PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

Temuka Leader, Issue 2724, 13 October 1894, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT

The Hod. R. J. Seddon delivered his Public Works Statement last Thursday evening. After a few prefatory remarks he proceeded to deal with BOAD PBOPOSALS. Crown lands were to be bought and roads made through them. Permanent prosperity conld only be assured by settling people on the laud, and for this purpose money would have to be appropriated. On reference, however, to Part I. it would be seen that the amount asked for under that part of the fund is only £564,980, being losb by £43,880 than was appropriated last year. The difference is principally accounted for by a reduction of nearly £IOO,OOO in the votes for roads, and an increase of nearly £40,000 in the

vote for the development of goldnelds, and about £IO,OOO in the vote for public buildings. The total increase in appropriations under all the heads will be £229,703, made up as follows .—Land improvement account, £150,000; Native land purchase account, £150,000; total, £300,000. Decrease under Part 1., £43,880; decrease under Part 11, £26,417; total, £70,297 ; increase, £229,703. The amounts required for road works are in excess of those asked for during the last three years, but this excess is largely due to the purchase of native lands and to the amount required for roading the lands purchased. A large amount is also required for farm settlements and for land improvements and main road maintenance. In respect to the latter the condition of the finances of the local authorities is such that it is impossible for them to bear the expense of the roads, but this would be provided for in the local government measures which will be introduced next year.

PUBLIC WORKS. The state of the Public Works Fund on the 31st March last, including a small sum of £7B due to Part I. under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886, was as follows;

From the above table it will be seen that the receipts during the year more than met the expenditure, so that the fund was in a better position to the extent of £12,307 on the 3lßt March last than it was at the beginniug of the year. The receipts under Part I. consisted of £250,000 transferred from the Consolidated Fund; £163,713 of released sinking funds, £3757 from Ellesmere Bailway Trust; and £IBB3 from miscellaneous sources. The £2428 shown as • receipt under Part 11. was a transfer from Part I. to cover expenditure on the purchase of native lands to that amount, which had been charged to Part 11. in excess of the allocation authorised. The Colonial Treasurer has already mentioned in the Financiat Statement the proposal to again transfer a sum of $•250,000 from the Consolidated Fund for general public works purposes. An amount of will also be available from released sinking fnnds for loans under our loan conversion operations. A further sum of £250,000 will be available for roads and bridges, and the preparation of lands ior settlement, and for assistance to settlers to enable them to make improvements under the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act, and a further similar sum for the purchase and roading roading of Native lands under the same Act The total ways and means available for public works purposes thiß year will therefore be as follows : Public Works Fund, Part I—Balance remaining on 31st March, 1394, £263,738; transfer from Consolidated t«'und,£2so,ooo; released Sinking Funds, £54,681; total, Public Works Fund, Part ll—Balance remaining on 31st March, 1894, £79,197 ; total Public Works Fund, £647,610. Native Improvement Account, £250,000. j Native Lands Purchase Account,! £250,000. /«,.„./.-,« Gros»TotaiWaysandMeanß,£l,l47,olb.

Appropriations Pnoyossp.—lhe appropriations proposed under these aevora* heads aw as follows;-Public Works Fund, Part I, £564,980; Public Works Fund! Part 11, £75,183; total Public Works Fund, £640,163; under the Lands Improvement Account, £150,000 ; under the Native Lands Purchase Account, £150,000; gross total appropriations proposed, £940,163. This will leave au unappropriated balance of £745,3 under the Public Worlds Fund to be carried forward to next year, besides £IOO,OOO each on the Lauds Improvement and the Native Lands Purchase Accounts or a total unappropriated balance of £207,453. The votes proposed under Part II nearly absorb the balance of the. ways and tavim standing to the credit of that

