Public Works Statement.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2331, 26 June 1886, Page 2

Public Works Statement.

District Railways, Honorablo member* may remember that 1 announced last session that arrangements had been come to for the purchase ot all the district railways authorised to be purchased except the Wiimeii Plains lines but that we had tailed to arram-e for that line. During the recess, however, negotiations were again opened with the Waimea company, and after a. considerable amount of correspondence, an arrangement has been come to for the purchase of the railway, subject, of course, 'to the ratification of Parliament. Should Parliament see fit to ratify the agreement now entered into, a very great source of trouble and expense will be got l'id of in the working of the Government railways in that district.

RAILWAYS IN COURSE OF CONSTRUCTION AND PROPOSED, INCLUDING ADDITIONS TO OPENED RAILWAYS, Whangarei Kamo Railway,—A survey has hebii iniide of the. proposed extention •of this railway to ; deep water, and the probable cost is' estimated at about £40,000. The Government cannot recouimenu the expenditure necessary to take coal alongside ocean going steamers. The railway to Puhapuhi and extension to deep water.are estimated together to cost about £IOO,OOO. Extension of the trunk line northward fiom Helcnaville.—The Government has not altered its opinion as given in the Statement (if : Inst year with reference to the merits of this line, (iiiil therefore it»uiu proposes thut a vote shall be taken to provide for its extension to the first point, which will be found . remunerative a distance of nine niiles. The line can be continued northward, section by section, as funds are provided. Kaijiara-Waikato line-W 0 have prepared the ground at Newmarket fur additions to workshops. The new passenger station at Auckland has been opened and in use for some months. It has also been toiuid necessary to make large additions to. the accommodation at the Ruakura junction in order to work the lines which, are so rapidly increasing in length in this district and still furlW expenditure is necessary at this spot the inadequacy of the railway to carry the tialhc between Auckland and Penrose has long been felt, and the Government now considers fclmt the time has come to ];>■; a second alongside the existing track. : 1 have decided toask the House to authorise a sum of £2300 to cover so much-of the work as may be undertaken this year, but/ of this sum not more than about £SOOO will be expended before the end of March. Hamilton, Grahamstown, Hamilton TeaioLi authority, which will be asked for in estimates provides for completing two sections of-the railway on which work has already been done, namely the Kaueranga section 4i miles, and the Hikutaia section Off nnles.

Pntaruru to Rotorua.-On the Pnhiruru to Rotorua division tlio first suction, some 8 miles, is now ready for contract, iiiul teii(l('vs can be advortiaud for it at any time. Miiiu Trunk Railway, North Island.— As my colleague, the Colonial Treasurer, lus- already stated, there is now every I prospect of tlio Government becoming possessed of laige tr;iets of land alone the nmte of this railway, and wo consider" I that I the work ought to lie pushed on vigorously and propose asking the authority of the House to expend or to enter into contracts for a much larger amount this year than <;isfc year. The authority which I now propose to ask for on account of this railway will provide for completing all the work at present in hand, and also for additional works, as follows:—The Te Kuiti suction, .11 miles, and tlio liaitete suction, 9 miles, at north end, and the H unterville section, 5 miles, at the south end, and also further improvements in tlio navigation ot tlio Wanganui river and the .ctinstrnctiou. of further approach roads to give access to the railway works, Napier-Woodville. The contractors or the exteution from Tahoraite towards J' are making very fair progress with the work. .A contract will shortly unlet for completing the line, to Woodville,,- including the Railway Station to be finished and open for traffic in about twelve months, Woodville-Palmerston.—A contract is now ready to be lot for the construction of the line through the Gorge, This section will take about, two years to complete, owing to the heavy naturo of tlio works, and whilo in progress the plans wil be prepared for the completion on to 1 iuineraton. W ellington-Masfcerton.—Very considerable additions have been made to the station accommodation, to tho rolling stock and to workshops on this lino during tliii year, and much more will be 3'™' t0 kl ' U,) I>ilcu increas 'ng Mastei'ton - Woodville. - Honorable members are aware that the extension of this line has been very recently opened ;is far.as Maunceville. A further section o about four miles will be opened in October next. It is proposed to let a .contract to extend this line as far as Motaiuiim as soon as Parliament has sanctioned tho expenditure the largo .amount of settlement taking place ■ilonw the route of the line between Alaiiricevillo and Pahiatua, points to the tlosnablencss of continuing the construetun offline, and if funds are provided this will be done. Foxton-New Plymouth.—The branch line from New Plymouth to the breakwater has recently been opened, and with some slight modifications the rate is sure to prove of great, benefit to the district. I' .™- A 1 Bf:itl!re ''ailway.—An addition of lOOteet has been made to the Picton wharf. The formation of the railway is completed, except/bridges, for 4 miles to the southward of Blenheim, and'a further length of 3A miles is in progress The .. amount'which I prupow to ask the Rouse lor tins year will provide for a further formation contract of about 3 miles, and also for the bridges required'in the first from Blenheim, East and West , Coast'and Nelson Midland Railway. It is proposed to construct branches from Jiiangahua Junction to Wostport, and fi'oin Tnpliniise.to Blenheim, I only propose to ask for sufficient authority to I enable the necessary surveys to be made durmg'iliisyj?ar,'.' Otago Central Railway,-During the year two contracts have been finished, i', 1 , 1 !'" 11 " ■ , t; ' le ■. '' ne , complete up to the Wmgatui Viaduct, about Beven miles and three quarters from the junction with the maiiiline. The '■ Mullocky" formation contract was completed on 3rd February, wBG, but the contractors for the other fottr sections are all considerably behind time, and are being urged to make better progres?. ' Contracts are now being let in short lengths to complete that portion of this line known as the Hindon section which was commenced several years since, snd on whiih much money was spoilt m relief works. It is hoped that these works will very sensibly relieve the i pressure'on the Government for employment in and around the city of Dunedin Contracts are also being prepared for the erection of the several bridges which are reqmred between Wingatuiand the end of the Nenthome section, all of whicli it is proposed to put in hand during the year. • The authority which I now propose to ask for on account of this railway will

provide foi the cuii 11 let uui< if 1 11 fi'iimtiou and bridges up tmtli.- ' Lincoln Little (liver.- Tlm>ine wag completed to LitlMliver aiiiljpried for traffic in March lastj^ Aahburton formation of this lino was competed up'to Mount •Miners, including bridk over ABhburU.ii rner, in March last, ituclji further cmitract ms been let foi platelayto between the bridge and Mount Somerl length about one nule. The amount Which will be asked for in the estimates ftovides for a further extension of four m% to SpringLivingston Branch.—On tl' 7) ra a Vtf winch js twelve miles in •' iLL four miles aro now practically c<V HL including platolayinj», and the iuJP ■ which will bo asked for in the estimates • provides for the completion of thortumming eight miles, including platelayin);. Catlios liiver Branch.—The Sret division of thisrailway, length eight was completed and opened in December' lust, and authority which 1 now propose to ask for will provide for the formation of a further length of five miles. ADDITIONS TO OPENED RAILWAYS OKSKHAUY. Oil work of this character wo propose to expend £93,000, The Auckland section £20,000, Napier- £7OOO. Wellington-Woodvillo £7OOO, 1