PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1910, 20 October 1906, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

| Official Message.] "Wellington, last night, The Publio Works abatement was delivered to-night by the Minister for Publio Works, the Hon. Hall-Jonos, as follows: — Mr Speaker,—l have the honor to present to kon. members my eleventh Publio Woilcs Statement, together with the estimates of tho amounts required for the effective prosecution of winks during tho current yoar. Notwithstanding tue unfavorable weathor oxporiouoed and the soaroity of labor during the summer months, good progress has been made with the several works in hand. The more importaut undertakings 1 refer Co in detail lator on. bus with respect to railway ooustruotion generally I am pleased to e«.y that wo are nearing a time when chu expenditure thareou can ba eonoentrnted Upon the rnol't urgout works, thus insuring greater oxpe'linou in oomplotioa than when a large number of wotks are under oonstruotion and the money available is limited.

TO UAL EXPENDITURE. The expenditure during 1«6 Qivu:e al year was considerably m ixosss oi that oi the previous year, as tao following table shews as rigards esoh class o( wink :

There was also expended on P»eror< Waihi railway £75,000 up lo 3ld March, 19C6, and £6862 during lha year 1906, making the grand totals £26 898 145, £15.895.720, £42.793,865, and £1,730,687 re-geoiively. WAYS AND MEANS. At the 31st March, 1905, the available balance of Ways and Means for public works purposes was £861,070, and further funds were received as under; —Balance of £1,000,000 raised under the Act of 1904, £32,937, amount raised under the Act of 1905, £817,914, to provide for debentures falling due, £265,300, transferred from revenue, £500,000, miscellaneous receipts, £2,679, making a gross total of £2,480,500. The ordinary expenditure of the year amounted to £1,722,599. In addition to this debentures to the amount of £i16,300 were paid off, others to the amount of £149,000 were received, and the net charges and expenses in connection with financing amounted to £311; thus bringing the total disbursement up to £1,988,201, leaving a credit balauce at the end of the year of £492,299. For the current year, it is proposed to provide additional funds as under. Balance of 1905 loan, £82,186, new loan of i 906, £1,000,000; transfer from consolidated fund £*/75,0j0, This will give a total available Ways and Means of £2,449,485, The

ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE for Publio Works for the current yoar (excluding 3eparase accounts having iheir owo Ways and Mean?) amoucr.a to £2,284 558, thus leaving a balance of £164,827 to be carried forward to next year.

RAILWAYS. Last year was a busy oqb as regards w* most descriptions of Poblia Works ; but especially as regards railway construction. P° The expenditure cn new railway works sa having amounted to £670,221, which is "" the largest amount expends! on work of tn that class dating any year sinoo 1881. la addition to ths the following sum) ware Ct expended by the Railway Department on to railway improvement works :—Additions th to open lines, £351,044; Hots railway and £i road iooprovement account, £44,7119 ;' t° Railway Improvemsnts Authorisation Act Aooouot, £8566 ; makiog a gross total ex- fr peoditure on railway works of £1,074,570. bi During the year 31i mile 3of railway P< were opened for Iroffia, and work of eon- m struotion throughout the oolony was vig* tk orously proceeded with, [Details are here giyen of work dona le and expenditure north cf Auckland.] PAEEOA-WAIHI. £ Tnis railway was completed and opened is for traffie oo 9th November last, la addition to using up the balance of £8862 g remaining to credit of tho special accaunt r< established for this line, a Bum of £7326 ft was expsndsd out of the vote for railway n oenstruotioa. A few small items still A remained to be dealt with at the oloso of s; the financial yoar, and a vote of £2OOO is a provided to cover these. ti GISBORNE-KARAKA. C v A good deal of work has been done on t this line. The forrraion is now oomp'ete | to the east end of the tunnel beyond j ( Karaka. The heading of this tunnel, c which is 283 yards long, was pieroed last , month, and enlarging to full sizi and lining will be completed by Christmas. , The formation beyond the tan Del is in . hand to five miles and a half frcm Karaka, and tenders for a large bridge over the Waikohu river near tho proposed YVaibuka station will shortly be invi oi. Too per* manent survey of the lioe is fiiishsd for 1 another two miles and a balf, or as far as the 26 h mile peg, and the trial survey has been oarried right through te the Oposiki flats; but tho oountry cn the Bay of P.enty side of the rangs proves to be very steep and difficult. I fesr, therefore, the construction of the railway beyond tto Mato will bs very costly ; but a practicable grade can bo get though, tho curvis would bo sharper then usually allowed on New Zealand railways Tho distance from Gisborne to Opo'.iki by railway survey waul i be about 'BS miles, tbo summit of line beiDg 19641; above sei tinol (? sea level). It is intended to undettske further explanatory surveys to sco, if possible, to precure a more favorable route. Last year the expenditure on thiß railway amounted to L 16711, being little in excess cf tbo oxpeuduurs of tho previous year. For the current year a vote of L20.C00 is proposed. MAKETU-TE POKE.

I msntioied io last year’s Statement ' that a rough exploration of a projectedrailway route betwsoo above points had been made, nod that a very favorable route for constructing a line at comparatively email oosl seemed to be available, BDd Shat it was proposed duriog year to have a trial eurvoy made. I am uony that vory groat prostum of other work has prevented the trial survey being undertaken; but this year I bad the opportunity of obtaining a general view of the grcuid myself by driving over the now road which follows railway route fairly closely from Te Poke as far as O.opi road. For a large part of the distance bush it still standing, but suoh land as is undot crops shows excellent results, and tho uniform slope of the country will probably rendor it feasible to construct a railway at very moderate expense, As soon as a suitable officer is available the promised trial survey will be put in hand. NEW PLYMOUTH SENTRY HILL - DEVIATION.

