PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 193, 4 August 1875, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Hon. Mr. Eichakdson made his Public Works Statement last night:— Instead of entering so fully into detail as formerly, he draw attention to thejnapa, tables, and reports, from, the various engineers and others, that; would be attached to the statement. It was only then for the first time that he was able to speak with' any degree of. certainty as to the cost of the various railways, The appropriation taken ill 1872 had in many cases been only approximate, but during the last two •.• years detailed surveys of nearly all the railways had been completed, and be was now in a position to place reliable estimates before the House. Before doing so, he referred to the past action of the Public Works Department, with a view to show how satisfactory were the results of the large railway works < undertaken by the colony. $he Hail- ; ways Act of 1872 appropriated' £3,886,900. This was then supposed sufficient for constructing 764 miles of ; railway, of which 278 were in the I North Island, and 488 in the Middle' Island. Further appropriations were : taken in 1873, amounting to £1,680,000, and additional small appropriations in 1874, the total being £5,777,900 for the construction of 1010 miles, of which 370 were in the North Island, and 040 i in the Middle Island. Now that the actual length and cost can be correctly estimated, it is found that to complete the lines in the North Island- there will be required an additional appropriation of £142,000 for some of them, while on the others there will be a saving on the appropriation of £50,000. Prom this ; calculation is excluded the twenty-four miles to Masterton, afterwards separately alluded to. For the completion of the Middle Island lines additional' appropriation will be required, on some of them amounting to £265,000, while i on the other there will be a balance of £443,190. Omitting the length from Featherston to Masterton, there will therefore be required to be newly appropriated £407,400. With a balance excess of votes of £93,313, this only really increases the present appropriations by £314,081. The total appropriation will be £6,091,981 for the completion of this mileage fully equipped, 100 miles of it being of a heavier rail than previously contemplated. With three exceptions the lines will be constructed at an average cost of £5600 per mile, the exceptions being the Wellington to Featherston, the Port Chalmers, and the Dunedin to Moeraki, these costing £10,000, £27,000, and £9000 per mile respectively. There are open for traffic 268 miles; 173 miles more will be ready within three months, and 116 by the end of the year. The excess of cost is attributable to the rise in labor and material, and the still greater rise in the price of timber, and heavy cost of transhipment. This rise will be more readily understood when it is borne in mind that the rise in home prices forced a large portion of permanent way to be contracted for at rates no one could ptfasibly have anticipated in 1872, and was at the time considered t > be far iu excess of what was likely to be realised when the lines were opened, but the result has been so much in excess that soon after the close of last session orders for additional rolling stock, amounting to £96,000, had to be sent home to the engineer-iu-chief. In this face of this larger traffic he had recommended 100 miles of 521b rails to be ordered for curves and steep gradients, instead of the ordinary 40lb rails. While on this subject, it was thought well to refer to the charges which have been very freely made during the past year aa to the bad quality of the material. A3 far as experience has shown at present there i3 very little to complain of, the orders sent home having been very well executed on the whole. In addition to the inspection which takes place in England, everything is bo closely examined in the colony that wherever there is any room for complaint it is at once made, and claims for remedying the evils are sent home in almost every instance, and the amounts claimed have been at once recognised and paid, or fresh' material sent out free of cost. Although many of the works have not proceeded as expeditiously as contemplated, yet a large amount of work has been done. Delays have in most cases arisen in greater or less degree from want of labor, and there has scarcely beena locality where contractors have been able to procure a sufficient supply. Urgent demands have been received from almost every district to press on the works faster, but Government have been careful to avoid further forcing up the rates of labor, and, where necessary, have extended the time for completion. The House is urged not to enter upon extensions or new lines uiitil proper surveys have been made and reliable details procured. The extra cost is attributable to a departure from this rule. The principal additional appropriations required on authorised works are £20,000 for Auckland to Mercer, £20,400 for Napier to Waipukarau, £24,000 for the conversion of the Manawatu tramway, thereby making a total of £84,000 for twenty-five miles of railway ; £59,000 for Wellington to Featherston, £50,000 for the branch line and terminal accommodation connecting the main line on the north and south of the river Wanganui with the Wanganui township. This, branch is necessary for developing the traffic on the portions of the main line now under contract. An alternate line has lately been suggested, which it is hoped j

