PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 October 1924, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

SOME EX( 'Ell ITS. WELLINGTON, October J 7. I lie I'uMic Works statement was binllgli! doll II in the House by the 11 oil •t. 0. Coates. The following relercnces are included therein.— In my last Statement I advised that the Westport liiangaliiia Railway should be one of those on which the expenditure ol money available should next be Mini ciitratcd. At the time that statement was made I anticipated that lar greater progress would have been made with railway construction; hut, as indicated previously in this report, a gieat deal id' additional work still remains to he done on this and other lines not yet completed, and therefore vigorous prosecution of the Westport limngahua connection has been slightly delayed. The work done was more or less of a preparatory natiiie, pending further development of the coal-mines in the basin of Cascade Creek. Arrangements have been made to put a temporary siding on the Westport side ol ibis ereek, to which point the miners are ooiistriuling a Hume to transport, coal. The formation hits been cleaned tip, and immediately llte rails and sleepers (which are on order) arrive, the railhead will he pushed on from Te Kuhn, the present terminus, to the Cascade Creek. When the work to this point is completed it is anticipated that surveys and plans will he suliicicnljy far advanced to enable systematic construction to he undertaken, with the object of completing the connection with Tnangahua. On the Glenhope—Murchison section all formation work, culverts, and bridges should lie completed as far as Kawatiri Station by the end of January, and it should he possible, say, at the end of November to start laying rails. The Kawatiri section should then ho ready for opening liv the 30th .I line, 1925. Authorization is being asked for from the Owen to Murchison. 11l the meantime survey parties are engaged upon locating the line to Murchison. Mental Hospitals.—Heavy expenditure at Hokitika is occasioned by tbe construction of an up-to-date reception ward, and by necessary alterations and removals to existing buildings, the whole being part of the general scheme for replacing the present old and unsuitable structures with buildings in line with modern ideas and requirements. WAYS AND MEANS. A credit balance was left in the general account on .'list March 1921 of C 385.023. Legislative authority exists for C 0,000,900, accumulated surplus C 1,000,000 and to ask for authority to borrow C 2,000,000 making available CS, 388,913. The estimated expenditure under the account for the current financial year is C 1,018,500. THE ESTIMATES.

Kakapotalii river bridge on a/e TOO Kokatahi road (lower) ... 100 Kokatahi road (lower) river protection ..; 800 Kuinara Junction to Kapitca 000 J.ake Kanieri Iload (McKay’s Creek) 330 Malfroy’s Rridgc (C for L') i’oo Renewal bridges Ross to Waiho 331 Waikukupa bridge 1,370 llaast to Okuru -Of) Peterson Road -00 Waiho Gorge (north side) 350 Wnftangi river protection 200 Main Highways— Inangalma Junction—Wailio I*V '1 Kuinara—Arthurs Pass ... 1,200

NEW VOTES. C Police Station, Knnieri ... iono Payne’s Gully Hoad Adamson Hoad to Wailio coo Gorge ‘JOO Arawnta-C'ascade road ... 100 Tllne Spur Creek bridge ... Harris bridge (AVaimea 150 Creek llarvev creek bridge V20 tW'oolhouse road) 2"0 Jackson Bay Port road ... 100