PUBLIC WORKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1918, Page 4

PUBLIC WORKS.

THE ANNUAL STATEMENT. A MODEST PROGRAMME. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The annual statement by the Ministei of Public Works (Hon. Wj Fraser) was presented to Parliament to-night. It refers to the increasing difficulty of securing a sufficient supply of labor, the unexpended authorities in the hands of local bodies and the department amount-' ing to £209,902 for roads and bridges alone. The Minister states lie, has lnade ample provision, both on the estimates and in the Public Works Fund, to ensure that work will be available for all who need it. In the meantime no appreciable increase of rate of expenditure can be expected.

The sum of £150,000 is provided for initiatory work on the proposed Auckland and Wellington hydro-electric schemes. The following table shows, the brief particulars of the expenditure of the year: ~** * ' Railways— ' v New construction .. 295,009 Additions to open lines 200.162 Roads ' ; 135,042 Public buildings 220,288 Immigration 3,856 Lighthouses, harbor works and ' harbor defences 2,976 Tourist and health resorts .... 931 Telegraph extension 117,206 Development of mining 27 Defence works (general) 6,714 Departmental .* 127,062 Irrigation and water supply ... 11,650 Lands improvement •..., 1,838 Plant, material and stores .... 6,811 Raising loans, etc, 1

1,140,733 Railways Improvement Author-, isation Act 1914 Acaount ... 111,721 Roads to open up Crown lands . 43,696 Aid to Water-power Works and Electric Supply Account .... 8,835 Waihou and Ohinemuri Riverp Improvement Account 12,025 Telegraph Extension Account .. 96,889 Totals ...; v....... 1,414,099 WAYS AND MEANS.

On April ), 1917, the available ways and means for public works purposes were £521,525. Further funds were received as follows: Aid to public works, £45,100; under Finance Act, 1910, £700,000; under Finance Act, 1917, £125,060; other receipts and' recoveries, £44,648; making a gross totai Of £1,430,273, Balance, to credit, £295,540. j For the current year it is proposed to provide: In terms of section 77, Finance Act, 1917. £725,000; under Finance Act, 191S, £soo,gpo; total for 1918-19, £3,520,540. The estimated expenditure for public worjts for the ctfrrent year amounts, to £2,460,050, leaving an estimated balance of £1,060,490 to be carried forward to next year (1919-20). Railway construction. STRATFORD-MAIN TRtfrHi. At the western end the length from Whangamomona to Kohuratahi, 4 miles 53 chains, was completed and handed over to the Railway Department for traffic on January 7 last. Work has been in. progress during the year over the 8-mile section to Tahora Station, earthwork being nearly finished, rails laid, And line partly ballasted to within half a mile of the station-site. Beyond Tahora the line is being laid out with a view to the vigorous prosecution of construction work when financial and labor conditions return to the normal. The heavy works on the IOJ-mile section from Okahukura to Matiere have been kept fairly well manned throughout the year. The concrete work on the bridge which is to carry road and railway over the Ongarue River is finished, but some time must elapse before the steel superstructure can be built, Owing to the impossibility of obtaining materials. The.Okahu Tunnel was taken out of the contractor's hands on June ,20, 1017, since when the excavation has been carried on by the department ttith a small number ofimen. Better progeria is looked for in ""the future. The other works on the section are not. heavy, and will give little concern once the completion of the Ongarue Bridge and Okahu Tunnel is in sight. For the present, construction work is not in progress beyond Matiere. OPUNAKE BRANCH. The construction of piers for the large bridge which is to carry the line over the Waingongoro River has advanced •steadily after overcoming some difficulties ' with the foundations. Plant and concrete material has been brought on to the site in readiness for the resumption of construction when suitable labor is available. Karthworks are practically finished to Kapuni, 7 miles from the junction point, but work was suspended at the end of December last, and there seems to be no 'immediate prospect of its being resumed. The staff has been transferred to other works for the present. .

WORKERS' DWELLINGS. There was an expenditure of £15,505 (luring the year under this heading; also a liability of £OS for dwellings in course of erection. Expenditure during the current year will be on a similar moderate scale. SCHOOL BUILDINGS. \ The expenditure out of the Public Works Fund on school buildings was £63,082 out of a vote of £100,500. Of this amount, £55,000 was paid to education boards and other controlling authorities for the erection of new buildings., additions, etc., for the purposes of primary, secondary, technical and university education. The balance— £SOoo—represents the cost of works carried out directly under the control of the Government, including native schools and industrial and special schools. , For the current year a much large* sum will be needed. Ineveused vot-s artbeing provided for buildings for publi< schools, technical ■ schools, accondarj schools,, and university buildings. Applications for sums amounting to. over £400,000, including grants made during the current year, are now beforo the Education Department, and provision lov this sum has been made. PUBLIC BUILDINGb. The tot : al amount expended on runstruction of public buildings during last financial year amounted to 288. For the ourreat year an appropriation of £648,500 m proposed. ,