D.—l

XVII

The expenditure on harbour defences at the several ports was as ollows:— Auckland £791 Wellington .. 1,297 Lyttelton 157 Dunedin 250 Total £2,495 This year provision has been made for an expenditure of £4,000. CONCLUSION The total appropriations proposed in the estimates accompanying this Statement amount to £766,425 as compared with £970,658 voted last year The amounts under the several different accounts being as follows : — Public Works Fund, Part I. £425,253 Public Works Fund, Part 11. 36,800 Lands Improvement Account 160,581 Native Lands Purchase Account 143,791 Total £766,425 I would again remind honourable members that these votes under Part I. of the Public Works Fund are to be for twelve months' expenditure only, whereas last year's votes had to cover fifteen months. The actual expenditure during the twelve months ending the 31st March last, on this part of the fund, was £307,182, and, should my prognostications in respect to being able to reduce the number of men employed, more particularly on the railways, be verified, it is estimated that our expenditure under Part I. will not exceed that of last year. As will be seen from the amounts proposed to be voted, the expenditure in connection with the Lands Improvement Account will be somewhat increased. It may be possible that, owing to the drastic reductions under Part I. necessarily entailed by the limited ways and means at our disposal, several very desirable works have not been provided for, and it may be necessary upon the Supplementary Estimates to make further provision to a limited amount. I have, however, endeavoured to do the best I could with the funds at my disposal, and, when the circumstances of the several districts of the colony are fully considered, I think the allocation of the funds proposed will be accepted as a fair and satisfactory one.

iii—D. 1.