PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1923, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

((Yr favor of Government). WELL I NGTOX, Aug. 23 Tim Hun ■!. G. Coates, -Mini-tor of Public Works, delivered tho Statement to-night in the House. The operations of the I’nhlm Works Department during the past year have resulted in very material progress in ihe works of railway-construction, hvilro-elevt ric development, irrigation, roa.l construction and improvement, as well as ill other works individually smaller hut none the less of importance. The cists hi construction materials im ,| |ihtnt have receded to some extent. T„ thi'. and the application of mechanical apparatus wherever possible, is due the fact that, cu: pared with last veer, a much greater extent of work has hew, obtained for an equivalent expends lire of MUII’.CI . f or t he time being, it N otir pulley to ■eisii railwav emt-i rncl ion by both the Deliartmetit responsible lor construction and the Department which, on completion of the work, will he responsible lor making the line pav its way as a part of the Xew Zealand railway system . BAII.WA VS. During the financial year a 7 miles !■-, chains section of the Waiuku Branch Bailway was completed and handed m rr to the Itailwuy Department. The outstanding a: !.e vemenis have been tile completion of the gap between railheads on the line running north from Auckland and south from Bay ol Islands and Wliaiigaivi, thus linking to tlm North Island .Mam Trunk system 200 miles of railway system north ol Auckland; while in the South Island the east ami west coast railway systems have been connected : and general railwav t radio established in both these

i prop :se now to sketch the pro gramme oi operations during the next two years and indicate the programme which 1 consider it will he possible to put in hum! t heTen I ter. Certain works are now being pit-lied to completion. As these are wholly or parfially completed the expenditure thereon naturally diminishes and enables other works to he taken in hand and pushed to completion. 'I he position i- a simple olie. The amount ol money available annually for railway roust ruction is limited. It is obvious, therefore, that the soundest polity is to concentrate that expenditure on the most urgent works, complete them, and thus enable them to earn interest on their construction

Having delitied the present objectives (if railway works now in actual course of const ruction and enabled the House to appreciate the probable demands upon the Public Works Fund for tlm pre-

seat and tlte near future for the complete m oi those works to the objectives. I now invite consideration of three special undertakings upon which 1 advise that the expenditure of moneys available should next he concentrated.

The first is West pori-Inangahua. At present the whole export of the ;“s(part coalfields finds outlet from Westport Harbour. A large proportion ol this (oal is shipped to the east coast of the South Islam!. If tlm-e fields were given railway connection lo the Kasi and West Coast, Railway systems, now lutineeted by the opening of the (); ira Tunnel, the coal would he i ranspon cd over the railway and earn ircighl. not ottlv over ihi~ particular

see! ion Inti over Irom 2Hfi to 2-ill miles ol upon railway. T lie provision m railwav enmmiinieal ion would al'o h ad to the opening-tip of other coalfields, lo site nothing of the interchange of stock

j aa • ’ farming products Irom ( atuerhnry. The other two works aiv oi praetical!v equal importance, each being designed to provide improv ed conned ion 1-0-iueeii the Pori of Wellington and the districts in the Dominion lying lo the north 'a -1 and north-west oi that pint, j They are known as Taw a Flat dot iatio» ol |ho Wellington- Palmerston Not tit portion et t he* Non it Island Main I rank line, and the liunutnka Deviation oi the Wellington-Wairarapu line. HOAD CONSTRft TION. The expenditure for the year ending :;| st March, 11)23, on road const rncl inn and maintenance has surpassed all pn'Cvintts records. Tim amount o[ const met inn work carried util was large ami diversified in eharaett r. Ii has keen nei ossai'y t>> emplov large numbers of unskilled men on relief works, and the obier! habeen, -o far as practicable, to employ such men on work of general utility to the Dominion. ('onseqitcully. several of the leading highways that came under this category were selected. and have, by moans of this labour, been greatly improved hv regrading, realignment, ami surfacing with metni. The style of construction has, a- far a- passible, been standardised, pet oil attention being given to the matter ol curvature, as that IVatuio is oi great import a nee to motorists in legat'd in safely, at tummy, and comfort. In bridge and culvert work the durability. strength, and adaptability o, concrete, whether plant or reiltlnried ate being increndiigly recognised and made use of. The Main Highways Ait, I hough passed during the session of 1922, dees mil. enme into active operation till the Ist Atiril. ID-’!. .Meantime, however, much inlorniation is being and will still have in he culleeteif. and many problem-. considered by the Board constituted in i •inis ol the Act. HOADS AND TRANSPORT.

