MINISTER'S BUDGET.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1916, 26 November 1913, Page 4

MINISTER'S BUDGET.

PROGRESS OF ROADS AND RAILWAYS.

VOTES FOR THE YEAS.

PROSPECTS AND PROPOSALS OUTLINED.

The Public Works Statement was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon by Governor's Message. In it the Hon. \Y. Eraser (Minister of Public Works) stated, inter aiiii:— "Owing to the. financial position obtaining at the closo of last session, and in view of the heavy. commitments al.ready entered into, I did not feel justified in making available for immediate expenditure tlio whole of the new items appearing 011 tile Public Works Estijmutes. All authorities issued and offers made in pursuance of previous years' appropriations wore, however, duly honoured. Now votes urgently requiring attention were also authorised on application. As soon as tho success of tlio llotation (if the new loan was assured, all restrictions regarding expenditure of new VQtos were removed. Notwithstanding theso precautionary measures the total expenditure of tho past year nil public works was not only in excess of that of the previous year, but was actually the largest in any single year for over thirty years, and amounted to .the very large sum of •C 2,711,0()S —viz., £2,593,363 out of the Public Works Fund and allied special accounts, and £11.7,703 out of tho. Consolidated Fund, "The following table shows the brief particulars of the expenditure of 'the year, and also the total Under oach class of work from the inauguration of tho public works policy up to March 31 last:— Expcndituro for Tl. «>:ponClass of Work. year ended diturc to ■ March 31, March 31. 1013. 1913. Railways— £ £ New construction 684,196 21,945,802 Additions to

Ways and Means. j £ ; At March 31, 1912, t-lu> available ways and moans i'or public works purposes were 82,580 Ami further funds were received as under Under the Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1011 950,000 Under tho Aid to Public Works and Land Settlement Act, 1912 835,226 Under the New Zealand Loans Act, 1908 71,679 Transfer from Consolidated Fluid 730,000 Miscellaneous receipts 119,1)69 Making a gross total of 2,829,<134 "The ordinary expenditure of the year amounted to £2,378,539, charges and expenses in respect of raising loans £72,950, and redemption of debentures £1009, thus bringing the total disbursements up to £2,452,489, and leaving a credit balanco at tho end of tfm year of £370,065 (exclusive of 4249,776 proceeds (if 4 per cent, stock lo>tii t<> pay off debentures duo April 15, 1913). "For tho current year it is proposed fo provide additional lunds as tindery Rnlauro of loan of 1911 , 100,000 HalaiK'o of loan of 1912 891,774 Transfer from Consolidated Fund 07.) ,000 Proposed new loan ],700.000 "Tln» above, with the balance brought forward, gives a gross' total- or £3,796,739. The estimated cxpemiitiiro for public; works for the current year (excluding separated accounts having their own ways ami means} amounts to £2.090.570. leaving an estimated balance of :CSo],lfil to be carried forward to nest year. "In addition to tlie shove, we linve authority to raise, outside the PublicWorks Fund, the undermentioned sums p Under tlie Ahi to ' Wnter-pon-cr Works Act. TOM ... 4.10,000 For irrigation work, under tlie TrnfaMon iml Water .Pupplv Act. 1913 100,000 Under the Waihou and Oliiueimiri, Hiv.ers Tniprovomeiit Act:, 1910 (balance)... 50,000 Railway Construction, "Tho following: sections of railway were completed and opened for traffic during the last financial year, or since its close: — M. ob. Waikohn to Oinko 7 75 Apr., 1912. WestpnrttoToKulia 5 7-! Apr., 1912. To Wer.-i to Pubokura fi 55 Aug., 1912. Kiwi to Clenliope... 12 50 Sep., 1912. Minn to PnrnasMis 8 43 Sep 1912, Te liana to liaiwakti R 05 Mar., 1913. Total 32 SI

