PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5687, 5 October 1896, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

m The following are extracts from the Public Works Statement laid on the table of the House of Representatives by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon W. Hall-Jones, on Saturday morning : — Mr Speaker, — Honourable members will, I feel sure, concede me every reasonable consideration in respect to this, my first Statement, and make due allowance for any shortcomings, seeing that I have only recently joined the Ministry, and have not, a? yet, had an. oppoi'ttvi-ifcy of making %y§elf personally acctualnted -with all the details of the works in the various parts of the colony. In submitting toy first Statement for the consideration ef honourable members, I desire to draft attention to the position to-day As. feompared with that in which my predecessors under former Administrations have found themselves. Prior tothe Liberal Party coming into office in 1891, it had become customary for Parliament to pass Loan Bills fairly regularly at intervals of . two or three years, thus providing large sums of money for the purpose of carrying on the public works of the colony. The following table shows the several loans authorised for services chargeable on the public works from the institution of the public works policy:—

Since 1888 no loan has been raised for I -publicMvorks purposes, but notwithstanding | eonsideraMe progress has feeen mada ; -with all classes of public woefcs. I had tite '■ '■ ftionotr to be entrusted wifli lite charge of j ■ the _?üblie Works Department at a time i "••when the Public Works Fund -was at a lower j ; ■- ebb than it had ever been since its infitaa- j 'tion. The amount to tfee credit of Patft, ?L of the fund on Mao.eh 31, 1895. *»-was During tbe year .£150.00© j ""Jiras transferred from the Consolidated! ■ VFund, as proposed lath- ___aancial State- j iment of last year, and sundry credi<*s.a39oi ocame to book to tbe amount of Jfi22.72,| •bringing the total ot this part of the fund xiip to .£420,792. The expenffiture anwasiited ito ,£389,548, leaving a credit balance :at the end of the ytear of .£3iyi3o •only. Ob Part BL tflae balaaoe at March 31, 1893, was 0226,604, !«nd ' .£IO,OOO (being receipts in respect <ef Band purchased out of the North Islfusd ratlin trunk railway loan) was transfenusd. to credit daring the year, thus bringing -the total amount up to .£36,60-. The esjpenditute amounted to ..£23,681. leaving a balance on March 31 last of -£13.923, or a total balance available on the whole Public Works Fund <d£ ; .£35.673. There 7 was also Jftl,42o"to the .credit of the lands improvement account, «nd £5920 to the credit of the native lands pu.e_.ase ac- -, count, .and in addition. to these amounts there was. authority :f or the .caseation of further* -debentures on these two accounts to the extent of £21,200 on the former and £30,800 on the latter, so that the gross total ways and means available amounted to £134,418. It was well understood by all parties in the colony that additional funds would be required in aid * of public works, the only doubtfsil point being whether the Government would ask Parliament for a large sum sufficient to complete the North Island trunk, the Otago Central, the Midland, the Thames-Te Aroha, the Woodville-Eketahuna, and other railfrays, or whether they would merely ask for aid to a limited amount, so as to permit the several works to be proceeded with for the present afc the existing rate of expenditure. All doubts were set at rest when my colleague the Colonial Treasurer brought down the Financial Statement, in which it was set forth that aid to the extent of only one million was recommended, and on the ■whole this proposal has been favourably received. There are some, I admit, who are opposed to extraneous aid in any shape being procured, but seeing that by the Public Works Appropriation Act of last session Parliament had authorised the expenditure on public woi'ks to proceed for three months of the current year at the same rate as that voted for last year, it was surprising and disappointing to find any opposition to the raising of the moneys required to pay for the works authorised . or for their continuance; for it would have been unreasonable to expect that all works should be stopped on Juno 30, thus throwing out of work in the dead of winter some two to three thousand men. It is my pleasure now, however, to be able to congratulate the House on having made adequate provision for the present for carrying on the important aids to colonisation provided for under our public works. Under the legislation of the present session the following additional sums will be made available, , namely:— For railways .£250.000, for development 'of goldfields £200,000, for development of thermal springs and natural Bcenery £50,000, ior the lands improvement account £250,000, for the Native lands purchase account £250,000 ; total £1,000,000. It is also proposed to transfer from revenue to the credit of the Public Works Fund £150,000, and about £20,000 will also probably ' come to credit from other sources. Adding to these amounts the balances remaining on March 31 last, namely, £134,418, there will be a gross total sum available of £1,304,418. The liabilities .on March 31 last were £320,636. After providing for the same there is left the sum of £983,782, being the largest sum available for public works during the laat five years. This may lead to ex- ' pectationß being raised that an increased expenditure on public works will eventuate. Those who expect this will be ' doomed to disappointment, inasmuch as the Government have no intention whatever to largely increase the expenditure on public works. On the contrary, when the Eketahuna railway is finished, and the other pressing works in connection with the lands improvement, roads to open lands for settlement, the drainage of Eotorua, the development of our thermal springs and goldfields, and the making of our natural scenery accessible to the world, we deem it desirable, in the interest of the colony, that the expenditure on public works should be reduced to the lowest possible limit. THE CO-OPEEATIVE SYSTEM. 1 Practically, all our construction works are now carried out under the co-operative system, and a good many of our buildings and repairs also. Up till recently we have not attempted iron bridge construction under this system ; but when the tenders for the Makohine viaduct on the North Island main trunk railway were received, and the lowest was found to be several thousand pounds in excess of the Engi-neer-in-Chief's estimate, the Government decided to carry out the work under the co-operative contracts. Arrangements are accordingly being made for the supply of .the cement and the unmanufactured iron and steel; and it is proposed to let co-opera-tive contracts to suitable skilled workmen for the building of the concrete piers and foundations, and the preparation aud erection of the iron and steel work. The co-operative system having now been in operation for five years, I think I may take this opportunity of giving some facts and -figures with regard to that method of carrying on our public works. During the five years ended Maroh 31 last the total . expeiiditure oh co-operative works ' amounted to £929,962, viz., £528,785 by the 7VE_blic Wprka Department, and £401,177 StK^iLsindt. J)epartmen^ jiad. of; the total

