsv ilie A north wards '. . '.'■■' W, StiQ Paerba-Waihi .. '.. ■'..'" 0,000 Gisborrie-Rotorua .. J,» &o,*ooO Mamaku-Te Puke— trial survey to be made Stratford-Ongarue ... ■■.-.--... 26,000 Mount Egmont branch .v ; , 15,000 • No r th J lsalnd Trunk line, . . 1. 300, 000 , Blenheim-Waipara ..,,..; 45,000 Midland Eailway .. V. ; 100,000 [ It was stated that atJJthe Nelson end tbe rail head has been advanced to within half iia hiile of Tadmpr,and the ballasting is in progress,* lo that we should be ih a positiott to carry goods to Tadmor at an early date. A further scetion of this lijfe, 10J£ miles in length, was authorised last session, and formation work thereon has been started. ] . :,. Westport-Inangahua . . „-■ .•*.*• ; - 10, 000 [The Minister stated :-r\t 5s proposed as soon as the appropriations for the current, year . are pasßed, to commence formation work Jat the Westport end.] £ Ngahere-Blackball ...... 10,000 Greyihouth-Poinc Elizabeth ,2,500-Hokitika-Ross .. "'.. 20,000 Culverden-Rotherham-Han- s mer .. .. , J,,;. 10,000 Cvi verden- Wa jau. (Thia, line would be a branch from the Culverden-Hanmer .railway. Its construction , has pot, ( y.et been a $jh o r ised, b u tj Jhave been made to Jprpyide.^pe^nole of the funds requi reef on ternis similar to those approved hy*Parliament jta the case of th,e. Pae'rqa-^aShi railway, it is propose^,' to' authorise its construction .accordingly. ) OtagoOentral .. .*,. , ....i.UOOjOOO (The Minister staged, that the completion of the whole railway io Clyde was well in sight. ) , La w rence-RqxbiiTgh . . . . >'* 10,000 Heriot intension ... , „..,, i 8,000 (3tbre- Waikaka. . ,-ij&oppsß&,v f to lie au fcfaorlsed op the "contfiJiohß as tfie. Paeroa : Waih ; i line.) "_ . >, ■ * CatTins-Waimahaka .. .. 20,00 ft Riversdale-Switzers .. .. • .5,000 Orepuki-'Waiau . . „-*■.;=;■ 1-^OOO TOTAL APPROPRIATION^ IFORj __ ■^'•RAiLWatfS. J Jlncludin^lhb^dte;^ tb'f i , per hiaiieht ~wfcy ltfate*i&l, ahd thfe ■ small votes for old , land, ■ cla|mfl and > surveys 'j^of new line's; ,"p6 'tptfeJl api pro^.riatrons ' pTOpbsed for t " lailwhtf > construction p'urpo^es amount ta £860,500. This ,. is materially inexcess of last yeftr/s Volte, . and is a cdnseqfu6n6ia of tfi© mbre vigorous * program'ineadop^. § ] £ ROADS AND BRIDGES. ) The total sum voted for road works ■ under the control of the "Roads > Department was £374,075. ThQ - authorities issued exceeded that ; amount by £37,094. The gros* I expenditure by that department r during the year was £257,166, of which £3,194 was afterwards re* i covered, leaving a net expenditure oj j £253,947. At the end of the year > there were outstanding liabilities j amounting to £72,775, which, added b to the £257,166 actually paid during 3 the year, shoV/s that the total value i of work in hand during the year , amounted to £329,941.. This, |or the I reasons already mentioned, was less • than was anticipated. In addition to its own votes the i department has supervised, works for > other departments to the amount oi £10,805, which amount, a^ded/tothd , expenditure above mentioned, gives j a total of i The outdoor work done during the ; year consisted of :— • Engineering surveys .. 441 miles * Dray toads constructed .. 385 „ - Bridle roads constructed.. 211 *„ ) Bridges .. .. .. 7814 feet I Dray roads improved .. 712 miles f Bridle roads improved .. 141 „ Dray roads maintained ..2295 „ ) Bridle roads maintained.. 1315 „ , Dray roads metalled . .2llJ£ „ The number of men employed on » the various works ranged from 1024 in September last, to 2115 in March r last. The appropriations proposed for the current year are as under: — £ Roads, departmental ..*s_ 18,775 : Roads, generally .. .. 391,718 Maintenance main roads .. 28,000 , Tourist roads _ 25,476 \ Government loans to Local" i Bodies account .. „ 35,000 i Total £498,969 GOLDFIELDS. ! Last year's vote for roads on gold- ; fields was £36,900; the expenditure 1 was £26, 112, with contingent liabilities" of £32,163. The sum proposed to be authorised forithe current year ; is £78,512, on account of which a ! vote of £50,000 is proposed. The goldmining industry .^maintained its position, though the yield for 1904 showed a slight decrease. The value of the gold exported in 1904 was £1,987,501, and that for the previous year was £2,037,831. The : value of the silver exported last year was £21,378 more than in the previous year. Last year there was expended for tbe development of the goldfields £6,258. Por this year* vote of £30,000 was proposed. ' TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORTS. The expenditure last year was £17,108; a vote of £26,000 is asked this year, and the estimates provide for new bath buildings at Rotorua, the acquisition of steamers, and an accommodation house at Lake Te Anau, increased hut accommodation on Te Anau-Milford track, also for water supply at Hanmer, etc. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. The statement showed that there are now 85 telephone exchanges, with 13,423 connections. The amount asked for this year is £100,000, including £30, IH liabilities, leaving £69,986 for.new lines, existing exchanges, and additional exchanges not previously authorised. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total expenditure last year was £142,946, namely, £26,268 under the Consolidated Fund and £116,678 under the Public Works]_Fuhd.L For the current year votes totalling £26,410 under the Gonosiraatecl Fund, and £216,700 uriderjtlie^blic Works Fund were proposed. .These figures were irrespective of the substantial votes for, school buildings oht of Con&olidated Fund,

