D.-l.

EXPENDITURE. The total net expenditure under all votes and accounts appearing on the public-works estimates for the financial year ended 31st March, 1931. was £8,388,529. Of this sum £4,810,659 was expended out of General Purposes Account, and the balance, £3,577,870, out of special accounts. A brief summary of this expenditure, as well as the total expenditure since the inception of the public-works policy to the 31st March last, follows in tabular form :—

XII

Expenditure „ for Year „ . Class of Work. ended Expenditure to 31st March, 31st March, 1931. lydl - Railways— £ £ New construction .. .. .. .. .. ..1,478,689 39,095,904 Additions to open lines .. .. .. .. .. ' .. 508,507 16,871,808 Payment to Midland Railway bondholders .. .. .. .. 150,000 Roads .. .'. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,475,522 20,334^817* Public buildings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 423,021 11,099,895 Immigration .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 33,544 3,309,850 Purchase of Native lands .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,061,147 Lighthouses, harbour-works, and harbour defences .. .. .. 10,845 1,291'817 Tourist and health resorts .. .. .. .. . .• 60,288 576,708 Telegraph extension .. .. .. .. .. .. 419,756 10,930^501 Development of mining .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 881,065 Defence works (general) .. .. .. .. .. .. 13,812 1,406^587 Departmental .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 131,816 2,740,866 Irrigation and water-supply .. ,. .. .. ... 62,614 968,743 Lands-improvement _ .. .. .. .. .. .. 70,534 661,216 Minor works and services . . .. .. .. . . - .. ., 312 607 Plant, material, and stores .. .. .. .. .. Cr. 44,772 274,633 Quarries (acquisition and operating) .. .. .. .. 4,219 9,636 Timber-supply and sawmills for Public Works Department .. . . Cr. 2,271 Or. 5*489 Motor-transport services .. .. .. .. .. .. 33 ; 535 Cost and discount, raising loans, &c. .. .. .. .. 164,535 3,713,744 Total General Purposes Account .. .. .. .. 4,810,659f 116,719,690f Aid to Water-power Works and Electric Supply Account .. .. i 1,187,797$ 10,270,384|| Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Account .. 22,080$ 709,'740$ Total Public Works Fund .. .. .. .. 6,020,536 127,699,814 Wellington-Hutt Railway, &c.— Railway .. .. .. .. .. .. .. { .. 228,374 Road .. .. .. .. .. .. I ,, # 101,658 Railways Improvement Account .. .. ,. .. I .. 641 } 275 Railways Improvement Authorization Act 1914 Account .. .. j l,018,615§ 8,727,918§ Loans to Local Bodies Account—Roads to open up Crown lands .. 697,408 Opening up Crown Lands for Settlement Account—Roads to open up .. 206,626 Crown lands Lands for Settlement Account—Roads to open up Crown lands .. 590,025 National Endowment Account .. .. .. .. .. 53,401 Education Loans Account .. .. .. .. .. 503,174§ 4,678,965§ Main Highways Account-Construction Fund.. .. .. .. I 757,906 4,536,977 Hauraki Plains Settlement Account .. .. 33,468 942^095 Rangitaiki Land Drainage Account.. .. .. .. .. ! 6,767 499,935 Swamp Land Drainage Account .. .. .. .. .. j 48,063 538,626 8,388,529 150,143,097 * Includes £4,500 expended under section 16, subsection (1), Native Land Amendment and Native Land Claims Adjustment Act, 1923. f Does not include expenditure under the Ellesmere Land Drainage Act, 1905. % Excludes interest during construction and loan charges. § Includes proportionate cost of loan raised under these accounts. || Includes total expenditure under votes only for construction and maintenance—for commercial accounts see Table 6 infra.