D.— 1

VI

The works on which the men have heen employed have been of a very varied character. Almost all classes of railway-work have been carried out under the system, including earthworks, bridges (wood, stone, and iron), culverts (wood and stone), fencing, platelaying, ballasting, supply of sleepers, and the erection of station and other buildings. All sorts of road-works have also been undertaken, and the erection and repair of public buildings have likewise been carried out under it. The earnings of the men have varied a good deal, according to their capabilities and industry. The total earnings of the co-operative contractors employed under the Public Works Department during the year have been £69,603, and under the Lands Department £88,377, or a total of £157,980 distributed amongst the co-operative contract workmen of the colony. PUBLIC WORKS LEGISLATION. The laws relating to public works have, in the Public Works Bill now before Parliament, been carefully revised and consolidated. The new Bill will be found to be a great improvement, both in substance and arrangement, on the Public Works Acts previously existing, and administrative work thereunder will consequently be accomplished with less difficulty in the future by the officers of the Government, as well as by the local authorities working under the Act. A new Tramways Bill has also been prepared, and is now before Parliament. This Bill has been modelled on the Act at present in force in Victoria, and it is believed that it will be a great improvement on the previous tramway legislation. An amendment to the Inspection of Machinery Act has also been introduced and passed. Under this Act the administration of this branch of the public service has been formally placed under the Minister for Public Works, who has, as a matter of convenience, been administering the Act for some time past. The Act also provides for drivers of certain classes of engines holding certificates of competency. DEPARTMENTAL. In submitting this Statement to Parliament, I think it is due to the valuable departmental officers and engineers and the whole staff to state that they have performed their duties in a most satisfactory manner; and the careful supervision exercised over the expenditure is most commendable. It might appear to those uninitiated in the working of the department that with a smaller expenditure the duties of the staff would be lighter. This is, however, not the case, for with the working of the co-operative system the departmental work, and also the work thrown upon the engineers and overseers, is very much increased. WORKING RAILWAYS. The Mangaonoho Section of the North Island Main Trunk Railway and the Mokihinui Extension of the Westport—Ngakawau Railway were handed over to the Railway Commissioners for working in the early part of last financial year, and the fact was mentioned in last year's Public Works Statement. In addition to these lines, the section of the Rotorua Railway between Putaruru and Tarukenga, 23 miles 5 chains in length ; the Blenheim to Omaka Section of the Picton-Awatere Railway, 2 miles 43 chains in length; and the GreymouthHokitika Railway, 24 miles 37 chains in length, were also handed over to the Commissioners during the latter part of the year. Since the close of the financial year the Hikurangi Extension of the Whangarei-Kamo Railway, 8 miles in length, and the Middlemarch-Hyde Section of the Otago Central Railway, 16 miles 20 chains in length, have also been handed over; and the last section of the line to Rotorua, 8| miles in length, will, it is hoped, be ready for handing over on Ist December next. The policy of the Government since its advent to office has been to complete the unfinished lines, so as to turn unproductive expenditure to profitable account. In pursuance of this policy, no less than 135 miles of railway have been completed and opened for traffic during the three and three-quarter years that the Government has been in office. Of this total length 61 miles 7 chains were opened during the late financial year. The amount voted for additions to open lines last year was £18,978, of which amount £9,700 was for additional rolling-stock. Only £8,042 of the total amount was actually expended during the financial year, however, and of this sum £3,161 was for rolling-stock. For the current year the Commissioners ask for £46,910, of which £22,175 is for rollingstock, and £6,000 for the extension and improvement of the Railway Wharf at Port Chalmers. A vote for £40,000 has been provided on the estimates.