1) mbtless secondary development of thi? country by means of railway is essential at a certain stage, ye-t thw prtnary development in any country must ! e liv Hauls. Vary great progress lias baan made in this directionduring the past year, both in materially improving existinu roads and ill constructing new roads. The (expenditure o, the parliamentary appropriations tor ibis purpose Inis been carried nut by both the Public V.'orkx Dcpaitmeni and ln.-al-budv orga nisai ions. FLOOD DA MAO K. During the whole of the year the progress of work generally has been considerably hampered by persistently bad weather. In certain Idealities very serioii- llooiis oeeurred, resulting in heavy damage and destruction of roads, bid! .ys. ami river-prelection works. In manv cases (lie cost oi restoration has keen of such magnitude as to lie altogether beyond the resources el the local-governing nut!.orb :c . It has therefore been necessary tor the Ooveriimoni 1 i come i i tlie a-'-M,;tauee of local hodios, which will mean a heavy addition to normal expenditure.

IIYDIIO-ELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT. Substantial progress is being made with the development of the hydroelectric power of the Dominion. The total out!,iv on all schemes during the year has been fMAfI,2 17. atul the total outlay nl the end of the year was C2.iro.lilo.

Two schemes, Lake Coleridge and Horr.hora. are in full operation and aro being extended. The construction power plant for Widkaremoana has been installed, and is being used ponding construction of the main plant to supply the local demand, and two of vtio larger schemes are under construction, viz.. Mangahao and Arapuni. EXPENDITURE.

TPs total not expenditure under all vote- and accounts appearing on the public works estimates for the financial year ended 31st March, IP-3, was £1.939.*,20.

O'f tliis sum £3,912,447 was expended out of the Public Works Fund, and the balance ,£1,027,073, out of accounts

which have their own ways and means and arc quite separate from the Public Works Fund. WAVS AND MEANS. On Ihe Ist April. 1922. the available ways and means for public works purposes were £420,082 additional funds received amounted to L’3.02-1,7.14, making available for expenditure a gross t otal of 01,31-1, MO. The net expenditure on all works mu! services chargeable against the Public Works Fund for the year was 03,912,880. This left a credit balance ot ways and means at 31st March, 1923. of 01 11 ,551. Legislative authority exists for raising a further additional 04,(109,920. It is proposed to transfer from accumulated surpluses to capita! purposes t.) the extent of 01,000,00(1; also to ask lor further legislative authority to borrow when required a further 0-1,000,000, a total of ,09,000,920, thus making available for public works purposes a total of 09,4-12, L I. The estimated expenditure on public works tor the current financial year (exclusive of those accounts which have their own ways and means) is 04,800,:12, which will leave an estimated credit balance in the fund at 31st March. 1921. of 04.030.102. Quite separate from the before-men - liotti 4 fund there are certain public undertakings of considerable importance which have their own ways and means. The most important of these are—(a Electric Supply Account -- 0N499,909. h) Wailmii and Ohinemuri Hirers Improvement Account— 0139,143. .c) Jlailw.iys Improvement Authorisation Act. 1911 Account making a grand total ol 020, HI, <79. The expenditure under tho Railways Improvement Authorisation Act, 191 I, amounted to 003,030 for grade easements. The expenditure out of the Public Works Fund under the head "Additions to Open Linos" amounted to 0751.92*. PIT'LIT’ BUI.DINGS. The first portion of the new Parliament Building has now been completed. Departmental Buildings.—The Departn ..•liial Buildings. Wellington, have been ellieieiitly maintained. External painting is well in hand, as also are internal renovations, im-ltiding exleiisito alterat ioiist to the sanitary eonveiiieiiees. POLICE STATIONS. New police stations during ihe yetir have been erected at llawera, Inglewood ami Mohaka, additions to -Mill criou Station, and a lock-up Guilt at Pttiaruru. Additional aoi etiiimidat 1011. flic erection of which has been postponed lot iimuicial reasons during the last lew years, is required at several places to replace old buildings which are heyoml repair, and provision lor these is being made on this year s estimates to the extent ol moneys available on that purpose. POST \ND TELEGRAPH. The great expansion ol departmental business lias rendered additional accommodation necessary at many places. This can he provided in most cases by additions t" existing buildings'; bill in others the erection ol new buildings is necessary, ait 1 provision will he made accordingly as funds p-r-

