PUBLUIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Southland Times, Issue 1779, 12 August 1873, Page 2

PUBLUIC WORKS STATEMENT.

On the House resuming at half-past . seven, the Minister for Public "Works (Hon. B. Bichardson) moved for leave to introduce a Bill to amend the" Immigration and Public Works Act, 1872." He said that he would avail himself 'of the opportunity to make the annual statement aa to the progress of public works. He thanked his predecessors, Mr Ormond and Air Reeves, tor valuable information as to the position of various matters, and he said that through the arduous exertions of the officers, especially Mr Carruthers and Mr Blackett, the Government had been enabled to perform their promises. The enormous work in preparing returns called for by members alraoßt stopped the ordinary work of the department during last session. The tables appended to the statement had now been altered in form, with the view to save time by supplying such informa- | tion as was demanded last session. la connection with the North Island road works the Government had endeavored speedily to bridge all the larger and most dangerous streams on the lines of road ordered to be constructed. .Natives had been employed on the roads wherever possible. They had workedfaifchfully and at moderate rates, and a desire to enter into contracts was spreading amongst them. Mr Katene had had general charge of the works in the upper portion of the di trict north of Auckland, and the Provincial Government had taken charge of the expenditure of £10,000 in the more immediate neighborhood of Auckland city. The Armed Constabulary had done work during the year to the value of £2620. The amounts expended in the several Provinces during the year were — Auckland, £35,555 2s 5d Tar.maki, £17,695 11s 9d ; Hawke's Bay, L 8,507 9s sd ; and Wellington, £32,047 6s sd, making a total of £93,804 10s. The total expenditure out of the North Island road fund up to the end of the year was £215,789 10s, divided thus— Auckland, £66,395 9^ 4d ; Taranaki, £37,008 6a 9d; Hawke's Bay, £30,956 9s Id ; Wellington, £7981 13s sd, and unapportionable, £1747 11s sd. The liabilities for contracts in hand at the end of the year were: — Auckland, £35,934 18s 41; Tartnaki, £5331 16* 7d; Hawke's Bay, £8972 10 d j and Wellington, £24,424 Is lOd. There was thus a total of £290,752 16s 9d expended as appropriated, leaving £109,247 3s 3d out of the £400,000 voted. The allocation of that Bum was however subject to a balance of £43 270 13s 5d out of the £60,0J0 set aside last session for roads north of Auckland. The £290,752 16s 9d represented 114 L miles of tiny road, and 470 miles of horse road opened or in progress. The Patea and Waitotara bridges on the West Coast, and several other large ones, would be completed duriug the financial year. The bridge at the Manawatu Gorge would be made suitable for railway purposes, and it was to be hoped that by the end of next summer there would be a good traverßable road from Wellington to Napier, and to Wanganui. The Scandinavians had done much good work on this road. On the Nelson South-west Goldfields, £26,652 193 9 j had been expen led during the year, and the outstanding liabilities amounted to £9233 Is 6d. During the year there had been opened in this district 33 j miles of first-class metalled road ; nine miles had been made passable for heavy traffic, and surveys for 50 miles of main road had been completed. The balance of the vote would be expended this year. As to Wes eland roads, fair progress had been made with al| authorised work, and it was expected that the vote would be wholly expended this year. The expectations raised by Mr Ormond's statement last year had been realised as far as possible, and except as to two lines in Wellington province, all the railways were now as forward, if not • more forward, than it was last year anticipated they would be. Fair progress had been made with the Biverhead and Helensville line. There had been delays as to rails, but it was hoped they would be received in about three months^ ' The line was to cost less per mile than many others, but the gradients were heavier than on any other excepting the Wellington and Masterton at the Biinatuku ranges. There was no ballast in the ordinary sense of the term provided for, and if there proved to be much heavy traffic on the line, considerable additional expense would have to be incurred. Satisfactory arrangements would no doubt, be arrived at, but at present between the Provincial and General Government's the contractors had more or less suffered. It was expected that the Biverhead and Auckland line would be ready for contract iv September. The entirely new survey would result in lessening the cost and increasing the accommodation. From Auckland to Onehunga the line would be ready for opening in about six weeks, and between Auckland and Mercer the works would doubtless be completed within the contract time, namely, Ist September, 1875. On the Napier to Waipakurau line, Messrs Brogden would have to exert themselves more than they bad yet done if they were to complete the Napier to Pakipaki section by the Ist December, 1873, according to contract. The remainder of the line would be advertised for contract as soon as the surveys, now in a forward state, were completed. On the line from Waitara to Wanganui, Messrs Brogden had the contract for the section of 11 miles from | Waitara to New Plymouth. It was proposed to push on the survey of the line generally, and to incur an additional expenditure of £100,000. The greatest care would be taken not to let other con-

