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1889. NEW ZEALAND.

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT, BY THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. EDWIN MITCHELSON, 7th AUGUST, 1889.

Me. Speakee,— The proposals of the Government in relation to public works, which I have to explain this evening, are essentially moderate, merely defining the manner in which the Government proposes that the expenditure of the balance of the loan funds (amounting at the end of March last to £1,445,670) should be spread over a period of about three years. BAIL WAYS IN COUESB OV CONSTEUC'TION AND PEOPOSBD, INCLUDING ADDITIONS TO OPENED LINES. To commence with the railways. Helensville Nobthwabds. The Helensville Northwards Eailway is, as honourable members are no doubt aware, already completed and opened for traffic to a point in the Kaukapakapa Valley, about 8 miles from Helensville and 44 miles from Auckland, and it is now proposed to undertake its extension for a farther distance of 10 miles to Burns's farm (Ahuroa), between Komokoriki and the Eaipara Flats, that being the nearest point to which it can be profitably taken. By this extension there will be opened up a large area of land at present unutilised, a considerable portion of which is owned by the Crown, and, as the land which will be passed through, by the railway, is covered to a great extent with valuable kauri and other timber, there will be a profitable timber-traffic on the new extension, and, consequently, a further development of the traffic on the existing line, in the immediate present, to be followed hereafter, as the land is cleared, by the more permanent traffic of a settled district. To complete the work now proposed, however, including provision for existing liabilities and engagements, will cost close upon £80,000, and, as the balance of loan allocation for this railway, at the end of March last, was only £56,929, the Government has decided to recommend that the £23,000 originally allocated for the double line to Penrose should be diverted to the Helensville line, thus making up the funds available to £79,929. In coming to this conclusion, the Government has been largely influenced by the fact that the £23,000 provided for the Penrose line is only a small fraction of the amount required to complete that work, the total estimated cost of which is £100,000; and, as there seems to be no prospect of obtaining the balance required for many years to come, it would appear to be useless to continue it as an allocation to the Penrose line. The authority proposed to be asked for this year, in order to admit of contracts being let for the works which I have indicated, will be the £79,929, already mentioned ; but of this amount only £15,000 will require to be voted for actual expenditure within the year.

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