PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 377, 29 July 1874, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Mr Richardson made his Public Worke Statement. He said he hoped to satisfy tae hiousethatas much work had been put in hand as it was advantageous to the countryshould be put in hand during the year, some few works contemplated last session remained in abeyance. Two reasons had operated to cause this : first, the great demand ior labor throughout the Colony rendered it unwise for any active competition with private employers by the department. Secondly, there had been a want of skilled engineers, arising mainly from Provincial and private requirements. Seven engineers had now been obtained from England, bub, while he acknowledged some- delay, it would

Be only fair the House should recognise that, taken. as a whole, tke progress of public irorks under tb« department haJL been tjdickened during the year beyond what w^s contempUtod last session. He had to repeat the thanks he expressed last year far the energy shown by the officers of tho department. He much regretted the loss, by eudden death, of two very promising en gineers, Messrs R. Millettand R. Joututone The Engineer C »det system was working excellently, and wou'd supply officers- who wcuM bs most valuable to the Co'ony. He would first refer to the North Island railways. An amicable arrangement bad been made to relieve Mr Edgar from completing the contract for the Kaipara and Riverhead line, and it had be. n let to Mr Fallon, who was to finish it in December next. A further appropriation of L 14.000 would be required for this line, mainly owing to the rise in iron. - This addition would make the total cost L 4.437 per mile. But better ballasting than the contract provided for would be necessary if there was much traffic, and»tbe cost <-f such ballasting would. depend npon the extenßiotf from Riverhead to Auckland being made. Plans for the extension were ready. It had not been commenced ti ballast the line, a3 the engineer in charge was unable to_ report that it would pay working expenses. The H»nse, howerer, wotild be asked this sesßion to authorise its constniction ; for, though it wonld not, taken alone, pay working expenses (and though the Kaipara and Riverhead branch would probably not do so), the Gorernment were ..convinced that a Kaipara to Auckland line would pay consider-, ably more than working expenses. The Auckland to Mercer line was progressing satisfactorily, and it was hoped that the bonus offered to Messrs Brogden, of LSOO a month, would lead to its completion three or four months in advauce of ontract time, namely, the Ist September, 1875. From Mercer to Newcastle tho line was in hand, partly by contract and partly by the Volunteer Engineer Militia. That corps now consisted of three companies, numbering in all about 200 men. Its organisation was effected by the Hon. Dr Pollen, the Government having at one time supposed that additional defence force was necessary in the Waikato. The corps had been at work since December, and had worked very effectively Their work had been well donf under the direction of the District . ngineer, but Major Cooper and other officers in charge had • maintained discipline and drill, so as to ensure that the corps would be available for defence if needtd. It was proposed to charge to defence any excess of cost in the work done by the corps as compared with ordinary contract work".' 'The materials for the Waikato bridge, for road as well as railway traffic, were oh the way from England, ai-d it was expected the bridge would be completed about March, 1876. As/ to the extension of this line, it might be said that, if non -professional opinion could be relied on, there, appeared to be no engineering difficulty" in carrying tbe railway in a nearly direct line south from Alexandra, behind Mount Egment. On the first eighteen miles of the Napier to Waipu-urau line, the contractors would b j fully a year behind time. They had had great difficulties to contend with in getting sleepers and other tirubtr. Notice, too, had been given, to as to enforce penalties, if found necessary. A further length of twenty seven miles was under contract, and progressing satisfactorily, ou the Waitara and New Plymouth line 3. Contract time ou^ht not to be exceeded ; bub could it have been foreseen that the Co rt would sustain such claims for payments for land as it had sustained, the Government ■would have delayed commtneing the. work until reasonable arrangements had bcea effected. A really good line behind Mouut Egmont had now been found, and a working survey from Southland toward* Rawera was to be completed. From Wanganui northwards the country had bpen found very difficult instead ef favorable, as the clepartinent had been led to expect, and, despite all possible exertions, no date for commencing the formation of the line could bo fixed. Tin fie ivy works would mainly be within ths first thirty miles north of Wanganui. The bridge over t-.e Wanganui River was to be completed by March, 1875. Two section.