D.—l

XII

Lyndhurst, Ngapara to Tokarahi, Hyde to Kokonga, Clyde to Cromwell, Bannockburn to Nevis, Skipper's to Bullendale, and Hokonui to Hedgehope. Telephone Exchanges : A new multiple switchboard having an ultimate capacity for 4,800 subscribers has been fitted up in the Wellington Exchange. The total number of paying subscribers in the colony is now 5,478. The vote proposed to be asked for the present year is £32,000, which provides for additions to existing exchanges, the completion of the work now in hand, and new works to be undertaken, the more important of which are : The Auckland to New Plymouth line, Wnangapou to Opitonui, Dannevirke to Ti-tree, Ormond to Te Karaka, Te Karaka to Whatatutu, alteration of route Masterton to Waipukurau (three through wires), Collingwood to Bainham, Benwicktown to Kaituna, Belgrove to Tophouse, Ashburton to Buapuna and Mayfield, Waikari to Hawarden, Balclutha to Toiro and Warepa, Wairio to Wrey's Bush, Colac to Bound Hill, Drummond to Heddon Bush ; ten knots of new cable for stock, and a new multiple switchboard for the Auckland Exchange.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The expenditure in connection with our public buildings continues to maintain the late average, the amounts of the votes and the total amounts expended having varied very little during the last three years, as the following table will show: —

The appropriations proposed for the current year amount to £168,645 —namely, £126,420 under, the Public Works Fund and £42,225 under the Consolidated Bund. The principal works carried out last year, or provided for this year, are as follows: — Geneeal. The most important work under this head was probably the new Parliamentary Buildings. Honourable members will recollect that an amount of £7,000 was voted for the erection of a new library, in the Consolidated Fund estimates of last year. Owing to the lateness of the session, and the time necessarily consumed in preparing plans and specifications, and the time lost in inviting tenders, which proved to be much above the estimate, scarcely any expenditure came to charge against this vote before the 31st March last. The whole of the amount has since been expended, however, but will, of course, now become a charge against the vote of the current year. A special transfer of £25,000 is to be made from the Consolidated Fund to defray the cost of this work, and a vote for that amount has been provided on the estimates accordingly. It is well, perhaps, to state that in limiting the expenditure to £25,000 the proposal to have a three-story building has been abandoned. Immediately at the close of the present session work will be recommenced, and I fully expect to have the building finished and fitted up for the use of honourable members by the commencement of next session. The next most important work was the completion of the Government Printing Office, for which £9,000 was voted, and .on which £9,127 was expended. The building is now complete, and is occupied by the printing, binding, lithographic, and photographic staffs, and the additional space and convenience afforded is greatly appreciated. Some little expense has been incurred during the present year for machinery, fittings, and conveniences, and a vote of £2,000 is provided in the estimates to cover this,

Consolidated Fund. Public Works Fund. Totals. Year. Voted. Expended. Voted. Expended. Voted. Expended. 1895-96 1896-97 1897-98 £ 46,700 43,460 48,600 £ 42,829 41,280 38,001 £ 96,985 90,855 98,900 £ 76,240 70,579 73,585 i £ 143,685 134,315 147,500 £ 119,069 111,859 111,586 I