D.—l.

Total Appropriations for Railway-construction. In addition to the amounts already mentioned, a vote of £100,000 is proposed for permanent-way materials, and £1,000 for old land claims and other old contingent payments on construction account. These items bring the total proposed vote for railway-construction purposes up to £790,000. Other Railway-works. The sum of £260,731 was spent in providing rolling-stock and workshops machinery for the working railways, and £128,941 on additions to stationaccommodation, wharves, signalling-appliances, interlocking, tablet working, telegraphs, and telephones, making the total expenditure under the heading of " Additions to Open Lines " £389,672. The Wellington-Hutt duplication has been completed and brought into use between Kaiwarra and the Hutt. Portions of the new main road for vehicular traffic are in daily use, and the construction of the other portions is being pushed on. The double line between Addmgton and Rolleston will shortly be ready for traffic. The double line between Newmarket and Penrose has been opened for traffic, and a large amount of construction-work has been carried out in connection with the Dunedin-Mosgiel duplication. On the Auckland side of the Parnell Tunnel one portion of the two-track railway-bridge has been brought into use, and work on the other is in hand. The expenditure during the last. financial year on the works referred to was £207,942, made up as follows: — £ Wellington-Hutt duplication works .... .... 53,951 New Hutt Road, including land for same 12,457 Auckland-Penrose duplication works .... .... 31,005 Addington-Rolleston duplication works.... .... 37,510 Dunedin-Mosgiel duplication, and deviation of line 73,019 £207,942 For the current year provision has been made on the estimates to the extent of £180,602, namely :— £ Auckland-Penrose duplication.... .... .... 5,000 Wellington-Hutt duplication .... .... .... 74,602 Addington-Rolleston duplication .... .... 11,000 Dunedin-Mosgiel duplication .... .... 90,000 £180,602 The amount proposed to be voted for the current year for " Additions to Open Lines" is £350,000, of which £250,000 is for new rolling-stock and additional workshops machinery. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. The total expenditure on public buildings during the last financial year amounted to £350,615 —namely, £65,230 under the Consolidated Fund and £285,385 under the Public Works Fund. These amounts, as regards both funds, are in excess of the previous year's figures. For the current year votes totalling to £60,145 under the Consolidated Fund and £306,930 under the Public Works Fund are proposed. General. The principal buildings included in this class are the Government Houses, the Parliament Buildings, and the general departmental offices throughout the Dominion. Last year's expenditure amounted to £44,671, and for the current year a vote of £45,000 is proposed. The principal item in last year's expenditure was the cost of acquiring a site for the proposed new departmental buildings in Christchurch, the next largest' item being the completion of the extensive additions to the departmental buildings at Auckland. Other important works were the new departmental buildings at Te Kuiti and Hokitika, and the

ii—D. 1.

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