-* of the Wanganui and Manawatu line would soon be let, including bridges over the Wanganui and the Turakina. For the remainder, the survey s are well advanced. The conversion of half of the lines from a tramwa? to a railway was provided for by the Railways Act, 1872. It was now found to be absolutely necessary similarly t9 convert tbe Kangitikei to Manawatu section. It was proposed to contract with Mr A. F. Halcornbe, the agent of the Emigrants and Colonists Aid Corporation, to construct nine miles of this railway, he waiving the right of the company to require employment ft* 200 of the company's emigrants at auy time during the next three years, a condition which was found to be very embarrassing. The first section of the Wellington and Viasterton railway had beesi, after three months' maintenance, taken over from the contractors It had cost L 3.098 more than contract price, so that the total ost of eight miles, inoludiMg a fair proportion of the charges f^r the Wellington terminus, was L 49.713. The hurried collection of information ou which the contract was based caused both engineers and contractors to be misled as to the cost of the stone in the hills alongBide the line. The stone proved unfitted for sea faciug, and there was consequent change of plan and the additional cost stated, j Twenty- seven miles, including the summit tunnel, were under contract. ~Six miles of this portion had been satisfactorily completed by Mr M'Kirdy, and would shortly be ready to be opened. The work of the engineers in selecting the best route across the Rimutaka had been most arduous. The engineer had, in comoany with Mr James Mackay, examined the country between Cambridge and Manawatu. He had reported, but nothing could bs decided as to a railway line until it *as knowja whether tbe line cou'd be taken along on the west sido of Lake Taupoinstead of on the east side, the land that would bs traversed on tbe former route being very superior to that on the latter. Coming to the Middle Island Railways, the contractors for the Picton and Blenheim line were much behind time, but they had promised to complete the work as soon as practicable. The Nelson and Foxhill works were progressing satisfactorily. r .lhe date, for their completion was November, 1875. On the Weßtport and Mount Kochefort line, the section to Fairdown was a^out to be let, and the surveys for the completion of the Ngakawhau were in a forward state. He saw no reason why the entire railway should not be completed by the end 0M875, and he hoped that by the middle of 1875 the perManent harbor works at the Buller would be put in hand. Tho commencement of these works depended upon the compl-tion of the contract for tbe first length, the "date of which v»s August, 1875. The Greymouth and Bruanerline, including the suspension biidge over the Grey River, was in hand, but the railway works were not in such a forward state as was^ anticipated This was swing to the nee ssity for iua proving the line over a short length where heavy slips threatened The en^iueer in charge state-i that the steps he h d taken were sufficient to ensui c the safety of the line ; and the cost of the additions would be met ut of the appropriation made last year. The protective works undertaken had answered all expectations, and had stood the test of s^aie vtry heavy flood*. The North- Kowhai to Rangiora was all under contract, and promising satisfactorily. This line should be opened to

