D.—l

58

GENERAL REMARKS. Departmental. —Although the actual expenditure during the past year has been somewhat smaller than of late years, the departmental work has been no less. About ninety regular contracts have been let during the year, and about thirty more are prepared or iv course of preparation, besides a great number of piecework and day-labour jobs. Among the new works there are fourteen large bridges of which eight are of special design. Prices and Labour. —Although the amount of private work throughout the Island has gradually decreased during the year, it has had no marked effect on the price of labour and material. There are few men seeking employment, and during the autumn months wages were higher than I have known since the gold-digging days. The normal rate for unskilled labour at present is Bs. per day. The past year seems to have been very bad for contractors; there have been a great number of failures and transfers. I do not, however, think this is so much attributable to the high price of labour and materials as to the tightness of the money market, and reckless competition on the jiart of men who have neither capital nor experience. It is difficult for the Government not to accept the lowest tender, so we are trying to remedy the evil by holding the sureties to their bonds, and enforcing the penalties for over-time more strictly than has hitherto been the practice. Number of Men on Works. —The following table gives the average number of men directly employed on public works in the various districts of the Middle Island during the past year, contractors' men being shown separately from those employed directly by Government:—

These numbers do not include contractors' men employed away from the works in shops or otherwise, nor men employed on construction-works by~the Working Railways Department. The number of men employed during the year on public buildings under charge of this department has been 135. Map. —The usual railway map of the Middle Island is hereto appended (Enclosure No. 3). It shows in distinctive lines the authorized railways made, in progress, and not commenced. Enclosures. —This report is accompanied by the following enclosures : —■ No. I. —Lengths of Railways authorized, constructed, surveyed, &c, Middle Island. ~ 2. —Statement of Works executed on Public Buildings. „ 3.—Map of Middle Island. I have, &c, W. N. Blair, Engineer in Charge, Middle Island,

District. Employed by Contract. Government Labour, including Surveys. Total Number Employed, 1882-83. Nelson and Marlborough. Westland Canterbury Otago ... Southland 116 91 200 221 109 1 110 65 54 4 117 201 265 275 113 Totals ... 737 234 971