I).—1.

APPENDIX B.

ANNUAL REPORT ON PUBLIC WORKS BY THE ENGINEER-IN-CHIEF.

a The Engineer-in-Chief to the Hon. Minister op Public Works. 1 have the honour to submit the following report upon the various works under my control completed and in progress throughout the Dominion during the period from the Ist July, 1930, to the 30th June, 1931. As in previous years, the principal operations consist of the construction of railways, roads, and hydro-electric undertakings, in that order, followed by buildings, irrigation, lighthouses, rivercontrol, and other miscellaneous works. Although in the graph showing the ratios of the various subdivisions to the whole, telegraph-extension is shown as absorbing 5-16 per cent, of the total funds expended, this work, although paid for out of the Public Works Fund, is supervised and carried out, in the main, by the Telegraph Department itself, and is consequently not reported on here. A considerable amount of the building-work totalling 11-38 per cent, of our operations includes schools, which until recently have been directly controlled by the Education Department, but in future will come under your more direct control. Although a very considerable reduction was made part-way through the year in the scope of the railway-construction, this branch of the Department's work, in volume, is still far ahead of any other branch of the Department's operations.

EAILWAYS. Abstract. The following table shows the expenditure on Government railways in New Zealand up to the 31st March, 1931 :—

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L T °th' f Open Expenditure NameofEailway. R^&m 31st Ma *° h , 1981 . M. oh. M.oh. £ Kaihu Valley 24 32 24 32 180,133 Otiria-Ngapuhi 13 45 13 45 127,371 Opua Wharf-Onerahi 58 6 58 6 608,288 Kioreroa-Waiotira 19 79 , 19 79 420,533 North Auckland Main Trunk Railway (from Helensville) .. 189 75 94 39 4,307,263 Helensville - Te Awamutu, with Branches (including AucklandWestfield Deviation) 215 35 170 51 6,383,462 Frankton Junction -Thames, with Branches .. .. .. 127 35 125 53 1,833,472 Thames Valley - Rotorua 69 33 69 33 431,040 Rotorua-Taupo .. 54 40 .. 38,211 Tauranga-Opotiki, with Branches .. .. .. •• 145 32 59 09 1,493,585 Gisbome-Opotiki 93 44 49 32 625,086 Napier-Gisborne (including Waikokopu Branch) .. .. 23144 50 33 3,713,180 Wellington-Napier and Palmerston North (including Te Aro Extension, Greytown and Martinborough Branches, and Hutt Valley Railway) 258 62 235 76 4,401,855 Wellington-Waitara, with Branches .. .. .. •• 350 11 308 42 5,161,128 Stratford-Okahukura 112 47 47 40 2,782,726 North Island Main Trunk (Marion-Te Awamutu), including Raetihi Branch and Waipa Gravel-access Branch .. .. 225 79 218 39 3,167,413 Picton-Waipara (South Island Main Trunk Railway)— Picton southwards 92 38 56 6 884,504 Waipara northwards .. .. •• •• •• 90 45 44 14 525,712 Nelson-Greymouth "7 61 129 50 957,627 Stillwater-Arthur's Pass 5141 50 41 1,979,126 Rolleston-Arthur's Pass (including Whiteclifis Branch) .. 92 59 84 45 1,036,996 Westport-Ngakawau 19 56 19 56 209,023 Westpnrt - Ngakawau Extension to Mokihinui* .. •• 7 12 7 12 Mokihinui Colliery Linef .. • ■ • • ■ • • ■ 3 69 3 69 Westport-Oape FoulwindJ .. .. .. •• •• 7 0 7 0 .. Wostport-Inangahua .. .. •• ■■ •• 26 0 5 74 o54,939 Ngahere-Blaokball 3 40 3 40 147,882 Greymouth-Rewanui and Branches .. .. .. ■ • H 34 1134 334,351 Greymouth-Waitaba 50 32 38 68 423,158 Waipara-Waitaki, with Branches .. .. .. ■• 459 34 413 70 3,548,356 Canterbury Interior Main Line—Oxford-Temuka .. •• 83 0 1144 59,942 Waitaki-Blufi, with Branches 600 21 570 14 6,229,098 OtagoCentral 182 51 147 27 2.. , 7X8 Invercargill-Kingston, with Mararoa Branch .. .. .. 117 4 97 44 396,790 Forest Hill Railway—Winton-Hedgehope§ .. .. .. 12 40 12 40 23,337 Western Railways 94 8 78 49 464 '^ 6 Preliminary surveys .. .. • ■ • • • ■ • • • • °°> 2°4 General charges not yet apportioned .. .. .. •• •• •• Miscellaneous .. .. .. •• •• •■ •• ■• no Stock of permanent-way on hand .. .. .. •• •• •■ Rolling-stock and omnibuses .. .. .. •• •• •• ll,468,odb Total .. .. .. •• •• 4,373 54 3,339 46 ||66,417,839 Provincial Government Lines, etc. Canterbury (lengths included above) .. .. .. •• ■• •• Otago and Southland ■• •■ Anl Gisborne to Ormond Tramway .. .. .. •• •• •• moot a an Midland Railway, valuation of works constructed by company .. .. .. Iio8d,4b0 Grand total .. 4,373 54 3,339 46 68,210,555 • The funds for this extension—namely, £35,501 2s. lid.—were provided by the Westport Harbour Board. t The funds for purchase of this line, £15,745, were provided by the Westport Harbour Board. J The funds for this line-namely, £93,450—were provided by the Westport Harbour Board. 8 The expenditure on this line as a tramway was made by the Lands Department. - J Includes expenditure on railways under Hutt Road and Railway Improvement, Railway Improvement Authorization Act, under the Mid la nd Railway Petition» Settlement Act Amendment Act, 1903.