The Public Works Statement

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 393, 14 August 1889, Page 4

The Public Works Statement

Wellington-, August 8. The Public Works Statement was laid on the tablo in the House this evening by Mr Mitchelson, who moved that it be taken as read. It was as follows :—: — Mr Speaker : The proposals of the Government in relation to public works, which I have to explain this ovening, are essentially moderate, merely defining the manner in which the Government propose that the expenditure of the balance of the loan funds (amounting at the end of March last to £1,445,670) should be vspread over a period of about three years.

RAILWAYS. HELENS VTJ..LE NORTHWARDS. The Helensville Northwards Railway is, as hon. members aro no doubt awavo already, completed and opened for traffic to a point in fcho Kaukapakapa Valley, about eight miles from Helensville. and 44 irom Auckland, and it is now proposed to undertake its extension for a further distance of ten miles to Bnrns's farm (Ahnroa), between Komokiriki and the Kaipara Flats, that being the nearest point to which it can be profitably taken. By this extension there will be opened up a large area of land at present unutilised, a considerable portion of which is owned by the Crown, and as tho ; land which will be passed through by the railway is covered to a great extent with valuable kauri and other timber there will be a profitable timber traffic on the new extension, and consequently a further dovelopinent of traffic on tho existing lino in the immediate prcaont, to be followed hereafter, as the land is cleared, by the move permanent traih'c of a settled district. The complete work as now proposed, however, including provision for existing liabilities and engagements will costcloseupon £80,000 and as the balance of loan allocation for this railway at the end of March last was only £56,929 tho Government hns decided to lecommend that the £23,000 originally allocated for the double line to Penroso should bo diverted to the Helenaville line, thus makingr up the funds available to £79,929. In coming to this conclusion the Government has been largely influenced by the fact that the £23,000 provided for the Penrose line is only a small fraction of the amount required to complete that work, total estimated cost of which is £100,000, and as there seems to be no prospect of obtaining the balance required for many years to come it would appear to be useless to continue it as an allocation to the Penrose line. The authority proposed to be asked for this year in order to admit of contracts being left for the works which I have indicated will be the £79,929 already mentioned, but of this only £15,000 will require to be voted for actual expenditure within the year. Beyond the point to which this railway is now proposed to be carried, namely, to Burns' farm, no further extension would be justifiable until the colony is in a position to continue it to Wellsford or Maungaturoto, that is to a distance beyond Burns' farm for about 15 or 25 miles respectively, and in order to provide for this and for further extension of this railway in the future the Government propose to introduce a Bill this session setting apart the proceeds of certain kauri forests, the property of the Crown, as an endowment ior that purpose.

b'RAHAMSTOWX-TE AROIIA. On the Grahamstown-Te Aroha Railway the rails are laid from Grahamstcnvn to Kauaeranga, about fivemilep, and the formation without bridges is completed from thence to the 19 mile near Ohinemuri. From that point to Te Aroha, a distance of 13 miles, no work has yet been clone. The loan allocation is short by £65,000 required to complete the work, and as there are no funds out of which this amount can be supplemented, and as any further expenditure on the railway would be wasted until it can be comuleted throughout, ib has been^ decided by the Government that nothing more should be done at present, beyond the completion of some necessary drainage works, including the culverts required. At the Thames, the line passes through some very good land, suitable for settlement, but a large portion of this land is still in the hands of the natives, and it is intended that steps should be taken to acquire it for the Crown, as soon as possible. The authority now proposed to be asked for to cover the drainage works which I have referred to is £4,500, and of this amount £3,5C0 will require to be voted for actual expenditure this year.

