PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1672, 13 December 1887, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

* The Public Works Statement was ! delivered by Mr Mitcbelaon last night. ! He said he would not go into minute , details, aa particulars as regards the ■ progress of the construction of the : railways and other works were given in the reports of the engineers, which had been already laid upon the table of the House. THE RAILWAYS. To commence therefore with the railways. There were opened on the 31st March last in the North Island 632 miles, and in the South Island 1090 miles, total 1722 miles. On the 31st October last there were opened for traffic 1734 miles, of which 632 were in the North Island, 1112 in the South Island. There were also at that date 176 miles of railway in course of construction, of which 87 were in the North Island and 87 in the South. The total expenditure on railways including cost of Provincial lines, and purchase of district railways up to 31st March last was £14,082,711 and the liabilities on the 31st March were £486,376 making in all £14,569,087. HELENSVILLE NORTHWABDB. On the line from Helensville northwards, a contract of 4 miles would be finished during the present month. Until this line is completed to Kaukapakapa, a distance of 7 miles from Helensville, it will not carry much traffic, and it is therefore proposed to complete it to chat extent as soon as practicable. The funds already provided, with the addition of £25,000 now proposed, will complete the railway for traffic for 7 miles up to Kaukapakapa, and will also enable the formation to be extended for a further distance of 8 miles. The expenditure proposed is £IO,OOO for this year, and £27,000, £20,000, and £17,761 for the three following years, making a total to the end of March, 1891, of £174,761. AUCKLAND TO PBNEOSE, As the balance necessary to complete this work—some £77,ooo—cannot conveniently be provided out of the money now proposed to be borrowed it is not intended at present to take any further steps in the matter. GEAHAMSTOWN—TE ABOHA, ETC. On the Grahamstown—To Aroha railway the rails are laid from Grahamstown to Kaueranga, about 5 miles, and the formation without bridges is complete between Kaueranga end Hikutaiai, about 8 miles, and in progress from thence to near Qhinemuri, about 6 miles. It is expected that the latter will be finished in July next. From Ohinemuri to Te Aroha—l3 miles—the contract; surrey is complete, but works have not yet been put in hand. The total length from Grahamstown to Te Aroha is 32 miles. The estimate of expenditure for the year is £IO,OOO and for the three following years £ISOO, £IOOO, and £6921 respectively, total £51,921, PUTABUEU-EOTOEUA. On the Putaruru-Rotorua railway a | contract of 8 miles will be finished in June next. The total length from Putaruru to Rotorua is 82 miles, and the rate of expenditure proposed, ex- : ' elusive of £IB,OOO required for rails, is £40,000 for this year and £25,000, £25,000, and £7,377 for the three 1 following years; total to the end of : March, 1891, £97,377. NOME ISLAND TEUNK EAILWAT, The original estimate of this line was altogether misleading. The probable cost originally indicated was £1,860,000, whereas the present estimate, exclusive of the probable cost and charges of raising the loan, and the amount allocated to purchase of Native lands, is £2,085,000, and if ■ to this amount there is added, say, 1 £IO,OOO for raising loans, and also the ( £IO,OOO already allocated for Native lands, it brings the total to £2,285,000. Taking the £1,000,000 already i authorised from this shows £1,285,000 i as still required to be authorised in 1 order to complete the whole line from Te Awamutu to Marton. He then 1 dwelt on the advisability of altering the route of the line, and intimated . that no new contracts would he put in hand until after next session. The original estimate of the Stratford- < Te Awamutu line was £1,036,000, but there was no guarantee that this estimate was more accurate than the estimates for the Central route. A survey should be made of the Taranaki route. He estimated the cost of this line at about £500,000, inclusive of about £250,000 tor expenditure and liabilities already incurred. The only doubt, therefore, as regards the probable cost of a railway from Te Awamutu to Taranaki was the cost of the link between Maramata and Stratford or wherever might be the best place to join the existing Taranaki railway. The present estimate of this connection was £BOO,OOO, but as there was not trustworthy data on which such an estimate could be based, it could not be relied upon as being even approximately accurate. As regards the present line, the north end is completed and ready for traffic from Te Awamutu to Tekuiti, a distance of 25| miles and from I ekuiti to the Mokau Talley—9 miles—the formation and platelaying will be completed in December 1888. From the Upper Mokau Valley to the Darootaro Range—ll miles the survey is completed, but works have not yet been put in band. Through the Porootarata Saddle a contract of Hi miles is in progress, including a tunnel 1 of 53 chains. The total length from

Te Awamutu to the end of the tunnel contract is 47 miles. South of the tunnel a contract survey has been made for about 8 miles to the Maramata Junction. During the four years ending the 31st March, 1891, which is the extent of the programme which he had sketched out so far, it is proposed that the line shall be carried on steadily to Te Kuiti to near Maramata, in the Ongarulie Valley, about 55 miles from Te Awamutu, this being the fpoint at which the line could diverge to Taranaki, and the rate of expenditure indicated is £70,000 for this year, and £75,000, £75,000, and £BO,OOO for the three following years; total to end of March, 1891, £300,000 at the north. At the south end of the railway from Marton to Hunterville, 19 miles, will be ready for opening about Christmas. Prom Hunterville for about 25 miles the survey is completed, and a. contract for about 8 miles of it is prepared, but the works have not yet been put in hand. The rate of expenditure suggested is £26,000 for this year, and £35,000, £40,000, and £42,000 for the three following years; total to end of March, 1891, £143,000.

The Napier and Palmerston railway was completed and opened for traffic to Woodville (97 milda from Napier Spit) in March last and now only remains to be completed from Woodville to Palmesston, a distance of 15 miles. Of this distance 4 miles in the Manawatu Gorge will be finished in October, 1888. The rate of expenditure proposed, exclusive of the amount required for rails, is £40,000 for this year, and £50,000 and £70,818 respectively for the two following years, total to the end of March, 1890, £160,813. WELLINGTON-WOODVILLE.

The "Wellington Woodville railway is completed and open for traffic from Wellington to Mangamahoe, a distance of 82 miles. The rate of expenditure proposed is £37,000 for this year and £24,421 forthe next year, total to the end of March 1889, £61,421. In relation to the BLENHEIM-AWATEEB.

On the Blenheim-Awatere railway the formation without bridging is made for 4£ miles south of Blenheim, and a contract called the Dashwood contract has also been let for formation 3} miles further and is progressing slowly. It is estimated that the works will be finished in February next. From the end of the Dashwood contract to the Dashwood Pass, miles the contract survey is completed, but works have not yet been put in hand, total length from Blenheim to Dashwood Pass 10£ miles. A preliminary survey has been made from the Pass to a convenient stopping place on the Southern bank of the Awatere, 5| miles further. This - makes the total distance from Blenheim to Awatere 16 miles. To complete the line to the Awatere would cost about £99,000, which is much more than could he afforded for it out of the loan now proposed. It has therefore been decided to recommend an allocation of £90,000 only, by means of which, in conjunction with existing funds, it will be possible to complete the first 5 miles at the Blenheim end for traffic, and to connect it with the Awatere by a dray road, and also to build the railway bridge over the Awatere for use in the meantime as a road bridge. This will be a great boon. (Unfinished.)