part of the Fund, which means that on their expenditure the one million specially raised for the North Island Main Trunk Railway will be practically exhausted. Hon. Members will doubtless desire to know how this amount has been expended The figures are as follows :—•North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan—Amount of loan, £1,000,000 ; receipts from land purchased, £7580; total, £1,007,580. Ex-penditure-Survey and construction of North Island Main Trunk Railway, £548,911; purchase of native lands, £220,000 ; roads to give access to railway, £164,095 ; charges and expenses of raising loan, £51,788 ; departmental expenditure, £18,772; balance unappropriated, £4014; total, £1,007,580. This expenditure has given or will give us 59 miles of finished railway ; 12§ miles additional, on which the formation works will be completed and the rails in process of being laid; 9 miles, on which the formation works will be in an advanced condition; 70 miles of lines permanently surveyed; and 65 miles of preliminary survey. It will also give us good coach roads, affording access to the railway at both ends, leading through the centre of the North Island, namely, from Hunterville to Turangarere and Tokanui; also from Pipiriki on the Wanganui river to Ohakune, Karioe and Moawhanga; also about 65 miles of road between Stratford andOngaruhe; leaving about 40 miles of that road still to be made, besides many miles of minor roads and exploration tracks, and temporary and permanent service roads and bridges. It has also provided us with an estate of 1,127,497 acres of freehold, and 129,148 acres of leasehold land, be idea other large areas which have been partially acquired. TOTAL EXPENDITURE TO END OF 1893-94.

The expenditure on all works and services throughout the colony out of the Public Works Fund up to the 31st March last, including the value of the provincial railways and the purchase price of the district railways, has amounted to a total sum of £29,293,451. The principal items are as follows: Railways, £15,806,308; roads, £3,855,455; immigration, £2,146,552 ; buildings, £1,890,711 ; purchase of native lands, £1,297,517 ; lighthouses, harbour works and harbour defences, £906,958; telegraph extension, £679,793; development of goldfields, £572,441; defence works (general) £429,719 ; Departmental expenditure, £376,162; and cost of and discount on raising loans, £1,028,828. • CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM. Mr Seddon then dwelt on the success of the co-operative system of labor, and pronounced it a great success. An article in explanation of the system has been prepared by the Under Secretary for. Public Works, and will appear in the next issue of the New Zealand Official Year Book. Copies of this article will be sent to England and elsewhere, and the Government confidently expect to hear of the scheme being largely adopted in the carrying out of public works in other countries. The number of men employed under the system during the last twelve months has been as follows :

The works on which the men have been employed have been of a very varied character; almost all classes of railway work have been carried out under the system, including earthworks, bridges (wood, stone and iron), culverts (wood and stone), fencing, plate-laying, ballasting, supply of sleepers, and the erection of stations and other buildings. All sorts of road works have also been undertaken, and the erection and repairs of public buildings have likewise been carried out under it. The earnings of the men have varied a good deal according to their capabilities and industry. The total earnings of the co-operative contractors employed under the Public Works Department during the year have been £69,603, and under the Lands Department, £88,370; or a total of £167,980 distributed amongst the co-operative contract workmen of the colon)’. BAIL WAYS.

In reference to railways Mr Seddon said the policy of the Government since its advent to office had been to complete the unfinished lines so as to tarn unproductive expenditure to profitable account. No lobs than 135 miles of railway have been completed and opened for traffic during the three and three-quarter years the Government have been in office. Of this total length 61 miles 7 chains were opened during the late financial year. The amount voted for additions to open lines lines last year was £18,973, of which amount £9700 was for additional rolling stock only; £8042 of the total amount was actually expended duriug the financial year, however, and of this sum £3161 was for rolling stock. For the current year the Commissioners aßked for £46,910, of which £22,175 was for rolling stock, and £6OOO for extension and improvement of the railway wharf at Port Chalmers. The results of last year's working were not equal to this or the previous year. The total receipts during 1892-93 amounted to £1,181,521, against £1,172,792 for 1893-94, aud the net profit after deducting working expenses amounted to £437.434 in the latter year against £449,380 in the former a deficiency of £11,946. Thj.3, iu face of an increased capital expenditure of over £400,000. and an increase of sixiy-one miles in length of line \yorked, cannot be

