Public Works Statement

Thames Star, Volume XXXXI, Issue 10452, 29 October 1904, Page 1

Public Works Statement

—* — DELIVERED LAST .NIGHT. SOME INTERESTING DETAILS'. In thes House of .Representative's lust, night the Minister of Public Works' Statement was delivered, fro'iu ■which, -\vei muike Lie following oxti'a,utw: — Satisfactory progress, has been made with, the various works iv hand. Progress may not have been so' rapid as' sotae would wish. It «]iinst he gaiiiged by the sums available for several works. Every mile of railway constructed and! every chain; of road completed is so much done towards thei establishment of a ! means of communication necessary ' for the development of the country j in which we live;. Each year marksl so much, of work accomplished. —Oiw Pioneer Settlers — j who gO to the back blocks", and by ' energy a.nd perseverance -bring hith- ; erto waste lands into cultivation must .so far 1 as means permit be assisted in their efforts, by the formation of roads and extension of railways so- that the products 1 of the. soil -may be conveyed' to markets or nearest ports for shipment- Our colony has so limny j —Natural Advantages 1— that to neglect so important a public policy would be to place a great restriction upon the expansion, oi tradeThe marked increase in exports duringl recent yearsi could noti ha,ve been reached, .ibbb for improved ni.ean.si of j internal co'mniunication as years ,i'o ! by this great work being gradually auiSoanplished, and I 100k 1 forward: to thie time when 'by the completion of the main lines of railway and road system, together with increased population induced! by settlement of land, we shall reap to the full extent the benefits- derived from work, j —Ways"arid Means.— 'At the 31st March, 1903, the available balance of ways and means for ■■ public work purposes was £338,505, i and further funds were received as 'under:—Balance of £1,000,qp0 loan raised under Act of 1902, .£740,0-00; ; amount raised under 1903 Act, £583, j 950; debentures issued! under MidJ land 'Rlailway Petitions Settlements i j lAfct, ,£150,000; transferred from, j (revenue, £250,000; miso'ellaneous receipts, £1065 ; making a- total of £2,16-1,180. ! —Th e 'Expenditure of the Year, — j including £150,000 paid to- the Midland debenture! holders' amounted •to £1,770,378, leaving a. credit balance at the end of the year of £393,802. For the current year it is. proposed i to-provide additional funds as under : ! Balance of 1903 loan, ,£l-16,050; new : loan of 190, £750,000- The Oiusoli- ! dated Fund .should: be able to assist I with £650,000- This will give the total available Ways and Means of £2,209,852. —The Estimated Expenditure— for the public works for the year amount's to £1,103,100, thus leaving a balance of £806,752 to be darned forward' to next year. —.North Island Main Trunk— I Satisfactory progress is I ring made 'at both Auckland and Wellington ends. At the Auckland end pa.ss.iii--1 gers are now carried as far as Taumarunui, 175 miles from Auckland, and goodsl, and material to Kaka'.ii bridge, ten miles further. The "Wait on bridge is finished, and nuuennl trains run over it. The Kakahi bridge I is approaching completion, and a* soon as it is available the rails will be laid acrosr--' it on. to about 188 miles, where work Will bo .stopped for a. time by heavy work in hand there-• ! —.The Appropriations Proposed — for the current, year are: as -under : — I Roads department, £18,605; -roads 'generally, £2-16,-139: maintenance of i main roads, £28,158 ; tourist, roads, I £15.198 : Government loans- for [local bodies account, £35,000; land i'or settlement account, £6910; total, £351,910. —Paeroa-Waihi Railway.— A! vote of .£-10,000 isi asked for Ike Paeroa-Waihi lino. The Kediom to Karangahnke lias been openi for goods traffic since the beginning of the ! year, and considerable freight carried ever it. Progress with rail laying is blocked immediately beyond Karangahake by a long tunnel, which ot-icluirsi d|ireeitly after croissiiig the jOhinemuri River, just opposite the j Karaingahake station- Tho Work in ! the tunnel is carried on day and i night, and satisfactory progress is [ being madci -with, it. The heading "s 'now'"right through, and the tunnel [ -will probably il>o finished before the ' end of the year. —Contracts Have Been Let— to J. and) ]A- AndieTson 1, of ClmUichurch, for steel superstructures of i bridges over the second and third crossings' of the Ohinemuri River, the concrete and abutments having been constructed by the departments own •n-oirtanuny The :Tiattbr aire finished 1. and tlei former work is making good progress- Some of the steel work ' haw"been delh-ercd, and being now in course of erection. Tenders- for the Waikino station biiilri/fc^ ©re about ' to be invited, and'the line to that » point 3if miles fro-mi Karangahake l will probably be available for traffic I by about May next. £ _Tho Amount Spent on' this Line— ' tost year was .£26,163. During the 1 current year abb'ut £10,000 will Ik tequiiiredi- The expenditure on ihh 0 line is now: charged to a scpar'a.tc /account!, establHshed under sipecial legislation of sessionAfter detailing the- works in progress and contemplated, the Ministci said: Tm conclusion! lion, member"! may rest assured that in alloeatiiH

