PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 520, 17 September 1902, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

ESTIMATED EXPFXBITURE EXCEEDS S2.UOO.UUH. GIS BORN E-K ARA K A RAILWAY. A VOTE OF £2o.nnn. WELLINGTON, last night. The Public Works Statement was delivered by the Hon. Hall-Jones this evening and was as follows : “ I have much pleasure in laying lie-

fore Honorable Members my seventh Annual Public Works Statement. The work of railway construction has !>een carried on with considerable vigour. My colleagues, the Acting-Premier lias alreadv drawn attention in his Financial Statement to the fact of last year having been a record one as regards the proportion of tlie vote expended within the year. A RECORD YEAR. Only £Bl3 remained unexpended at

the close of the year and I am not aware of any previous instance of tlie, unexpended balance of the vote having been so small. The railway construction work in hand since my last statement was delivered has amounted to over 200 miles, and durng the same period 291 milt* have Been completed and handed over to the Railway, Department for ordinary tra (lie. In addition to this 3(H miles is now lieing used for conveying settlers produce and merchandise, and rails are also laid upon a further 2(i miles, still leaving a considerable length of formation •in hand.

NUMBER OF MEN EMPLOYED. In Die early part of the year (lie number of men employed was greater than in any previous period since the inauguration of the eo-operalive system of working. The reason for this will be readily understood when it is born in mind that for llie year 11HHI-1, the total vote for railway eons riuUoii exceeded the amount for the previous year by £22l.Mm, to enable full advantage to be taken of ibis increased authority from Parliament during the remaining months of ltmtl-J, and the early part of UHil-2. The miml<er of men was largely increased. Hie number employed in July 1901 was 3337 as- compared with 1712 in July of the previous year. As the summer of 19iu advanced it became necessary to make

considerable reductions in order to keep within the vote authorised for the year 1901-2. The present Government while fully alive to the needs of the colony in the important matters of railway extension and providing, suitable and convenient buildings for the use of the several departments and services of the state has lent a particularly attentive ear to the requests of the back blocks -settlers for roads and bridges to open up the rural districts of the colony. The expenditure on works of the character referred to during the rather more than eleven years term of office of the present administration having exceeded the rate of expenditure on Public Works of all classesV during the same period shows a, decline of over 37 per cent. WAYS AND MEANS. The ways and means of the Public Works Fund at the 31 st of March, 1901, amounted to £1,032,515, and

further sums were provided as under : Of the Loan of 1901 (£1,250,000). The amount received was £1,062,(107, transferred from revenue, £500,000. There were also miscellaneous,' receipts to the amount ol £2129, tints making a gross total of £2,597,311. The expenditure last year amounted to £2,1-13,252, so that at the close of thei year the balance remaining was tbe

sum of £451,059, and it is proposed provide additional funds as follows : Balance of 1901 loan, less cost of raising, say, £99,333 ; new, loan, 1902, £1,750,000; further transfer from revenue, £200,001). This will bring our total ways and means up to £2,503,392. The estimates of expenditure lor tbe current year total £2,193,052 (in addition to £45,000 under the Government Loans to Local Bodies account), thus leaving an allocated Balance of £310,340. RAILWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION,

Before detailing the various works that have lieen in hand, a few works in reference to the amount that is being spent on railway construction in New Zealand as compared with some of the other colonies may not be out ol place. I lielieve that a feeling exists in the minds of some persons that we have gone, or are going, rather far in the matter of providing railway facilities for our settlers, or at any rate that our expenditure is out of proportion to the smallness of our population. The Government does not hold this view. With the exception of Tasmania, New Zealand’s expenditure on railway construction per head of tbe population is the lowest in the Australasian or South African colonies. NECESSITY OF SETTLERS., We must consider the necessity of our settlers and provide facilities- for conveying the product of 1 heir labour to market at tbe lowest possible rate.

We cannot, ignore the loss that lias occurred in the past by the destruction of valuable timber, owing to the absence of tiie means of conveying that necessary article to the centres of population, and instead or too hastily diminishing our expenditure, we ought

to complete our main lines: of communication, and steadily proceed with the other works now in hand. It was this H-iew of tini case that induced the Government to propose a larger appropriation for railway purposes during the last five or six years, and the same view actuates me in submitting my, present proposals. TWENTY YEARS’ EXPENDITURE. Our total expenditure on railwayworks (not including additions to open lines) during the last twenty years has been as stated herewith. I will give a

brief skelcn of the several railway construction works which have oeen in progress since the last statement was made.