"The following length are practical!* completed, bat have not yet been W<?ed over to tire Railway WkoritW for traflic:— , r M. eli. Maimgamii to Tr- I'uke 13, n Pohoknra to Wliangatn-ortum'a... fi '];) Otoko to Uakanroa fi 50 Coal Creek Extension .... 3 53 . In addition to -the above the following sections are approaching conipkv tkm, nm:i are expected to bo ready to open far traffic (hiring the current financial y<Jar:—Koihu Extension, 2 inies 44 chains; Otira to.Kaikehe, 18 miles 25 chains; Kaiwaka to Otainatea, « miles 45 chains; Mount Kgwont Blanch, 2 miles 58 chains; Oroiiaduii to Inaniiahua Junction, 12 jnilcs 70 chains; Cass to lioaley, 14 taile* 6 chains; Biff Hill to Athenaeum Mat', 3 miles; Honi.papa to l'apatowai. 13 miles 72 chains. The U>tal expenditure oil railway construction and improvement work." dur'•'K, last financial year amounted to £1,1(9,077,. as wrier:— £ Construction of mow lines ... OW.Hin Additions' to open lines 464,030 iVelJingtou-'Hiitt -Railway duplication ' ;)f)l Railways Improvement Account 29,254 Hast Coast Una. Negotiations have bt-on proceeding for somii time, between the i'uhlie Works Department on the one hand and tho Napier Harbour Board ami tho Haivko's Bay County Cvtmik-0 on tho other 111 regard to tho construction'of a combined railway and road embankment ami bridge across the Inner Harbour. There is 110 reason now why a satisfactory settlement of ail d.ifiictil- . tier, should not lis arrived at, - -and the sum of £10,000 has ■" itcoor-diiigly bceii'pkoed -on the Estimates towards giving effect thereto... This embankment will conncct the existing railway lino at I'o-it Aliuriri with the e:«thworlts alre-ad.v - constructed o.t-i the northern side of the harbour. The expenditure during last financial year' oil t-lio diffcron't sections at the East Coast Railway was as faiimvs: —Viahi to T-anraiiga, £3368; Taimwiga, tft Taneatua; £28*402; Gisbcj-n-e' .to Motu, £57,548,• Gisberno t-o Napier, north end,' £15,677 Gislior.no> to Napier, south end, £*11,438. F<:-.r tho current year totes ato proposed as under:— £ Waihi to-Tauranga 1(1,000 To MauHga Northwards 2,00(1 Tauranga to Tanc-a'tun 50.00-0 Gisbonio to Motu 60',(Hid Gisborne to Napier, north olid- , 35.000 Gisbonio to Napier, south end 10,000 Stratford—Main Trunk. Tho section tp./l'stlHskiira, 3lj miles from Stratford, was opened for. twflio m August, 1912. Since then tlw 31rfiain tunnel beyond I'ohokura has 6een -finished, heavy construction works, with .seven small bridges, .between tho fonnci and AVhanEaniomona, .'completed. rails laid into the station yard, and ballasting almost finished; Tho section to Whangamomona will shortly bo opened for traffic, and the train service will saw settlors the diflkmlt ro'ad journey ovc-r the Wlianga-momona Saddle, Beyond Wlmtf.gamomo-na earthworks are nearing completion for over five miles, but the tendency of tho country to slip in the cuttings has necessitated two small deviatifflis, A 23ehaiii- tumid beyond Taha-rii lias -b«i>n pierced, awl enlargement , is now in progress. Bbar smnil bridges on this section arc also in course, of construction, tho' whole of the forks covering a length of over seven miles beyonc" Whangnmom-mia. Tho broken nature of tho country to bo traversed- between Tahora and tho Ohura Valley involves examination of several possible routes, and careful trial surveys of different suggested lines have l»een made during the past two or i»litco years. Tho mflsl favourable rente appears to be via tho Raekohmi Stream, across tho Tangariikau River then through tho Maraekowhai Block to the llavo Valley, and the, lino will probably be located -along this routs. ■ At tho castorn end, where construction works were commenced in N-avom* !;er, 1011, K-onsiderablo jirogress liasboon made.' As the country traversed for tho first feiv miles from tho MainTrunk line waft not roaded, a service road uear'y eight, miles in length had first to be made across a. broken range of hills. TVhis has now bc-.cn completed and' metalled. 'Hie railway formation is in progress for oiks inilo and a half, ami a contract has been lct_ far tho construction of thn Okahu Tunnel. 74 chains in length, rtt a cost <i.f £97,000, which also covers the formation -of about- a mile and .1 half of line in ad-,' ditioii to the tunnel. Four small con-! tracts have been lot- for formation ivories which will carry the line into the Ohura Valley, six miles from tho junction, and it is proposed to let further contracts of gimihir nature and ox tout as tho vvork progresses. The expenditure on tlijs line during the past financial year amounted & £72,843 at tho western end, and £22,448 at the eastern end. F«r the current year a total vote of £85,000 is proposed. Mount Egmont Branch, Trial surveys have been made to lo.> calo tho most favourable lino to tho proposed $ (tarry, and tests made to determine tho extent of the -rock at the suggested site. Three, small bridges have been buiit, and .some bush-clearing done adjaccnt to tho ]im> ftxpenditure during hist- financial year amounted to £4657, and for tho current year a vote of it 15,000 is proposed. Osurnko Branch. Since April last surveys 10 doicrmhu the- most favourable route for the recently authorised branch line to Opunak« hiiVe juvii in progress, and I'm- hue li;>s been located-for a distance of aboul ter miles. The expenditure oil this survey wal debited to the vote for suncys of neti line,-!, but lor Ibe eurreiit yea!- a i-pri-rnT vnto of ilo.OiK) is pi-uU'.ifcd, t.> pcrmil of cunsir ijli-i!). work being commenced. Ohahunc-Rnstihi Brsnch. 'Illis line ha I to bo relocated for thf> first two miles in consequence of :>,u alteration in 1 ho junction point On tho. completion of' tho restirvey a small a mount of formation work was done over the first mile. Twelve sma!' contracts are now being let, which will (wrry tho line about hail-way to R-aetilii, and if ilio results are satisfactory furthe. - contracts I of the same nature will be arranged. The expenditure during hist tiuaucial j-ear was only £20-2. but for the curi-eut year a vote of £20,000 is proposal. Manawapou Dcvsatlen. The earthwoiii!! for tiio Mauawapou deviation improvements on the \Vc»ga-nui-Xcw Plymouth line are linislied as far as prncticahb, pending completion

