XIII

D.—l

The expenditure under "Grants-in-aid" has been almost wholly incurred in finding work for the unemployed, and in nearly every instance the work has been let on the co-operative system. It has been chiefly devoted to extending roads which will benefit Crown lands. The outlay on village settlements was on roads to improve the access thereto, and in payments to the settlers for improvements, in terms of the conditions under which they took up their lands, the sums spent being respectively £2,255 and £2,157. Roads on Goldeields (Mines Depabtment). The expenditure on roads and minor works on goldfields last year was £19,490, and the liabilities at the end of the financial year amounted to £17,066. It is proposed to ask the House for a vote of £47,000 for works under this head this year, to cover the liabilities, and for sundry new works detailed in the Estimates. The continuation of works of this character is absolutely necessary for the development of the mining industry, and, as mining in most fields is confined to hilly, broken, and mountainous country, the workings cannot be extended without means of access. It is also necessary that some provision should be made for prospecting for gold at deep levels. In the past, little or nothing has been done in the way of aiding the prospecting of our deep alluvial auriferous drifts or low-level quartz reefs. It is proposed to make advances to companies or associations so as to enable them to carry on this expensive class of prospecting. In doing this we are following a course pursued in the neighbouring colonies, which has there proved highly beneficial. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total appropriation for public buildings and domains last year was £110,852, namely, £52,565 under the Consolidated Fund, and £58,287 under the Public Works Fund. The expenditure during the year amounted to £74,994, namely, £43,893 under the Consolidated Fund, and £31,101 under the Public Works Fund. The principal new works carried out under the Consolidated Fund were school buildings, on which a total amount of £30,610 was expended. The remainder of the expenditure under that fund went in ordinary maintenance and repairs of the numerous public buildings throughout the colony. The principal works carried out under the Public Works Fund were the new hospital building at Dunedin; the new lunatic asylum at Porirua, Wellington ; additions to post-offices, Christchurch and Invercargill; additions to lunatic asylum, Sunnyside, Christchurch ; residence for Medical Superintendent, and other works, at Seacliff Asylum, Otago ; connection of the Government Buildings, Christchurch, with the drainage system; and sundry Courthouses, gaols, police-stations, post-offices, &c, throughout the colony. The total appropriation proposed for public buildings this year is £140,330, namely, £50,675 under the Consolidated Fund, and £89,655 under the Public Works Fund. The Consolidated Fund vote provides £31,000 for schoolbuildings, and the ordinary votes for maintenance and repairs of buildings throughout the colony. The votes proposed under the Public Works Fund provide £15,000 for school-buildings to supplement the vote of £31,000 already appearing on the Consolidated Fund estimates, the rapidly increasing settlement that is proceeding making it imperative that further school accommodation should be provided. The vote also provides for the completion of the first portion of the Porirua Asylum, for acquiring a landed estate for and furnishing the same, and for the further enlargement and improvement of the asylums at Auckland, Sunnyside, and Seacliff. Also for improvements to Parliament Buildings and electric lighting of same, and the Government Printing Office, new prison at Dunedin, new Courthouses at Otahuhu, Rotorua, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Stratford, Palmerston North, Otaki, Pahiatua, Featherston, Little River, and Milton, and for enlarging the Courthouse at Haw'era; also for new post-offices at Hawera, Pahiatua, Ahaura, Tapanui, and Queenstown; for the completion of the additions to the post-office at Invercargill, and for enlargements at