will greatly reduce this almost prohibitive cost; ,£13^000: for Nelson to Foxhill;. £2s^ooo V Picton to Blenheim, principally owing to the extra bridging, and £15,000 for continuing the line to the -centreX of Blenheim y £37,000 for Greymoutti to Brunnerton ; £19,000 for the Waimate branch; £16,000 for other Canterbury branch lines; £1600 for Waitaki bridge; £37,400 for Moeraki line; £46,000 for] Dunedin to Clutha ; ,£39,5Q0"f0r Mataura v tolnvercargill. - The railways open for traffic, worked by the General, government have all,, aa soon aa completed by the contractors, been placed by the Engineer-in- Chief under the immediate charge of Mr Paaamore, who was selected on account of the large practical experience he possessed in connection with the working railways iq other countries, particular,}^ wijfa the narrow gauge and working of heavy gradients. This officer has bad anything but an enviable task, bat thus far the Government have eyerj, cause to be satiefied with the way io- Whicti he haa carried du6 the important-work entrusted to him. The Wellington to Masterton railway haa yielded during the.fpurteea and a-half "months is h&s been openad, £1868 13s Id over and above the workine expenses. This is a result which must be considered highly satisfactory, when it is remembered what a fragment of the line is open; that the present temporary terminus is inconveniently distant from the city, and that the line is so short aa almost to preclude goods traffic. The Napier and Paki Paki Hoe has yielded during eight and abalf months 12028 9a, and considering how short a length of this line has been opened for traffic the results are very encouraging. The Auckland and Onehunga line has during the paat year yielded £2149 5s Id. The line from Penroae to Mercer has only been opened a few weeks, and could scarcely have been considered to have been in workin? order. This profit, amounting to £6069 7s 2J, shows the annual yield by these three lines of railway on the capitalized coat to be therefore a fraciion over two per oa^f. for a few months. The Auckland and Onehunga line waa not worked in a satisfactory manner ; the cause which haa been explained, ia now removed, aod there ia no reason Jo doubt that traffic will henceforih be carried on with due regard to economy and public convenience. Complaints as regards rates for passengers and goods have been made, but reaaona are given for considering these complaints unjust. The loudest complaints have been made as to the scale paid for the line from Auckland to Mercer. Whether these are justified, hon. members are left to (For continuation see Jburlh page.)

judge for themselves from the following: fact9 : — The length of the line is 43 miles, and en it there are several miles of verysteep gradients. The first-class passenger-fare for the whole distance ? 18-11 e ; the seeond-claas is 7s 6d, and tbe rates charged for goods vary according to description, from !5s 8 i to 12a per ton. The coach rate for passeugers between Auckland and Mercer, c up' to the opening of the railway, was 15s, and the wagon rate for goods from 60s to 655. These facts speak for themselves, and will, I think, be admitted to be a complete answer to the complaints I hat have been made. Wilb a view to assist in developing the Waimines, it is intended to fix a Bpecial haulage for coal from Mercer to Auckland, at 7* 2d per ton. On the Canterbury and Otago lines, the profit for the provincial year ending on 31st Muroh last, is given bs £19,641 6s lid, and £22,323 0d 6J respectively. Tbe only road calling for special attention ' is that between Maeterton and Maoa* watu Gorge : £28,622 has been expended thereon during tbe year, and tb6 metalling will be proceeded with in the spring. The bridge over the Manawatu Gorge, opened lately, is '428 feet in length— -is one of the largest in the island, and is suitable for both road and railway traffic. The total length of roads in tbe North Island. * completed or io progress, is 1,888 miles of dray, and 526 miles of horse roads, at a cost of £478,073 lls. Io Auckland, £168,364 ; in Hawke's Bay, £70,214; in Wellington, £164,074; in Taranaki, £75,422. The mainte- , nance of many of these roads, more especially those in the unsettled districts, is a matter which, involving as it doaa considerable annual outlay, will require to be provided for. It is proposed to utilise aa far as possible the services of the Constabulary for this purpose, and when these are not available other provision will have to be mode. The total amount expended on roads in Nelson South-west Gold-fields has been £63,283, and the length completed or in progress is 114 miles. The total amount expended on roads in , Weslland is £112,009 11s SJ, and the length 135 miles. The three large water-races for supplying water on the goldfieids have all of them proved much more costly undertakings than wa» anticipated. A further sum of £41,000 is required to complete thrra, the escess being caused mainly by the large expenditure necessary to secure the stability of the head works of tbe Nelson Creek and Waimea Races. The same