PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2514, 21 August 1888, Page 2

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Minister for Public Works delivered his Statement as follows on Saturday : — Mr Speaker,—As the question of the public works of the colony is becoming, in comparison with other questions, of less and less importance as time goes on, and as I think that this is as it should be, I propose to confine ray remarks on the subject this morning within much narrower limits than has usually been the case hitherto. RAILWAYS IN COURSE OK CONSTRUCTION AND PROPOSED, INCLUDING ADDITIONS TO OPKNED LINKS. On the subject of the railways in course of construction and proposed, it will only be necessary to say u> very few words. The Government is distinctly of opinion that the present financial position of the colony does not warrant undertaking any railway works other than such as will be of an immediately reproductive character, and we have therefore decided to recommend to Parliament that with two exceptions only such amounts should be voted this year as will enable us to meet the liabilities already incurred, with a, small sum over for supervision and contingencies. The two exceptions are the Woodville to Palmerston railway and the Otngo Central Railway. On the. Woodville to Palmerston Railway, in addition to the amount required for existing liabilities, authority will be asked for £180,000, and for the Otagn Central Kailway, in addition to existing liabilities, an authority for £35,000 vvill beasked for. The completion of the Woodville to Palmerston Railway is considered by the Government to be work of the utmost importance. It is proposed to ask next session for the whole balance of the loan allocation, and to then put all the works in hand which are required for the completion of this railway. It is also intended next year tit ask for a vote for the whole balance of the loan allocation for the Otago Central Railway. MXKS OI'ENKI). The total length of railways opened on 31st March last was : In the North Island, 043 miles; and in the South Mand, 1108 miles; total, 1751 :niles. There were also at that date 164 miles of railway in course of construction, of which SO were in the North Island and 84 in the South Island. KXPKNDITUKB. The total expenditure on railways, including cost of provincial lines and purchase of district railways up to the 31st March last, was £13,100,705, and the liabilities on the 31st March last, £201,577, making, in all, £14,728,282. For railways in course of construction, as a whole, tho amount voted last year was £440,000, of which £305,449 was expended, and fur this year, with the liabilities at the end of March last amounting to £247,951, we propose to ask for votes to the extent of £338,920, leaving £829,51S for future appropriation. It seems scarcely nocessary to weary the House with a recital of what these works consist of in each several instances. The interval between this and my last Statement is so short that the scope of the undertaking on the various railways as there described has not materially altered in the meantime. BKTHOSI'ECTIVK ASM) PKOSI'KCTIVK. In the case of all works other than railways I propose to state the details in the usual manner. As mentioned in my Statement last session, the expenditure on additions to opened lines has been steadily decreasing, and the amount expended during the year ending the 31st March last is a further illustration in the same direction. The amount for the last few years were, in round numbers, as follows :— 1884-85, £140,000 ; 1885-80, £91,000; 188087, £80,000; 1887-88, £38,000. This is exclusive of permanent way, and if permanent way is included tho amounts are: For 1884-85, £183,000; 1885-80, £100.000; 1880-87, £91,000; 1887-88, £41,000. The item of j rolling stock I have not taken into account, j For additions to opened lines, the amount voted last year was £40,000, of which £38,277 was expended ; and for the present year, with liabilities at the end of March last amounting to £15,025, we propose to ask for a vote of £05,000. No expenditure of this class has recently been undertaken, which did not promise an immediate return for the capital invested. The vote proposed for the present year includes the sum of £25,000 for the purchase of a stock of permanent way to be held in hand for working railways requirements. The annual report of the General Manager will be found to give a full report of the traffic revenue and expenses, and it is satisfactory to find that the efficient administration of tho railways during the past eight years has, by a gradual improvement in the permanent way, structures, appliances and organisation led to a corresponding economy in working. The total expenditure last year was less than that for the preceding years, and the average cost of working per mile was the lowest that has ever been. For these results there can be no doubt that the Railway Department deserve a ereat deal of credit, as they could only have been brought about by careful organisation and patient supervision extending over a series of years. Still further improvements are expected during the currentyear.but itmust not be supposed that economy can be indefinitely extended, as we have already arrived at fairly good results, in view of the relative situations of our various lines, the character of the traffic on some of them, and the extent of requisite renewals. That this is so can be realised from a careful study of table A which will be attached to this Statement. The whole cost of maintenance is only £141 per mile. Further statistics compiled on table A show that the average gross charge per ton of traffic on the New Zealand lines is the lowest in the Australasian colonies, being only Gs 10d. This fact is due not so much to our mileage rates being low as to the average distance carried being ithorter in New Zealand than in other colonies, in consequence of our numerous chief towns and ports. Be the cause what it may, however, the producers in this colony must, as a whole, derive an advantage its compared with producers in other colonies from this low average rate of carriage from the place of production to a port, and tho consumers in chief towns, as a whole, must have acorrespopding advantage compared with con-