regarded as a very satisfactory result. The percentage return on total.capital invested iu the railways atao declined from £3 Is per cent, to £2 !7a 9J p9r cent. The shortage ia receipts was doubtless owing to the poor harvest, which had the ejfeot of diminishing the toi>naga qf grain, carried as compared with the previous year by 112,446 tons, Messrs AJajweU and IJannay were dismissed hecr.r.sie th<?ii policy was generally disapproved » n ** tno course adopted bad prAy^" * beue{i( . iaI a As wouW be seen by reference to the estimates a substantial redugtjoi} iu the cost of working had been' made; the railways uro heiug worked efficiently ; the general public is satisfied ; a slight change in the policy has been effected, and a better fee iug exists on tho fcart; 0 f t h o

railway emplovpQii. Wtajf» construction wore next dc4t with. These wore the jvamo-Kavvaka-iva, 8 miles almost completed ; Grahamstown-To Aroha, l'J miles almost completed : Putaruru-Roto-iua 3 3u miles well on, 8\ miles cumplotod,

and the line will be fit for traffic on the Ist of December. The sum expended on the North Island trunk line last year was £39,220 and the proposal for the current year is £52,778. Seaward Bush was almost finished to Mataura. The Riversdale, Switzers, the Waipahi-Heriot, and the Gore-Kelso would receive consideration during the recesg. The total appropriations proposed for the railway works this year including additions to open lines, surveys and permanent ways, sleepers and rolling stock, amount to £313,028 as against £316,628 voted last year. The amount proposed to be voted this year is the smallest appropriation asked for railway purposes since the public works scheme was initiated. The Midland Railway Company had constructed 79 miles 50 chains of railway, and as the company had accepted the recommendations of the Select Committee, he hoped work would Boon be resumed and prosecuted vigorously.

ROADS. Roads Controlled by the Minister op Lands. Under the head of Main Roads £23,039 was voted last year and £22,235 spent, with liabilities at the end of the year of £9242, for miscellaneous roads and roads to open up Crown lands, £148,287 was authorised, including £3OOO from the Government Loans to Local Bodies account, and £88,042 spent, with liabilities amounting to £87,381 were outstanding at the end of the year. For grants in aid £11,663 was voted, and £8951 spent with liabilities at the end of the year of £3389. For village settlements there waß voted £3380 and spent £2898, with liabilities £I4BO, and finally for roads *o give access to the Marton-Te Awamutu railway there waß voted £41,811, spent £35,155, with liabilities £14,131. The following summary shows the road works performed during the year :—Dray roads—constructed, 296 miles; improved, 223 miles; maintained, 1215 miles. Bridle roads constructed, 238 miles ; improved, 155 miles ; maintained, 405 miles. The Minister dealt with the roads in detail, most of which are in the North Island. For main roads the large sum of £40,000 was asked for in order to execute the works detailed, and which works the local authorities were unable to provide. The provision made for miscellaneous roads amounted to £20,000. The sum of £20,605 was required for roads to give access to the North Island main Trunk Railway. Out of the Lands Improvement Account it was proposed to expend £150,000 in the construction of roads and tracks to open up Crown lands. These are—(l) Co-operative works for unemployed, £5000; (2) improved farm settlement, £20,000; and (3) advances to co-operative workmen, £SOO. The first was intended to meet unforseen demands for employment, and for works the necessity for which might arise during the year. The second was to provide means to pay for felling, burning, and grassing Crown lands in moderate areas, suitable for working men of small means. In this way a start would be given to the farmers and the Government would receive interest in the way of rent on the unimproved value of the land let. The third item was to enable the Government to make small advances to cooperative workmen employed in the construction of roads through Crown lands to enable them to bring their families on the works and out of the cities where they paid rent. The advances would be refundable out of the men's earnings. It was proposed to lease io men who desired it a small area round each dwelling. The roads which it was proposed to construct out of the laud purchase account 'Will probably absorb £40,000 during the current year. This amount will be used in the laying out of permanent roads and the construction of tracks to show how best to subdivide and settle the newly acquired lands. It is proposed to obtain uuder the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act the full amount of £50,000 which the Act authorises. The land upon which this sum will be expended has been placed and marked or disposed of loaded with sums sufficient to pay interest on sinking fund in accordance with the regulations made under the Act. It has often been said by persons in whose districts no railway works were under construction that the Government were spending too much money on railways, and too little on roads. He had, therefore, had a statement prepared showing the amounts voted for and expended on roads and railways respectively during the last five years, which, he thought would show that whatever blame may attack to the former Government in this respect, no such charge can be laid at the door of the present Government. The years and and amounts voted for railways are : 1890-91, £362,919; 1891-92, £490,276; 1892-93, £399,755; 1893-94, £316,628; 1894-95, £313,028. On roads—£lßl,l22, £204,464, £231,193, £244,169, £316,060, Amounts expended on railways—£l79,ol2 £154,416, £220,894, £176,255; ditto on roads—£7l,6B3, £109,716, £135,339, £177,697. This table shows that while the amounts voted for railways have gradually declined during recent years the sum for roads had been increasing. The sum of £45,455 was required for the gold field roads.