This line is being oonstruotod to improve the grade near New Plymouth, Tbo deviation leaves tho existing line immegj&tety Wf>o ol yjvev r orosaea

tho Houui stroain near its moulh, aud runs thonoe between Buller and worth stroots to rooiaimed laud on tho foreshore cast of tho Now Plymouth station, and joins tho existing lino at tho platform. No expenditure o.tmo to charge against last year’s vote; but a considerable sum has already boon spont this year, and a voto of £3O 000 is asked for. STRATFORD-ONGARUE. Tho formation wotks on fluiroa section have been steadily proceeded witii, and have been finished for move than half the length, and ilia remaining portion which includes soma heavy w.nk is now well advanotd. Tit a tueossiuy bridges hove also been muted, and io motion oi the station at litliioa commenced. To-- lav- J lug of tho poiujunout way tv n b.i siurtea short y. Tits expeudi tiro luo, year ivu.£!0 89J, a ai-bo i.l a lia oj t*n the previous your, For ilia currant yo tv a vote Of £20,000 is p opnacil. MOUNT EGMONT BRANCH.

Tho Ursi si'otion of this lino is six mile: two eb ilia Io -g, inti tr,o whoc of tha for lUatiun un tins ■ ngtli lias bean completed rni s laid, and a portion of tbo ballasting don . The vein itodor cf baliastii-g will s ril ov.r u ltd crushed stone ia available. L’t-.o i xpoudiiurn an tins railway last year umouaiod tr £10,248 and fertile current year a vote of £15,000 is asked for.

OPUNAKE BRANCH

Strong representations having been made to Government in favor of the construction of a branch lino to oouneet Opunnkc with the main iiuo of railway with Wellington and Now Plymouth, a trial survey was pot in hand early hist year. As eonsidoiaoie difference of opinion existed as to the best point fur tho branch to j hot the main !un>, throe different routes have beeu surveyed, but too engineer's r, poi t and estimu'.o of cost bavo not yot beim r.chved. Too ieugth of the lino varies according to tho route adopted, ranging from rather loss chan 22 miles io a liitio mare than .26 miles. One factor j that must carry weight in determining the route is that o railway reserve exists be* tween Eltbam and Opunake, so that if j that route is adopted no compensation for iaod will require to bo paid. No deoision I oan yet be oomo to, and in any ease, in view of tho large expenditure whioh is at present taking place in oonneoiion with I the North Island Main Trunk and other railways, tho Government is una'olo to see I its way to reoomtnens Parliament Co Cake I in hand tho construction of this railway at present. NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK.

A large amount of work has been done on this railway during past year, the expenditure £220,510 having been nearly double that of tho previous year. More work still would have been done but for the exceptionally bad weather experienced during last; summer tho quite unusual rainfall made the roads almost impassable. At the north end the rail head was advanced to Oio and plate ■ laying is now in progress between that point and Kaurimu 1981-miles from Auckland. Tho formation work, including excavation of two tunnels between Kaurimu j and Makatoto, boing vigorously proceeded with, nearly a thousand men being employed upon this section. The contract for the Makatoto viaduct was let to Messrs I J. and A. Anderson of Christchurch in Juno 1905, the stipulated date for completion of structure being 15th June, 1907- The contractors have erected very fine workshops for the manufacture of steel work which is now in full Swing and considerable work has also been done un tUs touudasiuiiij for iuy ssniotuee; iaoru than half tbs consrac: timo hu3 expired, however, and much l6ss than half the wore has been done. Arfungemams arc boiig made so that the formation wuik as far as the viaduct miy ba finished by tho Sima tha etruciurs is oomoitsied, and al.-o •he mde of lino boswocu M-katote aad Mauganiuolc-ao, so seal as soon an it la prauticjblo to lay rails ac.ji-j tao Mika tale ravine the rad hand c.n bo a ivttueod to Mangaoui, 2i4 m >es item Auckland nod 212 miiea tuna Wellington. A con tract for tho M >;ig »aniot.-a j viaduct and otaer work was let to Messrs J. aud A. Anderson in July las., the amount being L 3849, and tho 3 ipul .t;d date of com pioituu 7>u Fooruary, 1903. (Owing to the ieog,u of shs Statement | a portion of it h »s beam held over- j

CLASS OF TVOBK, Tl. expend. Tl.ex.31/12/’90 Total io Expen. for llailways (new construction) Additions to open lines ... Utilisation of water power ltoads ’ Public buildings Immigration ... ... ’ Purchase of Native lands Lighthouses, harbors, harbor defences ... 10 .u/12/ yy, to 31/3/’0C. SIOJ/’OO Ml,W>m <£4,529,174 £10,504,272 2,092,002 3,332,305 5,313,307 year 1900 £•661,3(30 351,044 3,575,804 1,770,003 2,144,380 1,191,137 880,095 0 000,849 501,101 429.720 349,78!) 0 300,089 1,021,472 26,898,145 3,014,452 1,575,533 18,812 833,285 133,058 3,370 7,190,250 3,351,530 2,103.228 2,024,422 1,013,153 2,902 351,204 105.312 8,753 13.777 4,940 Telegraph extension (loldfields development ... Defence works (general) ... Departmental ’ " I a\nient to M idland Hailway bondholders Minor works and services Cost and discount loans, etc. ... Totals 71,248 009,327 205,800 425,000 . 183,067 15,000 19,708 227,831 15,820.720 71.218 1,210.170 700.901 854.720 533,450 15,000 320,157 1,204.303 42,718.805 15.888 77.180 18,533 35.509 13.517 0 1.599 235 1,721,825