PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2617, 10 August 1881, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The following is a condensed report of the Public Works Statement delivered by the Hon Mr Hall last night:— . INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Mr Hall said : —Mr Speaker,—The loss, which I sincerely regret, of my colleague the Minister for Public Works (Mr Oliver) has imposed on me a heavy duty in the Statement I am now undertading. Intimately acquainted as he is with every detail of the work to be spoken of the task would to him have been a comparatively 7 easy one, but taking up the matter as I have done, at an advanced date in the period under consideration, I am obliged to ask for special indulgence for the deficiencies which Mr Oliver’s absence is sure to cause, RAILWAYS, A considerable expenditure of the year amounting to £909,165 has been almost wholly upon works already begun before the period of 1880 81, including the expenditure during the first quarter of the current year, and the liabilities outstanding on 30th June last. It has not exhausted the votes of last year. No single group of lines can be said to bo absolutely finished and provided with suitable appliances, but I am glad to inform the House that the calls*for additional accommodation and increased plant are diminishing in importance, the lines being, for the most part, equal to an extended traffic. Beginning in the North, 1 come first to the KAWAKAWA AX I) WHANGAREI LINE. The small coal line at Kawakawa (Bay of Islands) and that at Whangarei are making good progress. KAIPARA. The Kaipara line was opened for traffic to Henderson’s mill on the 21st December last. There then remained but a short subsection (about II miles) to complete communication between Auckland and Kaipara at Helensville, a distance of about 40 miles. I am glad to say that this remaining section has since been completed, and the line was opened for traffic throughout from Auckland to Helensville on the 18th July. AUCKLAND WAIKATO. The line is now close on 100 miles in length, and with the Kaipara line, will form a continuous railway of 140 miles. WAIKATO-THAMES. Some progress has been made with this line. From its junction with the Auckland-Waikato line at Hamilton, the formation toward Helensville is finished for a distance of fourteen miles, aud the remaining four miles of the section are in hand, NAPIER-WELLINGTON (NORTHERN DIVISION). The northern division of the trunk line between Hawke’s Bay and Wellington has been lengthened by four miles thirteen chains, ending at Makatoko,

opened last year. The gap in the trunk line is thus reduced about 80 miles. NEW PLYMOUTH FOXTON. The northern division of this trunk line being the portion from New Plymouth to Hawera, a length of about fifty-one miles, is completed. Twelve miles between Ngaere and Nonnanhy were opened for traffic during the last financial year, and the remainder will be opened in a few days, FOXTON- WE LLIXGTOX. The completion ot this work would open unbroken railway communication between Wellington and the whole Wanganui and Taranaki country by a line of two hundred and forty miles. This matter will come before the Legis 1 atnre in connection with a Pill to be introduced, empowering grants of land to be, tnude for purposes of this kind required to complete the trunk line. lIUEUNUI-BLUFF. The main Hue, the longest continous trunk line in the colony, measuring from the Huruuui River (the old provincial boundary of Nelson and Canterbury) to the Bluff four hundred and forty-three miles, exclusive of branches, has daring the year been completed from Amberley to Waipara, an extension of seven miles at the northern extrera'ty, leaving nineteen miles to complete the whole distance to the Hurunui. The extension from Waipara to Waikara, a distance of nine miles, will I hope be completed in time for the ensuing grain and wool season, but the section from thence to the £lurunui awaits further survey.

BRANCHES. During the year a portion of the Tinwald to Mount Somers brand), ten miles six diains, has been opened for occasional traffic. An agreement has been made with the Rakaia Forks Company, under which the Government work the Company’s line of twenty-two miles seven chains in length. On the Waipaha-Heriotburn branch fifteen miles forty-three chains have been fully opened. The Otago Central Branch lino is in an exceptiona'ly favorable position for being prosecuted by a company aided by grants of land on the principle I have already referred to. I trust by this means the work will bo gone on with. TOTAL INCREASE OF WORKING LINES IN THE COLONY. Summing up the additions made to the working lines in both Islands during the 3’car, wo have a total of about one hundred and six miles. This gives a a length of twelve hundred and eightyseven nv’los of trunk railways and brandies now in work. To complete ibc main trunk lines in both Islands the following additions will he required : In the North Island ;—From Wc'iington to Foxton, seventy miles ; from Waverlcy to Havvera, twenty-five miles; from Waitara to Awamutu, one hundred and twenty miles ; being a total of two hundred and fifty five miles, besides the gap of eighty miles on the Wellington Napier line. In the Middle Island, a length of about one hundred and forty miles between Blenheim and Waikara will complete the trunk line from Picton to the Bluff.