result, has occurred ou the large waterrace at Nascby. which is being supervised by the Provincial Government of Otago, lor which £ 0,000 additional is requued. It would appear that with all the precautions which have been tak n t-i procure reliable data previously to the comm< net merit of theee lour great works, the 31 me uiißatisfac- : t'oryresul's have been met with which have occurred to •similar undertakings in other parts of the world, and more particularly in India, California, and the adjoining colony of Victoria. Eortu ately the works entered upon in New Zealand are not on such a large scale as in those cases above referred to; '■' and the water-races undertaken will, if the House votes the necessary funds, be completed, and within a few months be made remunerative But he (Mr Richardson) was ready to admit that the late Government, of ■ which he was a memf e*, made a grave error in yielding to the pressure which was brought to bear upon it, and entering upon the con- < struction of these rac-s without more rel'able data. The new survey of the Mikonui Water Race is finished, but not yei to hand: it will be dea t with late in the session. A •lnrge number of public buildbgs have been erec ed under the direction of the Colonial Architect, but the high prices of labor and < material of all des ription have compell- d the Government to hold over ail those which the requirements of th^ p iblic service per- * mitted. The cal explora ; ion of th.-Buller field has been pro.eedfd with a9 rapidly as possible, and the plotting of coal outcrop has been going on contemporaneously with it. The survey of t e country between Ng ikawau and Mount Rochfort, imd between Mouut . Willirn Range and Cascade Break has been completed. A rough estimate of this area gives as much »b 140.000,000 tons, in semis of 20 feet and upwards, attaining, at one • point, a ihu-kneßß of 53 feet. The brown coal of the Kupa Kupa Mine, Waikato, is being steadily worked, the seam holding ab ut 18 feet in thickness at Raglan. The coal formation aga 11 appdrs at Miranda Rerfoubr, and varies Irom 16 feet to 18 feet. Coai is reported in Shukesp are Bay, Ficto;)) but ex .initiation of the country do s not give any prospect of its being f>mu 1 there in workable quivntit ea. The almot>t inexhaust • ible coalfields in Otgoare now being worked to a c niparatively iarge extent, and, with the faciliti' s tbafc will immedia.ely b : offered by the railways in course cf construction, the development of ihe3e mines will be rapidly txten led. The same n-m -rk appli s to the coalfiel s in Cantei bury, and the neighborhood of Greymouth. The inspection of machinery lias been brought into lorce. llaciti' es in 351 establishments have be n iuspected, an«i 513 Bteani boilers; the lees amount to £903, an I the expend ture 10 £825. The Government consider that while no attempt should be made to en at- revenue from tliis sour, e, the fees sh uld be made to pay all ths nect;s3,ry expenses of carrying out the Act. Asa rue. the owners of ainchinery of ail classes have signified iheir ap prov 1 of tbe Act, and there is no doubt ihat the Inspec or's recommendations have been of much service, an i if the 1 rovi ion* of the Act are carefully carried smt in the ftitu-e, very ureat benefit rau t accrue to the public. The Government consider ihe rail* ay appropriations, to be taken ihis yearojtof the loan, s oudbj ou y those which will tend to rtude.- th-j lailwaj'B aircady author.sed more complete, an 1 thit further extensions shou d be pos(po.ied until a-, all. events the greater proportion of the railways now in co ;rsi of construction ;u\! open for traffic. They feel convinced, Tom tiia B:itisl'a-jt< ry results shevrn by these already opened, that tlure will be no difficulty in raising whatever fun Is may be necessary to fuither extend the main trunk lines. The Auckland work-hops have co3t £12 V OOO, and £i,0(0 more will Le required. 'Ihe txp&rience 0! the Manawatu tramwayhaving thuwa the wnete occicijuid tiy Ivy is g riowu wo, den rails, the Takapu tra(uwa> will bo converted into a railway, for which £27,000 is required. The line Jroin Mmiawatu to Wanganui is, on completion ofplmn, five miles longer than anticipated, requiring £30,500 to finish it. The li.ie fiom tfeather's on to Masteiton, 24 milea being pnciically uiprovided for, will require X1 20,u00. The Wellingtou tcn»iuuii, iududiog the reclamation, will coat £35,101), and the estimated co t

of the Railway Wharf is £2>,000, an \ £5 noo will also bi requiied for a small workshop, built so 88 to be capable of e«sy extension. The inland line from Waitara to Inglewood is £3,5C9. The Gjv,.Tnmeat hope uext seesion to be able (o submit estimates for completing 'he miin irurk Hue b«tween Taranaki 'and Wanganui and Ma3terton, through Manawatu to Nap : er. Survey parties are n : w engaged on these route*, md although the cost of completirg ihe«e railways will be very large, still the Government are satisfied there will bs no difficulty in raising the nece<Jcary funrs when the railways now in h<md are finished, and the extension ran be uiidert^ktn with economy. Westport and M >unt Rochf rt is so far alvanced that proviiion must be made f r (hipping cod, and for protective works, for which £30 500 will be required The plans are prepared. The sum of £10,000 is absolutely required