to the workmen as the value of their 1 labour. The length of railway constructed t or partially constructed under the system i was 172 miles, also 1180 miles Of roads, < besides various public buildings. The 1 average number of men employed each > ear t has been as follows : — J

The earnings of the men have, of course, ; varied largely, caused by their different legrees of capacity as workmen, and < .artly by the different climatic and other < sonditions under which they have worked, < out on the whole I think the results ma y . ' be regarded as satisfactory both to the ' State and to the men immediately affected. < Full returns are atfcwh&d to this Statement ■ rivinfl particulars as to the principal works carried out by the Public Works. < Department under this system during bhe last financial year. They show the i_ifferent railways and buildings in the construction of which the system has been ■ applied, the different classes of work carried out, the number of men employed, bhe time they worked and what they earned. . The " average earnings per day A . in iKe ■ different callings have been fts follow : — Concretera 7s 2d, fencers -7s sd, bushmen 7s 7d, labourers 7s Bd> platelayers and ballaster.! 7s 10d, carpeaters (on buildings) 8s Id, painfeecs _s 3d, carpenters (on railways) 8s Bd_, tunnel-men 9s 10d, slaters . 10s 4d, masons 10s B<B, bricklayers 10s 8Q,., plumbers 10a. _od, plasterers 12s : /Honoiir7 able meiil__&^ill also :d6ui»tless " desire ■>*_»>'■ know how works carried.' out on the'cooperative system would compare iB. the matter of cost "with similar work earned out under the contract system. I Ihave, therefore, Qiad a table prepared felw*»wing the mita&ge cost of each, of the sections of ' railway that liave been oonstr.ucced. \inder this system nnd the cost of other sections of tibe S-tmft railways carried oat under the ooniradt^ystem. The oost of the rails has bee*. >omitted in each instanoe, as the •Governi_ent have provided the permanent waytmaterial under both tho co-operative >wd .he contract systems. As, however, •sflimeef these sections are dissimilar in •rshavacter (for example, the sections of the ©tags Central -Railway between Wingatui and Middlemarch and between Middle-: inarch and Hyde), I have had shown in •another column the mileage cost of similar •works on the same or other railways which can more reasonably be compared with the i •sections of line in question. The following is the table, and I ask the attention of honourable members to it, as the facts disclosed will, I venture to think, be of interest not only to the workers, but also to every taxpayer in the colony : — Table Showing Mileage Cost of Sections*op Railway Constructed under the Co-operative and Contract Systems respectively. Co-operative System.

'Exclusive of cost of bridges. RAILWAYS. Our expenditure on railway works has been kept within very narrow limits during the last few years. The railway expenditure during the five-yearly periods since the institution of the public works policy has been as follows : — £ July 1,1870, to June 30, 1875 3,575,362 July 1,1(575, to March 31, 1880 4,919,712 April I, ISBO, to March 31, 18«5 3,120,680 April 1, 1885, to March 31, 1890 2,308,319 April 1, 1890, to March 31, 1895 ... ... 978,498 Por the year ended March 31 last ... ly?,105 Total ... £15,099,676 This great diminution in expenditure has necessarily involved proceeding with our railways at a very much slower rate. So slowly, indeed, have we been proceeding during the last six years, as compared with our neighbours, that New Zealand's expenditure on railways is now the lowest per head of the population of any of the Australian or South African eclonies. The following table shows the cost of railway works, the mileage, the average cost per mile, the population and the cost per head of the population in the several colonies referred to : —

