THE PUBLIC WORKS’ STATEMENT

Temuka Leader, Issue 975, 13 July 1882, Page 3

THE PUBLIC WORKS’ STATEMENT

Mr Johnston then delivered the Public Works Statement. After a few introductory remarks, he said he inclined to place railways under a Board of Directors, similar to the Board of Directors of English Railway Companies. Th# sum of £1,892,554 was set aside last year for public works, but owing to the inability of the colony to borrow more money until next December, only £935,500 had been spent, leaving a balance of £924,865. The liabilities on the Public Works had boon decreased by over £48,000. The sum ®t £1,025,636 had been voted

for railways, but only £454,338 wer# , expended. £166,086 of that had bean expended on lines already opened, and they were not completed yet. There were 45 miles of railway opened for traffic during the year, and 234 miles wsre in various stages of progress. He next referred to the progress made in the construction of the following railways, vis., the Kawakawa, the Whangarei-Kamo, the Kaipara, Waikato, Thames, New Plymouth, and Foxton, Nelson, Roundhill, Picton, Hurunui, the line through the Weka Pass, the Otago Central, and Riverton and Orepuki. The South Island line would shortly bo finished to the Hurunui. The working of the open lines during the past year shows good results, the increase in revenue being £55,562, against an increase of expenditure of only £1142, . whilst the tonnage carried shows an increase of 50,931 tons, and the number of passengers 561,916 more than in the preceding year. The increase of revenue was 17 per cent, and of expenditure 10 per cent, notwithstanding an extra length of 147 miles to work. The total araout expended on railways, including the coat of the provincial railways taken over, is £10,974,000. Of this sum it was estimated that £1,531,000 was not in a position to contribute to the revenue during the past year. The cost of the lines open for traffic was therefore £9,443.000, and the surplus of receipts over expenditure, £369,000, give a return of £3 18s 2d per cent. The line* in the North Island cost £3,194,000, and yield a net revenue of £68,000, or £2 2s 8d

per cent. Those in the Middle Island cost £6,249,000, and give a return of £301,000, or £4 16s 3d per cent, the increases over the preceding year being fer the North Island £IBOO, and £37,000 for the Middle Is land, which upon the total cost gives an average increase of 10s per cent. The great difference between the traffic carried on the the lines in etch Island, points unmistakeably to the advisability of completing connections between the separate portions of the railway system of the North Island. Besides £50,000 voted for Road Board s, £116,825 were voted for roads and bridges in the North Island, and £88,539 in the Middle Island, but only £69,871 were expended in the first place, and £28,895 in the Middle Island. The amount voted for Harbor works had been

xpended. After referring to coalfieds and goldfields at considerable length, and stating that the whole of the coal burned on the New Zealand railway* and by the U*ion Steamship Company’s boats was principally got from Nsw Zealand coalfields, he then proceeded to bis

PROPOSALS FOR THS FUTURE.

He said that £384,000 of the Public Works Fund still remained in the hands of the Government, but £IOO,OOO of this would be required to buy native lands, which left a balance of £284,000, but £376,000 would be necessary during the next three years for improvements on railways, principally in Dunedin, Auckland, and Timaru. In considering what ■hould bo the works to bo recommended for construction, he looked at the probable cost of completing the connection between Auckland and Wellington,and between Picton and Invercargill, and of other trunk lines. This cost he estimated to be as fellows From Te Awamutu southwards, £1,100,000 ; to complete the line from Napier to Wellington and con. nect with the New Plymouth and Foxton line £670,000; to complete the New Plymouth and Foxtou line, £75,000 ; to connect Picton and Christchurch, £1,200,000 ; to connect Nelson and Greyraoutb, £1,200,000 j to connect Helensvllle and Kawakawa, £BBO,OOO ; to construct the Otago Central, £1,000,000 ; total, £6,125,000. To complete the brance lines now in course of construction will coat over £700,000, and in addition there is a large annual expenditure upon public building*, roads, harbors and lighthouses, goldfields, and telegraph extension besides some £200,000 required to complete transactions in native land. A loan of ten millions would Bot hare been excessive, but the Government believed that to increase the public debt by £I,OOO, per annum was as much as prudence would permit, and it was advisable to take authority to raise this annual million for a period beyond the time for Jwhich this House is elected. The Qovernmeat would recommend the following apportioament of the lean : Railways: Kawakawa, to complete, £17,500 ; Whangarei-Kamo, ta complete, L 7500 ; Hamilton-Cambridge, to complete £60,000 ; Hamilton-Te Aroha, to complete £92,000; Thames-Te Aroha and Thames

