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Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3494, 6 March 1880, Page 2

The statement in the reply of Mr Oliver, Minister of Public Works, to the telegram from the Mayor, that more than the vote had been expended already upon the rail way is difficult to believe. In the first place the vote was for £35,000 for o the Hoe from Te Aroha to Thames, against which if all the contracts let are charged a balance of at least i.10,265 remains at the disposal of the G-overntnent, as the following figures will show:— Souter's Contract ... ... £7,533 O'Brien's ... 8,393 Watson's Bridge ... ... 763 Sleepers, contract to extend over two years ... ... 12 083 Native land, say ... ... 1,000 Surveys Thames end ... 10,00

£30,777 As the sleeper contract is for the whole line from Thames to Hamilton, it is fair to charge only half that amount, as we are only discussing' the vote for half the line, from Te Aroba to the Thames,, so that £6,042 is to be taken from £30,777, leaving the amount £24,735, which from the £35,000 leaves as we said a balance of £10,265. To be deducted from the expenditure we have charged against the vote is to be taken Borne four or five thousandjpaid upon the contracts, out of the vote of the previous year, which we will now consider, so that the balance to our credit should be fourteen or fifteen thousand. In addition to this balance, if the vote of £30,000 passed for this work in 1878 is taken into account, of course over forty-four thousand pounds are yet to be expended. It is, however, but fair to state that rolling stock- to the extent of £27,000 was ordered by the late Government to go against the vote given them of £30,000, but even taking that amount from our total credit it leaves the sum of at least £i 7,000 for expenditure. In the face of these figures how can the Minister of Public Works say the votes have been exceeded ? Of course it may be easy for Mr Oliver to trump up all sorts of ex penses and charge them against these votes', and. no doubt, but some such course has been taken ; yet in all fairness to us there should be another contract or two let before Parliament meets again. We hope the deputation, which leaves on Tuesday to see Ministers, may succeed in convincing them that justice is being withheld from the district in the matter of this railway. ;.-■ ■'-':'"'"' ■':-';---' •■- ■ -•■: ■■"■■ "•■'