PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1055, 4 July 1883, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Hon. W, Johnston delivered his Public Works Statement in the House last evening. He commenced by __ saying that last session he inclined favourably to the appointment of a Board to manage the railways, but since then his experience led him to believe that only a Minister, directly responsible to the House, should; control the expenditure. Government proposed to ask the House to sanction the appointment of a Minister for Railways, as the business of the railways had become . large enough to, be separated from Public Works. ' , Expenditure. For expenditure upon telegraph extension, public buildings and lighthouses for the railways, roads and harbour works nnder the control of the Minister for Public Works there s was voted £1,251,830, of which, £574,935 has been spent and there were liabilities outstanding on 31st March last amounting to £439,593, and, in addition, there had been transmitted to the AgentGeneral for the. purchase of rolling stock and permanent way authorities to contract to the amount of L 210,205. Railways. About 40 miles of railway were opened for traffic during the year,, these consisted of 1| miles on the Whangarei Kamo line and. miles on the Hurunui Bluff section, thus making a total length opened for traffic of 1373 miles. The sections between Waverley and Manutahi 16 miles, from Oxford to Malvern A I!’ miles, and from A 1 bury to Fairlie Creek miles, , are on the point of completion. The contracts for the erection of the station at Te Aroha and for the formation between Morrinsville and Te Arora have been let, and it is intended shortly to invite tenders for pi a tel ay ing between Hamilton and Morrjnsville and between Hamilton and Cambridge. Upon the Napier section works will not be completed fill September. The further formation to Tahoraite will be completed by the end of December. ' This will make an additional length open of 11^'miles upon the Wellington-Woodvillg line. An extension of the line from Masterton to Opahi has been let by contract to be finished in December, and a contract has been let for the railway bridge near Woodville. - Poxton-New Plymouth.—lt was expected last year that the section between Waverley and ■ Manutahi would have been completed by December last, but

unnsnal difficulties have been experienced on the Whenuakura contract and have prevented this. It is hoped however that this section will be ready this month. A portion of the gap described in last year’s statement, as lying between Manutahi, and Hawera has been made the subject of a contract, and it is proposed to call for tenders at an early; date for the remainder, about 6 miles. This will complete the main line from Foxton to New Plymouth, and its completion will, I have no doubt, be a source of satisfaction to hon. members. Nelson-Roundell.—A tender has been accepted for the formation of an extension of this line up the Wai-iti Valley, somewhat over 2jr miles. Coming to the Picton Line, tinformation on the first section of. miles south of Blenheim, towards Awatere, is finished* and a working survey has been made to the Dashwood Pass, six miles further. 1 Hurunni-Bluff System.-—The formation of the Horcoley Downs section is nearly completed, and tenders for the phtte-laying are about to be called for. _ The bridge over the Hurnnui is in progress, and surveys have been made for the extension of the/ line to near the Red Post. The other principal works in progress on the main line consist of extensive additions |o the workshops at Addington and Hillside, an entirely new station at . Dunedin, what are practically stations at Timarn and Invercargill, and considerable improvements at the Bluff. Extensions have been made, or are in progress in following branches : Little River, Ashburton, Albnry, Livingstone, 1 Palmerston, Gatlin’s River, Tapanui, Toi Toi’s and Seaward Bush. A contract has just been taken for a section of the Switzers branch and another is in preparation for a section of the KelsoGore line. Sections have been opened during ,the financial year on the Little River, Ashbnrlon. and Toi Toi’s branches, 7|-miles of the Albnry branch were ready fer opening when the late floods occurred and caused damages which it will take a few weeks to repair, i Otago Central.—A contract has been entered into for formation of 4^- miles onwards from the Deep Stream. Mr Johnston also gave particulars of other works on Southern lines which it is" unnecessary to give in detail. In fact in various parts we have abridged the statement to suit onr columns.