From the above table it will be apparent that in order to place ourselves upon a footing of equality with New South Wales as regards our expenditure on railways per head of the population, we should have to expend iJ-,870,895 in addition to the amount expended already, while an expenditure of iJ7,182,033 would be required to place us on an equal footing with Victoria, and .£12,138,240 to enable us to equal South Australia, and a still larger outlay would be required to equalise our expenditure with that of the South African colonies. LIGHT EAILWAYS. The Government has already taken into consideration the subject of light railways, and further information will be obtained during the ensuing recess, and the result of our inquiries will be laid before Parliament next session. Some very successful narrow gauge light railways have been constructed in France „and other countries during re-J^fcTy^^^^^eU-WM^^'^^nein

Normandy, twenty-four miles long, cost only .£2258 per mile, and the station buildings are. far handsomer, structures than generally .prevail 1 in. .'New Zealand. The line is alfco provided with a telephone throughout, its entire length, and with ' rolling stock sufficient for twenty-four trains per day. The gauge is two feet, ' the sharpest carve sixty-five feet radius, J and the rails weigh 301 b. pei\ lineal yard. The receints per train mile on this line in ' 1895 wero 2s Id only, and yet ifc yielded a J profit of nearly 7. per cent on the ' c-vnital invested. The average receipts - ncr train mile in New Zealand at « present are 7s lfd, so . that there i would seem to be abnnckuae of scope for tho construction of light, cheaply worked i railways of this class in this colony.; I havo no doubt, however, that the working expenses in Now Zealand would largely • exceed those in France • but if lines of this s description can be constructed in -New Zealand at anything approaching the cost of this one, there should bo room m this colony for the construction of a considerable mileage of such railways as the cor is not materially in excess of ■ the cost constructing a good road, and there toan y districts in Now Zealand fep ° suoh railways could, i ooa earn a much larger xate mile than the V Jxied -to. The Darjeeling line in India, "length, is another very mccmshil m .gauge railway. lh\s un \ nweveCt cos t ,ov«r .-*B6COa-pat.^"lo. "w -feh is .-aooounted for. by- tlra «SQghneßß fa thG countl . y it "feavexsos md- the gre lape^-fa^o-which it rises, v*£., 7874 ft ab Q tfoesoa Hevel. This railtwiy in the foir >{j 1 y©ar aiffcoriits complette>», and for soir Aiimer-nSt^ss, paid 17 per .ctatonitscpsW A Mglitor 2f fc gatige rail- , "way is'the PitTfiTrors Toviry "braricli 6i the : Orleans . and J Malosherbes railway. , This line is nearly Wenty miles Jong, . and cost, only £129 A per mile Jor 'Construction -vfrork, • and JE3?_» per mile ifor rolling stock. The rails -weigh only 3J9IJ) per yard, the goods engines 9 tons when empty and 12 tons in working trim, tbe passenger engines being \ lighter. In I_9_, :2.7,236 passengers were carried over this railway. Some lines of similar gauge in Prussia have gradients as steep as 1 in 18, but it is admitted thafc such .grades are .far too steep for economical and safe working, and the .authorities recommend adopting nothing .steeper than 1 in 40 in future. On these lines also they are running locomotives weighing over 14 tons in -working trim, over rails weighing only 191 b per yard, lam of opinion that ifc would have . been better for the colony if someof our railways in sparsely settled districts had been constructed to a gauge somewhat approaching those I have referred to. The great , peconomy both in cost of constructionand in working expenses, indicates that light railways could be made to pay in many parts of the colony where lines constructed upon the present system would stand no chance of doing so. MIDLAND RAILWAY. In the Public "Works Statement of last year my predecessor announced that the Midland Railway Company had given notice of appeal to arbitration, and had appointed Sir B. L. Burnside as its .arbitrator, and that the Government had appointed tho lion Sir Charles Lilley as arbitrator on behalf of the Crown. These two gentlemen appointed the Hon Edward Blake, Q.C., M.P., as umpire. Early in the proceedings a difference of opiuion arose between tho arbitrators, and they retired from the proceedings, leaving the umpire, to carry on the reference ' alone. After a .lengthy and exhaustive hearing Mr Blake gave an award entirely in favour of the-' Crown, holding that the Govern-; ment was justified in taking possession of- the, railway on either of the grounds