PUTAIUTRUA-ROTORtM . _No work has been done on this railway since the date of the last statement), and ib therefore remains m the same position, that is to say, it is completed with permanent way for eight miles to Ngatira, ab thcPubarurua end. The formation, without bridges, for about six miles at the Rotorua end is also done, the intervening gap of 18 miles being untouched. As the line at present stands, therefore the work done, which has cost about £70,000, cannot be utilised, as there is no road, and no justification for making one, from Ngatira to Ohinemutu. It is, therefore; proposed that it should be carried on for a further distance of 10 miles to tho Okohiriki saddle, from which point to the present road from Oxford to llotorua, a road, six miles in length, can easily be made. This would reduce the coach journey to 12 miles, and ib would thus bo possible to get from Auckland to Ohinemutu or vke vev-a in one day, whereat it now takes two days. It is manifest that this would make an immense difference in the tourist and other traflic, and thus attain a better i - eturn for the expenditure already incurred not alone on the Fubarurualiotorua Railway, but also on the railway from Auckland to Futarurua. The extension to the Okohiriki saddlo will also open up one of the best blocks of agricultural land in the district, the property of the Crown, containing about 35,000 acres, on which there is a large quantity of valuable timber. If this land is opened up as I have suggested it would, without doubt, carry a large and thriving population, whose first efforts in settlement might also be very considerably assisted by employment which could be afforded to them during the construction of the road and railway. It is, in fact, ohe only good block of agricultural land in the vicinity of Rotorua, and until it is opened up there is very little chance of its being settled upon. The opening up of this land would also conduce very largely to the development of the Rotorua sanatorium. In order that the railway works which I have above indicated may be undertaken it is proposed to ask for authority this year for fche balance ot the loan allocation, £40,550 ; but the vote required for actual expenditure within the year will be only £10,000.

NOKTII ISLAND I'RUNK KAILWAY. I now come to the most difficult case which we have to deal with, namely, the North Island trunk railway At the north end the railway is finished to the Upper Mokau Valley, a distance of thirtyfour miles from Te Awamutu, and the Poro-o-tarao section between the 45th and 47th mile, including tunnel, is approaching completion. Between the Upper Mo-

kau Valley and the P®ro-o-tarao section, 11 miles, fcho contract survey is completed, but no work has yet been done. At the south end no work or surveys has been done since the dateof my lnst Statement, so that the line remains as described, namely, Marbon to Knngitira, 19 miles completed and opened for traffic ; working survoys finished from thence to the end of the Paengaroa section, 32 miles, and lino located from thence for 10 miles to the head of the Hautapu Valley, which is tho end of the rough country— total, 61 miles.

CONNECTION WITH NEW PLYMOUTH. During the recess, surveys have been undertaken (under bhe vote for surveys of new linea of railway), for the purpose of ascertaining the probable cost of connecting the Now Plymouth district with the central line. Preliminary (surveys httvo been made of two alternative routes, A spocial report on this subject, with a map showing the several route?, will bo laid before you. The two routes surveyed are the ISTgaire and tho Waitara routes. The Ngaire leaves the FoxtonNew Plymouth Railway near E lth am station, and traversing successively the Makuri, Mangaotuku, Wangamamona, Tangarilcau, Hoau, and Ohura Yalloys, morges into the central route in the Ongorehu Valley at 'a point 25 miles from Upper Mokau, and 160 miles from Auckland. The Waitara line follows up the coast from Waitara to the Mimi River, and then strikos inland up the Mimi Valley and across the intervening rangos into the Taugaraka watershod, where it joint> tho Ngaire route Tho Waitara lino would be exceedingly costly. About 15 miles in the Mimi and Wailara watersheds are by far the heaviest yet surveyed in the North Island, and after loavinc tho coa&t no settlement country is opened up. For those and other rca&ona,itisun necessary togive further consideration to this route. The Ngairo line, on the other hand, is quite feasible. Fifteen miles in the Tangarakau Valley are very heavy, but the whole of the remainder is moderate or easy. The averago cost per mile for the 103 miles between Eltham and Ongaruhe is £3,800. There is no exceptionally heavy work in the shape of tunnels or viaducts. The general direction of the lino is straight, the altitudes aro low, and the curves are easy. Compaiing it with thoCentral route, the distances to Auckland from the principal centres in tho South would be as follows : — To Auckland from Napier via Palmerston by Central route 453 miles ; by Taranaki route 500 ; from Wellington 433 miles, 480 miles ; from Wanganui 350 miles, 335 miles ; from New Plymouth 451 milos, 298 miles.

