LIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11739, 17 September 1902, Page 2

LIC WORKS STATEMENT.

By Telegraph

The followingis an extended summary of the Public Works Statement delivered in the House of Representatives last evening by the Minister for Public Works (the Hbn. Hall-Jones) : — Mr. Speaker,—l have much pleasure in laying before hon. members my seventh annual Public Works Statement. The work of railway construction has been carried ou with considerable vigour. My colleague, the Acting-Premier, has already drawn attention in his Financial Statement to the fact of last year having been a record on© as regards the proportion of vote expended -within the year. Only £813 remained unexpended at the close of the year, and! I am not aware of any previous instance of the unexpended balance of vote having been so small. The railway ctomstruction work in hand since my last Statement was delivered has amcunted to over 200 miles, and during the same period 294 miles ha^o completed and handed over to the Railway Department ofr ordinary traffic. In addition to this, 36i miles are now being used lor conveying settlers' produce and merchandise, and the raild are also laid upon a further 26 miles, still leaving1 a consider able length of formation in hand. In the early part of the year the number employed was greater than in any previous iperiod since the inauguration of the cooperative system of workirg. The reason for this will be readily understood when it is borne in mind that for the year 1900-1 the total Voet fctr railway construction exceeded the amount for the previous year by £25*4,550. To enable full advantage to be taken of tfhis increased authority from Parliament, during the remaining monthsl of 1900-1 and the early part of 1901-2,. the number of men was largely increased. The^ number employed in July, 1901, was 3337, as compared with .Vita in July of the previous year. As the summer of 1901 advanced, it became necessary to make conHiderable reductions in order to keep within the vote authority for 1901-2. For the ourpese of enabling comparison to be made between our late expenditure last year and that previou&y, I have iprepared the following table, which shows as regards each several class of work: (a) Total expenditure to 31st December, 1890; (b) similar expenditure between Ist January, 1891, and 31st March, 1902; (c) the gross total expenditure to 31st March, 190^; and (d) expenditure for the last financial year. Class of, work, expenditure on railways, including additions to open Immbi:. Total to 31st December, 1890, -£14,067, -■ 100; Ist January, 1891, to 31st Ma?", 1801 £4,434,867; total to 31st March, 19^ £18,501,967 : year ended 31st March, 1902, £1,333,941. Roade, £3 >57j>,804, £2,390,405, £5,966,2*09, and £402,260. Public buildings, £1,776,003, £879,247, £2,655,250, and £145,600. Immigration, £2,144,386, £3473, £2,147,859, and £140. Purchase of native lands), £1,191,16/, £792,094, £1, " 832,231, and £18,262. Lighthouses, harbour works, and harbour defences, £880,095, £97,677, £977,772, and £12,159. Tourist and health resorts, £11,260, £11,260, £11,260. Telegraph extension, £600,849, £337,038, and; £31-, 729. Development od goldfields, £561,101, £140,576, £701,677, and £15,325. De- ■ fence works (general), £429,720, £267,----116 £696,836, and £146,876; departmental, £349,789, £127,298,: £477,087, and £17 770. Minor works and services, £300,689, £9785, £310,474, and £2311. dost and discount of raising loans, etc., £1,021,472, £41,919, ,£1,063,391, and £5620. Totals, £26,898,145, £9,532,755, £36,430,900, £2,143,253. From this table it will be apparent that the present Government, whiie fully alive to the needs of tihe colony in the important matters of. railway extension and providing suitable buildings for use of the several detrimental services of the State, has lent a particularly attentive ear to the requests of back-black settlers for roads and bridges to open up the rural districts of the eclony. Ways and Means available for Public Works Purposes^—At 31st March, 1901, the ways and means of the Public Works Fund amounted to £1,032,515, and further sums were provided as under. Of the loan of 1901 (£1,250,00) the amount received was £1,061,667, transferred from revenue £500,000. There were also miscellaneous receipts to the amount of £2129, thus making a gross total of £2,597,311. The expenditure last year amounted to £2,143,252, so that at the close- of the year the balance remaining was £454,059, and it is proposed to provide additional funds as follows:—Balance of 1901 loan, less cost of* raising, say £99,311, new loan, 1902, £175,000; further transf'r of revenue £220,000. This will bring out total ways and means up j to £2,503,392. We muslb oond'.der the necessities of our settlers and provide facilities for carrying the product of labour to market at the lowest cost. We cannot ignorre the loss that occurred in the past by the destruction of valuable timber owing to the absence of means of conveying the necessary article to the centres of population.- Instead! of hastily diminishing expenditure, they ought to complete the main lines of comirrainication and steadily proceed with the' other works now in hand. It., was this view of the case that induced the Government to propose larger appropriations for railway purposes during the last five or six yeara, and the same view actuates me in submitting my present proposals. I will now give a brief sketch of several railway construction works which have been in progress hince my last Statement was made: — Kawakawa-Grahanmtown. —The total expenditure on this railway last year, ex elusive of the value of "permanent way, Tnaterialn supplied, was £9,327, and allowing for permanent way materials it amounted to £16.875. For the current year a vote of £20,000 is proposed. * Helen?ville Northwards—The expenditure on this line during the year considerably exceeded the vote obtained for last session, having amounted to £18,218, or, p.Powing for permanent, war materials issued to tue line, to £25,049. For the current year a vote of £2000 is proposed. Paerca-Waibi. —The " expenditure last year was £18,324, or £24,993 allowing for the value of permanent way materials used. For the current year a vote of £2500 is asked for. Gisbornej-Karaka.—A considerable amount of work was done on this line during the year. The section from G:sborne wharf to Ormond, 10| miles, was handed over to the Railway Department and opened for traffic on 26th June last. The plans for the extension have been prepared. This line is only authorised as far as the left bank of the .»■ aipoa River, and it will therefore be necessary to make provision in the Railways Authorisation Bill in the present session for the extension from that point to Karaka. The expenditure during last year was. somewhat heavy, having amounted to £200,556 without permanent way materials or £27.381 inclusive of the latter. For the current year £20,000 is provided. Stratford-Kawakawa. —The section of the above railway between Stratford and Toko,

