PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 2999, 23 September 1908, Page 5

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

(Per Government Memo). The Minister for Public Works delivered his Public Works Statement in the House of Representatives last evening. He stated inter alia: — NORTH ISLAND MAIN TRUNK LINE. The outstanding feature of the Statement is the practical completion of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, thus morn than fulfilling my promise that the rails between Auckland and Wellington would be connected by the end of 1908. The North Island Main Trunk Railway, that is the line between Marton and Te Awamutu was authorised by Parliament in November, 1384, and the first sod was turned near Te Awamutu on April 15th, 1885. The line has therefore been rather more than 23 years in the course of construction. The Governments in office during this period and the expenditure incurred under each have been aa under:— November 1884 to October 1887, Stout-Vogel Government, total expenditure, £216,648, average expenditure per annum £74,279;, October 1887 to January 1891, Atkinson, £124,251, £38,231;. January 1891 to May 1893, Ballance, £92,392, £41,063; May 1893 to June 1906, Seldon, £1,326,174. £100,722; June 1906 to August 1906 to date, Hall-Jones-Ward, £769,874, £355,327. The total cost of thi railway, including extensive road construction and improvement works undertaken to facilitate the progress of the line, has exceeded two millions and ahalf, and the average annual expenditure thereon has approximated £IIO,OOO. As an average annual rate, extending over so long a period, this sum cannot be regarded as unsatisfactory, though doubtless the larger expenditure that has taken place during the last few years has been amply justified. OPERATIONS DURING PAST YEAR.,

I will now to generally id--view the public works operations during the past year. The total ex- c penditure on all the works and ser- t vices borne upon the public works r estimates amounted to £2,103,362, ( which is £99,243 less than previous , years* total. Jf, however, we exclude special charges against the Public Works Fund the disbur33ments total to £1,881,564,0r £158,755 ] less than during the previous year. _ The following table shows as regards , each clas3 of work—(a) the total ex- . penditure from the inauguration of the public works policy to December 31st, 1890; (b) the similar expendi- : ture between January Ist, 1891, and Mr.rch 31st, 1908; (c) gross total expenditure to March 3l£t, 1908; and (d) expenditure for the late financial year. Class of work—Railways, new construction, (a) total to December 31st, 1890, £11,975,098; (b), January Ist, 1891 x,o March 31st, 1908, £6,216,761; (m) total to March 31st, 1908, £18,191,859; (d) year endei March 31st, 1908, £692,858. Additions to open lines, £2,092,002, £3,892,523, £5,984,525, £364,065. Utilisation of water power, nil, £8,348, £8,348, £313. Koadc, £*,575,804, £4,235,064, £7,861,468, £823,742. public buildings, £1,776,003, £2,028,594, £3,804,597, £226,035. '■ Immigration, £2,144,386, £42,326, £2,186,712, £9,131. Purchase of native lands, £1,191,137, aSj4 ; olli £2,035,748, £2,190. Lighthouses' Jiarbour works and harbour defences, £880,095, £144,425, £1,024,520, £6,863. Tourist and health resort, nil. £158,568, £158,568, £45,054. extension, £600,849, £878,887,* 1,479,736, £155.492. Development of ' goldfields, £561,101, £225,555, £786,656, £8,631. Defence works (general), £429,720, £458,448, £888,168, £18,574. Departmental, £3.49,78?, £218,596, £568,385, £18,219. Payment to Midland Railway boardhdlders, nil, £150,000, £150,000. nil. Lands improvement, nil, £24,575, £24,575, £9,561. Mir.or works and services, £300,689, £11,891, £312,580, £837. Cost arid discount, raising loans etc. £1,021,472, £214,170, £1,235.642, £8.487. Totals, £26,898,145, £iy,805;942. £46,702,087, £1,873,077. RAILWAY PROGRESS. The trial rurvey for a railway between Waihi and Tauranga promised in last year's Statement has since been put in hand, and a strong party is no* engaged upon it. The Government is, however, strongly impressed with the necessity of constructing a railway to connect the Bay of Plenty district with the Auckland railway system and has definitely decided to ask for the authorisation of the line. The New Plymouth-Sentry Hill deviation has now been finished, the new line having been brought into i use in December last. The total expenditure on the deviation amounted approximately to £36,000. PUBLIC WORKS.

Very satisfactory progress indeed was made with the North Island Trunk Kailway during the year. The only section actually handed over to the Railway Department for traffic' was that between Matarna and Waioura, which had previously been worked both for goods and passengers by the Public Works Department for some time. This Section was handed over at the end of June last. The Public Works Department's trains have continued carrying passengers between Waiouru and Ohakune, and at the northern'end between Taumaruuui and Raurimn and later to Waimarrno and: ultimately to Makatoke, and' the mil. heads were finally connected on the Manganui-Otekao viaduct on August 3rd. I hope to be in a position to' carry passengers right through- by about November Ist. The Otaeo 1 Central' railway was opened to Clyde in April,, l'!k)7. since which time sundry minor completions works have been carried' out. The total expenditure during the year amounted to£7 : ,7Gßi As there were still a few outstanding Hubilties on March 31st last a vote of £I,OOO is provided to cover them.-

