D.—l

II

WAYS AND MEANS. At the 31st March, 1910, the available ways and means for public-works purposes were .... .... .... .... .... £312,366 and further funds were received as under:— Under the Loans Acts of 1909 .... .... 350,002 Under the Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1910 ... .... .... 1,568,350 Under the New Zealand Loans Act, 1908 .... 66,390 Transfer from Consolidated Fund .... .... 800,000 Miscellaneous receipts .... .... .... 6,506 Making a gross total of .... .... £3,103,614 The ordinary expenditure of the year amounted to £1,892,851 ; debentures redeemed, £225; charges and expenses in respect of raising loans, £66,367; other charges, £4,126; thus bringing the total disbursements up to £1,963,569, and leaving a credit balance at the end of the year of £1,140,045. For the current year it is proposed to provide additional funds as under: — Balance of 1910 loan .... .... .... £181,650 Proposed loan of 1911 .... .... .... 1,500,000 Under the Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910 500,000 Transfer from Consolidated Fund .... .... 500,000 Special provision for irrigation-works (section 20, Appropriation Act, 1910) .... .... 100,000 The above, with the balance brought forward, gives a gross total of £3,921,695. The estimated expenditure for public works for the current year (excluding separate accounts having their own ways and means) amounts to £2,921,000, leaving an estimated balance of £1,000,095 to be carried forward to next year. RAILWAY-CONSTEUCTION. The following sections of railway were opened for traffic during the last financial year or since its close :— M. oh. Opened. Hukerenuito Towai ... ... 4 30 ... 2nd May, 1910. Wellsford to Te Hana ... ... 3 27 ... 16th May, 1910. Huiroa to Te Wera ... ... 6 77 ... 20th June, 1910. Domett to Mina ... ... 3 63 ... Ist August, 1910. Ngahere to Blackball ... ... 3 40 ... Ist August, 1910. Lawrence to Big Hill ... ... 7 37 ... 4th October, 1910. Broken Eiver to Cass ... ... 15 22 ... 12th December, 1910. Kawakawa to Towai ... ... 21 18 ... 13th April, 1911. SeddontoWard ... ... 14 44 ... 15th April, 1911. Waimahaka to Tokanui ... ... 8 27 ... 20th September, 1911. Kioreroa to Onerahi (Grahamtown Wharf, Whangarei) ... ... 2 50 ... 2nd October, 1911. Total ... ... 91 35 In addition to the above, the following sections are approaching completion and will be ready to hand over to the Eailway Department for regular working shortly:— M. oh. Waikohu to Otoko ... ... ... ... ... 7 75 Te Wera to Pohokura ... ... ... ... ... 8 55 Kiwi to Tui ... ... ... ... ... 3 17 Westport to Te Kuha ... ... ... ... ... 5 74 Cronadun to Landing ... ... ... ... ... 8 40 Houipapa to Papatupu ... ... ... ... ... 3 42 Total ... ... ... ... ... 37 63