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work at other stations. The- appropriation proposed for the current year will provide for the completion of the new station at Auckland, and the additions at Wellington; also new quarters at the Thames, New Plymouth, Nelson, Westport, Christchurch and Queenstown; and new stations at Hamilton West, Cambridge, Gisborne, Mokau, Waverley, Feilding, Kaikoura, Arrowtown, and Invercargill; also additions at Pukekohe, Ngaruawahia, Tokaanu, Dannevirke, Normanby, Hawera, Blenheim, Greymouth, Eangiora, Kaiapoi, Fairlie, Boxburgh and Lawrence; and for extensive repairs at Newton (Auckland), Marton, Lyttelton, Southbridge, and Timaru, and the purchase of a property at Kimbolton. Post and Telegbaph. The principal expenditure under this head last year was as follows: New post-offices at Otahuhu, Waitekauri, Mosgiel, and Miller's Flat; the purchase of a site at Petone ; additions to offices at Mangonui, Waitara, Wellington, Ashburton, and Owaka; also extensive repairs at Auckland, Palmerston North, Picton, Christchurch, and Timaru. The appropriation proposed for the current year will provide for new post-offices at Parnell, Ponsonby, Inglewood, Mangaweka, Feilding, Levin, Wereroa, Eketahuna, Masterton, Petone, Newtown (Wellington), Eenwicktown, Wakapuaka, Takaka, Temuka, Naseby, and Bluff; also extensive alterations at Auckland, and important additions or renovations at Te Aroha, Hamilton, Wanganui, Wellington, Hokitika, Christchurch, Dunedin, Alexandra, Roxburgh, and Mataura. Lunatic Asylums. The expenditure on new works at our asylum buildings last year totalled to £17,667, over ,£ll,OOO of which was at Porirua, and nearly £2,500 at Nelson. The building at Porirua is now approaching completion. The new auxiliary asylum at Nelson has been finished and occupied, but additions are now proposed to the portion of the old building occupied by female patients. A modern laundry is also urgently needed, and is now in course of construction. The other works for which provision is made are a block of single rooms now in course of construction at Auckland, also additions to the male side of the same asylum; a new boiler-house and boilers, also improved fire-service at Wellington; and installing the electric light, providing a Nurses' Home, and augmenting the water-supply at Seacliff. Schools. The amount voted for school buildings last year was £75,400 —namely, £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund and £50,400 under the Public Works Fund. The expenditure amounted to £68,403 —namely, £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund and £43,403 under the Public Works Fund. This year we ask for a total vote of £77,500 —namely, £25,000 under the Consolidated Fund and £52,500 under the Public Works Fund. The votes, so far as they apply to the erection of schools under the control of the several Education Boards,"are distributed to these Boards for expenditure. The only portion of the vote expended under the direct control of the Government is that for Native and industrial schools. Native schools were erected last year, or are now in course of construction, at Whirinaki, Utakura, Waimana, Rakaumanga, Waiotapu, Nuhaka, and Manaia, while the school at Maungatapu was moved. The work of rebuilding the Caversham Industrial School has proceeded fairly satisfactorily. This year provision is made for additional buildings at Burnham, and for further rebuilding at Caversham. LIGHTHOUSES, HARBOUE-WOEKS, AND HAEBOUE-DEFENCES. The expenditure on new lighthouses last year amounted to £3,727, almost the whole of which was on the building now in course of erection at the East Cape. The vote for the current year is £4,270, of which £4,000 is on account of East Cape. This amount will nearly complete the works at this lighthouse.