COST OF A\ OKKS. Tho expenditure on tho North Island Railway to date, exclusho of t-hc purchase of natho lands and chaises and expenses of raising loans, has been in round numbers, at the North end, £245,000 ; at the South end, £167,000 : total, £412,000. The estimated cost of connecting Wellington with Auckland by tho several routes mentioned, exclusive of the purchase of native lands and the costs and charges of raising loans, is, in addition to the amount already expended, as follows:— For the North Island Trunk Railway, X 1,673,000;, 673, 000 ; for the Ngaire or Stratford route, -£1,166,000; and for the Waitara route, £1,341,000. In any case, however, the total sum available i 3 only, in round numbors, £434,000. Independently, however, of any question as to whether either of the lines to connect Taranaki with the Main Trunk Railway should be constructed or not, the Government is of opinion that the works along the central route should be carried at the south end into the Awaru Blocknamely : for a distance of twelve miles beyond Huntervillo, and at tho north ond 11 miles to connect the upper Mokau with the Poro-o-tarao section, together with the platelaying over the tunnel section, and the construction of the section beyond should also be undertaken. The estimated cost of these works, exclusive of permanent way, sleepers, and rolling-stock already provided for, would bo respectively £120,000 and I £110,000, total C 230,000. But after giving j the subject very full consideration the Government is clearly of opinion that before these works are undertaken a large area of native land suitable for settlementshould bo acquired at both ends of the line, and within I easy reach of it. The proposal of the Government, therefore, is that £100,000 should be set aside out of the present North j Island Trunk line for the purchaso of these lands, the proceeds of the sale of the said lands, as well as the proceeds ot the sale of the £100,000 worth of land already purchased, to be credited to tho fund as they accrue, and if this proposal is assented to by the House steps will at once be taken to give effect to it. Preliminary negotiations have already been instituted with this | view, and it is believed that thoroughly satisfactory prices can be arranged, and tbat by next session such progress can be made in the acquisition of the land at both | ends as would wai rant the Government in asking the House to carry on the railway. If sufficient land ia thus acquired between this and next session the Government is of opinion that these lands bhould then bo opened up by roads, say from Powhakaroa (the end of a proposed extension from the South) to Karioi, and from a point 9 miles from Eltham, next Stratford, to Poro-o-tarao, and also that in order to give access to the large extent of Crown lands in the interior of the country, the Wanganni River should bo made navigable as far as Taumaranui. Tho road works already constructed in connection with the North Island Trunk Railway are in mi.eh the same position as they were hist year. A dray road has been partly made in the inland Patea district from the uppei Rungiukei, passing to Mowbanga (16 miles), and thence to Turangarere (11 miles). Tho weekly mail coach from Napier now runs as far as Mowhanga, There is a good riding road along the railway line from Hunterville to the Upper Mokau, a distance of about 171 miles, with a branch (25 miles) from Ohakune to the Wanganui River at Pipirikj, Tho tracks have been Vept passable during the year, and improvements have been effected on the inland Patcaroad. The particulars as regard* the purchase ot native lands for the North Island Trunk Railway will be stated in connection with tho purchases of native lands in the North Island generally, which I shall come to presently. The vote proposed for this year out of tho North Island Trunk Railway Loan, which is now asked for in order to meet existing engagements during the current year is £34,200.

WOODVILLE-rALMERSTON. On the Wood ville-Pahnerston Railway considerable difficulty has been experienced al the Manawatu Gorge in fretting a solid foundation ; the rock, which at first sight appeared solid enough, having proved, when opened out, to bo friable and very subject to slips. This has caused nob only delay in completion, but also considerable expenditure on retaining walls beyond what was originally anticipated, but the whole of tbo works required for the completion of the line from Woodville to JPalmerston are now in active progress, and the principal contract expires in April next, the other minor works being timed to be finished about the same date. Allowing, therefore, for delays, we may hope to see this important link in the railway system completed and open for traffic about

this time next >ear. The amount which will now be required to be authorised for •this railway, in order to cover its total cost, will bo the full balance of the loan allocation —namely £90,328, and of this amount £75,000 will be required for total expenditure within the current yeai*.

WELLINGTON -M'OODVILLE. The Wellington-Woodville railway is now completed and open for traffic from Wellington to Ekotahuna, 88 miles, thus leaving a gap of only 27 miles unfinished in tho whole distanco from Wellington to Napier. If funds were available, it would be dosirable that this should be completed, and tho Government is of opinion that it should be undertaken whon further lunds can bo provided. Tho present loan allocation is now practically exhausted, its amount being Ju10,358, as against liabilities al the end of March la&t amounting to £'13,696, and tho difference being required for contingencies in connection with the works completed, including the river bank protection works at Awapurua Bridge. For expenditure within tho current yerr tho amount rcquiicd is C 12.500, and for that amount a voto will bo prouoscij

NLHNHEIM-AW ATERK. On the Blenhoim-Awatore "Railway the formation, without bridges, is done to tho end of the Dashwood section, oitfht miles from Blenheim. It is now pioposod to comploto this with bridges and permanent way, and also to form and complete a fuibher length of 2k miles, which will bring tho line to a convenient stopping 1 place at fcho noith sido ot tho Dnshwoocl Pass, and from that point to construct a dray road to the Awafcere Rivor. This is all that the balance of the present loan allocation admits of, but it is anticipated that when this is done tho railway from Blenheim to Dashwood, which has so lonjr been idle, will bo übilisod. Tho extent of the balance of loan allocation is £27,362, of which CIO, OOO ia proposed to bo voted for oxpendituie within tho year.

