PUBLIC WORKS AND IMMIGRATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XV, Issue 669, 25 October 1871, Page 6

PUBLIC WORKS AND IMMIGRATION.

MR. GISBORNE'S STATEMENT. [BY EIiECTBIC TELEGBAPH.] Wellington, September 28. Mr Gisborne's Public Works Statement list night commenced with a re-capitula-tion of the various works m construction tinder the several sections of the Public Works Immigration and Railway Act during the financial year. These were chiefly a repetition of facts already contained m Parliamentary papers. Mr Audley Coote's powers had not been sufficient, or the contract for the.Picton and Blenheim Railway would have been entered into: The total liabilities incurred for the Clutha Railway up to 30th June were £68,412; of which £12,494 had been paid as land compensation. The total cost of the line would not exceed £4,500 per mile, exclusive of the cost of the land. In regard to the Canterbury Railways, the Government intended, from the Ist October ensiling, to take over the works heretofore carried on by the Provincial Government, and re-couping them for the expenditure incurred. On the contract for the railway from Timaru to the Washdyke, a distance of 2f miles, a tender had been accepted, amounting to £9,018. The liabilities incurred during the financial year for surreys m the North Island amounted to £6,818, and the Middle Island to £5,054. In the Middle Island the amount expended for construction of railways amounted to £88,912. In regard to Immigration, the experiment of introducing Scandinavian immigrants had proved very successful. Tlie laborers on public works m the neighbourhood of their special settlement had applied for land on the same terms as they had it, and their request had been granted. Immigration had been regulated by dividing the immigrants into two classes — nominated and assisted. During the year the nominated immigration had been as follows : — Hawke's Bay 500, Wellington 400, Canterbury 400, Otago 1,000, Marlborough 100 : assisted immigrants — Hawke's Bay 1,000, Wellington 1,500, Canterbury 1,050, Otago, 1,950. The Government would ask authority to refund £23,200 to the provinces of Hawke's Bay, Canterbury and Otago on account of the immigrants brought out prior to the passing of the act. Turning to the future Board of Public Works the first matter the Government had to propose was that it should consist of not less than five members : a President, (Minister of Public Works,) and first and second engineers. The Disqualification Act should not necessarily apply to its members. The general duties of the Board would be to advise Ministers as to works to be undertaken ; also, to exercise a supervision over the progress of such works. After the present year the Board would also have substantial powers. The Government intended to push on the construction m the North Island of roads through Native districts, and m the district north of the City of Auckland to the extent of tho £100,000 available for that purpose. It was intended to take over the Kaipara railway from the Province of Auckland conditionally on its providing for an expenditure of £25,000, extending over four years m works m the Northern district of the Province. Two principles would regulate the construction of railways, first their ability to pay working expenses second, the power of local rating m the event of their not paying working expenses. Railways would be divided into three classes, — main lines, feeder lines, and coal mine lines. The main lines were — Auckland to Waikato, Wellington to Napier and New Plymouth, Invercarcargill to the north part of Canterbury, Winton to Kingston, and Nelson to Cobden. It would be. advisable for the Assembly during the present session to give authority for the construction of these lines, reserving the right to determine from session to session what portions should be constructed each year. The following lines were proposed to be undertaken this year : — lnvercargill to Mataura, 40 miles, (by guarantee) ;

