D.~i

For the current year an appropriation of £15,000 is asked for, of which again by far the larger portion is for grants for infectious-diseases hospitals and annexes for consumptives—Auckland, Waihi, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill all participating. ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC. The particulars of the appropriations administered by the Department of Roads, and the expenditure thereunder for the year 1905-6, are shown in the following table : —

Of the total amount provided for expenditure on works under the control of the Roads Department, therefore, the net sum expended was £364,559. If to this be added the liabilities incurred and outstanding in respect of uncompleted works at the 31st March, 1906, it will be seen that the actual value of work undertaken during the year was £480,257. In addition to this, the Department supervised expenditure on kindred works on behalf of the Mines, the Native, the Lands and Survey, and other Departments to the amount of £11,777. In view of the large appropriation for road-works, it was hoped that more work would have been done. That larger results were not achieved is due entirely to causes over which the officers of the Department had no control, for, notwithstanding their efforts, the extreme wetness of the spring and summer, combined with a scarcity of suitable labour just at the time when such labour was most required, greatly hampered operations. It is to be borne in mind, also, that most of the roads now being constructed are in forest country, and it is obvious that this renders construction-work more costly than in former times. Moreover, the country, as a rule, is very broken, is remote from centres of supply, and is difficult of access. The outdoor work undertaken and completed during the year may be summarised as follows : — Engineering surveys ... ... ... ... ... 633 miles. Dray-roads constructed ... ... ... ... ... 538 „ Bridle-roads constructed ... ... ... ... ... 461 „ Bridges over 30ft. span (162) totalling ... ... ... 16,083 feet. Dray-roads improved (including metalling) ... ... ... 689 miles. Bridle-roads improved ... ... ... ~. ... 161 „ Dray-roads maintained ... ... ... ... ... 2,446 „ Bridle-roads maintained ... ... ... ... ... 1,388 „ The appropriations proposed are as under : — Roads, Departmental ... ... ... ... 18,830 Roads generally ... ... ... ... ... 396,807 Tourist roads ... ... ... ... ... 30,896 Government Loans to Local Bodies Account ... ... 50,000 Total ... ... ... ... ... 496,533

XIV

Vote. Number of Items. Amount voted by Parliament for Expenditure. Net Amount Liabilities of Expenditure, at 31st March, 1905-6. 1906. Public Works Fund— Roads, Departmental Roads, &c. Maintenance of main roads Tourist roads, &c. Unauthorised Account 11 2,089 10 126 £ 18,815 446,038 28,000 28,216 £ 18,599 248,480 24,745 15,226 16 £ 153 99,246 1,174 4,986 Total ... 2,236 521,069 307,066 105,559 Land for Settlements Account Loans to Local Bodies Account 36 149 35,000 18,692 38,801 4,052 6,087 Grand totals 2,421 556,069 364,559 115,698