6 miles chains in length, the construction of which was only begun on Ist April, J.-Jl, was sufficiently advanced in June last to admit of goods traffic being carried over it. It has since been completed arid handed over to the Railway Department for regular working, and was opened for public traffic on Coronation. Day, the 9th ult. The exploration of a number of alternative routes beyond Toko has resulted in theselection of a line following the "Ohura Road to about 11 miles. Beyond this there is still a little doubt as to the route to be adopted, as the construction of this railway.is somewhat of a new departure, being a li- lit line; but on the New Zealand standard gauge. It will! be of interest to hon. members to know what its cost has been. The expenditure to the 31st ult. on the 6 miles 26 chains s-ection to Toko has amounted to £23.929, but some liabilities for land claims and other unsettled matters have yet to be met, which will probably amount to about £5000, making a total cost of, pay, £29,000, equal to £4594 per mile exclusive of rolling stock, or £5500 per mile including rolling stocjfc. Th* average cost of New Zealand railways at date, including rolling stock, is £8159 per mile. The difference in this case is duo partly to.thor easy nature of the country traversed, but largely to the method of construction adopted. It is proposed that the Ohuru section, at 11 miles, shall' be of the same character. For the current year £15.000 is proposal. North Island Main Trunk.—Very considerable work has been done on this lines the expenditure during the year ha,ving been the largest since the initiation of the work. For the information of hon. members I give the figures' showing the amounts exended on the line each year since the construction began—lßß4-85, £2441; 1885----86, £58,329; 1886-87, £102,355; 1887-88, £10,776; 1888-89, £42.577; 1889-90, £23,594; 1890-91, £10,318; 1891-92. £i 9,149; 1892-93. £47,684; 1893-94, £40,^96; 1894-95, £34,624; 1895-96, £32.502; 1896-77, £29.873; 1897-98. £46.245; 1898-99, £53,150; 1899-1900, £-.6i;178; 1900-1, £116,903; 1901-2, £18..561; total, £993,7b5. As mentioned in last year's statement, resrular traffic is carried on by the department at the northern end of the line as far as Porootaroo Tunnel. From that point to Onsrarue, a distance of rather more than 14 miles, the line is complete and all station buildings provided. Goods traffic has been carried on over this length for some months), and the section is to be handed over for regular working on the 13th of next month. Some heavy slios took place on this section ear 1- in the year, which delayed the work consider- ' ably. The ground, however, seems now to be becoming more stable, and slips less troublesome. The rails are also laid for 8 miles beyond Ongarue. and the'earthworks are fully three-fourths completed for a further five miles, and about half don© on another section of two miles and a haW. which brings the line to Taumaranui. The bridge work on this section is, however, behind-hand, due to the delay of the contractors for the manufacture of the iron and steel work. Formation work is in hand iup to where the railway will cross theWahganui River, two miles and a. quarter beyond Taumaranui, and a service road has been constructed for some distance on tho south s-itle of the tiver. so as to facilitate the construction of the railway. At the southern end the most notable event to record is tha practical completion of the Makohine Viaduct, which I had the pktisure of formally opening on 17th June last. I take this opportuntiy of complimenting the officers of tha department who designed and superintended the erftction of the work on the result of their labours. The cost of the {structure, including a due proportion of cost of the plant and machinery, ha* been about £71,500; but as painting has been left over for a time, and a few small finishing works have yet to be done, the total tost will [probably reach £72,000. Thia includes a iarge amount of work in foundations and superstructure over and above what was provided for when tenders wore invited Beyond the Viaduct good progress has been made, and in connection with other bridges and viaducts the present position of the work at the southern end is as follows—The lraa to Mangaweka is practically finished, and will prob-ably-be handed over to the department; for regular traffic this month. It has been in daily use for goods traffic since the Ist inst. Between Mangaweka Station and the sit 3of the viaduct over the Mangaweka Stream the formation is complete and the raite are being laid and will reach the viaduct site by the end of the present month, when transporting of iron and steel work for the structure will be begun and the building up proceeded with. The abutments', piers, and foundations are already laid. Between Mangaweka and Taihape the formation is nearly complete, except three unfinished tunnels, which are actively in progress. Beyond Taihape the formation is well advanced for about five miles, and the ground has been broken for another eleven miles, or as far as sixty miles from Marten Junction. " The total expenditure on the line last year was £155,979, or £184,561 allowing for the value of the parmanent way materials used. This constitutes a record, being the largest amount expended, on the line in any one year since iti inception1.

