PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

5

B.—No. 2_.

EOADS, MIDDLE ISLAND. Out of proportions of Middle Island Railway Pund there has been expended on — £ s. a. £ s. d. Roads, Nelson South-West Gold Fields— Expenditure ... ... 25,067 15 10 Existing Engagements ... ... 3,531 19 5 Total ... ■ 29,499 15 3 Expended in excess of appropriation, £8,962 18s. 4d. The Expenditure on Eoads in this District has exceeded the Appropriation by a sum of £8,962 18s 4d. ; and we propose to ask the House to agree to a vote to make good the deficiency. Eoads, Westland —■ Expenditure ... ... 31,126 5 5 Existing Engagements ... ... 6,958 16 9 Total ... ■ ■ 38,085 2 2 Leaving an Unexpended Balance of £3,608 7s. 4d. 67,584 17 5 There has been expended on Greymouth Protective Works a sum of £4,000, and an additional expenditure and engagements on sundry unauthorized Railway Surveys amounting to £600, for which it will be necessary to obtain the authority of Parliament. The result then is a Total of Expenditure and Liabilities on account of Railway Works under contract amounting to £910,823 15s. Id., and an Estimated Cost to complete the same amounting to £506,201 4s. lid., making a Total of Expenditure, Liabilities, and Engagements, on account of Railways and Roads and Works in the Middle Island, amounting to £1,489,209 17s. 5d., leaving a balance available for future works of £547,992 12s. 9d. In the Statement of the Treasurer the balance available for future works was founded on actual contract liabilities, and is stated to be £740,489 2s. lOd.; but from this must be deducted, what I have only recently found was omitted from the Treasurer's Statement, viz , certain outstanding engagements on account of Roads, Railways, and Surveys ; and also, for the completion of contracts for works which have been already partially contracted for, and which would be useless unless further contracts were entered into in respect of them. These engagements and estimates amount to £192,496 10s. Id. The estimated cost of completing the works already contracted for exceeds the appropriations authorized by Parliament by the sum of £380,328, and the Legislature will be requested to make provision in the Railways Act Amendment Act, now before the House, to enable the Government to meet this expenditure. Under the head EOADS, NOETH ISLAND, the account stands thus : —■ Eoads, North of Auckland— £ s. d. £ s. d. Expenditure ... ... ... ... 1,614 5 2 Existing Engagements ... ... ... 2,845 6 0 Total ... ... ... 4,459 11 2 On other Eoads in the North Island— Expenditure ... ... ..: ... 133,754 14 0 Existing Engagements ... ... ... 34,701 14 1 Total ... ... ... < 168,456 8 1 Making a Total of Expenditure and Liabilities on account of Eoads in the North Island amounting to ... ... £172,915 19 3 Leaving an Unexpended Balance of ... ... ... £227,084 0 9