IMPORTANT 1 RAILWAY PROJECTS.. The most important railway survey works in hand at thepresent time are Helens vi lie northwards railway (Maungaturoto to J&aikohe) 1 ; permanent survey, Pokeno tO'Paeroa; permanent survey;- Waihi ; to Tauranga; trial surveyI,'. 1 ,'. North' Island Main Trunk' railway'branch line' to

Raetihi; Stratford to Wangamoana; permanent survey, Coal Creek railway extension: permanent survey Gisborne to Motu; pe-manent survey, DonetttoKaikoura; trial survey of alternate routes. In addition to the above, trial surveys will b? be made in respect of the following lines as soon as officers are available: -to undertake the work :—Kawakawa to Hokianga, Kaiheu to North Auckland railway system, Pukekohe to Waiuku, Kawhiato to Main Trunk Line, Tauranga to Opotiki, Rotorua line to Te Puke or Tauranga Motu to Opotiki, Wangamomona to North Island Main Trunk rain!way, Napier to Gisborne, Masterton tw Waipukurau, Levin to Marton, Featherston to Martinborough, Little River to Alcaroa, Waihao Downs to Waihuorunga, Winton to Hsddon Bush. WELLINGTON-MANAWATU RAILWAY. In pursuance of ths announcement made in last year's Statement formal notice of the intention to purchase the Wellington-Manawatu railway wa3 served upon the company on December 7th last. Negotiations have since been proceeding ween the Government and Compa-y as the result of which an arange:nent has Le.?n made to acquire the railway for tne sum of £900,000. T'-.e company, however, particularly desired to retain possession of its property un'il the en 1 of February next, but as the Government could not agree' to this, it was finally arranged to pay an extra £15,000 in consideration of the Company relinquishing possession on December 7th next. NEW COURTHOUSES, On the current year's estimates provision is made for new Courthouses at Auckland, ' Cambridge, Tekuiti, Taumarunui, Op >tiki, Waipiri Bay, Waitara, Feildiner, Masterton, Lower Hutt, Petone, Ross, Cheviot, Fairlie and Qtautau. POLICE STATIONS. The estimates now submitted provide for new buildings at Pongaroa ; ' and Masterton. j POST AND TELdETRA'H. ' A large number of post and telegraph buildings nave been in hand during the year, the expenditure thereon having amounted to £73,723. The works provided for this year include a new office at Featherston and additions at Eketahuna. SCHOOLS. The amount expended on school buildings; during the year was £181,265. In addition to the vote under the Consolidated Fund an appropriation of £IOO,OOO is naked for out of the Public Works Fund to provide for school buildings generally, and for buildings for universities, technical schools, colleges, etc. j ROADS, BRIDGES, ETC.

Ihe amount authorised for expenditure for the year 1907-08 was £619,726. The net expenditure was £363,997. The principal cause for the small expenditure in proportion to the amount voted was the great scrarcity of labour of the kind required. The work done Was fairly considerable, being as follows:—New dray road in construction 486 miles, dray r?ads metalled 286 miles, dray roads 107 miles, dray roads maintained 2,962 miles, new bridle roads made 345 miles, bridle roads maintained 1,899 miles, engineering M¥* veys made. 040 mUa, drajr Void bridges of thirty feet in length and over to the nilmWof 185. >

APPROPRIATIONS FDR ROADS. The total proposed appropriations for road woika may be summarised as under:—Roads Department under the Public Works Estimates, £605,000; Roads Department under the Consolidate!. Fund, £25,000; Mines Department, £45,000; total, £675,000.

DEVELOPMENT 0? GOLDFIELDS AND MINING. The amount uxpended last year on works for the developmenc of goldfields was £3,632, and it is proposed to taka a vote of £35,000 for the current year. Under this heading will be included subsidies towards assisting deep level developments at Thames and Ross. These works, which are of great importance not only to the district? in which they are being carried on, but to the Dominion as a whole are in the hands of strong companies, and the results of their operation'a'will b» watched with interest by the mining community. TELEGRAPH EXTENSION. During the financial year £155,491 was expended on telegraph and telephone extensions. The new lines erected and in course of construction totalled 701 miles of poles, and 2,307 miles of wire. Telegraph offices were openpd in 164 townships, while 2,999 new subscribers were added to the telephone exchange system. HARBOUR DEFENCES.

The expenditure under the bead of harbour defences wa-5 again small, having amounted to £2,579. For the current year » considerably laiger outlay is anticipated, and a vote of £7,500 is asked for. GROSS TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS The gross total appropriations in addition to the votes already referred to in the estimatss include provision for the under-noted services:—Public Work 3 Department, £23,80u; immigration, £10,000; purchase of native lands, £4,900; rates on native lands £850; contingent defence, £20,000; lands improvements, £21,950; thus bringing the total amount of proposed appropriations, including special accounts, up to £2,721,450, against £2,521,210 voted and £2.106,302 aotually expended last year. CONCLUSION. I have now .placad before Hon. members the proposals for carrying on the public work requirements of the country/for the year. With expansion and development that is going on all round us a fairly vigorous policy is called for, and 1 feel confident that the programme which I have submitted will commend itstlf to the favourable consideration of I Parliament. .