advanced by the Crown, namely, that there had been unreasonable and inexcusable delay by the Company in the prosecution of the works connected with the railway, and also that there was, on the part of the Company, a wilful breach of the contract be • v een the Company and the Queen. The £ o\ernment feels that its best thanks are duo to Sir Charles Lilley and also to Sir Robert Stout, who acted gratuitously as senior counsel, and to tha Crown solicitor, and to the other members of the legal profession who took part on behalf of the Crown in the proceedings before the Arbitration Court. Thanks are also .due to the several depart- ' mental officers who loyally assisted ; in placing the case on behalf of the ■ colony lucidly before the umpire. The Government is now carrying on the con- • struction of the railway at two points. At Belgrove in the Nelson district we have laid the ra'ls on the section of line formed by the Company between Belgrove Station ' and the south end of the tunnel through Spooner's Range, and we are proceeding with the formation of the line from the latter point to the Motueka River at the mouth of Norris Gully. On the Otira section on the Springfield - Brunnerton portion of tho line we are continuing the Company's work eastward from Jackson's to the marshalling station near Goat Creek, where the Abt incline line joins the latter line leading to Greymouth. Accounts are being rendered against the Company for the cost of theso works, in accordance with Section 123 of the Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881. The' first of such accounts was rendered to the Company on June 5 last, and formal notice of intention to retain the railway as Government property has been served upon the Company in accordance with the law. As stated by my predecessor in the Public Works Statement last year, the Company had declined, up to that date, to hand over the plans of the uncompleted portions of its line, and without these plans a great part of the work could not be proceeded with. ' The Government has continued to apply for possession of these plans, and I am glad to be in a position to announce that the Company, with the concurrence of Mr G. B. Parker, the liquidator, has now agreed to furnish the Government with copies. On receipt of the plans, some rather difficult portions of the Otira section, which the Government has not hitherto got in hand for want of the plans, will be started, and if the plans to be furnished should embrace the whole extent of the uncompleted portion of the line work can be commenced at the Springfield end also. I understand that the works at this end of tho line are of a particularly heavy character, but in the absence of the plans I cannot speak on this point with certainty. The vote taken for construction works on the Midland Railway last year was .£IO,OOO, but only .£5868 was expended. This year we ask for a vote of .£25,000, but allowing credit •for tho amount which will probably be recovered from the Company in payment of the accounts rendered and to be rendered to them under tho Railways Construction and Land Act, as well as the profit accruing from the working of the opened portion of the railway, the net amount of the vote is reduced to .£IO,OOO. The Company has recently petitioned Parliament, asking to be given a new contract for the completion of the Brunnerton - Springfield section of the railway only, on somewhat similar terms to those rejected by the House in 1894. The Company's proposals have been under the consideration of the Public Accounts Committee, and the Committee have reported as follows: — "That inasmuch as the Midland Railway Company does not consider its contractual rights as being at an end, but on the contrary expresses its intention of paying the account already rendered to it by the Government up to Feb. 29 last in pursuance of Section 123 of the. Railways Construction and Land Act, 1881, oh or before the expiry of the notice served upon its representative in July last under Section 125 of the said Act, and as the Midland Railway Company claims that upon such payment being made all its rights in the matter of land selection and otherwise under the contract of August 3, 1888, are, and will be fully preserved, the Committee is unable to make any recommendation on the Company's petition." The receiver appointed on behalf of the debenture-holders haß also petitioned Parliament, praying for equitable consideration on account of the great loss which the. debenture-holders must in any case sustain, and the almost entire loss which they will probably make unless Parliament intervenes.- This petition has also been before the Public Accounts Com- \

