PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13438, 9 November 1907, Page 7

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

■' :-■■ ? . By Telegraph. /' WELLINGTON, Nov.?. The Hon'. J.' McGowan, Acting-Minister of Public Works, laid the Public "Works Statement on the table of the House ti is evening. It states that the total expenditure on all works and services cuvne ty the Public Works' Estimates lor tne y«ar ended March 31st, ISO 7 was £2, 2CSKt. or excluding special accounts r.lr.ch ha*e their own wavs and me-ius to £2.(40 ;19 which is the'largest expenditure on such works for many years ri-st. • EXPEND iLVRE.

The following table n ows (A) iV. e gross total expenditure ir«m the iu.v.iguiauon of the Public Works policy to March c', 1907 and) (B) the ey.-ipuditure for the financial vear ended- Mii.-.'ih 31, 1907. Class of Work. A L £ £

New consl'i uetion (railways) 19,591,003 919,730 Additions to °P en Yme3 ..... 3.528,455 308,150 Utilisation of water power 8,033 4,664 Roads 7,537,726 347,470 Public Buildings 3,5/8,562 227,015 Immigration 2,177,581 14,353 Purchase of Native lands 203,558 9,135 Lighthouse*, harbour works, and harbour . ' - defences 1,017,657 4,504 Tourist and Health

Resorts 113,520 42.272 Telegraph extension . 1,324,244' 114,068 Development of gold- . gelds • 778,025 11,064 Defence workc (general) , 869,594 14,874 Departmental ........ 550,167 16,720 Payment to Midland Railway bondholders 150*000 Minor services 326,757 6,300 Cost raising loans ... 1,244,128 6,154 Totals 44,829,010 2,035,245 WAYS AND-MEANS. The ways and means at 31st March, 1906, were: -.. £ Available ■ balance ...... 492,298 Balance of 1905 loan ...282,086 Portion of 1906 Joan .... 943,600; Premiuir.s on ' debentures 15,834; ; Transfer from revenue .. 775,000; • Miscellaneous 1,560 Total £2,410,378 • " Expenditure £2,050,978; Balance March 31, 'O7 £359,400, . For the cuiTent year it is proposed to provide additional funds . as under : - £ Balance of 1906 loan 564C0 New loan of 1907 1,000,000 Transfer from consolidated fund 800,000 This will give a total available ways and means of means of £2,315,800. £ The estimated expenditure amounts to £2,106,951, leaving a balance of £IOB,849 to be carried forward next year. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. On new construction £919,730 was spent. The Railway Department spent on improvement works £426, 065, bringing the gross total expenditure on, railway .works for the year to £1,345,795. The ejfiS&diture on the- North Island Main.Trjaßj|]ine during the year amounted to ovaB?I;400,000, and for the current year a vote of £330,000 is proposed. Next year will see, the completion of this, great work' a'nd this very large expenditure will, then cease and the money will be available for their purposes. Since the last Public Works statement was brought down, fifty miles of railway have been completed and opened-fof' traffic and ;tke rails are laid and ballast trains running on an additional eighty miles. , ; Ka.wakawa-Grah,*uis:own. 7 iiie—I' - penditure last year £10,624; vote proposedcurrent year £4O,GOJ. x '.. Helensville-Northwards 1 ne- -I ast year's expenditure £46,004;- vote p t posed for current year, and £4Q,COO. Gisbcrne-Rotorua line —-A section about two miles in length -/as opened fcr traffic last May. The expenditure last year amounted to £18,428, jrd !r.r the cv-rrc-tft year a vote of £20.000 is proposed. : New PlymouthrSentry Hill deviation — This~ line covering a <'.ktance of alout one mile and three-quarters will be ready for traffic at an early < ate. i xpenditure last year £24,243, proposed vote £15,000. Stratford-Ongarue line—The section as fas as Hiroa, sixteen :-niles h- .in Stratford will shortly be available for traffic. Years expenditure £12,881; vote proposed £20,000. ... Mount- Egmont Branch—Expenditure £17.258; vote proposed £15,000.. North Island main trunk—The expenditure this year' greatly exceeded that of any previous year since the works were: commenced. At the north end the rail •head has advanced to the top of the spiral two miles and a half beyond Raurima or 201 miles from Auckland and rail laying is now in hand southward of that point. The formation works beyond the spiral, are well advanced- so that rail laying as far as Waimarina and Makatake will. "probably proceed without interruption. A great deal of work has been done on the Uakatote viaduct but the •structure is still far from completion. The contract time expired on 15th June, last but it is unlikely that the viaduct will be ready for-the rails to be laid over it until March next. The contract for this work is held by Messrs' Anderson (Christchurch) who are also the contractors for the superstructures of the Mariganuiafea and Mangaturuturu viaducts further along ' the line. The concrete piers and abutt- , menfs for the latter viaducts are already constructed by the Department and awaiting the erection of the superstructures by Messrs Anderson. The contract time for this work expires in February but it seems unlikely at present that they will be completed by that date. The rails will easily reach Makatote by March so that if the viaduct is completed \by them, raillaying can be carried to Manganuioteao,and as soon as the latter viaduct is ready can be continued to Mangaturuturu and •so on. At the south end of the line a. section between Taihape and Mataroa, 6 miles in length, was handed over to the Railway Department for regular -working in June last. The section between Mataroa and AVaiouru, 18£ miles, is nearing completion. The ballast, train has been running on it for/some time, and it will be ready to hand over to the Railway Department by Chrictmas. The section from Waiouru to Rangataua, 14 miles has been used for goods trains since May and the rails now to Ohakune three miles further and by a temporary line as far as the Hapuawhenua viaduct another two miles, making an advance of the railhead at the south end of the line during the year of 26 miles. The first lhree°miles beyond Waiouru. however, is on a temporary line. The permanent line along this section embraces very heavy earth works. It is well -in hand and expected to be ready for plate-laying in a few months. When .ihe rails are laid on this section and ballasting is completed, the whole line to Ohakune will be handed over for regular traffic. The ballast trams between Taumarunui and Raurimu and between Mataroa and Rangataua have been carrying passengers for soma time and the running at the southern end has been extended to Ohakune. It is proposed to commence the issue of .through tickets shortly between Auckland and Wellington. The gap between the rad heads is only twenty miles and over this length a coach service has been established on a good road constructed by the' Department in