South Kowhai early next year. The extension from the Kakau to the south >ide of tho Bangitata inclu -ied three large bridges and one smell one. The section to the -8 h bur ton would be open for general traffic iv a few days. The Hmd Hiver would be opened about the Ist of January, and the whole w«rk would be completed b= tbe middle of 1875. The continuation of tho Temuka line was about to b 8 leb, and also from Christ church to Tiraaru. 'i ha whole lino shoald bo ready for traffic about August oc September, 1875. Tho Timaru to Youog's Creek section could be opened in two months. From Timaru to the Waitaki was ready for contract, and about December, 1875, might bo named 'as the time for completion. The branch from Kangiora to Oxford should be c»mpletei within contract time, the end of November next. From the Kaoecourse to Soutbbridge was to be completed by Janua r y next, ami the Kollestoa and Mai vein and White Cliffs lines were expected to be ready by November next. All the station buildings for these branch lines were under contract, and would bs ready in advance of the regulations. Owinj; to tlie high price of iron, tho apprer nation for these bronch lines would n>t be sufficient by about the amount r*qui r ed_ for the Waimatft branch, and arrangements would have to 1)2 m n de to p-ovirle funds fov the work. All the rolling stoi k for these branch lines was in the Colony, and that for the trunk lines was either here, or its shipment had been advised. The completion of the Waitaki bridge w.is under contract to Messrs M 'Gavin and Co., and should be finished about November, 1875 Every endeavor would be raa^e to kocp the contractors to their contract time, and a bonus wa? offered them to finish it earlier. It had been found necessary to add an extra 6fb to all the cylinders now on the way from Eng'anc?, and a further appropriation was required to cover the co3t. He allnded last year to the great delay caused by the altering in England of the design for this biidgo, and he must repeat bis personal opinion that the original design would, at a very much smaller ctst, have answered tbe purpose. Passing to tbe Otago lines, that between Waitaki and Oamaru had been much^ delayed By the diffi culty of getting sleepers Between Oainaru and Moeraki the works were not in as satisfacto; y a sate as they should be, but the Government tfere not free from blame in ihe matter. The engineer over this section had to be removed in November, and since then Messrs Brogden bad beeu getting en more satisfactorily with the works On the Moeraki line, half-a-mi'e of works, costing about L 2.000, would have to be abandoned. Tbi* might have been provided against had more time been taken for the survey. Between Moeraki and Dunedin, ' the heaviest was the tunnel thr ugh theß'ueskin It was progressing satisfactorily. Dunediu to Blueßkin would be completed concurrently with the tunnsl, and from Blueskin to Moeriki would be let during the year. Anextension of tbe Port Chalmers was contemplated too this year. The Dunedin and C'utha, Railway had been recently opened to Green Island— about six miles. The works were progressing satisfactorily on the rest of the line, and with a view of expediting its completion th« Government had offered Messrs Brogden a bonus of LSOO per month foevery month they saved in completion of the line to Ist September next year. The Toko mairiro and Lawrence Kailway was all under contract ; the date for completion of the formation, Ist of June next. The line ought to be finished by Ist Sep ember, 1875, but the whole of this work depends on the completion of the Glenore Tunnel. From Clutha to Mataura, the only work actua'ly in hand was the large bridge over the Clutha River, but it was intended to call for tenders for the se.ctw-n b'.'-tweeu Mataura and Clinton immediately, and the remainder as s ion after as possible. Between Mataura and Invercargill about twelve mile 3 had been opened during the past year for traffic, and the remainder of the line was progres*iag very weli, although not so forward as it should be. On the Winton to Kingßton line, the contractor for the fi:st section was not so forward 'as ho should be and he could not complete the work within the contract time, August 9, but tbe fault was not with tbe contractors The next section, 28 "miles, had just been let, and the remainder would be let as aoon aa the Government could see their way to procure the material. The actipn of tKe Southland District Land Bsard, by affecting tbe supply of sleepers, would probably prevent this line beiug kept within estimate cost. The cost of railways authorised in each Province, and the amounts appropriated, might be thus summarised : — Auckland, 166 miles 36 chains, appropriation L 934.500; Taranaki, 18 miles 13 chains, L 110.50 0; Hawko's Bay, 45 miles 25 