D.—2

X

To enable the work to be carried on continuously authority will be necessary to carry the votes over from year to year until the works are completed and the votes exhausted, and legislation will be introduced to give effect to this. As foreshadowed in last year's Statement, the continued rapid expansion of traffic on our railways has now rendered the duplicating of those portions of our lines between Auckland and Penrose, Wellington and Lower Hutt, Christchurch and Eolleston, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, and Mosgiel, and Milton and Clarkesville, a necessity and provision will be made for starting the most important and urgent of these works forthwith. Taking into consideration the reductions in fares and freights recently gazetted, I estimate the revenue for the year ending the 31st March, 1901, at £1,560,000, and the expenditure at £1,046,000. The usual reports and returns are attached to this Statement.

Amounts requirea. Details. 1900-1. 1901-2. 1902-3. 1903-4. 1904-5. Totals. Additions and improvements to stations Rebuilding and strengthening bridges Improvements of line (curves and gradients) Signals and telegraphs Dwellings, additions and improvements Workshops, additions Relaying Respacing sleepers Fencing Wharves, additions and improvements Ballast plant and ballast sidings Water-services Additional locomotives Additional cars and cost of conversions Additional wagons, brake-vans, travelling oranes, and cost of converting existing four-wheeled brake-vans to bogies Additional maohinery and electric light for workshops Automatic continuous brake for existing stock Automatic continuous brake for additional stock to be built £ 50,000 20,000 20,000 40,000 4,400 12,000 24,000 8,000 7,000 9,400 9,000 1,880 55,305 52,388 143,558 £ 50,000 20,000 20,000 40,000 4,400 12,000 24,000 8,000 7,000 9,400 9,000 1,880 35,389 32,470 123,642 £ 50,000 20,000 20,000 40,000 4,400 12,000 24,000 8,000 7,000 9,400 9,000 1,880 35,389 32,470 123,642 £ 50,000 20,000 20,000 40,000 4,400 12,000 24,000 8,000 7,000 9,400 9,000 1,880 35,389 32,470 123,642 £ 50,000 20,000 20,000 40,000 4,400 12,000 24,000 8,000 7,000 9,400 9,000 1,880 35,389 32,470 123,642 £ 250,000 100,000 100,000 200,000 22,000 60,000 120,000 40,000 35,000 47,000 45,000 9,400 196,861 182,268 638,126 8,069 35,000 8,069 94,750 8,069 94,750 8,069 94,750 8,069 27,750 67,000 40,345 347,000 67,000 Totals .. 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 2,500,001