Gl<r-YMOUTH-ll()KITlKA. On bho Creymoubh - Hokibika Railway dining last year bho embankment and piotectivo works ab the Arabura River have been completed, and the Torcmakan bridge luib made good progress, and is now nearly finished. The condition of the lino at^ present is that, at the Hokibika end, the railway is completed with permanent way from Uokitika Wharf to about the fourth mile, near the Arahura River, and between that point and the Kapitea Creek, near the tenth mile, fcho formation is nearly all dono, and tho Arahura llivor is bridged. At the tlrey mouth end tho rails aro laid for H miles, and formation without budges is partly done to Tercinakau River, 1\ mile 3 further, and the bridgo over tho Teromakau is, as before stated, nearly completed. The Government regrets that, as so laigo a sum of money (close upon £100,000) has already been exponded on this line, it cannot be ab once completed ; but in view of the fact that it would cost quite £80,000 more to complete and equip it, whereas thero is only £26,178 available under loan allocation, it is evidently impossible for tho Government to complete the work. This being so, the question arose as to what could best be done, and, after giving the matter full consideration, the Government decided to ask the Midland Railway Company if they -would be willing to take over this railway and completoand equip and work ib as a part of their undertaking in this colony. It is not probable, however, that the Company would enter into this undertaking without a subsidy cf some kind, and the Government have determined upon nob granting any further endowments of land to railway companies. If a subsidy is given, bhorefore, ib would have bo be in the shape of the works already done, or some of them, and it is understood that the Company is willing to entertain the project on these terms. No final arrangement can, however, be come to till the anival in the colony of the Company's engineer in-chief, who is shortly expected from London. The House will be asked to authorise tho balance of the loan allocated, namely, £28,178 already alluded to, to be utilised (in tho event of bho negotiations with tho Midland Railway Company falling through) — firstly, for completing and equipping tho railway from Grey mouth to Teremakau or to the Kumara; secondly, for adapting tho Arahura Bridge for combined road and railway traffic ; and thirdly, lor such other works as may be found after full inquiry to bo most adyisablo to construct. By this means ib is hoped that sorao return may bo obtained for tho expenditure already incurred. Tho Greymoubh end of bho line, at any rate, can be worked very economically in conjunction with the GieymoubhBrunnor Railway. On tho ba->is of these proposals, the amount requiied for expenditure during the current year will bo £15,000.

MOUNT bOMIJt.s. The Mount Soniers branch lailway extension io Springburn, 4 miles, which has been forborne time in hand by the unemployed, i« now appionching completion. THE OTACO CENTUM.. We may look forward with confidence fco having the Otacjo Cenbial railway completed to Midcllemarch before Christmas, 1890. For the works already in hand, or still fco be underfcakon for the completion of the railway to Middlemarch, n sum of £61,473, being the balance of the e\isting loan allocation, will now lcquiro to bo authorised, and of this amount JL'4,OOO will be required to be voted for actual expenaicine within theciurcnt year. It will bo been that it is anticipated that the pre B ent loan allocation will complete the railway to Middlemnrch, but with nothing to spare, and as the Government have come to the conclusion that a further extension of the railway is absolutely necessary if any return is to bo obtained ior the money already expended, a Bill has been prepared and laid before Parliament setting forth a proposal by which the construction of a further distance of 32 miles can be attained, This will bring the railway to Eweburn, -which is in, factthc lirst point in the line of this railway from which any considerable amount of tralHc can bo anticipated. If this extension is not provided for, the working ot the portion in hand, from Main Ilill to Midcllemarch, would involve a continuous loss ot revenue in addition to the loss incurred by interest on upwards of £100,000, which it will have cost when completed. The. Statement referred to several other Otago branch lines. With regard to the Riversdale-Switzers railway the balance of existing loan allocution is £18,615, but the amount required to complete it will be £15,000 more than that, and as the Government cannot see its way to provide this oxtra amount, it is considered that no further work should be dono at present.

