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principal works carried out directly under the control of the Government: Additional buildings for the Boys' and Girls' Reformatories at Burnham and Burwood (Te Oranga Home) respectively, Native schools and residences at Motiti Island and Reporua, and additions at Ahipara. For the current year the sum of £100,680 is asked for as set out in 'detail in the estimates. Other Buildings. Hospitals. —Under the heading of " Hospitals and Charitable Institutions " there was an expenditure of £11,152 for new buildings and improvements, the chief items being the additions to the Greymouth Hospital, and new hospital buildings at Rawene, Hamilton, Taumarunui, Westport, and Dunedin (St. Helens). The vote of £16,500 for the current year is simply a revote of the unexpended balances on last year's appropriations, with the exception of a vote of £1,000 for the Veteran's Home, Auckland, a small vote for the Kumara Hospital and further grants for buildings at Hokitika and for extending the accommodation at St. Helens, Christchurch. Agriculture. —Last year's expenditure under this head totalled £5,543. The principal items were the erection of farm buildings at Ruakura, inspectors' residences at Te Kuiti, Te Puia, and Seddon, offices at Auckland and Palmerston North, and additions to the Laboratory at Wallaceville. For the current year votes are provided for additional buildings at Motuihi, Ruakura, Waerenga, Tauranga, Arataki, Moumahaki, and Weraroa; also for the purchase of some additional land at Tauranga and Wallaceville. Public Health. —The expenditure under this head has not been large, the only items of any magnitude being the additions and alterations to the Sanatorium buildings at Cambridge, and a new wharf and other improvements at the Quarantine Station at Motuihi. Subsidies have also been paid on account of the erection of infectious diseases hospitals in the Hawke's Bay and Otago Districts, &c. Provision is made on the estimates for similar subsidies that will be payable during the current year to the amount of £2,000. BOADS AND BEIDGES. When last year's Statement came down the administration of road and bridge matters was in the hands of the Hon. Mr. McGowan, who had kindly offered to relieve the Minister of Public Works of this somewhat onerous duty. The Hon. Mr. McGowan retired from the administration in January last, and the Hon. A. W. Hogg succeeded him. On Mr. Hogg's resignation in June last it was decided to amalgamate the roads and bridges work with the general work of the Public Works Department, and the administration of these matters then came under my control. I found that the operations of the Roads Department were being carried out on a scale of considerable magnitude, the total expenditure during the last financial year having amounted to no less than £494,657. A very large amount of work is represented by the above expenditure, which may be briefly summarised as under :— New dray-roads constructed .... .... 656 miles. Dray-roads metalled .... .... ... 352 „ Bridle-roads converted to dray-roads .... 335 „ New bridle-roads constructed .... .... 445 „ Bridges constructed (30 ft. in length or over), 188; total length .... .... ....15,333ft. Engineering surveys made.... .... .... 989 miles. Dray-roads maintained .... .... .... 3,352 „ Bridle-roads maintained .... ... .... 2,017 „

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