tlia mo'neysi available every consideration has beeaii given to wha.b are considered the most urgent work. The funds at oui* disposal should be sufficient to enable several woi-ks y to be proceeded •with at a fair rate- I a>ni satisfied! that the result of the current year's work will tend materially to the further development and continued prosperity, ot" our colonyFor the development of —.Goldfieldsi and Mining— as already announced in the Financial Statement, the returns; from goldmining continues tia increase and as was anticipated that an ouftunt of over £2,000,000 i as the value of gold which would be exported during! the late year was realisedl^ the amount having .been; £2,037,831, being an. increa&e; oni the previous year of £86,----398} The quantity of. .gold entered for export during 1903 Was 533,31-1 ozs, valued 1 at £2,037,831, and silver 911,9140z5, valued at £91,497, aa (,tolm;pViredi with 506i;0!450zs (of (gold valued at £1,951,433 and of silver )Gi74-,19607J5i Valuedj ati £71,975 for 190*2, toing; an increase of 25,269 oaa of gold" valued at £86,398 and 237,7180zs of silver valued at £19,----522. The amount expended last financial year on works for development of goldfields 1 was £16,278, while the liabilities at. the. close of the year amounted; to £2,039, and it is proposed to> take a vote, of £14,000 for the current year. , —Tourist. Health Resorts. — Tlie expenditure under this heading during the year amounted to £15,----64.3, a. large proportion! of which was spent in and around Rotoruap Other items included the purchase of Grade House. (Lac T'a Ana.v) and improvements at Haniner and Queenstown. This year 1 important improvemnts at' Hammer, Te Aroha, Waikaremoana, and Hotorua haive to be provided, for, as well as for the enlargement of the P'ukaiki house and Glade House,. Te Anua. Provision is also. made, for 1 the j oil launches purchased to meet the increased traffic on the la;kes Tarawera. and Rotoina.hana. Tlia gross ■ authorisation asked, folr a.mountsi to £26,648, O'lii acicioiunt of whiuh a vote !of £25,000' is proposed. | —Telegraph. Extension,The ■expendibure on telegraphi extension during; the year amounted to £47,227. The more impoi'tant telo- ! graph and, telephone lines, constructed were Ngaruawahini, Wainga.ro 1, Gladstone., Ttr Wharau, Ma.rtin.borcugh, Pahaoa., Taihape, Ruamii, Pelorus, Kura.u, Omar am a, Clinton, Baldutha, Moikihinui, Ka.vamea, and Wellington | New Plymouth. There wore 1472 new .sulUsiiri-bers 'to tcileplnone oxcltaiigte 1, the expenditure on which absorbed th.v greater proportion of the vote. Tho amount allocated for this year is. £601,000, inoludaii"! £43,87 T- of liabilities. This, leaves only £16,123 for the now works, not. already au- . thorised^ —Pu.blic' Bi!ildin.gs.— A larger expenditure is anticipated, i j-Hrovisio'iiis being made in the estimates for the completion of the auxiliary buildings at Porirua: and Sunn} r.side and 1 for additions at Auckland j and Seac-liffe, etc—Schools.—■ Tlie amount, voted for snlibol .buildings last, year totalled £124,025, namely, £29,725 under the Consolidated" fund -a.nd £94,300 under the Publo Works Fund. The expenditure ai noun ted! to '£116,615, liainidy, £29,526 under the iCbnsolidated: Fund and £87,089 under the PuWici Works Fund. Thei great, bulk of the money was expended through the agency of tho Eduelationi B'oa.rdH Plradtically ■ the only school 'building 1 works; con- j trolled Iby tho Government are the j 'buffldings- iflor .untive and industrial j schools and the school for deaf mutes. '