Blenlieim-Waipara.—The total expenditure on this railway last year, exclusive of the value of permanent wav materials, issued to the line, was £ ~.382, or, inclusive of the latter, £65,823. For the current year an authorisation of £6000 is proposed. -.x.dland. —The operations in connection with the Midland Railway were in progress in four different places last year. The totyl expenditure on the Midland Railway last year amounted to £66,391, and this year a vote of £10,000 is proposed. * Nfiafaera-BlackbalL—A vote of £2000 was taken for this line of railway last year, but only £117 was expended. This year a vcte of £4000 is proposed, which will be sufficient to meet charges that will come to book before 31st March next. Greymouth-Hokitika Extension to Ross. —A vote of £2000 wa.i taken for this line last year, but only £355 was expended. For the current year an appropriation of £10,000 is asked for. j Coal Creek.—This is. the line which will j i connect the State colliery with the port of j Greymouth. Its construction wa« com-1 mencad several years ago by the GreymouthPoint Elizabeth Coal Company, from which company the Government acquired it in Juna last. The cost of completing this line will be charged to the State Coal Mines Account. Otago Central. —A ereat deal of work was done on thia lino last year, and the total expenditure reached the very large sum of £103.273, which is tiie largest on record for this line. The total expenditure on tho line last year was £103,273, or, exclusive of the value of permanent way mate-

