PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1524, 26 June 1886, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

[Bt Telhobaph.]

Wkixington, June 27.

The Hon. Mr Richardson delivered his Public Works'Statement last night. He said that as the Colonial Treasurer bad already given an outline of it he would be brief.

DISTRICT BAILWAYS. He announced last sesaian that all District Railways had been purchased excepting the Wairaea Plains Railway, During the recess arrangements hod been come to, to purchase this also, subject of course to ratification by Parliament. Correspondence on the subject would be ' laid before the House. \? hen he brought the matter before the Cabinet the Premier, .*? the Treasurer, and the Minister of Mines desired they should not be consulted, aud the negotiations bad been carritd on ~y~ \\j the other members of the Government.' { Shoul'l the House ratify the agreement a source of trouble to the working of the .. Government li es would be removed and the public would ba better served, With regard to the District Railways acquired, (he ratepayers would have to makeup any deficiency in interest on cost, ana the question would have to be carefully watched. A revision of charges was under consideration. WHANQARH-KAMO RAILWAY. The proposed extension has been surveyed and the probable cost- will be £40,000. As an alternative the river might be made navigable by removiug some rocks from the channel, and if this could be done at a moderate cost it would be tikan in hand as soon as the money was forthcoming. To extend the railway to the Kauri Forest, Puhipuhi, would £IOO,OOO, and the Government could not recommend it.

TRUNK MSB. The extension of the Trunk Line northwards would be continued to the first point which would be found remunerative —a distance of 9 miles—and it could be continued in sections as funds were available. Heavy timber land and valleys containing considerable areas of agricultural land was to be found along the line. The cost of extending this line to Omapere, a distanca of 110 miles, will be about £715,000. As the work will not go on for some time, only £4OOO will be spent this year.

KAIPABA-WAIKATO. Several further improvements in curves and gradients of this railway bave been made during tho year, with the view of reducing the cost of working it.

HBIiENSTILLE AND AUCKLAND Plans have been prepared for a considerable deviation in the vicinity of Kingstand Stntion, but tbe cost of the work is too much to permit of its being undertaken at present.

MKRCER AND TAUPARI. We hava also cut down two steep gradients that existed here, and we shall now be able to do all the work on that line with a lighter class of engine than that hitherto used.

AUCKLAND STATION. Auckland has now a stttion well feuited to its requirements. BUAHUBA JUNCTION. It has also been found necessary ro make large additions to the accommodation at Ruahura Junction, in order to work lines which are so rapidly increasing in length in this district, aid mill further expenditure will be necessary / at this spot. The inadequacy of this railway to carry the trafhc between AUCKLAND AND PENROSE has long been felt, and Government now consider th.-it the-time has come to lay a second lino alongside the existing track, or else to construct a railway line either via Reineura to Penrose or via Freeman's B«y to join the Kiipara liue. I have decided to ask the House to authorise a »um of £23,000 to cover so much of the work ne may be undertaken this year, bnt of this sum not more than about £SOOO will be expended before the end of March next. The Burvey of the branch railway to the coal mine at HUNTLEY has been completed, including plans for a bridge over the Waikato river, and are

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ready to call for tenders, but as the promoters have not as yet been able to see their way to accept the terms offered in the Railways} Authorisation Act 1884, nothing further has been done in the matter. ORAHAMSTOWN—TB ARQHA. Considerable progress has been made Hith the construction of thin line during tht year. Some difficulties have •ccurred owing to the native land, owners objecting to the surveys being £roceeded with, but officers of the Native topartmtnt have agreed with the Datives •nd no further trouble is anticipated. Authority which will be asked for in the estimates, provides for completing two •ections of this railway, on which work has already been done, namely : Kautanga lection 4£ miles, and Hikituha section 8J miles. The former of these rsqoirea •tationa and fencing, etc., and the latter requires bridges plate-laying and stations. MOKRINSVIIXE TO KOTORTJA.

Purchase of this railway was completed on the 2lßt number last, and its construction is 1> ing carried on under agreement Banotioued by the House last year. One portion, from Morrinsville to Lichfield, the first length from Morrinsville to Oxford, was opened on Bth March last, and the remainder to Lichfield is now practically finished. I found on examination that works on the line had been satisfactorily carried out. The rolling •tock imported is all of good quality. POTARURTJ TO BOTORTJA.