suinors in other colonies in low average rate (if carriage from the place (if production to |)lnco of consumption. At the siune time it has to be remembered that our railways cannot make as much profit out of this lower average rato an railways of other colonies can inako out of their higher average rate, even though they may havo to carry goods a somewhat longer distance for average rute which they get. _ The reason for this is that a large proportion of the cost of performing each transaction is a consideration irrespective of distance carried, noverthelflss if wo are not Retting as largo a revenue as we might do with higher rates wo gain a corresponding advantage in other ways by fostering production and industries of all kinds. Wo must, however, await the growth of population before we can gain any large increase in the traffic. Our in many cases have been carried into tin; country without sufficient population, and cann it pay expenses inauchiMace*, until settlement and production In addition to information regarding railways rates, supplied in the reports of the General Manager on European and American Railways (Parliamentary papers D 2, and D2.V of this session), there has also been laid cm the table of the House this session, a reprint of very important Parliamentary papers on the subject of railway rates, in the United States (vide Parliamentary paper D2u of 1888.) These papers are worth perusal by lion, members, as bearing on the question of our general Railway policy. KOADS AND BRIDGES. The length of roads and bridges constructed and improved out of the Public Works fund last year was : Dray roads, North Island, 147 miles; dray roads, Middle Islands, 105 miles. Total ; 252 mile*. Horse roads, North Island, 235 miles; Horse roic'e, Middle Islands, 71 miles, total, 3fi7 u.iles. Grand total of all classes, 55S miles. Bridges, North Islands, 19 bridges, 1137 foit. Middle Island, 7 bridges 779 feet. Grants in aid for roadi North of Auckland, for the year ending 31et March last, was £3,138, leaving a balance available for this class of work, of ontyr £730. The vole proposed for this year Iβ £300, leaving £433 for next year. Under the head of "Main Roads," the work required to bo done, which practically meam the maintenance of arterial lines of communication passing throngh uninhabited land, is being gradually reduced to the lowest possible limits. This is the more necessary, as the funds available for such purposes are very nearly at an end. After next year it will be necessary to provide out of the consolidated fund, for the maintenance of such of these roads, as cannot reasonably be handed over to the local bodies, under the votes of last year. The Oxford to Rotorua and Tauranga to Napier viaTaupo are to be provided for. One new item has been added namely for the maintenance during the present year of the roads recently constructed along the North Island Trunk Riilway. The amount voted under this heading last year was £18,1J50 of which £13,750 was expended and for this year with liabilities at the end of March last amounting to £5,311 we ask for a vote of £151. For miscellaneous roads and bridges the amount voted last year was £34,500 of which £25,1)89 was expended and tor this year with liabilities at the end of March last amounting to £12,042 we propose to ask for a vote for £34,354. SUBSIDIES TO I.OCAI, BODIES. It has been decided that if subsidies are to be continued, they must be charged on the Consolidated Fund, and no provision has therefore been made for them in the Public Works estimates of the session. WOIIK FOR UNEMPLOYED. Under the heading of work for the unemployed, the sum of £10,000 was voted for the last financial year, and we propose to ask for the same amount for the current year. Of £10,000 voted last year, £5,561 was expended, and we had liabilities existing at the end of March amounting to £1,805. The £10,000 proposed for this year may possibly be more than required, but it is thought better to'provide sufficient for any emergencies which may exist. No money, however, will be expended which is not absolutely required. The work id generally let in piece work, contracts, made to open up Crown lands before sale, and also the village settlements roads. The expenditure last year was £G1.485. the vote proposed for this year is £50,000, leaving £33,512 for appropriation in succeeding years. VIM.AO E SETTLEMENTS. For village homestead settlements last year, the sum of £72,200 was allocated under loan funds to meet the then existing engagements, and of this sum £12,053 was expended during the year. There remained, therefore, on 31st March last, an unexpended balance of £00,147. Of this sum, however, only about £45,000 will be required to meet the engagements now found to be due. This will leave £15,000 clear, which we propose to ask Parliament to authorise the Government to expend on new settlements. The