chains, L 220.000; Wellington, 133 raifei, L 644.000; Westland, 70 miles 23 chains, 171,000; Nelson, 38 miles 20 chains, L 222.20 0; Marlborough, 28 miles 53 chains, Ll2 >,000 ; Canterbury, 251 miles 34 chains, LI, 160 000; Otago, 332 miles 4 chains, L 2,065,000;, 065,000 ; general (surveys) LIO.000: total, 1.0K) miles 48 chains ; total appropriation, L 5 575,400. There were open for traffic 87 milea 68 chains complete ; ready for traffic, 57 miles 74 chains ; platelaying going on on 103. miles 65 chains ; length under contract, in course of completion, 421 miles 45 chains. Total length undertaken, 673 miles 2 chains. Still to be let, 337 miles' 46 chains. As to the general resnlts of the operations -of the department, Mr Richardson said: "Theexpenditure and liabilities incuired for railways completed or in hand, amount to L 3,660,881,, 660, 881, leaving L 1.914,519 for which no liabilities have yet been incurred. This, I think, is a very satisfactory result for the working of the department so far, and although it might hive been possible to have forwarded more work on the market, the House will agree with me in believing that it would have been very inadvisable in the interest of the Colony to have done so. Speaking generally with reference to the cost of the railways authorised by Parliament, it has been found that with few exceptions the amount already J appropriated will be found sufficient for their completion. Owing to the great fluctuation in the cost of iron in England, it may, however, be well to group the railways in each of the various Provinces in order to make the appropriations cover the cost as against some lines, the permanent way of which has been charged at the highest rates, whilst the others have obtained all the benefit of the lower rates. Before leaving the subject of railways there is the question of working ; the traffic on them to be referred to. The first piece of line which is being worked by the Colonial Government is that from Auckland to Onehunga. This was opened before it was completed, and the best arrangement which was found practicable was made with Messrs Brogden, who organised the staff and c tmtnenced to work the line. Tnere is a large amount of traffic, and there is no doubt whatever thas the line will pay very well. 'Jhe receipts duriag seven months hard been L 4.834 93 3d. The line from Wellington to the Hutt has been opened since April, and 1 think that considering the present temporary terminus is so far out of the town, and the line ao short, it is astonishing that there Bhould be so much traffic on it as there is There is no reason to doubt that the live will pay, and each section, after the Matt River is crossed, will materially increase its paying capabilities. The fragmentary portions of the line which have been opened >ntue Provinces. of Canterbury and Otago are for the present being respectively worked by the Provincial Governments. The erection of the large workshops is bein£ pressed f°rw*r4 in Auckland

and Dunedin, and I trust in a few moutbs the department will be iv a position to execute not only repairs, but also to tit up and complete a considerable amouut of rolling btouk, which must be imported from England. It will be a mater hereafter to decide whether it will ha advisable to undertake ihe manufacture in this Colony of rolling Btqck which wilL be requirel. Road work expenditure during iho year has been — in Auckland, L 61.269 ; Taranaki, L 25 077 ; Hawke's . Bay, JJ'27,182;J J '27,182; Wellington, L 29.311. Tha total sum expended on road? iv each of the four Provinces, up to tho fend of the year, was— Aucklaod, L 127.66 5; Tarauaki, L 62.685 ; Hawke's Bay, L 58.238 ; Wellington, LI 18, 393 ; thus making, with L 1,747, 747 unappropriated, a grosi total of L 368,63'). There were, on the 30th June, the following liabilities : — Auckland, L 22.85 1; Taranaki, Lb',7B7 ; Hawke's Bvy, L 6.771 ; Wellington, L 20.107; or, altogether, L-56,518. Adding these liabilities to the actual expenditure, the total was t 425,149,' as against the tote of L4G0,000 ; but the excess b»d to be credited with L 12.000, expended far tha benefit of confiscated land*, for the L 425, 549 there had boea .1,238 miles opened or in progress, and '525 miles of horso roads constructed. On those roads, basides a very large number of culverts, there were 134 bridges of spans er ceeding 20ft., and of a total length of 11,358tc, and 182 smaller bridges of a total