THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 221, 30 August 1878, Page 3

THE PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Hon. Mr Macandrew made his Public Works Statement on Tuesday evening last. The returns on the working of the railway lines for the past year appear to be on the whole satisfactoiy as far as the railways in the Middle Island are concerned. Speaking of these railways Mr Macandrew says:— *' Sevan hundred and forty miles were open, of which ninetyfour were opened during the past year. The net balance of receipts over expenditure, available for payment of interest, was £145,346 against £118,000 for the previous year, showidg a percentage on the whole outlay for construction of 2*6s—a not unfavourable result, seeing that some of the lines included in the outlay had only been opened recently, and others were still unfinished. The total number of passengers was 1,159,147."

The works proposed for the future are as follows :— . Otago Central, Dunedin to Albertown, Lake Wanaka, 160 miles, £1,100,000. Amberley to Brunnerton, 110 miles, £950,000. Greymouth to Hokitika, 26 miles, £220,000. Oiford to Temuka, 85 miles £380,000. South Ashburton to Ashburton Forks, 20 miles, £55,000. Albury Extension, 20 miles, £110,000. Besides these there are some branch lines to be constructed in the Otago Provincial District. With regard to the railways proposed to be constructed in Canterbury, the Minister for Public Works says :—" Some hon. members may be disposed to think that, having regard to the length of the railways which Canterbury alreadj' possesses, she is allowed an undue share in our proposals, but slight reflection will show that such an objection cannot be fairly sustained. When we consider the large amount which the coffers of .the colony have derived from the land revenue of Canterbur*/, and the amount which it is hoped will, for some time to come, continue to be derived from the same source, I maintain that the district is entitled to even more than is now proposed. We are, in fact, only intending to confer upon the people of Canterbury the benefits derivable from applying to a colonial purpose their own money ; only proposing to expend a portion of the land revenue for the benefit of those settled upon the land from which that revenue has been derived, by devoting it to the purposes to which not ouly is it legitimately applicable, but for which it ought always to have been held sacred. The same remarks will apply to the other railways which are to depend for their construction upon the proceeds of the sale of lands to be rendered valuable by them." We think these remarks eminently just, and that they show a disposition to treat this matter of the Land Fund in a fair spirit. With regard to the Akaroa Railway, from the following remarks we gather that the Government intend taking the construction of this line into their ewn hands, in the event of any obstacles being thrown in the way of the Bill at present before the Legislature :—" A very important line in Canterbury, which is not included in the present proposals, is the Akaroa and Lake Ellesmere line. The Government hope that the 'Trust, whose powers will be prolonged and extended by

the Bill|which has recently passed a branch of the Legislature, may be the means whereby this work may be proceeded with. If, however, it should be found that the Trust is unable to do so, the Government will at a future time be disposed to deal with the matter specially, with a view to this most important undertaking being pushed forward. Time and space do not allow us nt presant to go into the lines of railway progectedfor the North Island. At the conclusion of the statement the Hon. Mr Stout, as Minister for Lands, made the following important announcement :—" In consequence of the various projected lines of railway through the waste lands of the Crown, the Government have thought it necessary to advise His Excellency to withdraw from sale lands near those projected lines. This will prevent speculators taking up such lands in the hope of reaping large profits from the increased value that will be given to the lands through the proximity of the railways. This withdrawal has been principally made in the land district of Canterbury, and the Waste Lands Board of the district will have to consider whether advantage should not be taken of the provisions of section 49 of the Land Act by which lands increased in value by railways may be set apart and disposed of as special value land."