K AWA K AWA-G RA II AMSTOWN

Work lias been in hand at both ends of tiiis line, viz., at they north end between Kawakawa and a point eight miles southwards and in the south between Opau wharf and Grahamstown, while a survey party has also teen at work locating the position of the unconstructed section in the middle. The formation and bridges on the first five miles at the northern end are finished, and the rails laid on four miles and a hall, viz., to the point where the ballast pit line runs oil this later line, which is a mile and threequarters lang It lias also been formed, and the laying of the rails upon it is now in progress. The formation of the balance of the eight milas section of the main line is about three parts done at tiie southern end. Earthworks have l>een started, but no great progress has been made, as there is no object- m pushing the earthworks at this end until the contractors for the Whangarei bridge have made some headway with their work. For the current year a vote of £20,000 is proposed.

HELENSVILLE NORTHWARDS. Work on tiie Komokoriki section lias been continued. The excavation of the tunnel has been completed, also the lining of same, and tiie formation works are practically finished up to Ahuroa, two miles 53 chains ncyontf ihS tunnel. Plate laying lias ,>ppn resumed. and on co,l"'' (; Loii the ballast- i ing will be taken in hand. A siiT‘. : ?. v party ha-; lieen engaged in locating the extension of the line beyond Ahuroa, and about ten miles have now been fixed, and trial lines run for two

or three miles in addition. The ijucstion was raised by some local residents as to whether the route ry the Hoteo \'alley would really :e the liest for the construction of "this railway, and wfith the view of setting this j oint at rest a careful examination was nude of tlie Valley and the western (or Green’s Greet) routes, hut both were found to 1* inferior to tlie original surveyed route by the Hoteo Valley. The "line has accordingly been located across tlie Kaijnra Hals to that valley, and on by that route towards Wellsford. The railways authorised in tlie Act of I'JUI sanctioned the construction of this railway as fai as Wellsford. After referring to other worte, the Statement proceeds .to deal with"

GISBORN E-KAR A KA. A considerable amount of wow; was done on Hus line during ihc year, at.d the section from Gisborne wharf to Ormond, Ilia miles in length, was handed over to the Railway Department, and opened for traffic on the 2t>lh June last. For two miles and a quarter beyond Ormond the formation is complete and the rails laid, and for nearly another half mile the forma,''on is about half done. This brings '.lie line to the site of the Waipaoa bridge, tenders for which are now being invited. This bridge will be 560 feet, in length, and its erection will probably occupy a year and a half. Beyond the bridge site survey work has tiecn yndertaken, and the pegs are now in as far as Te Karaka.

Tbe plans for tbe extension have been prepared. This line is onlv authorised as far as the left bank of tbe Waipaoa river, and and it will be therefore necessary to make provision in the Railways Authorisation Bill of the present session for tbe extension from that point to Karaka. The expenditure during last year was somewhat heavy, having amouuted to £20,556, without permanent way materials, or £27,381 inclusive of the latter. For the current year a vote of £20,000 is provided. MAKOHENE VIADUCT.

Tbe abutment piers and foundation are already built. Between Mangaweka and Taibape, the formation is nearly complete, except three unfinished tunnels which are actively in progress. Beyond Tailiape, the formation is well advanced for about two miles, and ground has been broken for another eleven miles, or as far as 60 miles from Mavton Junction. The total expenditure on tho line last year was £155,977, or £184,061 allowing for the value of the permanent way and materials issued. This constitutes a record, being

the largest amount expended on a line in ] any one year since the inception. For | the current year, a vote of j£250,000 is I proposed. BLENHEIM-WAIPARA. The northern end of this railway from 1 Blenheim to Seddon is practically finished excepting between Blenheim and llutngree, 12 miles 21 chains having already been inspected and passed as safe and fit for public traffic, while the remaining section between Dumgree and Seddon, 2 miles 18 chains, only awaits completion of the windscreen on Awaterebridge and station buildings at Seddon. Both works will probably be finished within a few weeks, when the line will be handed over to the Railway Department for regular traffic. At the southern end work is proceeding satisfactorily. The earthworks for the first fifteen miles, namely, Waipara to Skargill, are finished, and rails also laid ten miles ballasting completed, and a start made with station buildings. The lino will be sufficiently forward to admit the ensuing season's wool clip being carried, and will be ready to hand over to the Railway Department for regular working in the summer, A tender for the supply of iron and stool work for Hurunui bridge has been accepted ; concrete piers and abutments will be carried out by the department. The total expenditure on the Blenheitn-Waipara railway last year, exclusive of vslue of permanent way materials issued to the line, was 1148,080, or inclusive of the latter ,£65.823. For the current year authorisation for .£60,000 is proposed.

