D.—l

III

WAYS AND MEANS. On the Ist April, 1919, the available ways and means for public- £ works purposes were .. .. .. .. .. 186,198 Additional funds were received as follows : — Under Finance Act, 1918 (No. 2), section 29. ' .. .. 1,940,000 Other receipts and recoveries .. .. .. .. 114,456 Making a gross total of .. .. .. £2,240,654 The net expenditure on all works and services chargeable against the Public Works Fund for the year 1919-20 amounted to ~ .. £2,021,152 This left a credit balance in the Ways and Means Account at 31st March, 1920, of .. .. .. .. .. .. 219,502 Authority exists for providing further funds : — In terms of the Finance Act, 1918 (No. 2), to the extent of .. 200,000 In terms of the Finance Act, 1919 .. .. .. 750,000 Making a total of .. .. .. .. £1,169,502 Authority has been asked to provide a further . . .. .. 2,500,000 Thus making available for expenditure during the current financial year ending 31st March, 1921, a sum of .. .. .. .. £3,669,502 The estimated expenditure on public works for the current year (exclusive of accounts which have their own ways and means) is £3,572,500, leaving an estimated credit balance of £97,002 to be carried forward to next year (1921-22). In addition to the amounts above described statutory authority exists for raising the balances under the following accounts, viz. : — £ £ Aid to Water-power Works Act, 1910 .. .. 51,000 Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers Improvement Act, 1910 20,000 In terms of the Finance Act, 1919 (additional for Waihou and Ohinemuri Rivers improvement) .. 150,000 221,000 Statutory authority has been obtained for the hydroelectric development of Arapuni and Mangahao schemes, and further extensions of Lake Coleridge ; also for the purchase of Horahora, the extension thereof, and the erection of transmission-lines, amounting in all to .. .. .. .. .. 6,830,000 £7,051,000 RAIL WAY-CONSTRUCTION. Only one section (Culverden to Waiau, 13 miles in length) was actually handed over to the New Zealand Railway Department for ordinary traffic during the financial year (ended 31st March, 1920), although several sections were in a sufficiently advanced stage of construction to admit of both goods and passenger traffic being handled by my Department for the convenience of settlers and the public generally. Construction has proceeded, with all the labour available, on no less than thirty-nine sections. The total expenditure, including maintenance and improvement, for the year amounted to £841,643, the details being : — £ Construction of new lines .. .. .. .. 588,325 Additions to open lines .. .. .. .. 160,324 Railways Improvement Authorization Act, 1914, Account .. .. .. .. .. 92,994 Total .. .. .. .. £841,643