of the viaduct. The construction gf the latter is in hand. The expenditure out of last year's votewwats t £4007, and for the current year £1000 is-asked for. • Feaiherston-Martinborough. This line Was included in last year's .Railways Authorisation Act, to serve tho large area of sottled land of whioh Martinborougli is tho centre, and it lias been decided to commence its construction this year. A voto of £5000 is accordingly provided. Trial surveys of alternative routes liavo been made, .and tho loeatioi survey of the adopted line is Hearing completion. This railway will he of comparatively light formation, with easy curves and gradients, the bridges over the Taulieronikau and Rua~ niahunga Rivers being the chief items in construction. South Island Main Trunk. , At tho northern end of the line is open to Ward. From there to Mills, eight miles fa.rt'ier south, the formation is now constructed and ready tor platelaying, with tho exception of s ° n, .° light earthwork near Mills Station, llus section includes some heavy cuttings and fillings, a tunnel 8J chains Jong and a combined railway and road bridge over the Uro River which is now nearly completed. To tho soath of tho Uro Bridge, wTiere the formation is through sandbills, marram grass has proved entirely successful Ifor heavy sandy batters, hanks, and sand-drifts but experiments with other binding plants resulted in comparative failure. No rails have jet been laid beyond Ward, but large supplies of rails, sleepers, and other per-manent-way material ar l 0 >! ,1 K I fOr J?T rd to the rail-liead, almost the whole, quantity' required for tho right miles to Mill's having already been received there and stacked read ; v for use. The section from Mina to Parnassus. «jVht miles and a'half in length, at the southern end of the line, war, complete! and opened for traffic by the: Bailwa) Department in September, IJU. lo; motion work, which had f the next four miles, has been suspr 1ed, and is not'likely to be resumed dui ina tho current year. _ The expenditure during last, linanci. 1 rear amounted to £21,877 at the north rnd and £23,964 the current year a total vote of £2I,UUU will be required. The Otlra Tunnel Messrs. John M'Loan and Sons, contractors for the construction of the Arthur's Pass Tunnel, were relieved of. their'contract and the work taken ovei 1)V the Government on December io, 1912, in pursuance of a recommendation of a Parliamentary, Select Committee, since which it has been earned on, principally by day labour, , from Otira end, under the direct supervision of Tublic Worts engineers. At the Bealey end excavation by co-operativo contract was tried, but was not successful, and tho experiment was not persevered with. From the Otira portal the bottom heading is now in 2 miles 1? chains, and the tunnel fully excavated and lined for 20 chains, less. At the Bealey end tho figures are: Bottom heading, 45 chains; excavation, to lull size aud lining, 33 chains, lhus there remains 2 miles 48 chains between tjio headings, and 3 miles between the points to which-the enlargement and lining have been carried on either side. A larger number of capable men could be employed to advantage on this work, but the best men are not obtainable in large numbers. The Midland Railway. The expenditure on. tho different sections of the Midland Railway during la|st fiuancial year was as follows^— Nelson end Reefton end 10,0(8 Otira-Bealey. 61,809 Bealev-Cass 36,786 For the current' ! year appropriations are proposed as follow: — Nelson end ,6,000 «.' Reefton find -10,000 '' Otir'a-Bealoy ............ .70,000 , Bealey-Cass 00,000 Roads ant! Bridges.