•lIAI'UNDJTURE ON RAILWAYS AND VOTEs I'KOI'O.SKJn. The amount voted tor expenditure during the year ending March last was £406,900, and of this amount X' 272,077 was expended within the year as against liabilities at the end of March la&t amounting to £207)483, We propose to ask for votes tor the current year amounting to £316,745, leaving £669,557 available for expenditure in succeeding years. Of these amounts £31,000 ia tor expenditure on tho North Island Trunk Railway, leaving £352,810 atill avail-

able for mo same, and £285,745 is for expenditure on all other railwavp, Ipaving £316,747 sbill available for the same

BAIT/WAYS CONSTRUCTED AND Itf PROGRESS. The total length of railways opened for traffic on the 31sb March was in the North Island, 662 miles, and in the South Island 1,108 miles, total 1,770 miles. There wa3 also at that dato 164 miles of railway in course of construction, of which 72 were in North Island, and 92 in South Island. The total expenditure on railways, including cost of provincial lines and purchase ot districb railways up to 31sb March last, was £14,738,782, and the liabilities on 31sl March wero .1*207,484, making in all £14,946,266. For additions to opened railways, the amount voted for expenditure during last year was £65,000, and of this amount C 48,440 was expended. Of theso sums, however, £25,000 in each case was for purcha&o of stock of permanent way, for working railway requirements, so chat the vote for actual works, in the shape of additions to open linos, was only £34,000.

I'UiriPUlir TRAMWAY, Before finally leaving the subject of rail" ways, I wish to take this opportunity of bringing bcforo the House a matter which is of great importance to the Auckland district especially, but also more or less to the whole of New Zealand, namely, the saving and utilising of so much as can bo now saved of the Puhipuhi kauri forest. Hon. members aie aware that unfortunately a large portion of this valuable forest has alroady been partially burnt, and that this destruction is still going on. The Government has therefore come to tho conclusion that steps should be taken to provide access to the forest by a tramway in order that ifc may bo utilised, and for that purpose a Bill will be laid befoie Parliament for its consideration dining the current ee&sion.

ROADS AND BRIDGES. I now come to the subject of roads, and should mention in the first instance that all classes of roads except roads on goldfields aronowin fcho chaise of the Minister of Lands. Roads on goldfields are in charge of the Minister of Mines. The length of roads and bridges constructed, or impiovcd out of funds last year, was : Dray roads, North Island, 192 miles ; Middle Island, 74. The total length of roads constructed and improved in the colony generally from the commencement of the Public Works policy up to 31st March last approximately was as follows : — Dray roads, North Island, 2,573 miies ; Middle, 1,387 : total dray roads, 4,860 miles. Horso roads, North Island, 3,783 miles ; Middle, 1,220 miles : total horse roads, 4,003 miles. Bridges: North Island, 639; 49,910 feet ; Middle Island, 165 ; 33.898. For roads north of Auckland the loan allocation has for some time been practically exhausted. The total balance left on 31st March, 1888, was only C 732. Of this amount £264 was expended during the last financial year, and a vote is now asked for the remainder, £468. For main loads the amount voted la&t year was ,C15,1C0, of which £10,968 was expended. For the present year, with liabilities at the end of March amounting to £7,380, we ask a vote for £14,000. This will leave a balance on loan allocation for this class of work of only £4,676. It is obvious, therefore, that if tho colony is to continue to maintain these roads, the necessary funds for the future must be obtained from the Consolidated Fund or some other source. Under the heading " Roads Maintained," are main roads running through counties where the Counties Act is not in force, or otherwise in sparsely-inhabited districts. For miscellaneous roads and bridges, the amount voted last year was £34,604, of which £26,74S was expended. For current year, with liabilities amounting to £21,232, we ask for a vote of £27,112. This will leave a balanceon loan allocation of only £4,651. The principal items on which expenditure will take place during tho year arc : — Roads in Bay of Plenty district, Napier, Murimotu Uoad (a very importantlinkin the arterial lines of the colony), Ivaikoura, and Lawrence ; subsidy for bridge over Clutha, at Cromwell ; and opening up of tracks in Milford and other Sounds to afford visitors an opportunity of seeing something more of his wonderful country ; grants in aid, including roads under the Roads and Bridges Construction Act, subsidies to local bodies under the Finance and Powers Act, and provisions for work ior unemployed. Under tho Roads and Bridges Construction Act the progress payments claimed and paid last year in pursuance of grants of old standing amounts to £972, and for this year about £400 will be required for similar payments. Under bhe Local Bodies' Finance and Powers Act tho amount advanced last year out of the Public Woiks Fund was £11,310 ; for present year only £247 is required to meet a small outstanding liability, and it is not intended to enlarge the Public Works Fund any further under this Act,

WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED. Under the heading "Work for Unemployed" the amount expended last year was .014,631, mainly on road construction. For the current year with liabilities amounting to £2,525, we apk for a vote for £8,000 to be devoted as far as possible to forming country roads, the work to be clone by small conlracts.