conjtuiction with the railway works. By Christmas I expect to be able to carry: nasssngers at the north end as far as Waimarino which will reduce the coach service to 18 miles and by March 1908 to Makatote which will further redluee the gap to 11 miles. The last link in the chain will still take some little time to complete as the mile section embraces thre? viaducts, four large bridges and one tunnel besides other heavy works and two of these viaducts are being carried out by the Department's own workmen. Thatover the Toanui is nearing completion and the Hapuwhenua which is the longest viaduct on the lin-a i/s well in hand but) at present. is only in the foundation stage though much o'f the fcteel' work is already manufactured at the departments workshop at Mangaonoho. With its erection, which will probably be made- during the present) month, all the work is progressing satisfactorily and with favourable weather conditions I confidently expect that the rails will be connected between Auckland and Wellington not later -than Christmas 19G8 as previously' predicted. The expenditure on the railway last year, exclusive of permanent way material, was £362,101 and for the current year an appropriation of £330,C00 is proposed. Blenheim-Waipara line,— Expenditure last year, £46,076; proposed vote, £40.000. ' ■ ~. Midland line—The formation works_ on the portion of Manu section as far as Kiwi station are approaching completion, and rail laying will shortly be started. The new station yard at Petone is now in regular use. " Platelaying between Reefton and Cronadon is in hand and will shortly be finished. The Cronadon station buildings are in course,of erection and the line to this point will soon be available for traffic. On the Otira section the Goat Creek and Rolleston bridges, have been completed, some protective groins constructed, .and a. good deal .of earth work. done. Operations were discontinued for a time, pending the receipt of tenders for the Arthur's Pass tunnel, but now that' a contract for that work has-been''entered into;, operations on the Otira section Tvill at Once' be Sfesumed l so as to ; complete the line to the;'tunnel mouth. The tender of Messrs John McLean and Sons for the Arthur's 1 Pass tunnel, -5 miles 25.chains in length, was .accepted in August last, and the work will be completed by August 1912. The amount of the accepted tender, which wa6 the lowest; of''three received'is; £599,794. The contract includes not only the tunnel but the completion of .itlie formation of the railway thence as far as the Arthur' station, 59£ miles from Greymouth. ' The section between Staircase Gully and Broken River was completed in tinie for the Exhibition. The formation work beyond Broken River,, which, for two ,or three mil.es is of ; a. heavy character' is w,ell in. hand. On this length there are six tunnels and the.'-."! headings" are driven through all of them. Two are in process of enlargement and one completed. ,The contract for a steel bridge over Sloven's Creek was let ■to Mr G. M. Fraser in July last f0r'£21,451.',,, The date fixed for the completion of the ivork is 31st-March, 1909. The expenditure .on the Midland railway during the late financial year amounted to . £129,649.., For the current year a Vote of £61),0u0.. will be needed. year's exloenditure,: £8575; proposed vote £lO,-' 000. ...' ■■■■■ ; ~■■-■,' ,:' - '