=:Blßßi GENEKAU H The .amount expended, uncer th head ?was £9,068, which"' includ< uew offices and labortory for Mini Department, Wellington* the parti reconstruction of the^dopartment; buildings at Napier, Tetc. ! For tl current year £7000 was proposed, r at thisjprovided for additrons'to builc ings* at Auckland and offices an laboratory for Geological iDepar ment, \Wellington. JUDICIAL. Provision was made on the esti mates for a of new couri houses, including one at Bright water; also for a number of ne' fiolice stations, or quarters and sts ionsj Collingwood was included i the former, and Nelaon in?the'lattei POST AND TELEGEAPH. The appropriations 'provided for number of new offices, includini , Nelson, Oollingwood, Millerton Brunnerton, and Greymouth. CUSTOM HOUSES. The expenditure on the Wellington Custom House during tho year wat £13,018, and a further vote of £7,70( was necessary. MENTAL HOSPITALS. The expenditure on buildings was £15,949. In the estimates now sub| mitted provision was made for fairlj extensive additions at Auckland, Porirua, Sunnyside, and Seacliff, and also at Mount View, as well as minor works at Nelson, Hokitika, and Waitati, SOHOOLS. Expenditure on school buildings was being brought more and more on to the Consolidated Fund. Last year's expenditure totalled £110,727, of which £68,006 was debited to revenue and £42,721 to the Public Works Fund. For the current year still larger votes are proposed out of the Consolidated Fund, and £85,000 out of the Public Works Fund. Of the works carried out directly under the control of the Government the principal structures in hand during the year were the Levin Industrial School, the School for Deaf Mutes at Sumner, and the Home for Defectives at Richmond. OTHER BUILDINGS. Under the sub-heading of Hospitals it was stated that the estimates provide for aid to new buildings or additions at Northern Wairoa, Rawene, Waihi, Stratford, Napier, Masterton, Blenheim, Westport, Reefton, Greymouth, Hokitika, etc. LIGHTHOUSES, HARBOR WORKS, AND HARBOR DEFENCES. On lighthouse"work £2,168 was expended at Kahurangi Point, Jack's Point, and Cape Campbell. For the current year provision was made for completing'the works at Cape Campbell, ahd also for connecting some of our lighthousses with the colonial telegraph system. Application had been made to the Government to provide a low level light at Pencarrow Head. This, strictly speaking, was a harbor light, and as such it was the duty of the Harbor Board to provide for same, ln view, however, of any possible benefit to coastal shipping, the Government would favorably consider providing for the annual maintenance of the light if the Harbor Board would provide for its first cost. On harbor, defences at the chief ports the sum of £2515 was spent during last year. A number of other works were still required, and a vote of £4000 was'asked for same. UTILISATION OF WATER POWER. £ Reference was made to the reports of Mr Hancock, of San Francicso, and from the Public Works Department as to the utilisation of water power, and to the utilisation of the power available at Huka Falls, and in the Tauherimkau, Clarence, Opitu, and'Teviot" rivers ; also to the intention fco make further surveys at the Hutt river, Lakes Rotoiti, Coleridge, and Hauroko. A scheme of about 25,000 horse - power should easily be practicable at the Teviot. Full information was being obtained as to the possibilities of working the Arthur's Pass tunnel by electric traction, utilising'the water of the Otira— -and of the Rolleston, if necessary — to provide the necessary motive power. Every attention was being given to the developments in electric traction on railways, so that full advantage might be taken of any scheme that might be inaugurated. Developments of industries that required large supplies of power were also being studied, as the introduction of such into this Colony -"would enable some cf our more easily workable schemes to be profitably utilised. The total amount of water power readily available in New Zealand might now be put down afc about 550,000 horsepower in the North, and 3,450,000 horse-power in the South Island. The schemes proposed for immediate consideration were as follows :— Huka, 38,000 horse-power, estimated cost £1,000,000, proposed vote £10,000. Hutt, 12,000 horse-power, estimated cost £340,000, vote £10,000; and the Clarence, 25,000, £600,000; and Opihi, 10,000, £250,000 — proposed vote for the two £10,000. Teviot, 25,000, £600,000 and £10,000: Hauroko, 40,000, £850,000 andf£lo,ooo, respectively, as horse-power, estimated cost, and proposed vote._ The total horse-power thus obtainable would be 150,000; the estimated cost would be £3,640,000; and the proposed votes for these works, including £3000 for general expenses, is £53,000. x it L We are told in the statement that "our water power resources are a natural assetjof immense value. The power used in the Colony last year was about 400,000 horse-power, of which the railways employed about one-half. By the judicious development ol our great resources in this respect there can be Jno doubt that many Industries which cannot at present be profitably carried "on in this Colony can be successfully established, and thus greatly add to the general prosperity and afford employment to a largely increased population." IN CONOLUSON. The " Minister stated that Mr William Hales, the Engineer-in-Chief, will retire on pension at the end of nest March, and relinquish his duties on the 31st December. He said that allocations had been made after very careful consideration ; that the total sum proposed to be voted was £2,384,616; and that if New Zealand was to maintain its proud and prosperous position facilities must be provided for the development of its natural resources, and this could not be better accomplished than by a vigorous public works policy.