. /mi mittee, and the Committeo has roportc / j follows :— "That having /carefully • •• *, sidered .the. petition of tho deb' .'«**| holders in tlie Midland Railway C *w«ro k ; it finds that from the fndfcg'eov ■/w.>f\sV the report of the Committee V 'W-tmd fi with this, in respect to the _»' . v W^'dato i way Company's petition it 1 Rail- ; mendation to. make." '.■*& ■reeomThe total appropriati 7 .'■ ... railway works, includir '*& B&Qposed for lines, surveys, permr £'jsW««ms to open, and. rolling stock, / 4^wqy Railway, is .£26' •*& f «ik» -the Midland amount was £2' *$%*• &«st .year the the smallest an -.Winch was by far -. »JMfltton 'HK.ord. ' KOADS CON" ' ■••ttt©__BS. . "BY 'THE MINISTER OF Thef' irnmxs. voted* jifeJWkigitaible -hows the amounbs spect <oe_p9nded 'during 1895-96 in re- ' . <*_ff tii_-_p "votes; and accounts aiained: —

Por the current year we ask for the following appropriations, viz. :— -Main roads . .£12,000... .., roads .£21,69.4, local bodies .£465, development of thermal '. springs and natural scenery .£31,715, land i 'iniprpv^ment 'ai-conat ,£2Q,),9Sb7 '• ;Govern • ment loans' to local bodies' account -£50,000, : Native lands purchase account .£162,276.. .- total .£498,136. ROADS ON OOIiDFIELDS (MINES ! DEPARTMENT).. As mining and prospecting operations ; are extending to more outlying localities ,' greater demands are made for the con- , struction of further roads, bridges and tracks, as well as for assistance tor the local bodies in improving roads already constructed, so as to enable heavy. machinery to be conveyed to the various claims which are being developed. The vote for roads and tracks last year , amounted to .£31.031, while the expendi- : ture was .£21,513, with liabilities to the amount of rather more than the balance of the vote. The vote proposed for the , '. current year is .£82,257. „ DEVELOPMENT OP GOLDFIELDS. As pointed out last year, a much larger expenditure is now required under this .heading than has hitherto been the case. Owing feo the increased demand for goldmining claims it is proposed to extend the existing provisions of the Mining Act in respect to the resumption of land, on payment of compensation, for gold-mining purposes. A Bill to give effect tn this proposal is at present before Parliament. Applications have been received for fourteen extended prospecting licenses at the Great Barrier Island under the Mining Act Amendment Act, 1895, and in consequence of the discoveries of gold and silver which have been reported in that locality, that island has been included in the boundaries of the Thames-Hauraki . Mining District. This will enable applications for mining rights and '-claims there to be readily dealt' with by the Warden's Court at the Thames. Thirteen applications ■■ have been receivedfor assistance under the regulations of Nov. 29, 1894, towards the construction of water-races and storage reservoirs, but up to the present time only one of these had been finally dealt with, viz., that for the construction of a waterrace from the Roaring Meg Creek to the head of German Gully, near Greymouth, towards which a subsidy of ,£BOO has been promised. The sinking of the deep-level shaft at the Thames, to which reference has been made in the Financial Statement, is being satisfactorily carried on,- and the Agent-General having informed the Government that the contract for the construction of the pumping plant was let in April, and that the work was being pushed on rapidly, it is anticipated .hat advices will shortly be received of the shipment | of the plant for this important work, to- ! wards which, as the House has already been informed by my colleague, assistance has been promised by way of subsidy to the extent of ,£25,000. Negotiations are still in progress in respect to the application of the Eoss United Gold-mining Company for a subsidy to the extent of .£IO,OOO, at the rate of .£1 for | every .£2 contributed by the Company towards the future development of that Company's property at Eoss. Flat. From the annexed tables of expenditure it will be 3een that the total sum expended last year on works under the head of devel opment of goldfields was .89345. As already inti- '< mated in the Financial Statement the desirability of expanding the mining industry generally by rendering assistance towards the construction of roads, prospecting tracks, water-races, storage reservoirs and general prospecting throughout the colony, as well as at the deeper levels in known auriferous localities, necessitates provision being made by the House for works of this class. For the current j*ear we ask for a vote of .£98,950. DEVELOPMENT OF THERMAL ; SPEINGS -__ND NATURAL SCENERY. An amount of ,£50,000 having now been specially provided for works coming under this head, the Government will bo in a position to take more active steps to ] develop and turn to" account -our 'thermal and scenic resources than they have been able to do in the past. The most inipor- ■ tant work to be provided for is the drainage of the township of Rotorua, with regard to which the Government is already ] arranging for suitable expert advice! Improvements and additions are also much '■ required in the bathing establishments (. at both the Eotorua and Hanmer Springs. Improved means of access are , needed to Mount Cook, Whitcombe Pass and the Southern Alps, the Francis Josef Glacier, the Sutherland Falls, the South Island lakes, the West Coast Sounds, tho ' Wairau Falls, the Tongariro national park, the Katatahi, Temari, Tokaanu and Waiotapu hot springs, the summit of Mount Egmont and othor notable scenic features, and improvements aro also '. needed to the Mount Cook Hermitage. It will.be impossible to do all that is required in one year, but a vote for .£41,715 is . included in this year's Estimates. .PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS. The area of Native lands acquired durin o* the year ended March '3l last was 516,000 acres, which is greatly in excess of the results of any one year for many years past. The lands acquired north of Auckland are reported upon by the Sur-veyor-General as being on the whole well suited for settlement, and their value will be considerably enhanced by tho > completion during the current year of the purchase of other lands already partially .acquired. In the Thames and Coromandel districts the lands acquired are of a more or less auriferous character, and their value from both a mining and settlement point of view is considerable. The Wairere Waterfalls are within the portion of the Maurihoro block which has been finally acquired. The purchases in the Rotorua and Bay of Plenty districts include fourths of the thermal springs in the Whakarewarewa block, the Hama Eana Springs on the Rotorua Lake, and the alum caves at Orakeikoraka. Large areas have also been acquired, or partially acquired, in the King Country adjacent to the North Island Main Trunk railway line, and also in the Hawke's Bay and Wellington districts. Full details of the