Ok the Piitaruni to Kotorua division the first section, some 8 milei, in ready for contract, and tenders can be adver tised for at any time. A great deal of trouble has been taken to locate this line, but although the route throughout has beeß definitely determined upon detailed •urveys of a portion of the Kotorua bush •re not yet completed. The authority proposed to bo asked for in this case will provide for letting of two formation contracts about 8 mileß in each, amounting in •11 to £SOOO or £7500, of which, however, only about £15,000 will be expended during the present year. The length fro.i> the Kotorua Bush to Rotorus is surrejed, and staked out i*ady for contract, but it is not proposed to put this portion in hand till the remainder of the line is well advanced. Owing to recent changes that have token place in this district, the locution of Kotorua and of the line and its construction will be very carefully Considered before aDy works are undertaken. MAIN TBTJHI RAILWAY, NOBTH ISLAND.

As my colleague the Colonial Treasurer has already stated, there is now every prospect of the Government b.coming possessed of large tracts of land on the route of this railway, and we consider that the work ought to be pushed on vigorously. We propose asking the authority of the House to expend, or to enter into contracts for, a much larger amouDt this year than during last year. Works Which were in hund during last year are MS follows :—At 'he northern end, commencing from Te Awamutu, the Punni contract, length about 15 miles, iocluding permanent way, has been steadily processing, and is expected to be completed •nd ready for traffic about October next. The Te Kuiti Bection, length about 11 Utiles, which was also to include permanent way, was advertised for tender in August last, but hud to be withdrawn in consequence of a reduction made in the •jtimates List session. Beyond-the end of this section there is the Wnitati section, leßgth about 9 miles, of which working plane are completed and ready for contract. The Turod-Taro section, length, Including a tunnel, about 1$ miles, which is distant 48 miles from Te Awamutu, was let by contract in August last, to be completed in August 1887. To southward of the tunnel the working survey is* completed for a length of 4$ miles. Contracts have been let for 66,000 sleepers, and 80,000 more have been taken over foi the Working Ruilways Department. In addition to these works a large •mount of work has also been done in the •hape of approach roads to get access to railway, and also a larg9 amount of exploration and proliminary surveys to get the best liDe for portions of the railway which have not as yet been undertaken. For further details concerning these latter items 1 would refer boo. members to report of Engineer-in-Chief, which will be attached to the Statement. I would also wish to take this opportunity of stating distinctly that in cases where contracts have been let 'to the native* tbey have doDe a great deal of work very satisfactorily and at moderate price*, and whenever they have demanded excessive prices the contracts have been advertiaed and let by public tender. At the southern end of the line the requisite railway station at Marton junction has been completed including such buildings as will be necessary for the probable present traffic. The Porewa contract length, about 12 miles, including plate-laying, commencing from the. Marton junction, was let in April, 1885, but. has had to be taken out of the hands of the original contractor »nd re-let to another contractor. It is now going on satisfactorily, and will probably be completed about November next. The reletting of the work involved no loss to the colony except in the matter of delaying completion. Commencing at the end of Porewa contract is the Hunterville section, length about 6 miles, which was advertised for tender some time back but had to be withdrawn on account of the limited funds provided. Beyond the end of this section the working surveys and plans have been completed for a further length of about five miles. At this end of the line also a considerable amount of work has been done in the construction of approach roads and survey works, which will be found detailed in the report of the Eogineer-in-Chief. Work required for improving the navigation of the Wanganni River was commenced in August last, and an available depth of 2ft of water has already been obtained as far as Kaiwak», 46 miles above Wanganui, and between Jfaiwaka nnd Pipikibi. Similar work is io progress at Pipikiki. A branch road will leave'j;he river io go into the interior. Surveys at both ends of this railway were much de r Jayefl last year in consequence of the re* fiction made in the votes, and although -;Syery effort w*as made to all works /which could be stopped in sufficient time

.•i:'ib. keep the? expenditure and liabilities \ within tlie vote, it was found irpposeiblp ultoj.eihei to attain this, iu consequence of - the riifficulty of communication, and there l*as consequently been an excess of about : £13,000. The authoriry whioh I now propose to ask for on account of thisrs.il-

way will provide for completing all works at present in hand, and also for additional works a« follows:—The Te Kuiti section, 11 miles, and the Waititi section, 9 miles, at the north end, and the Huntetville section, 5 miles, at the south end, and also further improvements in navigation of the Wanganui river, and the construction of« further approach roads to give access to the railway. NBW riTMOUTH MSB. jR« the line connecting New Plymouth with the main trunk line, although no further actual surveys have been made, still a good deal of exploration has taken placet both by officers of the Land Department and Public Works Departments, and we now have every reason to believe that a fairly good line can be got, starting from the point on the main line about 60 miles south of Te Awam»tu, following the course of the Ohura, the Eao, and the Tangareku rivers, thence south-westarly across the range to one of the branches of the Mimi river.

[The conclusion will appear in our next issue.l