Ngahere^—Blackball-rExpenditure last, year £11,596; .proposed vote £15,000.; .'■ Greymouth-Pomt Elizabeth ' lin-er—An extension of' about, four miles is proposed to open up some very fine coat seams tliat have bean, fully proved. Hbkitika-Ross—Last year's expenditure £21,628; vote £20,000. : Culverden-Hanmer—lt was mentioned: in last year's statement that a. good motor car sjirvice was propostid to be established between Culverden ''and Hanmer. The cars "are running betwfeen'Culverden and the' Wairau ''rivt-r. -Practically, no expenditure came to..charge.:;.agains'b last year's vote but for the;current year an appropriation of £4OOO yvill be.rieeded.

Qtago , QentTal-— Xhe-j sectioni bfttween Ghabto Creek and.Alexandra was,opened for traffic in December and'the futther section to Clyde' m April. , On .the completion of*"the line 'to' Clyde,' construction works were discontihued. It is not proposed' "to. take: any further extension of this line in hand" at : present. The expenditure last year was £39,274 Vhidh with the value" of -the permanent way materials issued brought, the gross total expenditure on the line up to £1,270,918. For the current year a vote, of £IO,OOO is required to; nieeb expehdiiture since the Ist April- last and a few .small liabilities. Lawrence-Roxhorough—Expenditure last year, ,£ls 959 ; vote proposed £20,000. ;. (JoreHWi-likaka —, !Thie , Gore-Waikaka Railway Finance Company took up debentures to the extent of £50,0.00 in April. The formations is so "easy that it will probably all be finished' in ' : a few months and rail-laying is about to.'be begun, Catlihs-Waimahaka.—Last year's expenditure £18,145. It is proposed to increase the'number of men employed, an ; d to accelerate the rate'/of; progress. A vote of £40,000 is therefore propcfied'. ,; year £3551 was expended, and/foir the present year a : vote of £BOOO is asked - "■;■; Ofepuki-Waia-u.—As this liiie opens up a large area of valuable forest, it is desirable to expedite its completion as much as possible. . -Last..year's expenditure was £9955, and 1 this year a vote of £20,000 is" proposed. »; In addition, to the amounts already mentioned, a vote of £70,000 is proposed for permanent way : materialsj'.-: £2OOO foi sjurveys of nevy. lines, and £IOOO. for land claims "and other .old .liabilities, on ; the construction account. • These items bring the' total proposed' appropriation for rait .way 'coEstruc'tion purposes to £775,U00L This is less than last year's vote, but. is still a very substantial sum,, and its expenditure will add materially to existing railway facilities. ... The amount expended on additions to open lines during the year was £308,150. The bulk of this expenditure was on rolling stock and the remainder on essential works to enable the/"Railway Department to deal efficiently with its business. For the current year a vote of £350,000 is required. • , Good progress has been made on the Addington-Rolleston duplication. The formation is already so complete that plate laying can be put in hand shortly. The total expenditure under the Railways, Improvements -Authorisation Act last year amounted to £81,957. For: the current year provision had been made on the estimates to the extent 0f,£200,000 namely, Auckland-Penrose £60,000; AddingtonRolleston £40,000, and ; Diinedin-Mosgiel £IOO,OOO. , Wellington-Maiiawatu railway : Having given the careful consideration, the 'Government has' decided at once to give notice to the company of its intention to take'over the railway in twelve months' time. UTILISATION OF WATER POWER.