>'t ! - MENTAL HOSPITALS. At Hokitika the central block ol kitchen, bakehouse, store, and 'tall rooms and quarters has keen completed, and a drainage system, which provides lor future extensions, has keen instituted. The installation of electricity for light I powei is 1-viit, proceeded with. LIGHTHOfSES. ) The ! raii'ie: ol the lighthouse .- la | tom irom least l-ie.ml to the niaiiihilid has been completed, and the light i» iii\ nu.j; >;i l i.ti jhT H;J). 1 The coinersioit oi !he pre.-en!. light lon lirilin Island to an .luiuinnlif | tun aa I died) light will he elicited as i soon as the apparatus is received m ! tlte Dominion, and if i- nop; .1 tuefleet a similai ((inversion ol the light at if.ipe i'oulwind in the near iuliiio These chane.es will result in a very considerable reduction in maintenance charges. HAH lit H R WOI! lx ". The works earried out during the year included : -- nkurit.--Repairs were clleeted to lie what!’, and new mooring-pill's driven. Hrm-o Bay.- Plaits were prepared and the work commenced oi a landing ami goods-.-.hed on Flower-pot Rock, togei |:er Wii.lt an approach bridge and Karamca. -A considerable amount of repair work was carried out on the training-wall, a number of piles herng driven and sheathed to strengthen the wall and to prevent \vave-aclion at the hack. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. The hulk of eoiendil me la-t year wn- im ttric.l in developing the tele- i plum,, exchange .system'. which wacxi .-tided during the year by the opening oi i went v new manual exchanges atr| the connecting with these and Other exchanges throughout the Dominion of |t),2li:l Stihscril era, the great es i mini her yet connected in any nei,il year. The addition of new subscribers ttecessilatetl the providing of additional switchboard accommodation at twenty-live exchanges, and tin installing of underground and •loria' rallies at a number ol places when the pole-lilies were so heavily laden as in make extension impracticable au l maintenance a co-tiv item. IRRIGATION'.

Whore- irrigation was carried on last ve.tr ii has been continued this year with marked success to the farmer and increasing revenue to the Covern incut. MECHANICAL APPARATT' 5 . In order to keep const ruction workadequately supplied with necessary nuvhanieal ap|>aratus and plant th r erpiipnient has been or is being in creased by three loc-motives. two oraline excavators, a suction dredge, live road-rollers, and four portable nildriven air-compressors. CONCLUSION.

In conclusion, the Oovernment conceives its duly to he not merely t' concentrate on present-day requirements, hut to visualise future necessities with the object- of placing on? Dominion in a position to receive and settle a greatly increased population Apart from meeting existing reason able requirements we must at the

same lime comprehend and provide as far as possible for the stimulation of settlement and development of natural resources as yet almost tin touched. It is only by judicious balancing of present necessities and anticipation of future requirements ns well that a proper perspective can be obtained and the Government effectively carry out the trust reposed in it by ihc people.