Tlio provision made on last year's ap--pjopriations for road and bridge works under all votes and accounts (including tho Consolidated Fund vote for maintenance) amounted to £(-16,950. The total amount authorised for expenditure during the financial year, in. eluding tho unexpended balance of authorities brought forward at March 31. 1912, amounted to £845,248. Tho total expenditure for tho year amounted, however, to only £468,972, leaving an unexpended balance of authorities amounting to £376,276 at March 31 last. 'Between April 1 and September 30 a further £337,378 was authorised, and expenditure to the extent ot £'231,605 was brought to charge. The large amount of money which has been standing as authorised for expenditure, compared with tho actual disbursements, indicates that the temporary restriction placcd upon the authorisation of new votes after tho close of last session liad but little effect on the expenditure. In my last Statement I expressed the opinion that it was almost impossible, under the . existing conditions, to expend within any year tho amount of money voted for that year for road and bridge works. The experience gained during tho past twelvo months lias confirmed me in -this opinion. Change" Proposed, Last year I referred to tlio disinclination of local Txjciies to make satisfactory provision for the maintenance of main roads'. In localities where the main road passes through unoccupied Crown lands, sparsely settled districts, or Native lands, whence little or no revenuo in tlio way of rates can be collected, such a feeling is to a great extent justified. All main roads, however, do not como under tho above category, nor will it be an easy matter to delino what constitutes a main road. 1 hope, however, during the recess to find a satisfactory solution of this problem, as also to tho equally abstruse one of improving the jiresent method of distributing grants for roads and bridges. Appropriations for Road Works. Last year's appropriations were as under:—Roads, etc., £328,275; backblock roads, £201,575; roads on goldfields, £50,600; opening, up Crown Lands for Settlement Account, £100, OOf); National Endowment Account, £10,200; new Hutt Road, £5300; maintenance of roacls (Consolidated Fund), £42,000. Total, £746,950. The provision for tho current year is as under:— £ Roads, etc 330.000 Backblock roads , 200^00 Roads on golclficlds 50,000 Opening'up Crown Lands for Settlement Account 100,000 National Endowment Account 22.750 Nov/ Hutt Road ....' ._. 4,000 Maintenance oF roads (Consolidated Fund) 45,000 Total £751,750 Publlo Buildings. The total expenditure on public buildings during the last financial yeai amounted to £611,041, made up as follows £ New buildings (Class XVIII, Public Works Fund) 445,192 Maintenance works (Class V, Consolidated Fund) 73,03 C Maintenance works, schools (Class XV, Consolidated Fund) 92.81 C £611,041 For tlie current year tho following appropriations are proposed:— £ New buildings (Public Works Fund) ' 486,001

