D.—l.

Summary of Votes under Control of Minister of Public Works and Proposed Ways and Means of Raising the Necessary Funds —Year ending 31st March, 1940.

For the current financial year 1939-40 a sum of £750,000 will be provided from the Consolidated Fund for expenditure on maintenance of Public Works and Services. The expenditure on Main Highways from revenue is estimated to reach £2,787,000 and from loan-moneys £2,480,200. It is estimated that approximately £141,486 revenue from the Electric Supply Account will be available after providing for sinking fund, interest, and operating-expenses for expenditure on construction works, the balance of the year's construction programme under this heading —i.e., £1,273,600 —will be raised by way of loans. The diagram below gives the annual public-works expenditure from loan-money since 1872.

Annual Public Works Expenditure (Loan Money)

IX

Loans. ,g>~L £ £ £ £ Departmental .. .. .. .. 210,000 .. .. 210,000 Railway-construction .. .. .. 1,230,000 .. .. 1,230,000 Public Buildings .. .. .. 1,250,000 .. .. 1,250,000 Lighthouses and Harbour-works .. . . 37,000 . . .. 37,000 Development of Tourist Resorts .. .. 35,000 .. .. 35,000 Roads .. .. .. .. 1,400,000 .. .. 1,400,000 Lands Improvement .. .. .. 330,000 .. .. 330,000 Irrigation .. .. .. .. 285,000 .. .. 285,000 Electric Supply .. .. .. 1,273,600 .. 566,400 1,840,000 Main Highways .. .. .. 2,480,200 .. 2,787,000 5,267,200 Maintenance of Public Works and Services .. 750,000 .. 750,000 Totals .. .. .. 8,530,800 750,000 3,353,400 12,634,200