D.—l

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APPENDIX B. ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS BY THE ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF. The Engineer-in-Chief to the Hon. Minister of Public Works. Sir,— Wellington, Ist July, 1018. I have the honour to submit the following report upon the various works completed and in progress throughout the Dominion during the period from the Ist April, 1917, to the 30th June, 1918. In view of the early session of Parliament last year my last report dealt with the period up to the -'list March, 1917, instead of up to the 30th June, as usual. This report therefore covers a period of fifteen months instead of twelve. The Department's operations are still severely restricted owing to war conditions. The number of men employed continued to dwindle until the end of the year 1917, but latterly there has been a slight upward tendency. The more important items' of material and plant are still unprocurable, and there appears to be little prospect of any improvement of the position in the near future. RAILWAYS. Abstract. The following table shows the expenditure and liabilities on Government railways in New Zealand up to the 31st March, 1918 : —

Name of Railway. Total Length of Railway or Section. . j Open • Expenditure for to Traffic. 31st March, 1918. Kaihu Valley Kawakawa-Hokianga Opua Wharf - Grahamtown (Onerahi) Whangarei southward North Auckland Main Trunk Railway (from Helensville) Helensville - Te Awamutu, with Branches Frankton Junction-Thames, with Branches Thames Valley - Rotorua Tauranga-Opotiki, with Branches .. .. .. .. Gisborne-Opotiki .. .. .. .. .. Napier-Gisborne .. .. .. .. .. .. Wellington-Napier and Palmerston North (including Te Aro Extension and Greytown and Martinborough Branches) .. J Wellington-Waitara, with Branches .. Stratford-Okahnkura .. .. .. .. North Island Main Trunk (Marton-Te Awamutu), including Raetihi Branch.. .. .. .. .. Picton-Waipara (South Island Main Trunk Railway)— Picton southwards Waipara northwards Nelson-Belgrove Midland Railway Westport-Ngakawau .. .. .. .. Westport-Ngakawau Extension to Mokihinui* Mokihinui Colliery Linef Westport-Inangahua Ngabere-Blackball .. Greymouth - Coal Creek .. .. .. Greymouth-Brtmner Greymouth-Wai taha Culverden-Hanmer Motor-cars and 8heds Hurunui-Waitaki, with Branches Canterbury Interior Main Line—Oxford-Temuka Waitaki-Bluff, with Branches Otago Central Invorcargill-Kingston, with Mararoa Branch .. Forest Hill Railway—Winton-Hedgehopej Western Railways Preliminary Surveys Miscellaneous Stock of Permanent-way on hand Rolling-stock Total ..: * The funds for this extension—namely, £35,501 2s. lid.—were provided t + The funds for purchase of this line, £15,745, were provided by the West; I The expenditure on this line as a tramway was made by the Lands De § Includes expenditure on railways under Hutt Koad and Railway Im and Railway Improve uient Authorization Act 1914 Accounts. by tpc epi api M. ch. 24 30 45 25 58 6 19.77 86 22 163 48 127 35 69 33 138 27 93 45 206 39 249 44 350 11. 101 27 218 39 92 38 90 45 22 73 239 75 19 56 7 12 3 69 26 0 3 40 8 70 7 51 50 32 501 52 83 0 600 21 182 51 117 4 12 40 S)4 8 4,116 45 y the Westpc tort Harbour lartment. irovcment, Iort! rBo Rail M.ch. £ 19 58 104,130 16 25 208,051 58 6 522,718 187,f61 47 77 848,634 150 39 2,470,099 87 20 598,968 69 33 367,771 352,761 49 32 626,649 231,962 233 12 2,557,158 285 59 2,710,526 42 26 890,956 218 39 2,813,648 56 6 653,655 44 14 374,254 22 73 199,982 179 67 2,027,758 19 56 188,009 7 12 3 69 5 74 152,806 3 40 147,532 8 70 255,026 7 51 150,651 38 68 338,480 3,834 443 8 2,671,589 11 44 59,415 546 10 4,950,881 134 78 1,363,843 97 44 386,418 12 40 22,984 70 31 336,698 41,652 10,337 49,834 6,676,078 2,993 7 §36,553,408 i Harbour Board, oard. ilway Improvement Authorization Act 4,116 45 d by the Westport istport Harbour B< Department, [mprovement, Rai