for a new passenger stat'on at Port Chalmers, including refund of cost of reclamation, and about £900 has been spent on Dunedin workshops, which will cost the same as at Auckland, viz., & 15,000. A survey has been made to join the East and West Coasts cf the MMdie Island by Mr Fox. The tngioeer-in-chief from this data recommends that the best route for a railway north of Hokitika is from Greymou,tb, via the river Ahaura to the Tutakuorl, over the Hope Pasß, thence along the Hope aqd Wda-au to where that river would be crested by the extension northwards by the main trunk lipe. Other roada have betn traversed and found impracticable. The Government is not jet in a position to recommend any action to the Assembly. The Statement cor eluded as follows:—" During the past year the expenditure on reals has been £(23,958 15s 3d, in addition to a total expenditure to 30th June, 1374, of £508,787 16j 4d on railways. The expenditure for the year has been £1,997,165 3a 9d, in addition to £1,994 SS6 10s Sd previously; and on water races there has been £113 335 18a 2d expenditure, in addition to £101,352 18s Sd. The total expenditure to the 30th June last lor each of the above class of works being, on roads, £632,746 12s; on railways, £3,991,421 14a 2d; and watefraces, £2 '4,688 16s sd; giving a total expenditure of £4.838,857 2s 7d The liabilities on these respective works wero at the Bame date — roade, £23,132 2s 7d : railways, £1,620,365 5s 10d; and water races, £137072 6a Id, making a total liability on those woiks of £1,780,570 14s 64. and of expenditure and liabilities £6.619,427 1 7s Id. I should add that the greater portion of the expen 'ituro arjd of the .''abilities above mentioced, together with the aaounfc of the new services 1 have laid before you this evening, will be distribute 1 as ftited in my hon. cilleagusfs fluani 111 statement over a period of twoyeirs, but we h*ve not only the expenditure side of the question be'ore us to-night; we have aleo the beginning of the return which the largor poition of the expendiiure on railways will produce. I have stated th^t upon all the lines opened for traffic a very gratifying profit his been received, mere especially when the fragment6ry character of some of those )'nei U taken into account. Now, sir, with the working of these short lengths before us, I think there is ro room for any gloomy forebodings es to the financial auccese of ths railway system adopted by the colony. Even at present the eaey and certain communication the rai way affords hai greatly assisted settlement in the country districts, and this constantly growing element of settler p'pu'ation mu^t furnish a corresponding increase of traffic, as the lines in course of competion open up country hitherto cut off f om a market by reaicn of the cost or d?fSculty in communicating therewith. If further evidence of the probable pitying resuts of our railway expenditure should bj needeJ, I ask the Houae to turn to the table appended heret > aa reprinted from the annual report of the Commißßioner of Bailwajs in Victorit for the y.ar 1874. I have had that tahle reprinted because I think it is calculated to inpire great confidence in the minds of him. members. It shows that in the year 1874, there were open in the co!ooy cf Vic oria 441 miles of railway, the total eott of wh\jh was £11,557,481; the average coet per mile was £26,207; the gross receipts irom all sources were £861,042; the working expens swere £374,717; the nett income was £467,327, bemg interest at the rate oi 5J per teat on the total enpital. Now sir, we 'n New Z aland, shall have 992 miles of railway fcr theto'iU tost of £6,091,9*1, or at the rate of about £6,000 per mile After making f u I al owance for the diff rjnee in the popu ation of the two colonies, and the extra exp n e involved in the workine, by our having tlvee or fimr great centres of 1 riffle instead of < ne 88 in Vi torn. I cannct but think thit hon numbers will agree with me in te ievh g that t te coinp irative difference in cost wb-ch is more th.n at the r*te of £2 GO) per rnie in f-wor of New Zealand leives such a mirgin as will tnute very fatisfictory rtsults to railways in this colony. Thu House will have a ready judged fr»m what I hove said that tha pulley of the Government is to comI lete all the Jines now m hand, anl get them into tnorough working order, and it will then » e teen where extensions are most wanted to further op,n d P the couutry. Meanwhile, large as the liability is, which has already been mjurred for railway construction, ( am sureihatif the railways. are but p-adentlv nui-ftgad. the result will ba tuch a« to make it very tasy lor mcceeding governments to raue wnatimr further sums may be r*qui cd for any railways it cau be shown will help tlic eettlenunt of the country, the one main object which has been kept in view since tbe ccmmencfmeut.'fwhHt has been styled the Public Works Immigration p>licy. Sir, I h ive trcspasstd on ihe time of the Uouse very largely on two similar occasions in previous j e»re, and I am 8 ire I have to-nipht sorely tne:i your patieuce, and that of hon. members; r>u> the importance of the occasion ia sa< h H8 to warrant me in extending my remarks <o the lengih I have done It only t ow rsm ine for me to thank you, sir, and the House, for the consideration you have shown iue.