length of 2,874 ft. Tuere bad been expended on loads in tho Nelson South-w^st Go!dfiells, and in H30,t>79, and -hsre were liabili ies amounting to L.14,406. The rstimat'. for goMn'elds wa-er-supp!y works, which, wer« mostly base ion informaiiun supplied by the Provincial, Governments, had been greatly exceeded. The great mci eases of cost had been ou the Waimea, Nulaon Creek, and^Thames races, while the Mount Ida race and sludge chiunel would: be coit^leted at a cost very little exceeding tho estimate. L 30,000 had been appropriated for this cla^s of works. There had been expended L 95.937, and there were liabilities amounting to L 2 01,454. No more works of the kind would be undertaken until time had proved how far those in hand had succeeded. During the j ear L 2.400 had b -en expended on e-ploration for coal, and there was a contiugent liability for LI 23(5. Mr Richardson gave some particulars of trials of coals, and as to the prospects of various fields, aud sp',>ke of the wor-.s carried ou ami proposed iv connection with the Colonial Architect's Department, rstimites for new Government offices in Wellington, and for other necessary buildings in different parts of the Colony would, he said, be submitted during the session. The appropriations for railways for which it was proposed to ask this session were — First, L 14.000 for the Kaipara and Kiverhead Railway. Second, L 112.000, the difference in cost of completing the Wanganui-Manawatuiine as a railway-ins'ead of a tramway. Third, L 6.000 to convert the Foxton and Manawatu Tramway into^a railway. This was considered very important, on account of the large timber trade of the district, and the progress of tho Fielding settl-ment. Fourth, alurthersum of L30,0J0 to extend the railway southward from Waipukurau tow.irds Manawa'u, thu object baing to form the railway, and lay down the permanent sleepers with, a woodtn rail to the hnavy bush land which the main line traverses, aud thus get at the timber, so much of which was wanted for thy railway nowiu course of construction. Fifth, L 15,000 to complete the Vf aitaki Bridge. Sixth, LIO,OOO for the extension of the protective works at Greymouth._ The vote of L10,G0l) asked for preliminary surveys bsing nearly exhausted— a sufficient sum to enable full and complete surveys to be made of the line through from F.xhill to Buiinert :n, and thence to Can terbury ; and fr^m Oreymouth to .Hokitika, as well as for s>uch oilier portions of covnt cling links of the trunk lines -s the staff nt command would enable to fee done. There wojld be no necessity to do more than this before the next session. It waa pro osed to repay to~ the North Island Road Fund L29 ; 500, which had i.een spent on the ivjauawiicu tramway, and to ask for an additional grant of L 60.000 to complete roads in hand, as well as to construct others considered necessary. Having stated the roads upon which this money was to be expanded, aud given other explanations." Mr Richardson concluded as follows :—'« Up to the 30th June, 1873, there was a total expenditure by the Public Works department, exclusive of immigration, of L 1,649,921 2s lid ; and the ex penditure during the year 1873-74 was L 1,554,446, 554, 446 43 10d. There are outstanding liabilities iv ■ ngland and the Colony of L 1,873,688, 873,688 163 4 1, making a to~al of expenditure aad liibilities ef I 5,078,056 4s Id. These are large figures, but, sir, we have large results, and there are few who will be found now to assert that any of the railways which are proposed or undertaktH will not, from the moment (hey are opened, return more than working expenses and a fair depreciation fund, and if economically worked will considerably contribute, in couisa of time towards piying interest on the outlay ; »nd, with reg.nd to the roads .in ths North Islmd, I do not imagine any one will deny the vast service they have bsen in opening up and bringing about the settlement of tbe country. The Colony has undertaken a gigantic work. It is ineumbeut on the Assembly to see that it is carried out to its legitimate end, and, sir, J have no fear sb to the result. "

In the Legislative Council, The Hon. Mr Waterhouse's motion, to the effect that the Government be not authorised to lease lands without the sanction of Parliament, was withdrawn, on condition that an opinion of the House hi asked before the end .of the session.

The Poßt Office Savings Bank Bill was thrpwn put by 12 to 8.