Siurreys. In accordance with a promise made last year steps* have been taken to explore the North Island for the purpose of determining the future route of the main trunk line of railway. Four survey parties ore now engaged in this work; viz, one party on the line .recommended ns being suitable from Hastings to Tanpo and tnence to Te Awamutu, one party on the inland line starting from near Marion or Feilding and proceeding northward, 1 and - two bn the line between Taranaki and Te Awamutu. ; With respect to public works in the North Island .at the end of the current year with the Kamo and Kawa Kawa lines finished, theFoxton-New Plymouth line nearly finished and the unfinished portion of the Waikato-Thames line in progress and the gap separating Napier and Wellington lines sensibly reduced, the colony will recognise with satisfaction that the great efforts it has made daring 11 years for railway construction in this island have achieved a large part of the results striven for. So far as regards the continuation of the Main ank Line the Government is pressing necessary steps to obtain as * soon os possible information necessary to enable Parliament to come to a decision as to, which of the routes suggested should be adopted. In the meantime Government are not in a position to submit to the House any recommendation on the subject, but of course provision for the necessary surveys .wills be asked for. Ini the Middle Island the . extension of the Main Trunk Line north as far as the Red Post:is desirable, bnt Government cannot come to a decision where the Cook Strait line shall connect, until the Legislature has decided what effect shall be given to the resolution passed by the House last session, namely, .hat the principle of specially taxing property, increased in value by the construction of public works with public money is just, and to the recommendation by the Select Committee appointed to consider the subject that all public works to be commenced thenceforth shall be undertaken on the condition that property which may be specially benefitted by snch work shall be .subjected to such special charge or treatment as the General Assembly may determine. Mr Johnston then referred to the West Coast Railway, Middle Island, which he did not think of such pressing importance as to warrant a special loan and as all the money from last year’s authorised loan was appropriated, the line could not be made yet. Land would however be reserved along the proposed route. Roads and Bridges.

It is not the intention of Government to ask the ‘ House to make any further special grants in aid of County roads and bridges, believing.that in future all the assistance afforded to local bodies should be under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, Working: Railways. . The receipts from railways during the last year show a very gratifying increase, having risen from L 892,026 in 1881-82 to L 953,347 in 1882-83, an increase of L 61,821. The increase in the number, of passengers carried during Inst year ns compared with the previous year was 371,901. The increase in the tonnage hauled was 127,099 tons, and, in the number of the stock carried, 136,020. The expenditure out of loan upon further improvements to opened lines was £145,000. In the North Island the net revenue was £71,378 or £2 Is Id per cent on a capital expenditure on opened lines of £3,474,681; in the Middle Island the capital cost of the opened lines was £7,004,316, the 1 net revenue £289*148, or at the rate of

£4 2s 61 per cent. Lost year the net revenue from •North Island railways was £68,126; from those in the Middle Island 300,800. The interest on tin gross outlay f -n railways opened and unopened for 1881-82 was £3 7s 3d per cent; for the year 1882-83 it is £3 3s 2d per cent. Treatment of Landis Specially Bcnefitted. The subject of lands 'specially bencfitted by .railway construction was next referred to, and the first proposition discussed was to repurchase land alongside ■of railways. This the Ministry urged would however involve a heavy loan, and an alternative in regard to the future was suggested, viz, to revalue the land after the railway was made, charging it with half the increment of value, the owner to be at liberty.Jo yedeem this charge when he may please, and in the meantime to pay.interest on it at 5 per cent per annum. Government has determined to submit a bill empowering it to adopt both plans with the intention of generally acting on the second and at the same time proposing to. .confine the'operation of the first .plan/ to ‘ situations favourable to settlement, whilst using it so ns not to deprive anyone of his residence or of the land attached, to an extent: not exceeding an acreage to be’ determined by the Legislature, the Act of resumption in each case not to be deemed to be finally completed, until after the particulars are laid before Parliament, and an appropriation granted for the amount of the compensation to be paid. With regard to rating districtg through which unprofitable railways ran, the hon. gentleman thought that would be imposing special disabilities upon, settlers, and would have a retarding 'effect upon our progress. He concluded by expressing the hope that their efforts would result in the promotion of the general advantage, of the community, and the establishment of a numerous body of independent settlers.