to Kopua, £23,000 ; main trank line from Te Awamutu southward*, £10,000; Napier-Woodville, to complete, £160.000 ; Wellington-Woodville, extension from Masterton, £200.000 ; New PlymouthFoxton, to complete line of 195 mile*, £95,000 ; Nelson-Boundhill, extension from Bolgrove, £40,000 ; Greymouth Roefton, £IOO,OOO ; main trunk line through South Island, extension southward* from Blenheim, £90,000 j completion of Weka Pass and Horseley DoWns section, including bridge over ■Hurunui, £75,000 ; Main Trunk Line extension northwards, £IBO,OOO ; Upper Ashburton branch extension, £15,000; Lin-coln-Little River, to complete, £30,000 ; Albury creek branch extension to Burke’s Pass, £35,000 ; Oxford to Sheffield, to complete, £12,000; Livingston branch, to complete first section, £22 ,000; P*l* merston-Waihemo, to complete, £18,000; Gatlin's river branch, to complete section from main line to Port Molyneux road, £22,000; Waipahi-Heriotburn, to complete section tq . Swift’s creek. £12,000; Edondale-Toi Tois, to complete iection to Mokoreta £13,000'; Otago Central, £13,000 ; LuimdenMarora branch, to complete to Centre Hill, £35,000 ; Riverton-Orepuki, to eomplete, £16,000 ; total, £1,650,000. Purchase of native land*, £200,000 ; public buildings, £300,000 ; immigration, £200,000 ; roads to open up Crown lands £200,000 ; roads and bridges, £IOO,OOO ; roads, wharves and bridges north of Auckland,.£loo,ooo; goldfields, £100,000; harbor*, £100,000; telegraph extension, £500,000; total, £1,350,000. Grand total £3,000,000. Only £IO,OOO would bo allocuted to railways in the North liland, although £1,100,000 would be raised, but as soon at circumstances would permit a special loan of £1,000,000 would bo wanted. The share of the three million loan allocated to work* other than railways was less than usual. Out of £19,000,000 spent on public work* £9,869,000 only have been spent on railways. The Native Minister would want £200,000 to complete his native land purchases. The immigration proposed would be solely confined to nominated immigration except for single women. As evidence of th# success of colonist* he might instance that the Minister for Immigration had now 5000 nominations of persons who desired to bring out their friends, and when it was advertised that the Government was ready to receive nominations he had no doubt a great many more would apply. Immigration bad proved profitable. Since 1870 loss than £2,000,000 have been spent on immigration, and 101,214 persons had been introduced into the colony, while the population increased from 248,400 to 504,900, and the revenue (not including railways or Crown Lands) from £935,000 to £2,414,000. Half a million acres of land will be available for eale during the year. No further assistance would bo given to local works except what was specified m the Bill, but £IOO,OOO would be allocated to making roads and water races. After dealing with a few details the Speaker eontinued to say: There can be no doubt as to the enormous benefits which have accrued to thseolonyfrom its railways, as against tha difference of a little over one per cent betwsen net earning and interest mpon the cost of construction. The coloaists have gained a cheaper, safer and rapid haulage of goods, reaching last year to 1,437,714 tons, besides faciliating the travelling of passengers, increasing to 2,911,477 during the same period. The annual saving to the people thus obtained must of itself amount to a considerable part of the whole expenditure upon railways, in addition to the value of property being increased by th# railway system. With this policy ths colony will continue to make the progress and enjoy the prosperity which we now happily experience, and if th# policy is carried out with prudtnes there is no reason to doubt that the prosperity will be enduring. On the motion of Montgomery the debate was adjourned.