D.—l

14

available for expenditure from the Ist April last for liabilities and new works; or, deducting the liabilities to the end of August of £1,549,996, there will be £1,827,916 left for new works, which is another way of stating the balance of £327,916 out of the Three-Million Loan added to the proposed new loan of one and a half millions. In order to make this complicated subject quite clear, I should explain that I have treated the liabilities of £236,446 incurred, between the end of March and the end of August as liabilities. As far, however, as the Government incurring them is concerned, they may treat them as fresh works during the present year, unvoted as yet, but to be voted in the Estimates. On that footing the late Government may say they had £236,446 more to vote for the present year than the £327,916 I give them credit for. In view of these facts and figures, I propose to ask the House to vote in all this year, for liabilities already existing, and for new undertakings to be presently entered into, the sum of £2,810,280, made up as follows :— For Immigration, with liabilities at end of August amounting to £62,280, we ask for a vote of £100,000. Eor General Departmental Expenses, with liabilities £12,759, we ask for a vote of £30,057. Eor Bailways we ask for a vote of £1,567,516. On this sum we have to charge £903,898 for existing liabilities, and it also includes £522,584 for additions to opened lines; but of this sum of £522,584 there are existing liabilities of £345,295. We have also to pay, out of this vote, for rails for renewals on working railways, the sum of £100,000, and there are existing liabilities under this head of £48,868. The £100,000 has, however, to be repaid to the Public Works Fund by the working railways. For Boads, with liabilities of £359,464, we ask for a vote of £737,008. This includes £304,200 for grants in aid under the Boads and Bridges Construction Act, on which there are liabilities amounting to £204,200. Eor Waterworks on Gold Fields, with liabilities £7,663, we ask for a vote of £12,857. For Furchase of Native Lands, North Island, we ask for a vote of £90,000, that being the amount estimated to be required to meet the payments which will become due during the year now current. For Telegraph Extension, with liabilities of £20,423, we ask for a vote of £29,322. For Public Buildings, with liabilities £54,526, we ask for a vote of £171,104. For Lighthouses and Harbour Works, with liabilities of £26,983, we ask for a vote of £55,916. And, for charges and expenses of raising loans we ask for a vote of £16,500, that being the amount estimated to be required to cover the cost of raising the last million loan which was floated in England. With the exception of the votes for railways in course of construction, I do not consider it necessary to state here our proposals with regard to each individual work, as all the necessary information with regard to the road works, &c, which are proposed, will be found in the Estimates, which I shall presently lay before the House; but, as regards the railways in course of construction or proposed, it is desirable that I should state here the intentions of the Government with regard to them. Taking them in the order that they will appear in the Estimates, our intentions are as follows :— Kawakawa. —The vote set down for this work is merely sufficient to cover existing liabilities-,- but it is proposed to have plans prepared so as to enable the Government to put the extension of the line towards Kamo in hand early next year. ; v Whangabbi-Kamo.—The vote proposed is sufficient to cover all existing liabilities,