HOADS TO OI'KN VP CROWN LANDS. For loads to open up Crown lands before sale, the amount expended last year was £21,954 ; for the present year, with liabilities amounting to .025,434, wo ask tor a vote for £45,827. This is to cover existing liabilities^ and to undertake &omo new ; works? in various parts of the colony. The i balance of loan allocation which will thus > be leffc for expenditure in future years is C 15,730. ij

VILLAGE SETTLEM BNT.S. For village settlements the amount voted for expenditure last year was £26,000, and [of that amount £10, 770 was expended. For i the current year we ask for a vote of >! £1,917. A detailed report on this subject ij will shortly be laid before the House.

no ADS ON QOLDFIELDS. For voads on goldfields, including subsidies to local bodies, and also district grants for construction of roads and tracks for dovclopment of the mineral resources of the colony, the expenditure last year was £7,015 ; for the present year, with liabilities amounting to £25,168, we ask for a vote of £30,000. The roason an amount is asked for this year in excess of existing liabilities is for the purpose of completing roads on which largo sums have been from time to time expended, which cannot be utilised until the whole distance is constructed.

EXPENDITURE ON ROADS. On accounb of roads of a}l classes, with liabilities at end of March, 188,8, amqunting to .€119,121, the amount voted for expenditure during the year ending March last was £186,504, and of this amount £104,632 was expended within the year, For the cvuTonfc yoar, with liabilities at the end of March last amounting to £120,858, we ask for a vote of £145,157.

WATERWORKS ON GOLDFIELDS. Under the lioading of Waterworks on Goldtielcls, the balance remaining on loan

allocation is only £929, and the works have consequently come to an end.

I PURCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS. Under the heading of Purchase of Native Lands in the North Island generally, as distineb from the purchases out of loan for the North Island Trunk Railway, the expenditure during the year ending 31st March last was £5,089, and the area linally acquired during the same period was 37,000 acres. Negotiations for further blocks of land have been pushed forward during the year and vvithia a few months an additional area of considerable extent will be in the hands of the- Government. The efforts of the Department during 1 the past year have been principally in the ditecbion of completing old negotiations and acquiring land for old advances. There is still much important and difficult work to bo done in chirf direction. The balance of loan allocation in part I. of tho Public Works Fund available for thef-e purchases is only £9,396, but asum of £20.285 is still duo to the general land fund from tho fund for the purchaso of land along tho North Island Trunk Railway on account of purchases made out of the general fund within the railway area, and assuming that arrangements will be mado for further sums to be available for land purchase along the North Island Trunk Railway, and that this amount, £20,285, will consequently come in for credit, there will be available for general land purchased the sum of £20,681. Coming now to the land purchase out of tho allocation of £100,000 under the North Island Trunk Railway loan, the amount expended last year was £33,983, and the area finally acquired during the i same period was 29,900 acres. Tho total expenditure to the 31st March last was £98,491, thus leaving a balance available for further purchases of only £1,509, But, as already stated (under the heading of the North Island Trunk Railway), the Government now proposes io ask the House to authorise a further allocation of £100,000 out of part 11. of the Public Work^Fund for these land purchases, and if this is granted, the amount available will thus be £101,509. Out of this amount there would then be recouped to the General Land Purchaso Fund the sum of £20,285 expended out of that fund on lands along the line of the railway acquired bofore the passing of the North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan Application Act, 1886, but which are still in the hands of the Government, and available to be dealt with under the provioions ot that Act. If these proposals are assented to, vigorous efforts will be made to acquire land along the line of the railway at both ends, but to avoid unprofitable expenditure, no payment will be made upon land until the title is ascertained in accordance with section 4 of the Native Land Court Act, 1886. The total expenditure on land along the North Island Trunk Railway to the 31st March labt has therefore been £118,776. Of this amount £87,499 has been paid for 630,283 acres, of which the purchases arc complete, and C 31,277 has been paid on account of further areas, of which the purchases are as yet incomplete.