i>i.)«ua,.vi ia> >• .tii,ctni<i4t/.i lnueH ; iiangioru, to Waipara, 20A miles j'Wiiiton to Kingston, 69 miles ; Wellington to Masterton, 70 inilea. ; • Ni»i>ier-to Ruatamioha, 53 miles ; Auckland to- Mercer, 47 miles ; Auckland to Kaipara, 17 miles ; Nelson to Foxhil!, 21 miles ; Dunedin to Clutha, 51 miles ; Blenlioim to Pieton, 20 miles ; total, 449 miles. These lines it was estimated would take live years to finish at a cost of £1,699,000 ; the annual liability on account of interest being at the rate of 5£ per ceut. As to coal mine lines the Government would endeavour to make the Co3t to be borne by the miners, but the Board would have power to assist by advances on receiving suflicieutsecuiity. The Government would immediately ask for provision for lines from Luke Brunner to Greymouth and from the Malvern Hills to Rolleston, and further to assist to complete the lino from Kawahawa ,to the Port. In respect to feeder lines, the Go-vernment-would bring m a bill providing machinery to enable the residents m any district contiguous to a mail line to petition the Board of Works for the construction of a branch line. Stipulations would be provided regarding the extent to which the petition would require to be signed, and to empower the Government on recommendation of ihe ßoard of Works, to authorise the construction of the feeder or branch line conditional on the residents being subject, if necessary, to a local rate, so as to cover a fixed proportion of the annual charges of the line. All deficiencies m the interest on railway cost would either be recovered from the province m which the railway is constructed or by a local rate. It was intended to take laud as security for loans, for the construction of the lines from Wellington to Masterton and from Napier to Huataniioha and use tiiis land for the purpose of settling immigrants by special settlement, the proceeds of which would be credited to the Kailway Fund. A tramway from Manawatu to Wanganu I ', the Government proposed should be colstructed forthwith. Other similar works would be undertaken on the recommendation of the Board. In constructing railways by guarantee it would be necessary to contract with persons of large means. It was a false economy to always accept the lowest oiler. Accordingly, the Treasurer had entered into arrangements with the Messrs Brogden. The Government intended to ask authority to accept contract No. 2 with certain modifications to be agreed upon when Mr Brogden arrives. The chief of those modifications would be to make the contract include the lines already authorised or to be authorised this session. The Government thought it unadvisable to pay m land ; as at present, the better use for the land would be for purposes of settlement. They would accordingly propose to substitute money for land payments except as to the giving 20 acres for each adult male immigrant introduced. The lines to be constructed must be authorised, and provision made to enable the Government to purchase the lines by debentures within a specified time after completion. With regard to the acquisition of land for railway purposes, a Bill would be introduced to prevent extortionate demands. With regard to water Bupply for the Goldfields, the Government concurred with Mr Haughton's report that it was better to assist private persons, after proper investigation, than to undeitake works on their own account. They therefore would make a proposal to enable the money to be advanced on the recommendation of the Board of Works. The Government might, however, undertake the Thames Water Works. In regard to Immigration, the Government proposed to take a sum of £250,000 for the current and ensuing financial years. The period was made two years as the contracts and arrangements required to carry "on the service rendered it indispensable that they should not be confined to the short period of a single year. The Board of Works would have entire charge of the introduction, and settlement of immigrants, subject to the direction and veto of Ministers. When land was taken as security for railways it would be used for the purposes of settlement ; and m provinces where the cost of railways was charged to the land fund an equitable compensation would be given for land taken for settlement. The provision of the Act requiring Superintendents' to initiate immigration would be altered, and the General Government have the right — checked by the Board^'to say what number of immigrants should go to each place, and how they should be settled. As to telegraphs, there was every prospect of Government being shortly able to extend the telegraph to Auckland and New Plymouth ; then the construction of other lines would be proceeded with. The Road Boards Grant distributions would be settled by the Assembly. The Government believed their proposals were characterised by frugality, prudence, and foresight ; and their policy was to spend money m useful, permanent, reproductive investments.

Mail Routes.— The Avslrcdtaian, of September 23, has the following :—" A glauco at the table prepared by the agent of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, and submitted to the Government, showing the different distances which must be traversed on each of the available mail routes, and the time occupied, assuming an average speed of 10 miles an honr, will prove conclusively to any person who has no crotchet of his own to advanoe, that for mail purposes nothing can possibly compete with the line via Suez and firindisi. In the first place it is 2,004 miles' shorter than by way of Torres Straits and the Eastern Coast, 3,097 miles shorter than the Californiun line touching at Auckland, 2,697 miles less than the direct Californinn line by way of Fiji and Honolulu, and 2,235 miles leBS than the Cape route. These are.geographical facto that no sophistry can get over. Whatever improvements may take place m the speed of steamships, of course the advantage must still remain with the shortest distance. No doubt before many years are over we may have vessels making the voyage via the Cape m 35 days, which would be at .the rate of about 15 miles an hour, but when these vessels come to be employed on the Suez line, the difference m point of time io favor of that route would still be 6 days 5 hour*. We should be as glad as any one to see a lino of first-olass steamers established between this country and England by way of the Cape of Good Hope, and have before now pointed out many of the advantages which might be expected to flow from it ; but it is useless to shut our eyes to the fact that for postal purposes it cannot offer us those advantages we at present possess. It appears to us, therefore, that it is the interest of Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, at least, to continue the present contract with the P. and O. Company, or with some other equally capable, subject to such modifications as to. cost or speed as experience m*y have shown to be desirable. of count-, would prefer a line via Torres Strait*, for not only would she b» by such arrangement brought nearer home than m any other way, but she would then have a cheap monthly means of communication with her settlements m the far north. However, as she is not m a position to take the entire responsibility on her own Bhoulders, she cannot afford, to indulge m this luxury at present. Victoria paid such a large proportion of the subsidy m 1870 (£36,529 5s 8d out of £160,061) thut her interest and convenience ought to- bu tho first consideration."