rials, £93,779. This year a vote of £100,000 is proposed. Heriott Extension.—The vote for this line last year was £5000, and £4056 was expended. For trie current year we ask for a vote of £6,000. Catlin's River-Seaward Bush.—The appropriation for this railway last year was £12,000, but only £8,001 was expended This year a vote'of £15,000 is proposed. Riversdiale-Switzers.—The vote for thia railway last year was £1,000, but only £23 was expended. This year a vote of £6,000 has been provided. Orapmki-Waiau. —The expenditure on the line last year was £16,456. This year an appropriation of £15,000 is. proposed. Total Appropriations for Railways.— In addition to tihe sums already tfpecific.ally mentioned, smaller appropriations totalling £4000, are proposed for old land claims and surveys of new lines, and £76,0CP [for permamenit way materials, thus bringing the total expenditure for railway construction purposes up to j £743,000. | ROADS, ETC. Road's and other Works! under the Control of the Minister of Lands.—The total amount authorised! for the construction and= maintenance of roads, bridges, and other works for the past year was £452,272, and the sum voted for expenditure £337,643. with which 49 miles of engineering: survey was made, 471 miles dray road, 206 .miles bridle track, 127 bridges, of the total length of 12,808 feet, were constructed ; 785 miles of dray road and 80 miles bridle road were improved, and 2535 miles dray road and 1047 miles bridle road were maintained. It will be seen from the above figures that the Department exipended within £2296 of the amount voted, but as this small balance was more than covered by accounts in course of liquidation, the vote was practically exhausted. If the works had not been reduced in December and January last, it would have been largely exceeded. The total amount authorised and voted under Government Loans to Local Bodies' account was £46,577, and the net expenditure £31,978 for which 170 miles of engineering sniirvey was made and 42 miles dray road, 61 miles of bridle road, 6 bridges of a' length of 210 feet were constructed. There were also 63 miles of dray road and 203 miles of bridle road improved and maintained. It will be seen that the balance unspent on the vote was £14,599, but'the monies under it cannot be expended until they have first been raised' under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act. It is not possible to do this until tiha lands have been set apart for settlement, and other formalities observed. Taking these two accounts together, there waa expended £626,110 more than, the previous year. The greatest expenditure was in the Auckland district, amounting to £97,920, a,nd the Wtfilwgton district £94,939. Then Hawke's Bay £39,357, Taranaki £35,785, Southland; £27,196, Otago -?22,----878, Marlborougih £17,474, Westland £l<t,----235, Nelson £12,098, Canterbury £5,444. The expenditure was mostly upon a very large number of small scattered works, the items on the appropriations representing 2257 different works. The authorisations submitted! for the current year (including £49,900 under tihe Government Loans to Local Bodies Account) total to £598,612, on account of which votes are proposed as under: —Roads, departmental, £24,265; roads, bridges, etc., £325,----000; tourist roads, £10,000; Government Loans to Locail1 Bodies Account, £45,000; making a total of £404,265. Votes of £4995 and) £5612 are also proposed for imprloved farm sttlements and lands and miscellaneous, .under class XXXII. Roadfc on goldfields (Mines Department).—The vote last year under this head amounted' to £84,783, the expenditure being £46,563, with liabilities at the end of the year amounting to £37,864. The s*um proposed to be authorised for \ the current year is £120,719, on account of which a vote of £84,000 is asked for the development of goldfield® and mining. i As anticipated in the Statement last year, the gold exported during the year 1901 exceeded that of the previous year, and was the highest for the corresponding period! since 1873. The value ojf gold entered for export in 1901 was £1,753,783, being an increase on the previous year of £314,----181. The quantity of gold entered for export in 1901 was 455,561 ozs:., valued at £1,753,783, and silver 571,134 ozs., valued at £65,258, compared with 373,----616 ozs. of geffid, valued at £1,439,602, and silver 326,457 ozs., valued at £38,879 for 1900, being an increase of 81,945 ozs. of gold, valued at £314,181, and 244,677 ozs. of silver, valued at £26,379. The amount expended during the last financial year on works for development of goldfields was £15,325, whiHe the liabilities amounted £8116. It is proposed to talr a vote of £5000 for the current year.

TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. Under the head' of telegraph extension), the amount expended during the ipast year was £31,728. The vote asked for this year is £71,000, including £43,873 labilities on 31st March last to provide seditions to existing exchanges, completion,. of works now in hand, and also sundry new works. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total expenditure on public buildings last year amounted to- £193,452, namely, £47,852 under the Consolidate Fund and £145,600 under the Pub"::: Works Fund. The increased expenditure is due to two causes—First, the expansion of settlement, and, second, to the mora permanent, and better class of buildings now erected. For the current year a total appropriation of £288,370 is pro p oSe d—namely, £47,900 under the Consolidated Fund and £240,470 under the Public Works Fund, GENERAL. Urder this head ■* the expenditure amounted to nearly £17,000, the works being of a somewhat miscellaneous character extending over the whole colony. For the current year a vote of £19,550 is asked for. This includes the payment of the award of the Compensation Court for land taken for proposed ad-Jifions to departmental buildings at AucOcnd, olso making <ii commencement with the proposed enlargement of these buildings, iu*o instalments on account of the partial re construction of dtepartmental bu'ldings at Napier, proposed new offices and liiti'iratory for the Mines Department at Wellington, etc. JUDICIAL. The principal works provided 'n the vote for the current years are: New court, houses at Hamilton, Levin, Welling'.ori, Brightwater, Westport, Orepuki, additions, renovating, and improvements at Auckland, New Plvmouthi, Manaia, Hawera, Patea, Cartert«ii, Ohristchurch, <-.tii'

Ashburtan. The gaolers' houses at Wellington and Westport were practu-aliy completed. Renovations and repairs wtre •made at Wanganui and Wellington. In iihe presenii year's vote provision! is made for the continuation of operations at Auckland, for going on with the proposed new prison at Invercargill, also gaolers' residences at Auckland and Dunedin, aid warders' cottages at Lyttelton; repairs-1, renovations, and improvements at Napier, Wellington, Hokitika, Dunedin. POST AND TELEGRAPHS.

The principal items provided for the vote for the present year are ipurchase of necessary land for the enlargement of the General Posfc Office, Wellington; proposed additions to the Post Office, Christchurch, and acquisition of site of same; an extensive addition to the re-arrange-ment of the Post Office, Dunedin. Completion of the Doubtless Day cable station. Provision is also made for sundry new offices which are necessary for efficiently carrying on the working of the Department. " ' CUSTOM HOUSES. The expenditure under this head last year -wag -principally in connection with the erection of new Custom house) i at Timaru and! the completion and additions at Wanganui. This year the only item of special consequence for which provision is made is the new custom house and site at Wellington, for which an authorisation of £10,000 (on account) is provided, LUNATIC ASYLUMS. For the current year provisionl is made for comipieting additions to the Auck(Daaad Asylum, completion of works at Porirua, additions at Nelson, Hokitika, Sunnyside, and! Seacliff; and for the preliminary work in the erection of a» new asylum upon a site yet to be selected. SCHOOLS. The amount voted for school buildings last year was £91,000, viz., £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund, and £66,000 under the former and! £38,607 under the latter fund. This year we ask for a total vote of £91,500, viz., £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund and £66,500 under the Public Works Fund. Provision is made for a grant to the Victoria College, also for an industrial school at Levin and additions, etc., at the indhiistriali schools at Auckland, Te Oranga, and Burnham, and for the new school for deaf mutes^ at Surnner. LIGHTHOUSES, HARBOUR WORKS, AND HARBOUR DEFENCES. The expenditure on ligtehouses last year was chiefly on thie lighthouse at Kahurangi Point. This year provision is made for a new lantern and tower at Cape Campbell and for the continuation of works at Kahurangi. The vote last year for harbour defences was £25,000, but the expenditure only amounted to £6678. This year the aaniount proposed is £15,000. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION. In compiling this Statement andi the estimates which accompany it, every endeavour has been made to meet the necessary requirements of the colony. The total appropriations pronoised' for all purposes, exclusive of Government Loans to Local Blodies Account, amount to £2,193,052. Every reasonable effort will .be made to put in hand the new work authorised as soon as the votes are passed, and to have them pushed forward as rapidly ae'eircumstances -will permit. I trust tfee"■■Toregoing information concerning the' piiblic works expenditure and tihe allocations1 for the present year will commend itself to. honourable members. The progress and development of the csalony is such that it is impossible to deal within a limited! period with all the requirements which are graced before the Government, but the proposals now submitted will, I feel sure, be recognised as sufficient to meet the requirements of the current year.