Public Works Statement.

Manawatu Herald, 1 October 1892, Page 3

Public Works Statement.

The Minister of Public Works laid his annual Statement on the table of the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon. It begins with a summary of the advantages accruing to the colony from the gradual tapering off in the Public Works expenditure, which the Minister terms the Self-reliant Policy. Coming to tha state of the Public : Works Fuud, tables are given to show there will be £551,578 available for expenditure upon general .' works in the year, and £276,977 available under the portion earmarked for tho North Island Trunk Railway. Of this it is proposed to !i spend £501,621 on general works and £161,144 on the Trunk Line, but other liabilities accruing in the • year will reduce the balance of the « Trunk Line funds to £58,127 at the 81st of March next, and leave a debit balance of £8978 to the General Works Fund, which is to be made up by a transfer from the Trunk Line fund of £10.000 already spent on native land purchases in ■-■•'■' tho vicinity of the route. Beyond the reductions made in the departmental staff during the , yea-, the Minister does not consider , any further changes in the \ ataff are neoessary for the present. Seotions of the Catlin's River and Otago Central Railways, making a total of 81 miles 8 chains, have been completed and handed over to the Commissioners during the year. '■'The' total earnings of the railways arabtroted to £1,115,481, and tho net profit, after deducting working ' expenses, amounted to £408,914, bai qg £5086 less than the Railway estimate for the year, and £12,084 less than the ne^t 'revenue of the preceding year. The return on the capital invested I amounted to £2 15s 9d per cent, oguiajt *8 48s 114 per cent for the

Is. I p.-evions ye.ir, and £2 19s 5d for tli iss year 18S9 90. For the currer. co financial year the Commissionei tie e.stimats that a larger net revenn de will bs earned, their estimate bein jr, £423,000 ; but even this amount wi *r, only about bring the net revenue v lie to that of 1890-91, though the lengt ■s ! of line opjn for traffic will be ovt •HO mites more than that yeai ts | These very unfavourable resull j (says the Minister), nofcwithstandin li? | th?. increased prosperity and increa; in ing population of the colony, appea th to the Government to be disquioi xt ing as to require some special remedj ss It lias therefore been determined t mi ask for an amendment of the la 1 •s. under which tha working railway ie are at present administered, and it i ie hoped that if the Bill for this pur in pose now before the House become ,'c law, very much better results ma id shortly be apparent. >y The Minister is of opinion thai; nc ty cement but the colonial article shouli to ha used in public works for tit ie future, and so long :>s colonial-mad ■d galvanised iron is supplied at t iv reasonable pric •it will b> -jiv:Mi ]v.-c h ference to tlie imported iron. 1, R'iviewiug the railwiy* iim.Lm ts construction, it is stated the Govern ie ment consider that the completion o d the Rotorna Railway is a\v >r!\ of f hi first importance, and thttivf.ro pro js pose to take » vote this year suffi ie cient to coiupleti* it acordingiy c The distance is about nine mile" [: most of the foinial.ii n being doi\e. n The vote »--kejJ for in respect o )• Xoii'rUland Trunk I Jail way is to be !;. sionfc in conlinning work on the c northern portion under the co-opera-f. tive system. The works on the c Eketahnnn-Woodville s 'Ct'on are still c progressing slowly, but will be y pushed on m )ro vig rously if the c vote which h i-s n)w bacn placed on s th? Esiiina-os foi 1 t!ie work i < p-i^s >d. On fch. j Tl 1 Aro ExteiHi:>n t!if t formation work; are now near y t completed. The laying of the p?r---s mancjnt way, which i'oriiH part of 3 tli $ pr.-> : eir. (•> itraot, will be p-o---f cecded with inrnpdiately. and tendors i for the nyceasa-y station buildings . will be invited at an early date, i The Ofcago Central line is to bo i pushed on vigorously, and an autho- » risation of £86,000 is asked for, of t which £30,000 is to be spent during ) the current financial year. t Of the votes for roads to npon up i Crown lands for sale,' the following i are in Iho Wellington district: — i Pahiatua to Palmerston North. : £1200; Torifcen Road. £50 ; Pnketoi , £2200; Kaiwhata Valley, £230 ; ; Mount Raker. £1000, Bridge and I Road, Napier's Crossing, £1000 ; i Pohangina-Orou i-Coal Creek. £1030; : Otamakapnn, £220; Waitotara- ! Omahine. £l")0f); Wanganui-Mnri- | motu, f 9ij() ; Rnngitikei Punt, | Hunterville (OtniiO, £220; Pohonuij otane Block, £000 ; TeKapna, £-"500 ; ; Maknri fiorge Road. £2100; j Ivawatau-Hauhipu. £500; Apiti j District, £700 ; Waimarino, £1750 ; ' Road through University Reserve, ,£800; P.ihnnifinn Valley Road, j £r>oo ; Mnkuri ohanga Roiul, £700 ; I Fpper jMiiknri Vallpv Kond, 1*750 : ! Waikanne-Hiitt Jiond. £050; Kaka | riki and W:iiwL»ra Blocks, i'HOO ; i j Makairo Road, £iIOO. Of the Norfc'h Island Trunk Loan moneys, £10,000 is proposed to bs voted for the Okahune-Pipiriki road, and £10,000 for tho Ongnruhe. Stratford road ; also £04,024 for tho purchase of lnnd, being the balance ot last year's similar vote. Co-operative works for the unemployed are provided for by a vote of £10,000 as against £4685 voted last year and £10,164 spent.