i« »amn-ra— hwmpmwii i^nrtWMraiMHUMUULI ...Wlf ■ JtWUTTMrmiwrw [ various purchases will be found in parliai mentary paper G 3, pprosented to both, ] Houses oa July 14 last under the pro- 1 : visions of the Native Land Purchases Act, 1892. The amount veted under the Native Land Purchase AcoJtint last year -was ; .£148.991 and ,£16 M"11, including £ 56,947 for roads and surveys, was expended. This year we ask for -a vote of <£1 62,170. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION, The sum voted last year was .£30,000. Tlie expenditure for the year was .£35,538; ; (including -an expenditure of .£8263 on: . new telephone exchanges and 'additions to existing-exchanges),- and the liabilities ' on March 81 last amounted to .£4OOO. The J more important telegraph lines constructed during the year were those from Hamilton to Morfinsville, Awanui to Cape ', Maria^Van Diemen (with branches), Dar- ': gaville to Eaihu, Whangarei to Kiripaka, .; Waitekauri line, Wellington to Oterangi : Bay, Pahiatua to Eketahuna, Peilding to , Waituria West, Alton to Hurley ville, ; Ashurst to Pohangina, Palmerston to ' Apiti, White's Bay to Ocean Bay, and ■ Lumsden to Balfour, and additional [ wire accommodation, which included ! new wires, from Auckland to Paeroa, I and ' Wellington to Auckland. Tele- , phone exchanges' have been established 1 at Asliburfcon and New Plymouth. The | vote proposed for tlie current year is ; -630,500, which provides for new telephone exchanges at Hastings and Gisborne, and ! additions to existing exchanges, in addii tion to a number of lines, the more impor-' ' tant of which are Whangarei to Poroti, ' Ormond to Waimata Valley, Burkes- Pass to Tekapo, Cambrians to Becks, Hende's i' 1 Ferry to Okarito, and- Herbertville to 1 1 Wimbledon. Besides these new lines, addi!.tions io; existing wire accommodation, to ; provide for increased traffic amounting to .-; about a thousand miles of wire, are in course ; ; of being- carried Vout. • Th© principal*, of these are fts follows :— Napier to- Wairoa, ! Wanganui to Napier, Wanganui to New Plymouth, Greymouth to Eeefton, Spring- ' field to Bealey, Blenheim to Invercargill, Lumsden to Queenstown, and Oamaru to I Otiaki. I PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Our expenditure on public buildings : continues to be fairly heavy. The amounts voted and expended for services under this head last year Avere as follow: —