vote proposed for this year is £20,000, of which £12,000 is required for expenses incurred in the location of and for continuing tho stipulated advanced to the present settlers, and £8000 for further extension of the system if authorised to b» extended as I have suggested. In addition to expenditure cut of funds specially allocated for village settlements, the settlers have also had the advantage of the expenditure on roads in their district out of rates for roads to open up Crown lands before sale amounting to £10,148. It will be necessary to continue to find similar work in tho vicinity of many of the settlements in order to give the settlers a chance of permanently establishing themselves. Most of the settlements have, however, been rendered fairly accessible by roads and tracks, and the expenditure from the vote for roads to open up Crow-rf lands for sale cannot therefore continue to be reasonably applied to this purpose. It is proposed therefore, that a vote should be a?ked for in the supplementary estimates to onable assistance to be continued, and in asking for this vote, tho Minister of Lands will make a statement to the House of the condition of the several settlements and the amount of help that they severally require. BOAUS ON GOLDMELDS. On account of roads constructed for the development of the mining induetry, about £25,000 was expended during last year, the. amounts required for the present and following year are £35,000 and £11.700 respectively, and this will exhaust the loan funds at present available for this class of works. On account of waterworks on the goldfields, about £1000 was expended during last year. It is not proposed to undertake any new works of this character, but merely to complete some of the more important works now in hand. The amount required to be provided for the present year is £755. We propose to ask for roads of all classes votes to the extent of £108,(55-1, this will leave under presont loan allocation £151,741 available for appropriation for roads works in succeeding years. PURCHASE OF NATIVE LAND, NORTH ISLAND. I find that during the year ending 31st March last, the purchase of 210,000 acres on which large sums had previously been advanced, was completed at a total cost of about £40,000 equivalent to abmt 3s 9d per acre, this area includes some valuable auriferous land at Coromandel. The purchase of lands along the North Island Trunk Railway was £10,587, and the balance remaining for expenditure under loan allocation last session is £14,485. It is not the interntention of Government to undertake new purchases under this heading, except in special cases where it is very desirable in the public interest that the lands should be acquired, and where they can be obtained at a reasonable rate along the North Itsland Trunk Railway. The result of tho expenditure of the £100,000 voted for this head it ia estimated that a total area of 700,000 acres will have been acquired, this would mean an average price of about 2s 10d. No further land purchase along this line of railway can with advantage be gone on with. runs through the block known as thepJßhe Potao for 92 miles. This block which contains 1,038,000 acres.has been before the Land Court for over two years but the settlement of the title has been delayed from time to time by unavoidable adjournments. For some months past the Court has however been making good progress . TWth the larger subdivisions and it is expected that some portions adjacent to the line may soon be in a position to be dealt with. IMMIGRATION. The acceptance of nominations within the colony was stopped on 22nd December, 18S7, and the services of immigration officers and their staffs have been dispensed with. Since the date up to which information was given in my last Public Works Statement (30th November, 1887,) 6'23 souls have arrived who had been nominated for passages prior to the 22nd December and toward the cost of whose passages the sum of £5,512 has been contributed by friends in the colony. Tha total number of the email farmer, class introduced sinco the commencement of the system on% 28th September, 1885, is 397 with a known capital of £43,7,85,

Tlio total number of immigrants, exclusive of small farmers', introduced sinco the inauguration of the Immigration Scheme by the colonial Government is 114,576. TEMEORAPH KXTKN'SION. On account of telegraph and telephone extension, the amount expended last year was £22,984, and the amount proposed to be asked for thin year is £20,000, leaving £8,370 for future appropriation. Of the expenditures last year, £13,02!) was on account of telephone exchanges throughout the colony generally, and was principally for material imported for the purpose. The total capital cost of these exchanges amounted, on the 31st March, 1888, to £532,888. The work of the year consisted principally of bringing a large number ot small villages in connection with the telegraph system by means of the telephone. The only important telegraph extension work done during tho year was the erection of a fifth wi>!j on the main north line between Tahoraite and Waipukurau, this wing necsssary for the proper despatch of the large business on the North Island wires. Further extensions proTided for in the Estimates for the present year include the erection of a telephone exchange at Grovmouth, and also the com pletion of the Kaipara Heads line, the Middlerrmrch line and the lino from Wairoa to Fnrua Bay. IMJIILIC BDILDINCIS. The principal public buildings in course of erection since the last Public Works Statement was made, havo been the