All of the schemes outlined in previous Public Works, statements and reports invole an expenditure of several millions. The Government considers that the time for embarking On these undertakings, which would amount almost to a fresh public works policy, has hardly yet arrived. As soon, however, 'as the expenditure on the North Island main trunk railway ceases and the demands • on the Public Works Fund generally are less pressing, it would doubtless be advantageous to take action in the matter of developing one or more of the most promising of the schemes.' In the meantime it is proposed to lease some of the water '"'power available for actual use by private enterprise. An amount of £4664 was expended out of last year's vote and for the current year

an appropriation of .£2OOO is proposed. IRRIGATION. Provision is made for a vole of £3OCO (on account of. £IOO.OOO proposed -to -be provided for the purpose) for irrigation and water su'ppl'v in agricultural and milliner districts. The vote is primarily lor assisting <in opening up and developing fresh lands - for settlement in and territory. -.,. PUBLIC BUILDINGS The. total expenditure ou pub.ic buildings amounted last year to £279,631 which is in excess by over £70,000 of the previous years' figures and by over £IOO,OOO of the figures for 1904-5. For. the current year votes totalling £39,000 under the. Consolidated Fund and £251,800 under the Public Works Fund are. proposed. This is 'in addition to the substantial provision for school buildings- under the Consolidated Fund and the Votes under the control of the Minister of Education. General—This year £30,000 is proposed to meet the additions to the P-avUmen-•tary buildings and to the departmental buildino-s in Auckland and Wellington; offices for the Geological and Health Departments in Wellington and for other departments at Westi>ort and Greymouth.. ' Police Stations.— The current years vote provides, among other for new stations at St. Andrews and Waiwate ; and' for additions at Timaru. Post and' Telegraph.—The vote proposed for the current year provides for new offices at Geraldine and Fairlie. Schools.—The total expenditure on school buildings during last year was £195,835, of which £86,376 w.as debited to revenue and £109,459 to the. Public Works 'Fund. The principal works car-: rieel out directly under the con hoi of the Government were the erection of' additional building's at the 'boys'' training farm at, Weraroa, and' the com'pletibn of the main building of the south wing of the new school for deaf 'mutes' ; at. Sumner. For the current year, in addition to the vote under the. Consolidated Fund', an appropriation .of £100,00:} is asked front the Public Works, ! Fund to., provide school' buiidings; generally, also buildings for- native industrial . schools - and.' reformatories!, a home -,for , de^'. feotiyes,, .the Jubilee Institute-- -/{for' the blind at Auckland, the school for deaf mutes and also grants for providing tech-, nical,schools,, and training colleges, build-.; . ings foi" Victoria College and ten - second-'; ,ary schools. There was an expenditure of £10,259 for new buildings and improvements during the year. . • Agriculture—This year a vote of £30,'OOO is proposed to.:,.provide . ;additional buildings at the experimental farms at Ruhkura, Arataku and 'Weraroa,. aceom, modation foi- cadets at. Ruakura, also some further buildings at the Wallace-, ville laboratory. ROADS AND BRiDGES: Unquestioanbly roads are one of the most important factors ,in the settlement of new lands. Their maintenance and improvement in districts "where, ..settlement has already taken place is also of great montent: The construction ; of railways has rendered immense areas, of land-, avail-, able for ..settlement in comparatively small holdings which otherwise could only have been profitably occupied in,large areas- as, .stock or .sheep runs. But for closer set--tlement, which is what, should be aimed at. roads must be' supplied. As . closer settlement involves denser population and greater output per acre it means .not only, more miles of road, -but also, to carry the-greater traffic, a better class of road ; than . was necessary when "the land was held in larger areas. Most\of the land; now available for settlement is more 'or less of a broken and hilly nature: which, entails miore circuitous roads, owing ;to the gullies and ridges -which have to be'crossed along the sides of ' which roads, must be taken to obtain reasonable .grades, in hilly country. There is also usually more hard material to excavate, and more culverts required /than in ;■ comparatively fiat land- All these circumstances ; increase the cost per acre of rpading land. The total net expenditure .upon road works; etc., : was ~£415,037., -.Work ..was' somewhat-restricted, owing to ,labour being, scarce and to most being in places remote,, from The work done during the year was-.--Dray roads .made 637 miles ; dray roads .maintained 272; bridle, roads made; 512; bridle roads maintain-; ed ( 189 i; engineering surveys made 612i''■;' dray bridges built (over 30ft. span) 17,800 lineal feet. The average nnmber of men employed during the year on roadworks was 2392. The appfopriaions pro- ' posed for" the current year are : Roads Depa-Ttmen.tja'li £20,850/ roads 'generally £390,238 toumt roafe £27,463, Loans; to Local' Bodies Account £501,000; total £488,551, 'ThJs amount is of course additional to- £25,0C0 voted.for .the main.tainance of roads on the .Consolidated Fund Estimates. ROADS ON GOLD-FIELDS.