MIDLAND RAILWAY. Operations in connection with tho Midland Railway were in progress at four different places last year. At tho Nolson end of the line, between Motuoka and Tadmor, earthworks have been in hand, and about seven miles have been nearly completed, and a contract has recently been lot for a bridge over Motueka river. Tho bridge is to be completed by ‘2Brd November, 1903, and is to be available for road as well as railway traffic. Northwards from Reefton a survey has been in progress throughout the year, and is now Dearly finished. A very good lino has been obtained, grades and curves being well within the limits. It will probably-cost .£SOOO per mile on tho average to construct.

AMERICAN EXPERT. As regards the extension towards Canterbury from Otira, I mentioned in last Statement that Government was in communication with railway authorities of the highest standing in America with a view of obtaining a report from American or Canadian eminenco and experience in construction of mountain railways. Since that Statement was delivered Mr Virgil Gay Bogue, of Now York, has visited tho colony, and made a careful inspection of tho ground; also familiarised himself with the various places and other information in possession of Government and furnished two reports on the matter, which are printed as appendices to this Statement. Briefly summarised Mr Boguo’s opinion is adverso to tho six-milo tunnel prospect. While admitting that the gradient and curves obtainable on that lino ate probably better than can be got on any other, and that that line is also the shortest and most direct available, Mr Bogue nevertheless thinks that tho price we should pay would be too groat for advan-

tages gained. He has not definitely advised the adoption of any particular line, but the suggestions he makes are in tho direction of employing steeper gradient, groatly reducing the length of tho summit to tho tunnel. To enable Mr Boguo to express an authority and final opinion on the subject further surveys are now being made which will take somo time, so that it will be impossible to lay his matured opinion before the House during the present session. At the Canterbury end of the railway good progress has been made with tho formation. Very heavy earth work has been practically completed as far as Staircase Gully, or nine and threequarter miles from Springfield, and a good deal of work has been done beyond this point. Four outside tunnels on this section are finished, and others are nearing completion. The total expenditure on tho Midland railway last year amounted to £66,391. This year a voto of £IOO,OOO is proposed.

NGAIIERE-BLACKBALL.

The construction of tho branch line leaving tho Midland railway at Ngarcre and running thence to Blackball eolleries, was authorised last session. The most important work on the line is a large bridge over tho Grey river, for which a tender was recently accepted. Tho Blackball Coal Company has entered into an agreement with tho Crown by which the Company undertakes to send traffic over this railway for a period of soven years sufficient to yield gross freight between Blackball and Ngahore of not less than £ISOO per annum. A vote of £2OOO was taken for this railway last year, Put only £ll7 was expended this year. A voto of £IOOO is proposed.

OTAGO CENTRAL,

A great deal of work was done on this railway last year. The total exponditui e on the lino reached the sum of £103,273, which is tho largest record for this line. The Ida Valley section, 12 miles 20 chains in length was completed and handed over to the Railway Department for regular working in December last.

ROADS AND DRIDGES.

Tho total amount authorised for construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, and other works for the past year was £616,272, and tho sum voted for expenditure £337,643. The greatest expenditure was in the Auckland district, amounting to £97,920 ; Wellington district came next with £91,939; then Hawke's Bay, £39,357 ; Taranaki, £35780; Southland, £27,196; Otago, £22,878; Marlborough,£l7,l7l; Westland.£ll.23s ; Nelson, £12,098; Canterbury, £5,111.

GOLD EXPORT.

The gold exported during 1901 exceeded that of the previous year, and_ was tho highest for any year since 1973. The value of gold entered for export during 1901 was £1,753,773, an increase of £311,171 over the previous year. CONCLUSION.

“In computing this Statement and the estimates which accompany it, every endeavor has been made to meet the requirements of the colony. The total appropriations proposed for a!i purposes, inclusive of Government loans to local bodies account, amount to L2,193i°5-- Every reasonable effort will be made to put in hand the new works authorised as soon as votes are passed, and to them pushed forward as rapidly as circumstances will permit. I trust the foregoing information concerning the public works expenditure and the allocations for the present year will commend itself to hon. members. The development of the colony is such that it is impossible to deal within a limited period with all the requirements which are placed before the Government, but the proposals now submitted will, I feel sure, be recognised as sufficient to meet the requirements for the current year,"