construction of a new frontage office and rear extension of the Post-office and the continuation of the prison works in Wellington, the construction of new departmental buildings, additions to tho Lunatic Asylum and continuation of the prison works in Auckland, and some additions to the Lunatic Asylum in Christchnrch. The amount voted for buildings last year was £109,105, of which £90,539 was expended, and for this year, with liabilities, at the end of March last amounting to £211,010, we propose to ask fur a vote of £52,254. Tliia will leave a balance of £u'9,(i37, of loan allocation for appropriation in succeeding years. As promised in my Statement of Inst year, the cost of the re-erection of the Wellington I'ost-office has betm provided for out of tho consolidated fund, as has ulso the cost of school buildings for the year, with the exception of a small amount for liabilities existing on the 31st March last. A beginning has also been made towards gradually throwing the whole cost of public buildings on tho consolidated fund, by providing out of that fund this year for tho construction of some of the ordinary departmental buildings required in addition to school buildings. LIUHT HOUSKS AND HAKBOt'R WORKS, On account of light houses the amount voted last year was £4,300, of which £2,8G6 was expended. For this year we propose to ask for a vote of £3,750, leaving £I,US4 for next year. For harbour works the total cost for the harbour defences of New Zealand up to 31st March, 1888, has been £392,281), of which £52,231 was spent on 03 pounder and 7 ton machine loading guns, torpedo boats, and the report by the military engineer, etc., prior to the war scare of 1885, leaving £340,000 as the total coat of all on account of land and submarine defences, equipments, armaments, and materials of war since the actual construction of the defence works begnn. The vote for the years 1887-88 was £80,000, and the expenditure £73,450, with liabilities at the end of the year of £30,422, of which £3,115 waa for works and £33,277 for war material. Of the total sum of £130,000 provided for harbour defences in the loan allocations of last session, there remained on 31st March last an unexpended balance of £3(>,54(i, which is proposed to be expended during the present year in discharging the liabilities already referred to, and carrying on the works, It is hoped that by tho end of March next most of the unmounted new guns will be in position with magazines and submarine depots improved so that both the land and submarine defences may be effective against any sudden emergency. THE PUBLIC WORKS FOND. Taking the Public Works Fund as a whole, therefore we had available for expenditure from 31at March last the sum of £2,010,371, and, aa against this with liabilities at the end of March last amounting in all to £471,1)95, we propose to exponrl during the present year the sum of £SC'2,K27, leaving £1,207.5!)4 available for appropriation in succeeding yenrs. The actual total expenditure during the current year may probably be kept within £750,000. That is only, in round numbers, aliout 1280,000 in excess of the liabilities existing at the end of March last, and in this £280,000 there is included the probable costs and charges of raising the two million loan recently floated, amounting to about £100,000. If these anticipations as to the probable actual expenditure are fulfilled, thn amount remaining unexpended at tho end of March next will bo about £1,320,000. With regard to the item of £70,000, originally intended for Immigration, but which was unallocated in the Loan Act of this session it may be necessary to givosome explanations. As hon. members are aware a considerable amount of expenditure and liabilities have already been incurred in respect of immigration, before the House decided last session that immigration was to cease. A gum of £25,000 out of Uie £80,000 unallotted, had to be allotted to immigration to cover the expenditure and liabilities thus incurred, and a further sum of £10,000 has had to be allocated towards covering the costs and charges of raising a portion of the recent loan, the amount previously allocated to this purpose, having been found to be insufficient. The funds under part 3 are absolutely tied up by the Loan Act to certain fixed sums, nothing more could bo got out of them for this purpose. The whole of the additional amount required had consequently to be provided for out of Parliament. ABOLITION OF THK PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. As indicated in the Financial Statement of my colleague the Colonial Treasurer, the Government proposed during the recess to take steps towards the early abolition of the Public Works Department. RAILWAY COMMISSIONER. On the subject of the Chief Commissioner for Railways communications with the Agent-General have not yet been brought to a close but we hope to hear finally from him very shortly and will then set up the Commission without delay, CONCLUSION. I have now, Sir, come to the end of my Statement. Whilst my task has not been the pleasant one of proposing an active prosecution of public undertakings such as a condition of genoral prosperity would demand and justify, I have at least the satisfaction of feeling that our proposals are founded on a careful and well considered view of the necessity of the undertakings proposed. I am at the same time confident that our means far securing a sound condition of affairs will be ionnd in bringing the public works expenditure within reasonable compass and conducting it on a scale in proportion to the means of the colony.