Maintenance works (Consolidated Fund) 63,639 Maintenance works, schools (Consolidated Fund) 102,200 Contribution to'fund for renewal or reinstatement of buildings damaged or destroyed by firo 10,000 £666,889 Parliamentary Buildings. The foundations for the proposed new Parliament Buildings have been completed ready for the superstructure, and the rearrangement of the grounds {surrounding the sito was finished in time to display a. creditable swanl on tho lawns in the early spring, lho adjacent streets have been widened, an ornamental fence built around the property, and preparations made for tho erection of tho now building, for the first portion of which tenders have been received and a-ro now under consideration. The. total expenditure on building and grounds during the financial year amounted to £15,841, and ~~-944 spent oil widening and altering the grades of adjacent streets. Provision is made for additions to tho-Government Printing Office, already in. progress under contract. Agriculture. Further expenditure is contemplated this year to provide up-to-date buildings and equipment for tho experimental farms, to make these institutions objectlessons iu all that makes for effective working and economy. When the farms wero started thero was an almost entire absence of modern equipment, and improvements are being effected generally, the expenditure being spread overa number of years. School Buildings. The expenditure during the past year was £105,000, of which nearly £83,000 was paid to the rospectivo governing bodies for tho erection of schools, additions to existing buildings, equipment and sites for public schools, teachers residences, technical- and secondary scliools, and University colleges. The vote proposed for the current year includes a substantial grant for a new sito and building for the Auckland University College, as well as the usual grants for buildings and sites to tho several Education, Boards, Technical and Secondary Schools and University Colleges, and also provision for further buildings required in connection with tho School for the Deaf, tho Otekaike Home, and the different Native and Industrial Schools. Workers' Dwellings. The expenditure under this head during the past year' : amounted to £46,455 —an appreciable increase over that of I the preceding year. The demand for workers' dwellings under the conditions provided in tho Act is increasing, and for tho'current year an authorisation; of £75,000 is proposed for tho acquisition of land, road formation' on sites, and erection of buildings. On account of tins sum a vote of £65,000 is asked lor for the requirements of the current jeai. Concludes Observation. The rapid incrcaso of settlement necessitates year by.year a correspondiiig_increase of road and bridge construction, and the end thereof is not yet in sight. There are still far too many settlers who have liad for years past either no access or quite inadequate access to their propertios, but the liumuor or these, l am pleased to say, is diminishing. Once these arrears have been overtaken it will he a mueli easier task to provide [ only l'or the needs of new settlers.

01)011 lines 404,650 8,853,417 Roads 374,346 9,723,865 Public buildings ... 440,192 . C,487,225 Immigration 14,694 2,264^606 Purchase of Native lands . - 2,065,72a Lighthouses, harbour works, and harbour defences 16,785 1,098,207 Tourist and health ' . . resorts 12,906 229,539 Telegraph ,-extension 1 251,375 2,277,125 .Development of" gold fields 10,044 .877,802 Defence works general) 23,790 944,209 Departmental 57,425 784,095 Development of water-power . — 18,451 Irrigation . and • water-supply —« 4,35G Payment to Midland . Railway bondholders —., J 150,000 Lands improvement 22,550 104,713 Minor works and sorvices . — . ■ 312,807 Cost and discount, raising loans, oto. 72,950 1,243,092 2,451,489 • 58,375,431 Wellington - Hutt Railway improvement 991 225,381 New Hutt Hoad ... 1,733 98,822 Railways Improve- . ment account .... 29,254 596,768 •Opening up Crown lands fojr settlement account 47,951 632,153 I National Endowment account, ... 2,681) 19,838 j Waihon' and Ohincmuri Rivers account ...... '9,555 13,324 Aid to water-power 'works account- ... 35,009 ■ 35,009 Irrigation and water-supply account ',... .... 14,689 14,689 'Totals 2,593,365 60,014,415