MISCELLANEOUS. The minister then enumerated several public buildings requiring attention and aaid that £15,090 would be required for school buildings, £13,500 for harbors and wharves, £IO,OOO for water-races on gold fields, aud £31,f00 on telegraph extension. Duriug last year the Government had purchased 345,850 acres of native laud, and the passing of the Land Improvement :iud Native Land Acquisition Bills would ijive an impetus to bona fide settlement. CONCLUSION.

The total appropriations proposed in the estimates accompanying this statement amount to £940,163, as compared with £710,460 voted last year. If the proposed expenditure is. not distributed over the whole polony in an exactly even proportion, hon. members will perceive that ihe reason for this is the great and pressing need of those localities where settlement ia proceeding most rapidly. The \}tmost olVorts have been made to deal iairly with every district, and each listrict's special needs aud claims have leceived most careful consideration.

Fart I. Part II. Totals. £ £ £ Unexpended Balances on 31st Match, 1893... 177,685 152,943 330,628 Receipts dating 1893-94 419,353 2,428 421,781 Totals ... 597,038 .155,371 752,409 Expenditure year ended March, 1894 333,300 76,174 409,474 Balances remaining on i'lst March, 1894... 263,738 79,197 342,985 Liabilities existing on 31st March, 1894... 214,942 28,866 243,608 Net balances available on tic 31st March. 1894 48,996 50,331 99,327