The development of the mineral.resources must always be regarded as. a paramount, consideration by the 'State and the vernment recognises that the best-way;of aiding the prospector, miner and. the man who provides the capital is by cutting tracks and making roads into accessible tracts of the' country, ■ where.- copper, quaitz reefs, and large deposits of hematite iron exist. The expenditure last year under this head amounted to £38,970. The sum proposed»to be authorised, for the current year is £77,621, .on account of which, a vote of £41,000 is. proposed. ■ The total proposed,. appropriations for-' road and tracks are:

Roads Department, under;. Public Works .estimates,•',£4Bß,ssl; : . ~,;.:.: Roads Department under. Consolidated Fund, £25,000;. •', ",': . V'V-'. ■ •-. Mines Department, £41,000;, „ .; Gross total appropriation, DEVELOPMENT' OF MINLNGr >:

The value of metals and minerals produced during-,- the past, : .year.,-amounted to £3,871,811 V "being ah increase-of £249,025, compared with 1905; . The export of gold was the highest for a period of thirty-five years and silver showed- a corresponding increase -compared with- the, preceding year. Coal also shows a substantial increasu 143,780 tons over that of 1905. Additional collieries will shortly be, "opened up near Greymouth and Westport, and Hikurangi in Auckland, while considerable developments are contemplated in connection with the State " coal mines. " • The • amount -expended last year on works for.the development of the" goldfields was £11,065; , it is proposed! to' take- a vote of £33,000 for the curient year. . , , TOURIST AND HEALTH RESORT'S. The expenditure last year "amounted to £42,271. The new bath buildings at Rotorua absorbed £10,568,. and water supply works £14,776. The accommodation house, land, etc:, at;Lake,-.-Te Anau were purchased. sleeping room at the Hei-mitage;, /Mount, ; Coc-k. was finished in time' for last seasons traffic, and in consequence the receipts increased by : 50 per/cent. over the pievipus year.. The main building is rapidly falling to pieces, and it is proposed to re-erect it in Gtone, at a cost of.,betWJ&en £BOOO ana! £9OOO, and a vote is asked -for on account The estimates for.:. the year include £20,000 for a new. bath building,: £4OOO for drainage,- and £9OOO for waterworks at Rotorua, which should complete these undertakings. Provision 'is also being' made for improvements at Mount Cook. .

TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. ■. During the year £114,068. was expended and the new lines erected and under erection totalled 251 'miles. Telegraph offices were opened at 146 townships while 2070 new subscribers were added: to the telephone exchange system. Town and country alike received considerable.-bene-GROSS TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS. In addition to the votes already mention-

Ed the estimates include the following charges:— 1 - , Public works, departmental, £21,0,(0. :. Immigration, £10;000;. Purchase of native/ lands, £7OOO. . Rates on native lands, £IOOO. 'Contingent defence, £IO,OOO. Lands improvement, £17,500. Gross total, £2,106,951, against 789 last veai-.''. •i.-As regards the vote for contingent defence -certain items, which were previously charged against account have heen removed from the Public Works Fund with a view to their being provided for on the Supplementary Estimate's. CONCLUSION. . The present rate of public works expenditure is undoubtedly high, but the continued and well-established prosperity of the dominion fully justifies it. There are indeed many persons and some members of Parliament amongst them who would approve of a higher rate, but if borrowing for public works purposes is to be limited to one million per annum it is impossible to do more than is being done. The Minister claimed that the proposals submitted to the House were of a thoroughly progressive nature, and at the same time fair and equitable as regards their distribution. The needs of each and every part of the country had been carefully considered, and it will be conceded that-air honest effort had been made' to apportion the funds available with evenhanded justice as in the -bast interest of the people as a whole.