I

NEW ZEALAND.

PUBLIC WORKS STATEMENT, BY THE MINISTER FOR PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. W. HALL-JONES. 2nd October, 1896.

Me. Speakeb,— Honourable members will, I feel assured, concede me every reasonable consideration in respect of my first Statement, and make due allowance for any shortcomings, seeing that I have only recently joined the Ministry, and have not as yet had an opportunity of making myself personally acquainted wifch all the details of the works in the various parts of the colony. In submitting my proposals for the consideration of honourable members, I desire to draw attention to the position to-day as compared with that in which my predecessors under former Administrations have found themselves. Prior to the Liberal party coming into office, in 1891, it had become customary for Parliament to pass Loan Bills fairly regularly at intervals of two or three years, thus providing large sums of money for the purpose of carrying on the public works of the colony. The following table shows the several loans authorised for services chargeable on the Public Works Fund from the initiation of the public-works policy : —

Since 1888 no loan has been raised for public-works purposes, but, notwithstanding this, ways and means have been found, and considerable progress has been made with all classes of public works.

i—D. 1.

Year. Authorising Act. Amount of Loan. 1870 1873 1873 1874 1876 1877 1879 1882 1882 1882 1884 1885 1886 1886 1888 Immigration and Public Works Loan Act Immigration and Public Works Loan Act General Purposes Loan Act Immigration and Public Works Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act North Island Main Trunk Bailway Loan Act New Zealand Colonial-inscribed Stock Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act District Bailways Purchasing Act District Bailways Purchasing Act New Zealand Loan Act New Zealand Loan Act £ 4,000,000 2,000,000 750,000 4,000,000 750,000 2,200,000 5,000,000 3,000,000 1,000,000 250,000 1,500,000 s. d. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 I 479,487 7 11 1,325,000 1,000,000 0 0 0 0 £27,254,487 7 11