tracts, especially for any portion in the rear of Mount Egtnont, until the engineers were satisfied the best possible route had been obtained. The cost would be about £5000 a-mile, as many bridges would be required— work would be begun at the Wanganui end. A satisfactory account of the progress of the first section of the Wellington and Masterton line could not be given, but Messra Brogden had given an assurance that its completion would not be much delayed beyond contract time, the Ist of September. The works on the second section were progressing favorably. Despite the uneasiness felt that more of this line was not in band, he was convinced that as yet every clay's delay had been for the benefit of the country, and that there had been no more delay than was necessary to satisfy the Government that the best and cheapest means of crossing the Eimatuku had been ascertained. This had now been done, and the line to Featherston would speedily be put under contract. The best route for the Wanganui and Manawatu line had at length been settled as far as Turakina. The point for crossing the Wanganui river had also been decided, and designs for the large bridge which would be necessary were being prepared. Time had unfortunately been lost at first through not getting good surveyors, but the delay had enabled the Eagineer-io-Chief to reduce the cost very considerably. The Provincial Government of Wellington had agreed to hand over the Paraikaretu block of 46,000 acres as part security for the additional cost of making this line a railway instead of a tramway, and they will hand over additional lands as the works proceed. The speed of construction will depend upon the progress of the settlement under the Emigrant and Colonists Aid Society. Coming to the South Island, the Nelson and Foxbill line ought to be finished in about eightteen months. It was at present intended to take the direct route, but the Government are determined to hear and to judge of all that could be advanced in favor of the more expensive coast route. The Picton and Blenheim line would no doubt be finished within the contract time, and for somewhat less than the authorised amount. The Kangiora and North Kowai line (Canterbury) would probably be completed in eighteen months. Considerable progress had been made by the contractor, Mr Wright, with the work for the very heavy bridge across the Ashley. The Bakaia and Ashburton section of the Great Southern Railway of Canterbury was so far advanced that J its completion depended upon the supply j of sleepers, which were now coming to hand. There had been difficulty in deciding the best route for the Ashburton to Temuka section . of the same line. The greater portion of it had been offered to Messrs Brogden under their J own agreement, but the offer had been re- j fused, and tenders would soon be invited \ for smaller contracts. The Timaru and j Temuka line was under contract, to be completed in January, 1874. The; Waitaki bridge had been delayed by change of design in England. No doubt tho bridge sent out was more substantial than what was intended to be built, but there was equally no doubt that had the Engineer-in-Chief s design been adhered to, the river would now have been spanned by a useful bridge. Tenders would be called for the erection as soon as some preliminary inquiries could be made. Satisfactory progress was being made with the Waitaki to Moeraki line. The Dunedin to Clutha line had progressed so far as to enable Messrs Brogden to complete it within contract time. A bonus had been offered for each month the line was opened for traffic within the contract time. The Tokomairiro to Lawrence line was under contract, and would in all probability be completed concurrently with that from Dunedin to Balclutha. The Invercargill and Mataura line was not progressing satisfactorily. The first section of the line, Winton to Kingston, had been let, and it was intended to let another section about the end of this year. The only coal railway was that from the Brunner to Greymquth. The deed of purchase of the Port Chalmers railway waß upon the table of the House. When the contemplated improvements were completed, the £175,000 paid for the line would be increased to £210,000. The House would be asked to vote the additional sum. The Government had no j doubt that the price would have been much increased had the purchase been delayed, and possession of the Hue was an absolute necessity. A substantial offer to lease the line for several years at a rate which would have given 1\ per cent. on the outlay was received immediately after the purchase. The line was under lease to the Provincial Government from year to year, the Province being charged with interest on the cost of the railway. Considerable progress had been made with