D.—l

Total Appropriations for Roadworks— continued. The provision for the current year is as under :< — £ Roads, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 330,000 Backblock roads .. . . . . .. 200,000 Roads on goldfields .. .. . . . . |50,000 Opening up Crown Lands for Settlement Account . . 100,000 National Endowment Account ~ . . .. 22,750 New Hutt Road .. . . . . .. 4,000 Maintenance of roads (Consolidated Fund) .. .. 45,000 Total .. .. .. .. £751,750 DEVELOPMENT OF GOLDFIELDS. The value of the mineral-output for the year amounted to £3,042,224, being a decrease as compared with the output of the previous year. Work in the mines was hampered considerably by strikes, but as this year this trouble has not existed to anything like the same extent it is anticipated the output will be in excess of that of last year. Expenditure under this heading during the year was £10,644, and a vote of £9,300 is proposed to be taken this year. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total expenditure on public buildings during the last financial year amounted to £611,041, made up as follows : — £ New buildings (Class XVIII, Public Works Fund) .. 445,192 Maintenance-works (Class V, Consolidated Fund) . . 73,030 Maintenance-works, schools (Class XV, Consolidated . Fund) .. .. .. .. .. 92,819 £611,041 For the current year the following appropriations are proposed : — £ New buildings (Public Works Fund) .. .. 486,000 Maintenance-works (Consolidated Fund) ... .. 88,689 Maintenance-works, schools (Consolidated Fund) .. 102,200 Contribution to fund. for renewal or .reinstatement of buildings damaged or destroyed by fire .. .. 10,000 £666,889 General. The foundations for the proposed new Parliament Buildings have been completed ready for the superstructure, and the rearrangement of the grounds surrounding the site was finished in time to display a creditable sward on the lawns in the early spring. The adjacent streets have been widened, an ornamental fence|built around the property, and preparations made for the erection of the new building, for the first portion of which tenders have been received and are now under consideration. The total expenditure on building and grounds during the financial year amounted to £15,841, and £2,944 was spent on widening and altering the grades of adjacent streets. The most important departmental building completed during the|year was the new offices facing Cathedral Square and Worcester Street, Christchurch, which will accommodate most of the officials now located in the old Provincial Buildings, as well as an appreciable number occupying rented offices in various parts of the city. A large vote is provided on the estimates for this building, principally- to cover liabilities existing at the end of the financial year. The current year's vote provides also for the new departmental buildings at Gisborne and Stratford, additions at Blenheim, the completion of similar buildings at Hamilton, New Plymouth, and Hokitika, and for the erection of new publicworks and marine stores on the reclaimed land at Pipitea, necessary owing to the sites of the present buildings being required for railway purposes. Provision is also made for additions to the Government Printing Office, already in progress under contract.

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