D— 1.

For the current year votes are proposed for the following: New Courthouses at Hamilton, Tauranga, and Campbelltown ; the completion of the new buildings at Wellington and Dunedin; and additions or improvements at Shortland, Hastings, Woodville, Stratford, Westport, Hokitika, and Timaru. Gaols. —The expenditure under this head was in excess of that for the previous year, but was still not large. The principal work in hand was the additions to the Wellington Gaol, which are now complete and occupied. Other works of less magnitude were undertaken at Auckland, Gisborne, Dunedin. and elsewhere. In the current year's vote provision is made for continuing the work at Auckland, further additions at Wellington, and for minor works at Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Hokitika, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Police-stations. —A large number of buildings were dealt with under this head, but no individual work involved any large expenditure. This year votes are proposed for new stations at Newton, Waiuku, Raglan, and Gore; and increased accommodation or improvements at Auckland, Cambridge, Taumarunui, Hastings, Palmerston North, Greymouth, Amberley, Rangiora, Sumner, New Brighton, Belfast, Temuka, Timaru, Pleasant Point, Dunedin, and Invercargill, besides minor works at numerous other places. Post and Telegraph. The expenditure on post and telegraph buildings and sites was considerably less than during the previous year. The principal item was the purchase of a valuable property in Christchurch to provide for a much needed enlargement of the Chief Post-office in that city. The appropriation proposed for the current year provides for new offices at Parnell, Grey Lynn, Whakarewarewa, Whakatane, Tauranga, Waipiro Bay, Tokomaru Bay, New Plymouth, Pungarehu, Taihape, Bull's, Palmerston North, Otaki, Hutt, Nelson, Millerton, Brunnerton, Greymouth, St. Albans, Mornington, Waikaka, Winton, Otautau, and Stewart Island ; also additional accommodation or improvements at Mangonui, Auckland, Te Awamutu, Napier, Dannevirke, Waitotara, Shannon, Pahiatua, Wellington, Picton, Westport, Reefton, Christchurch, Akaroa, Timaru, Pembroke, Queenstown, Gore, Invercargill, and Bluff. Customhouses. The expenditure under this head was almost wholly in connection with the new Customhouse at Wellington. This building is now getting on towards completion, but the contractor is much behindhand with Lis work, which ought to have been completed in April last. The vote proposed for the current year provides for the completion of this building and the necessary fittings and furniture. Lunatic Asylums. The expenditure on buildings of the above class totalled to £15,812, being principally in connection with the institutions at Porirua and Sunnyside. For the current year a larger expenditure is anticipated, provision being made in the estimates for the completion of the auxiliary buildings at Porirua and Sunnyside, and for additions at Auckland and Seacliff, &c. Schools. The amount voted for school buildings last year totalled to £124,025— namely, £29,725 under the Consolidated Fund, and £94,300 under the Public Works Fund. The expenditure amounted to £116,615 —namely, £29,526 under the Consolidated Fund, and £87,089 under the Public Works Fund. The great bulk of the money was expended through the agency of the Education Boards, practically the only school-building works controlled by the Government being the buildings for Native and industrial schools, and the School for Deaf-mutes. Native schools were erected or are now in course of erection at Puniho, Te Kaha, Waitahanui, Oruanui, Te Rawhiti, Mangarongo, and Wairnarama ; also

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