WORKING RAILWAYS. The results of the traffic for tho year have been on the whole satisfactory. In the passenger traffic there has indeed been a . considerable falling off, an indication in agreement with that furnished until recently, by the Customs and other revenue returns, of the general depression in which this colony has shared, and the forced economies that have been the result. On the Hurunui Bluff linos, which furnish three-fourths of the whole receipts, it nearly reached 10 per cent on those of the proceeding period, though the length of tho lines opened to traffic has been augumented by above 4d per cent. There Las been a contemporaneous and very general and large increase of the goods traffic, tho revenue amounting to 21 per cent and clependont not alone on the increase of the tariff, but of tonnage also. Ou the two classes of receipts, namely, passengers and goods combined, there has been an increase of nearly 10 per cent. Owing partly to this augmentation, and partly to increased economy in management, the nett returns from railways, as a whole, have, during the past year, been equal to £3 8s 3d per cent ou the cost of construction. The gross revenue of the year ISBO-S1 amounted to £820,151 against £762,572 in 1879 80, an increase of £73,882. The nett revenue was £314,197, against £182,562 in 1879 80, an increase of £131,915, the difference between these two increases (58,053) being due to the causes already pointed out. Notwithstanding the increase of mileage under work (nine per cent), the total cost of maintenance and traffic was reduced from £580,010 in 1879-80 to £521957 in 1880 81, a reduction exceeding ten per cent., and as large probably, as duo care of the lines and plant will permit in tho existing state of the traffic. It will be satisfactory to bon members that I should observe that New Zealand coal alone is now used in the locomotives and that these returns show that the Westport coal may claim to rank in point of value for locomotive purposes above that obtained from the Newcastle, New South Wales, mines which stand second on the fist. A gradual revision of the present tariff with a view to encouragement of traffic by diminished charges, and the progressive adaptation of that tariff to the circumstance of the several parts of the system is receiving constant consideration by the Government of any importance. MISCELLANEOUS. A considerable portion of the Statement was simply a review of the roads constructed by the Government during the past year. The works were of small dimensions. The same remark applies to the reference made to harbor works,lighthouses, coal mines, and goldfields, the Public Works Statement in reference to the above containing no fresh proposals. SEDUCTION IN TUCLIC WORKS STAFF. A considerable reduction has been effected during the last fifteen months in the staff of the Public Works Department throughout the colony, the number of officers dispensed with being ninety-five, the aggregate of whose salaries amounted to £21,664 annually. PROPOSALS FOR THE CURRENT PERIOD. There remains, but £1,214,580 available for additional public works, and for engagements in respect of Native land purchases. For this latter purpose £87,623 will bo required during the current year, and £IOO,OOO should be reserved for further liabilities. When hon members call to mind that the payments out of the public works fund

during the nine months of 1879 80 amounted to £1,750,350, and during 1880-81 (o £1,958,351,and when they are aware that out of the expenditure we can now afford a considerable share must be devoted to the completion of works already in bunl, and to the further equipment of railways already being wonted, they will nut be surprised to learn that we are compelled to disappoint some reasonable expectations and to postpone for the present some important undertakings, tbe value of which is admitted. There remains only about £580,895 for future expenditure on railways during the remaining nine months of the period 1881 82. The proposals in reference to new railway works embrace mainly a slight extension of the present main lines. A vote will he asked on account of the branch lines now in progress to Fair! in Creek, Upper Ashburton, and Little River.

EOADS. For roads to open Crown lands the full amount required, viz., £150,000, will be shown in the estimates, but it is proposed to extend the construction to three years, and not to expend more than some £50.000 during the current year. The total vote asked for roads and bridges, including expenditure in the March-dune (juarter, and all liabilities to June 30, amounts to about £250,000. IMMIGRATION. Present circumstances do not permit 1 ns to do more than assist a number of persons who nave been to some degree surprised by the suspension of subsidised immigration, and to extend this assistance to a very limited number of ■single women and of nominated immigrants who are anxious to join their re'atives in the colony. The Government look,on State immigration operations as involving a higher degree of responsibility than perhaps any other with which they are charged. The vole asked for, including a minimum staff in the colony and in England, and the maintenance of buildings, is £24,973