the Canterbury branch railways. It was estimated that in addition to the 31 miles now open in Canterbury, and the eight miles of the Port Chalmers line, 125 miles would be opened and in full working order by the end of the financial year, making a total of 164 miles. Another 42 miles would probably be opened during May and June next, though not in full working order, Apart from the lines now open, 404 miles were under contract, and 160 miles more would be let in the course of a few months, the surveys and plans for which might be said to be complete. There would then remain 168 miles of authorised lines for which plans had to be prepared. The Government believed that all the authorised lines would be completed within the cost specified by the House, and also within the times named last year. j Excepting the short length between the Ashburton and Rangitata rivers in Canterbury, all the railways the Government were bonnd to offer to Messrs Brogden had been offered, and after that length had been offered to the firm, ieyeryiwork would be advertised for public tender, Of goldfields water supply i

works, four were in progress of construction or survey, namely, the Thames race, estimated to *ost £48,594 ; the Waimea rare, £61,235; the Nelson creek race, £30,41G ; and the Mount Ida race and sluicing channel, £42,315. The following subsidies h:ir! been granted to companies : — Mikoniii.West.land, £1533 ; Hibernian, Westland, £2(>00 ; New Kiver, We Bland, £3333; Arrow River, Otago, £612. Seven applications for subsidies had not been finally dealt with. The examination and development of the coal resources of the Colony were being prosecuted as vigorously as was consistent with due caution, so as to avoid the misdirection of capital. The expenditure for explorations during the year had been £1609, and there were liabilities amounting to £1405. The Government were in treaty for the purchase of several large blocks of Native land, and they had secured other large tracts on long leases. The expenditure for such lands during the year had been £36.655, and the total amount was £86,319. For this sum 771,847 acres have been purchased, and 556^560 acres were under negotiation, the purchase of which was estimated to absorb all the remainder of the amount appropriated for the purpose. The additional railway works proposed were Mataura to Clutha, 50 miles; Dunedin to Moeraki, 55 miles; and Timaru to Waitaki, 41 miles. These were in the South Island. The survey of the first has been completed, that of the second will be completed this month, and an old preliminary survey of the third was enouah to enable an estimate to be made. In the North Island a survey had been completed from Mercer to Newcastle, and the crossing place on the Waikato river had been fixed. No work would be undertaken beyond Ngaruawahia, except such as would form part of the North Island Trunk Railway. The Waikato bridge would be used for road and railway purposes -, arawings had been prepared, and an order for the cylinders was sent last mail. A flying survey had been made to ascertain whether the Thames district could be connected with the trunk line south From Auckland. The report was before the House, but it was not intended to incur further expenditure at present. The report shows that there is no engineering difficulty in the way, but action would be unwise until the direction of the trunk line had been settled. The Greymouth protective works had so far resulted well, but to provide for the anticipated coal and ordinary railway traffic, a further appropriation would have to be asked. The unappropriated balance for surveys would enable a route for the Foxhill and Brunner line to be explored, and would also enable the Engineer-in-chief to survey for a junction between the "West Coast and the trunk line on the East Coast of the South Island, as well as for the continuation of the Waikato railway. The Government propose to construct a railway from the Ngakawau over to Westport, and to carry out gradually Mr Higginson's suggestions for protective works on the Buller — works which it is believed will protect Westport, and improve the means of shipping coal, &c. Up to June 30, 1872, | the total expenditure for all purposes j under the Immigration and Public Works Act was £678,683 10s 6d, and during the year 1872 3, there was expended £1,116, 259, 3s 2d, making a total of £1,794,942 13s Bd. There were on the 30th June last liabilities in the Colony, and for railway material and rolling stock ordered from England sufficient to complete all the railways already authorised, except the coal lines, amounting to £2,035,511 15a 3d. There was thus a grand total of expenditure and liabilities amounting to £3,820,454 Bs. The additional works now proposed formed part of the original scheme adopted in 187.0, and without them much of the work in hand would be of comparatively little value. The Government would to the utmost endeavor to bring all these works to a successful termination, and that termination could have no other result than to add enormously to the wealth and prosperity of the country. Leave was given to introduce the Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday next.