IMMIGRATION. Immigration isnowdisconfcinued excentto a \ery limited extent, in favour of separated families. It i=* in fact restricted to cases where the father of a family has his wife and children in the United Kingdom. Owing to intimation through the AgentGeneral, in May last year, that all nominations would lapse unless taken advantage of within three months, a large number of applications for refunds of deoosits were received. This has greatly reduced the liability of the department in respect tooutsfcandingnominations. The liabilities and commitments both in London and in the colony at this date amount to £2,830. This includes the cost of passages for 68V adults, whose nominations still hold good, and for the passages of whom the Government is liable should application bemadeunderthe nomination. Itisproposed totakeafurthervoteof ClOOO for thepassages ot separated families. Nominationsin favour of 10 separated families hai c been accepted on which the sum of £340 was deposited in the colony. Since the date of my last Statement (18th August, 1S88). 250 persons have arrived under the ordinary regulation, and 14 persons under the regulations for the introduction of small farmers, which ore not now in force. This makes a total ot 264 persons who have arrived in the colony during the year. There is one family of four persons now afloat. TELEGBAPHIC EXTENSION. In the extension of the telegraph system of the colony a sum of £12,047 was expended during the last financial year, and it is now estimated that a sum of £12,700 will be required to carry out the^Lroposals for the present year. The expejtture of last year included a sum of £6,293^m account ot the telephone exchanges of the colony bringing the total capital cost of these exchanges, in" eluding the stock of material in hand for them to £59,581 on the3lst Mai eh, 1889. The work of last year, liko that of the j'ear preceding it, consisted principally of the extension of telegraph communication to several small villages by means of telephones. The estimates for the present year provide for the extension of communication from Tologa Bay to Awanui, from Mangonui to Kaitaia, from Mangamahoe to Eketahuna, from Pembroke to Cardrona, from Riversdale to Balfonr, from Te Awamutu to Otorohanga, and from Morrinsville to Oxfoid.

PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The liabilities afc the 31sb March, 1889, amounted to £23,543, and Lo cover these and provide for further works during the present year a vote of £48,051 will be propoped. This will leave a balance on loan allocation of £37, 170 for expenditure in succeeding years, while that balance will continue to be devoted to the erection and ex- | tenbion of the more important and neces- ( sary public buildings until ib is exhausted. :j It is intended thereafter to pursue the policy indicated by my Statement of last I year, that the whole cost of public buildj ings, inclusive of school buildings, shall be borne out of the Consolidated Fund. There was voted last year out of the Consolidated Fund, £45,050 for public buildings and domains, and £30,000 for school buildings, or a total of £75,050. On those votes the expenditure was respec- i tively £29,340 and £23,816 j total, £53,156. I The liabilities on the 31st of March, 1889, were :— On public buildings and domains, £10,452 ; and on school buildings £100, amounting to a total of £10,552, and to cover these and provide for the" usual maintenance, and also to provide £25,000 for further school buildings, a vote of £56,275 has been taken on the Consolidated Fund.

LIGHTHOUSES AND HAIU3OURS. I now come to the subjefllS|pighthouses, and it is to be regretted that the fund at the disposal of the Government for this class of work was so limited ; as there are several points on the coast of the colony where, if funds were available, it would be j very desfrable to erect lighthouses. Early in August last year a working party was sent to Cuvier Island, and the erection of the lighthouse and other buildings is so far I advanced that it is anticipated that the i light will shortly be roady for exhibition. The lighthouse is a cast iron structure, which was manufactured at Auckland. On lighthouses last year the amount expended wus £2,504, and for the current year the

amount asked for is £2,930. This exhausfc the loan allocation. On account of harbour works no provision was made under the loan fund lasb year, nor is it intended to make any this year.

HARBOUR DEFENCES. During the past year the defence works have been cai'ried on by convicb labour the barracks originally erected at the principal forts having been converted into tecure temporary prisons. The prisoners aro thu&, with advantage both to themselves and to their work, kept confined on the fortifications on which they are employed. Considerable progress has been made on the established lines of the scheme of defence. The amount voted last year wass £56,541, and of this amount £50,090 was expended, chiefly on material of war from England (fulfilling contracts entered into by the previous Government). This leaves an unexpended balance on loan allocation of £6,452. Tho Government have again to express their sense of the valuable advice which has continued to be readily and freely given by General Bchaw on questions connected with these works and the scheme of defence generally. The expenditure on harbour defences up to the 31st March, 1889, has been, in. round numbers, £442,000, of which £233,000 represents the cost of material of war obtained from England, and £209,000 the cost of works in the colony. Of this latter sum about £32,000 has been paid for land, and the balance, £177,000, represents the cost of the forts, batteries, submarine defences, steam launche?, special reports, supervision, and all other general charges.

