BOADS ON GOLDFIKLDS—MINES DEPARTMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3382, 29 September 1900, Page 4

BOADS ON GOLDFIKLDS— MINES DEPARTMENT.

The vote last year under this head, ■amounted to £72,700; tho expenditure being £48,039, with liabilities at the end of the year amounting to £46,821. The sum proposed to be authorised for the current year is £107,262, on account of ■which a "vote of £80,000 is asked for. ROADS TO BACK BLOCKS. In the; Financial Statement the Colonial Treasurer mentioned that of the £1,000,000 loan £150,000 would be requiredjor the construction of roads in the back blocks Tha amount mentioned was not the totaJ sum required for this work, and as will be seen from the Esil.inu-s, tne ucromment recognise that while luc.^ased rrovision. is necessary fqr railways, increased amount is also essential for roads to the back blocks and Crown lands, so as to enable deserving and struggling settlers to get their produces to the main roads and railways, thus ensuring to them advantages -which" have been given to the settlers in more favoured parts of the colony. These roads are as the life-blood to the settlers. In the past complaints have been made that the construction of such works has been left over during the summer months, so that when the work has ultimately been put in hand it has cost a. great deal more than it otherwise would have done ; also, in some cases, owing to bad weather and other causes, the moneys were not expend«d during the year in which the vote was obtained. This will not occur dn future, and after the session the Minister of Lands -will make it his special business to visit the back blocks and to personally look into the reauirements of the settlers. DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOLDFIELDS. The value of the gold entered for export for the year 1899 was £1,513,170, being the greatest, for the past 23 years, and at is expected that owing to the increase in the number of dredges at wort, the yield will be maintained for the present year. The quantity of gold and saver entered at the Customs for export during the year ended 31st December, 1899, was 389,5580zs of gold valued at £1513173, and of silver 349,3380zs Trained at £40,833, a* ™ m l»7* ™ l 280,1750zs of gold, valued at £1,080,691, Possible been given to the recommendations £se therein.* It is proposed to continue SS Commission, and extend rts operations to other parts of the colony ™ *«* must, however, be admitted, that if dredging on the alluvial flats is to continue, large sums will have to be provided for compensation for damage to land and loss of riparian rights. The Eweburn reservoir at Naseby, referred to in previous Statements, is now completed in a satisfactory manner, the total cost of the work being £15,689. Further amounts will be required for fencing and planting the reserve and also for clearing out and increasing the carrying capacity of the water-race When these works are completed, there will be an ample supply of water both for mining and irrigation purposes in the vicinity of Naseby. Subsidies have also been paid towards the cost of water supplies at Karangahake and Waitekauri, and it is proposed to also assist other townships in the construction of works for domestic supplies. It is proposed to contniue to acquire information as to- suitable sites for dams and storage reservoirs for water on the goldfields. As advantage has not yet been taken of the vote of £15,000 for the development of the power alluvial drifts at Ross Flat, the vote will be again proposed on the Estimates for the current year. The amount expended last financial year on works for the development of the goldfields was £21,815, while the liabilities amounted to £5376, and it is proposed to take a vote of £45,000 for the current Tear. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. The expenditure during the year undet this head was £26,771, which includes £11,842 for additions to existing exchanges and new exchanges. ■ The new exchanges opened were at Eltham, Inglewood, Manaia, Marton, Waitara, Feilding, Hawera, JStratford, and Palmerston South. Truni ■wires connecting the following exchanges have been erected : Hawera. and Manaia Eltham and Stratford, Stratford and Ne-w Plymouth, Waitara and New Plymouth, Palmerston South and Dunedin. The toti number of subscribers to all exchanges a I the end of the year, 31st March, was 7150 The most important extensions to new dis tricts were Whitianga to Gumtown, Mon gonui to Peria, Tokatea to Cabbage Bay Whakatane to Taneatua, Tehoro to Pipiriki Mangaweka to Moawhanga, Mihakn, to Mo xere, Waerengaokuri to Hangaroa, Awa tore to Seddon, Denniston to Burnett'! Face, Timaru to Gleniti, Merrivale to Clif den, Drummond to Seddon Bush, Colac Baj to Roundhill, Orepuki to Tehia. Additional wire accommodation to existing lines hat been provided by the erection of wires fron Featherston to Masterton, Feilding to Kim bolton, Dunedin to Lawrence, Dunedin, tc Oamaru, Clyde to Alexandra. The vot« asked for this year is £38,709, and provides for additions to existing exchanges, new exchanges, additional wire accommodation, and extensions to new districts. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The expenditure upon our public buildings last year showed an increase upon tho previous year. The increase is partly du» tc spread of settlement in the country districts rendering an increase in the number of post offices, courthouses, police stations, etc., absolutely necessary, and partly to an improved type of buildings haying been adopted in recent years, all our more important structures now being erected in brick instead of wood. The appropriations proposed for the current year amount to £219,930, namely, £47,035 under the Consolidated Fund, ( and £272,895 under the Public Works Fund. The principal works carried out last year or provided for this year are as follows : — GENERAL. The new library wing of the Parliamentary building absorbed the bulk of the expenditure under this head. The only other items worthy of mention were the somewhat extensive repairs and improvemnts to and -tha refurnishing of tha Government House at Auckland, and the restoration of fire damage, etc., at the Government House, Wellington. The vote for the current year provides for the erection of the necessary shelving in the new library, and the completion of the furnishing of the building, also for the renovation of the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council Chambers, and other old portions of the Iwilding, and altering the present library rooms to committee rooms, etc. Sanitary and other improvements to the provincial loildings in Christchurch and other minor ■works are also provided for. JUDICIAL COURT-HOUSES. New court-houses have been erected or are in course of erection at Eketahuna, Dunedin, and the Bluff, and new custodian's quarters at Christchurch. Extensive renovations and improvements have been effected at Auckland, Wanganui, and Greymouth. The principal works provided for tiiis year are the continuation of operations on the new law courts at Dunedin, new Magistrates Court-house at Wellington ;new 2ourf>house3 at Waihi, Te Amatu, Opunake, Hangaweka, Collingwood, Temuka, Hampien, and Gore ; also additions or extensive renovations at Whakatane, Wairoa, Napier, Waipawa, Wanganui, Carterton, Ahaura, Hokitika, Geraldine, Lawrence, aad Invercargill. GAOLS. Only, a comparatively small amount of ■work was done in connection with our gaol Snildings. The principal work in hand has een the erection of the Mount Eden gaol t Auckland, repairs and drainage to the -Terrace gaol at Wellington, and gome alterations and repairs at Gisborne. The esti'Mtes this year provide for the continu--n<-e. of the work at Auckland, for gaolers residences at Dunedin and Westport, a new 1"!u>« at InvercargiU, and sundry minor