PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 185, 21 August 1888, Page 3

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT.

The Minister for Public Works (Mr Mitcheison) delivered bis Public Works Statement on Saturday morning. The following is the gist of the Statement: —Mr Mitchelson commenced by saying that the Government was of opinion that the financial position of the colony did not warrant the undertaking of any railway works, other than those which would be immediately reproductive, and they would, with two exceptions, recommend only such amounts as would enable them to meet liabilities already incurred, together with a small sum for supervision and contingencies. The two exceptions were the Wood-ville-Palmerston and the Otago Central railways. In addition to the amount required to meet existing liabilities on the former railway £lB,OOO is asked for the Pohangina bridge and for the Otago Central, in addition to existing liabilities, £35,000 is asked for. The Minister next referred to the length of lines already opened, and their cost. Under the heading of roads the following are the estimated amounts required to be voted for actual expenditure this year:— Roads, bridges, and wharves north of Auckland, £300; main roads, £15,100 ; miscellaneous roads and bridges, £34,354 ; grants-in-aid, £12,000 ; roads to open up lands before sale, £50,000 ; village special settlements, £20,000; roads on goldfields, £35,000; total, £166,754. The Cook County votes for roads to open up lands for sale are—Tologa-Manga-takerau, £150; Ormond-Waiapu, £3OO ; Ormond to Opotiki, £600; Tologa-Arakihi, £650; Waipaoa river to Oilsprings, £650 ; Gisborne to Wairoa, nil.