D.—l

XI

In addition to these, other applications for railway-extension, to which the light-railways principle (whether on the 3 ft. 6 in. or a narrower gauge) might apply, have been made, the following being the most important of the lines asked for: — Kaihu to Waima, Lovell's Flat to Kaitangata, Hukerenui to Kawakawa, Heriot to Roxburgh, Makarau to Whangarei, Riversdale to Switzers, Pukekohe to Waiuku, Wright's Bush to Heddon Bush, Westport to Reefton, Orepuki or Waicola to Waiau. During the recess the relative merits and necessity for these several lines will be carefully considered, and information as to their probable cost, and the revenue returns they may be expected to yield, will be laid before Parliament next session. ROADS, ETC. Roads, etc., under the Control op the Minister of Lands. The operations during the past year have been of the same nature, and of nearly equal extent, to those of the previous year. Full details have been given in the Surveyor-General's Report; but they may be summarised in the statement that 489 miles of carriage-roads and 442 miles of horse-roads were constructed, and 1,177 miles of carriage-roads and 647 miles of horse-roads were maintained fit for ordinary traffic, the cost for the year being £208,694, including a small sum of £301 spent out of the immigration vote, which is £31,670 less than the year 1895 -96. The liabilities on the 31st March, however, were £226,762, the total vote last year being £413,476, so that the expenditure and liabilities exceed the appropriation by £21,980. To some extent the liabilities might be reduced—the works authorised, being conducted under co-operative regulations, could be stopped; but, unless this is done (which is not desirable), most of these liabilities have to be met in the course of the current year. The expenditure for the first half of the present year reached £128,807, and if the liabilities at the end of the same period, which amount to £197,354, are added, the total comes to £326,161. Some of the works authorised will no doubt extend into next financial year, but the actual outlay will probably exceed that of 1896-97. If the progress of settlement is to continue, and is carried on at the same rate as during the past six years; if the pressing wants of new settlers and the reasonable demands of old ones (whose success depends upon the products of the soil) are to be attended to, then new roads must be constructed, and roads already constructed must be maintained in a condition fit to carry the traffic. If we are to judge by the representations of County Councils and Road Boards, their revenue is not even sufficient to maintain their district roads ; and, in general, the main roads are rapidly becoming unfit to carry the public traffic, especially the large bridges erected by the various Provincial Governments. It is therefore unwise to shut our eyes to this fact: that local rates and local revenues alone cannot pay for the maintenance of the general traffic on the county and Road Board roads. The burden on the settlers in a forest district is greatly increased by the unreasonableness of timber-carters, who, with heavy loads, destroy lightly-con-structed roads, and refuse to contribute a fair share of the cost of maintenance. Instances are reported where roads constructed out of money borrowed on the security of settlers' land have been made impassable for ordinary traffic in this way. For assisting local bodies to repair the extensive damage done by floods in the early part of the year a sum of £20,000 is provided. This amount will be paid in the form of a subsidy, at the rate of not less than £1 for £1 contributed by local bodies. The sum which it is estimated is required to rebuild lost bridges, and other works, is £64,037 (of which £24,437 is required for roads in charge of the Government, and 889,600 for roads under the control of local bodies).