the action Council v, Bank of New Zeapart of the Fund, which means that on their expenditure the one million specially land Estates Company was £23 Oa 8d. .He Raddon, he had jaat received a letter raised for the North Island Main Trunk from the solicitors for the owner of the Railway will be practically exhausted. property, and expected a settlement. If Hon. Members will doubtless desire to the claim was not paid by Saturday know how this amount has been expended proceedings would be taken. In The figures are as follows;—North Island referring to another case, he said that Main Trunk Railway Loan—Amount of section 39 of the Rating Act, 1882, loan, £1,000.000 ; receipts from land pnrenabled the council to claim rates from chased. £7580 : total. £1,007,580. Exthe owner or first mortgagee (as well as penditure- Survey and construction of the occupier) of rateable property. The North Island Main Trunk Railway, occupier is of course primarily liable, and £548,911; purchase of native lands, it was only in case the occupier did not £220,000 ; roads to give access to railway, pay that the council could proceed against £164,095 ; charges and expenses of raising the owner or the first mortgagee. The loan, £51,788; departmental expenditure, judgment against the occupier must be £18,772; balance unappropriated, £4014; unsatisfied for six months before the total, £1,007,580. This expenditure has council could proceed against the owner given or will give us 59 miles of finished or first mortgagee (section 87). The railway ; 124 miles additional, on which course of procedure was set out in secthe formation works will be completed tions 38 and 42, inclusive of the Rating and the rails in process of being laid; 9 Act, 1882. miles, on which the formation works will Mounted Constable - Crawford and be in an advanced condition; 70 miles of Constable Stanley reported on the hues permanently surveyed; and 65 miles slaughter-houses, and forwarded returns of preliminary survey. It will also give of animals killed. us good coach roads, affording access to After a brief discussion it was moved the railway at both ends, leading through by Mr Mackay, seconded by Mr White, the centre of the North Island, namely, and carried unanimously :—•* That a from Huuterville to Torangarere and representation be made to the Railway Tokanui; also from Pipiriki on the Commissioners stating |how serious it Wanganui river to Ohaknne, Karioe and would be for the ratepayers in this Moawhanga; also about 65 miles of road district if any reduction should be made between Stratford andOngaruhe; leaving in the railage rates to Lyttelton on frozen about 40 miles of that road still to be meat or any other produce, the taking made, besides many miles of minor roads away of which would tend to reduce the and exploration tracks , and temporary revenue of the harbour; the outcome of and permanent service roads and bridges. any such reduction being that the It has also provided us with an estate of deficiency has to be made up by a levy on 1,127,497 acres of freehold, and 129,148 acres of leasehold land, besides other large the ratepayers.” Accounts were then passed for payment. areas which have been partially acquired. TOTAL EXPENDITURE TO END OF 1893-94. PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT. The expenditure on all works and — services throughout the colony out of the The Hon. R. J. Seddon delivered his Public Works Fund up to the Slat Public Works Statement last Thursday March last, including the value of the evening. After a few prefatory remarks provincial railways and the purchase he proceeded to deal with price of the district railways, has ROAD PROPOSALS. amounted to a total sum of £29,293,451. Crown lands were to be bought and The principal items are as follows:— roads made through them. Permanent Railways, £15,806,308; roads, £3,855,455; prosperity could only be assured by settling people on the laud, and for this immigration, £2,146,552 ; buildings, £1,890,711 ; purchase of native lands, £1,297,517 ; lighthouses, harbour works purpose money would have to be appropriated. On reference, however, to Part 1. it would be seen that the amount and harbour defences, £906,958; telegraph extension, £679,793; development of goldasked for under that part of the fund is fields, £572,441; defence works (general) only £564,980, being less by £43,880 than was appropriated last year. The difference £429,719 ; Departmental expenditure, £376,162; and cost of and discount on is principally accounted for by a reduction raising loans, *i,uzo,ozo. of nearly £100,000 in the votes for roads, • CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM. and an increase of nearly £40,000 in the Mr Seddon then dwelt on the success of vote for the development of goldfields. the co-operative system of labor, and proand about £10,000 in the vote for public nounced it a great success. An article in buildings. The total increase in apexplanation of the system has been prepropriations under all the heads will be pared by the Under Secretary for. Public £229,703, made up as follows:—Land Works, and will appear in the next issue improvement account, £150,000; Native of the New Zealand Official Year Book. land purchase account, £150,000; total, Copies of this article will be sent to Eng£300,000. Decrease udder Part 1., land and elsewhere, and the Government £43,880; decrease under Fart IL, £26,417; confidently expect to hear of the scheme total, £70,297 ; increase, £229,703. The being largely adopted in the carrying out amounts required for road works are in of public works in other countries. The excess of those asked for during the last number of men employed under the three years, but this excess is largely due system during the last twelve months has to the purchase of native lauds and to the amount required for roading the lands been as follows : — ® oa » purchased. A large amount is also M required for farm settlements and for fe a P< land improvements and main road Month. Totals. maintenance. In respect to the latter 3 P. ® fl the condition of the finances of the local afi § a authorities is such that it is impossible for Ph 3 them to bear the expense of the roads, but 1893, this would be provided for in the local September ... 840 1115 1955 government measures which will be October 829 1060 1889 introduced next year. November ... 900 1098 1998 PUBLIC WORKS. December 1028 1094 2122 The state of the Public Works Fund 1894, 2026 on the 31st March last, including a small January 984 1042 sum of £78 due to Part I. under the February 981 1081 2062 Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886, was as follows;— March April May 911 744 780 9oI 896 960 1862 1740 1840 Part I. Part II. Totals. June 756 1018 1774 & & & July 694 974 1668 Unexpended BaAugust 695 1094 1789 lances on 31st Monthly ) March, 1893... 177,685 152,943 330,628 845 1032 1877 Receipts during average )