RATES ON NATIVE LANDS. For rates on native lands there is a balance due to the extent of about £1,000 in respect of the year ending the 31stJ March, 1888, and the estimated amount required for rates during the year ending the 31sfc March, 1889, but not yet paid, is £10,000, making in all £21,000. After the payment of rates in respect of the year ending the 31st March last no further'sum will be payable on this account, the Act having been repealed.

THERMAL SPRINGS. Coming now to the subject of thermal springs, I find that the only one of these with which ib is necessary for me to deal, as ib is the only one on which any public works expenditure has recently been going on, is that at Rotorua. At Rotorua the extensive alterations and improvementsundertaken in connection with the bathing accommodation are completed, and it is satisfactory to find that invalids from all parts of our own and other colonies, and even from Europe, are attracted by the maivellous efficacy of these baths. The hospital, which was burned down last year, is to be rebuilt on a more suitable an j less costly plan. It is clearly recogni&ed by the Government that it ought; not to compete with the local hotels, which can accommodate those who can afford to pay. Ib is only intended for persons from a dibtance, who must come to Rotorua, and can only do so if cheap hospital accommodation is provided. On thermal springs generally the amount expended last year was £936, and for this year we ask for a vote ot £2,350 for the Rotorua hospital, that being the estimated cost to complete it. EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKSOn account of public works of all classes with liabilities at end of March, 1888, amounting to £471,695, the amount voted for expenditure during the year ending March last was £895,807, and of this amount £632,635 has been expended. Of the amount thus expended, £104,931 was for costs, charges, and discounts contingent on raising: loans, leaving £528,454 as representing the expenditure on other works and services. As compared with the total expenditure last year, it may be interesting to mention the totals for a few years previously, which are in round numbers (inclusive of purchase of district railways) for ISBS-84, £1,409,000; 1884-85, £1,336,000; 1885-86, £1,287,000; 1886-87, £1,167,000; 1887-BS, £966,000 l 1883-89, £633,000.

PUBLIC WORKS FUND. Taking tbe Public Works Fund as a whole, we have available at 31sb of March last, the sum of £1,445,670, and as againsfc this, with liabilities at the end of March amounting in all to £368,639, we propose to expend during the present year the Sum of £574,161, leaving £871,509 available for appropriation in succeeding years. As explained in my last Public Works Statement, however, it is scarcely probable that the various amounts that I have just alluded to as proposed to be expended, will all come to charge within the current financial year, so that the actual expenditure which will be brought to book will not probably exceed £445,000, thus leaving aboub £1,000,000 for expenditure in succeeding years.

CONCLUSION. In conclusion, sir. I would wish to take bins opportunity of congratulating the House and the country on the improved prospects of the colony since the date of my Public Works Statement of last year, and to express the hope and belief that if the proposals which I have now made are given effect to, it will further develop our resources, and enable us to take further advantage of the rise in prices which our produce has recently commanded.

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. Dealing with this document the "Post " says:— "The Public Works Statement is nob a sensational one, but it is a very plain, businesslike document, and so far as ib goes will, we think, give general satisfaction. Of course there will be much disappointment as to the omission of some works, and the very slight provision made for others ; bub ib is absolutely impossible to provide for everything with the limited means at command, and so far as a hasty perusal enables us to judge, we think Mr Mifcchelson has divided whab he has to spend as fairly as possible. " After reviewing it generally, it concludes by saying: *• If we could only turn a healthy stream of suitable immigration towards this colony our difficulties would disappear like magic, and we should soon have ample funds wherewith to construct bhe numerous works which, although admittedly most desirable, we are now practically unable to touch. Taken as a whole, the Public ; Works Statement will probably strengthen the favourable opinion created abroad by the Financial Statement as to the present position and future prospects of the colony."

The eviction which took place on Mr Olpherb's estate at Glasherchoo, Ireland, on May 24th, was witnessed by deputations from Leeds and the Gweedore Ladies' Vigilance Committee. After their experience at the eviction, the Leeds deputation sent a telegram to Her Majesty, congratulating her on attaining her seventieth birthday, and hoped that " her life would long bo spared to reign over a prosperous, happy, and united people. At the same time, they regretted that on Her Majesty's birthday large forces of the Crown were employed evicting from their homes a lot of unhappy tenants and their families; because they wore unable to pay rent which they and we believe to be excessive and unjust." A similar telegram was sent by the Ladies' Committee.