The appropriations proposed for the current year amount- to -£129,115, namely -£87,615 under the Public Works Fund and .£41,500 under the Consolidated Fund. The expenditure under this head appears on the first glance to be rather high, but with an increase of population, and with the urgent necessity of restoring the auxiliary asylum at Auckland, arid of erecting an additional wing of the Porirua asylum, and in view of the many other important works in hand or required, there is no help for it but to provide the necessary means. The principal works carried out last year, or provided for this year, are as follow : — GENERAL. The chief work under this head was the enlargement of the Government Printing Office, for which a vote of .£2OOO was taken, and on Svliich <£2456 was expended. This year we ask for a vote of .£BOOO, as it is important to push on with the muchneeded building, so tliat a * considerable part of it at least may be ready in time for the work of next session of Parliament. Amongst the illustrations at the end of this Statement will be found a view of the building as it will appear when completed. I think honoi.rable members will agree with me that the additions will provide a much-needed want. I deeply regret that I am unable to make provision this year for the erection of a brick building for the General Assembly library. This important work must, however, be put in hand at the first favourable opportunity. JUDICIAL. A* very large number of buildings under this head have been in hand during the year. Those on which the principal expenditure has been incurred are -.—The new gaol at Dunedin, new law library at Christchurch, new courthouses at Gisborne, New Plymouth, Stratford, Palmerston North, Otaki, Hunterville, Haw^ra, Paeroa, Dai-field, Milton, &c. -, and new police stations at Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Pleasant Point, Waitahuna, &c. For the current year substantial provision is made for carrying on the works at Dunedin gaol, and also for completing a portion of the" Mount Cook gaol, Wellington, so that it may be occupied by the prisoners at present confined in the Terrace gaol, with the view of the latter building being converted into an auxiliary lunatic asylum. Provision is also made for completing the new courthouse at Hawera. also for a new brick courthouse at Marton, to replace the building recently destroyed by fire, for completing the courthouses at Paeroa and St Bathans, for considerable additions at Reefton and renovations at Hokitika, &c, also for commencing a new police station at Auckland, aud for new stations at Hikurangi, Moawhango, Eltham, Wellington (Manners Street), Christchurch (Bingsland), Eangiora, &c. POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHS. The principal expenditure under this head last year occurred on the offices at Hawera, Hastings, Stratford, Cheviot and "Queenstown, but smaller amounts were expended, on several other offices. This year provision is made for completing the new office at Hawera, for erecting a new brick building to replace the one recently burned at Marton, and for new offices at Waitekauri, Kuaotunu, Ashurst, &_., and for additions to Wellington telephone exchange, and the Wakapuaka cable station. LUNATIC ASYLUMS. The principal expenditure in connection with lunatic asylums last year took place at Sunnyside (Christchurcli), Auckland and' Seacliff (Otago), the total amount expended on buildings of this class being .£10,935. This year we ask for a voto ot* .£20,100, namely, .£II,OOO for works in Auckland, .£4OOO for Porirua, and smaller amounts for other asylums. SCHOOL BUILDINGS. The total amount voted under this head last year was .£46,000, namely .£26,000 under the Consolidated Fund, and .620,000 under the Public Works Fund, and the whole amount was expended. This year .£26,000 is provided from the Consolidated Fund, and from the Public Works Fund we ask .£22,780, .£SOO of which is required for alterations and renovations urgently needed at the Caversham Industrial School. and ,£2OOO for special grants for school buildings in newly-settled districts. HOSPITALS AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. Votes were taken last year for works in connection with the hospitals at Auckland, Wanganui, Christchurcli, Dunedin and Invercargill. the amounts voted being fully expended except in the case of Christchurch. This year we ask for a vote to cover balance due for the Christchurch hospital. LIGHTHOUSES, HARBOUR WORKS AND HARBOUR DEFENCES. The amount voted for lighthouses last year was J7050, but only .£234 actually came to charge within the year, owing to the Agent-General's accounts* for the lantern appliances not arriving in time to be brought to book, and the contract for the iron tower for Cape Palliser not being com pleted until after the close of the year. The amounts have therefore to be again voted this year with an additional sum on account of the iron tower proposed to be erected at Cape Kidnappers. The lanterns for Cape Palliser and Cape Kidnappers are already in the colony, and tho tower for the former building is finished and ready for transport to the site. The tower for the latter building lias not yet been contracted:for, but it is proposed to call for tenders for it shortly. Last year's vote for harbour works was..£42sb, and .£3861 was expended. This year we ask for the reduced amount of .£1230 only, tho principal item being the reclamation- works now in progress at Sticking Point, Lyttelton.

wwiihiwama.- jggtifcoaexe &m*kmmMwajm&rM#*mßirrr*km Our hr,rbocr defences l^ve been proceeding -Jowly during recent years. Tho amount voted last year was .£4OOO only, ani „_3,31_ was expended. It is desirable, however, that these works shall be proceeded with somewhat more diligently, and this year a vote of .£SOOO. is asked for. A vote of .£-000 was also obtained last year under the head of " contingent defence," for the purchase of' 'Martini- Henry rifies for oui* volunteer forces. . The amount voted was only nn instalment on account, however, and this ,year. we ask for J213.000 to complete the egiupment of ordnance and other warlike stpj-es. ■'.""■.•'

i I a > w Consolidated Fund 46,700 42,829 Public "Works Fund 96,985 76,240 Totals ... I 143,685 11.0,069

■ . 1 ■ STiinflß'eJ'Vote or Account. *S § ■ *» .2 Pi ; ■ £ w_ ; • £ £ ' Mainttoada .... ?5,130 . Z7.U50 ! Miscellaneous roads, &c. ... 23.0G0 1/7,075 ,1 Local bodies' " thirds " and j "fonrths" ... ... ... 410 11)8 j Lands improvement account 160,582 108,168 • I Government lonns to local l: bodies' account 50,000 . Native lauds purchase ac- ' ' count ... ... C2.0G2 56,947 ! Cheviot estate account [ (roads onJy) ... _ — 1,779 . Land for settlements account ' (roads, &c, only) •. — 4,740 i Total ....:.. 327,244

s I ?••« 1 1 *§ ss-i ? N I p * . g. . „„. .ft : I* £■ •* t> O BH.CS *4 g . . g .♦& . p . | . § . p.: : f : s" : ; : f :pj ; en co to Is f 3 S «3 ' o> ai 00 Uj M W to W 55 -4 £•§ q .8 S " g 8 S 2 5 J2 • B1^ h " t-a Ot k> jj . ~j co en to r-» JO B M B M B oq M MlO-.1 v. o-at» 81 5 * o M »400C3 jw 1.0 o m <o en 3 "? " i s " s " g *" " s « "^ gicpto $. >-e^o ca 5t *•!*-* fdMi£hG9Cft 2tO m »^Jo y> i° jo ,p §si o*»ct 1-* h w en o ■ m *5* las g Bia § a ? j2ggss§§ g its rl S«-^» 00 M M CO EkP Ci^ si-«co en mom en- or 2_ "r P c S.§ o S ,- | o cooo 00 ESSSS9 £3's£ W x !■ v «.-« en en en en en *• ca

