fi.—i

8

during the year ending March last has been £30,596 ; and in pursuance of these applications loans have been granted to the extent of £22,941. Of this sum, £21,495 was for roads, and £1,446 for river works. The several amounts granted within the various provincial districts are shown in the table below :—

GOLD FIELDS BOADS. Boads.*—Under the heading of Cold Fields Boads an expenditure of £26,603 was incurred during the last financial year in the construction of roads on the gold fields, and in subsidies granted to County Councils for the opening-out of tracks and other works in aid of prospecting, and the liabilities existing on these works at the end of March last amounted to £17,197. The details of the various works undertaken will be found in Table No. 6 of the Appendices. WATEB-WOBKS ON GOLD FIELDS. From Table No. 8 it will be seen that a sum of £16,596 was expended during the year on the construction and extension of reservoirs, water-races, and drainage channels, and that liabilities amounting to £7,383 were outstanding on account of these works at the end of March last. It may be well here to point out that this expenditure out of loan is for entirely new works, and does not include the maintenance and repair of such Works as the Kumara and Naseby Sludge Channels, and the large water-races which are paid for out of consolidated revenue. FUBCHASE OF NATIVE LANDS, NOBTH ISLAND. The areas of land, the purchases of which were completed during the year ending the 31st March last, were as follows : In the Auckland Brovincial District, 77,721 acres; in the Wellington Brovincial District, 120,861 acres; and in the Taranaki Brovincial District, 10,280 acres : amounting in all to 208,862 acres. The total area of Native land purchased under the Immigration and Fublic Works Acts, up to the 31st March last, was 3,958,233 acres, at a cost of £828,866; and a further area of 1,013,053 acres is under purchase, on which £92,827 has been paid. Total disbursements up to end of March last, £921,693. IMMIGBATION. As the House is aware, the Schedule to the Loan Act of 1882 provided a sum of £200,000 for immigration. Since that time assisted and free passages have been granted to 9,619 immigrants, who have arrived in the colony as follows, viz.:— ;-, Between Ist April, 1882, and 30th June, 1883 ... ... ... 3,205 Between Ist July, 1883, and 30th June, 1884 ... ... ... 6,267 Since 30th June, 1884 ... ... ... ... ... ... 147 9,619

Provincial Districts. Applications. Grants. £ a. d. £ a. d. Auckland .. 2,732 0 0 2,732 0 0 Hawke's Bay 1,270 0 0 1,270 0 0 Taranaki 2,000 0 0 1,200 0 0 Wellington .. 12,894 0 0 11,994 0 0 Nelson Marlborough 1,446 0 0 1,446 0 0 Westland Canterbury .. 5,500 0 0 1,2(30 0 0 Otago 4,754 0 0 3,099 0 0 Totals 30,596 0 0 22,941 0 0