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purposes. An amount of ,£54,681 will also be available from released sinking funds under our loan-conversion operations. A further sum of .£250,000 will be available for roads and bridges, and the preparation of lands for settlement, and for assistance to settlers to enable them to make improvements, imder the Lands Improvement and Native Lands Acquisition Act ; and a further similar sum for the purchase and roading of Native lands under the same Act. The total ways and means available for public works purposes this year will therefore be as follows ; — Public Works Fund, Part I. — Balance remaining on 31st March, 1894 ... £263,738 Transfer from Consolidated Fund ... ... 250,000 Released sinking funds ... ... .... 54,681 Public Works Fund, Part II. — Balance remaining on 31st March, 1894 ... ... 79,197 Total Public Works Fund... ... ... 647,616 Lands Improvement Account .... ... ... 250,000 Native Lands Purchase Account ... ... ... 250,000 Gross total ways and means ... ... £1,147,616 APPROPRIATIONS PROPOSED. The appropriations proposed under these several heads are as follows : — Public Works Fund, Part 1.... .... ... £564,980 Public Works Fund, Part 11. ... ... 75,183 Total Public Works Fund ... £640,163 Under the Lands Improvement Account ... ... 150,000 Under the Native Lands Purchase Account ... ... 150,000 Gross total appropriations proposed ... £940,163 This will leave an unappropriated balance of .£7,453 under the Public Works Fund to be carried forward to next year, besides £100,000 each on the Lands Improvement and the Native Lands Purchase Accounts, or a total unappropriated balance of £207,453. The votes proposed under Part 11. nearly absorb the balance of the ways and means standing to the credit of that part of the fund, which means that on their expenditure the one million specially raised for the North Island Main Trunk Railway will be practically exhausted. Honourable members will doubtless desire to know how this amount has been expended. The figures are as follows : — North Island Main Trunk Railway Loan. Amount of loan ... ... ... ... £1,000,000 Receipts from lands purchased ... ... ... 7,580 Total ... ... ... ... £1,007,580 Expenditure. Survey and construction of North Island Main Trunk Railway ... ... ... ... ... ,£548,911 Purchase of Native lands ... ... .... 220,000 Roads to give access to railway ... ... ... 164,095 Charges and expenses of raising loan ... ... 51,788 Departmental expenditure ... ... ... 18,772 Balance unappropriated ... ... ... 4,014 Total ... ... £1,007,580 This expenditure has given, or will give, us 59 miles of finished railway; 12i miles additional on which the formation-works will be completed, and the rails in process of being laid; 9 miles on which the formation-works will be in an advanced condition; 70 miles of line permanently surveyed; and 65 miles of preliminary survey. It will also give us good

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