~ _r £ l§ - i 1 Kamo-Whakapara railway* ... 11 48,529 4,412 Te Aroha-Pneroa .... •;.." ... 2J 29,359 3i349 Martou-TeAwaintitu (north end) ■ ■; ■■■■> • Mokau-PoroOtarae ■....';... 11} 50,562 .4,494 Hartori-TeAwainutu (south end) ■ - -- ■..-. Manjfaonoho-Mangaweka* ... 10} 83,.022t 7,723 Eketahnna-Woodvilie* .... ... 27 130,593 5,170 Eketahuna-WoQdville , 27 117,23$ 4,342 Otagft Central railway— " -"• "-■"-' •' Middlemarcli-Hyde 16 66,704 4»,Hi9 ' ' Hyde-Kokonga* " ... ... 11 87,066 7,916 Catlin's Hiver* - A\ 30,114 6,693 Seaward Bush — Mokouia to Gorge Boad ... 8 21,63t 2,703 'Section not yet completed. Engineer's estimate of cost to complete been added to expenditure actually incurred. - •(■Exclusive of cost of MakoMne viaduct and Powhakaron, tunnel. of cost of bridges. Contract System. ■Wliangarei-Kamo railway ... 6}t 36.855* 5,676 Hamilton.Te Aroba. 30 !105,05(it 3,50 a Te Awamutu-Mokau 54V.143.40l 4,157 Murton-Maugaouoho - 23 |121,401 5,282 Welliugton-Kketahnna S9 816,408 9,174 Wingatui to Middlemarch . ... 40 481,482 12,037 Balclntha to end of tunnel contract 13J 63,640 4,714 t>ppleby-Waimatua 5J f 1,491 1.72S •Bxclustve of cost of whnrf at Opa.u. . tKxcliisive of cost of Hamilton' and Te Aroba bridges. ' 'J , . ( Other Sections Conbtrdcted ttkbeb Contract System. MastTtori-Eketahnna railway... 22^142,258* 6,323 Marton-Te Awamutu, Mangao- I noho section 4 I 34,161 8,540 WelliiiKton-Woodville railway — I Tentlierston to Mangamahoe 37 J 163,802 4,339 Otago Central railway — • Wiuuatui, Deep Stream and Nentliorn sections ... ... 201177,840 8,782 Bomabapa to end of tunnel contract 7 47.000 6,714 Waitaki-Bluff line, Clinton secBtfon I 16* 47,542 2,881

v Lnnas Public Works T \ YeaT ' Department. Department. " , 1891-92 1 261 < 527 788 \ 1892-93 ... 230 B*2 1122 1893-94 ::: 933 1015 *m- ] 1894-95 ... "03 963 * lOto < 1895-98 ... 1572 704 2306 . Gross totals 4149 | 4110 8259 ] Avwago -~ 83° 1 832 ~~^ r " I

-- ■- - - - --.--■.- - - • • Ain6unt ri ~S Authorising Att. of '. * •.« „ . Loan. c * ■■■••■- •- ' ,--"■■ "' •"■" "-" '( ■ — r . . - £. >, 1870 Immigmtionnna PtibKc -Works Lo*n 1 1873 Immigratioii and PmWto Warta lfraii ' i 1573 Qetaeral Purposes Loqd «• ••• 750,000 - 1874 Immigration and l>nbli&,Wodo» Loan t 1876 NewZ»aland©>an. Act .« ; v ;*»..-,:-• i.-^^' • .jß7?iNewUealanaioan Act ... '.;. ; ... WOOO :] 1879 W Zealand Loan Act « ...;- ... ».OW,OOO 1882 Ne*Zealaa4 Loon Act ,„ ....... 3,000,000 ( Ifiß2N»rtlx Islaud Main Trsnk Batlway .] Loan-Act , ...„. •: 1.000,W0 3882 New Zealand Colonialtnßcnbed Stock XioanAct ,1^'959 Jfe* New Zealand Loan Act ... l£l»,000 •i||l Dißt*icfc Railways Perchasing Act ... 479,487 : '&886Nfe*fc«dandLoaa&ct ~J 4 i£'2i£ 0853 New tealandLoaE Act „ 1,000,000 , Total .... - £27,254,487