D.—l

IX

estimates to cover the cost of completing the Makarau Section, as well as to go on with this further section. The vote taken last year for this line was £6,000, but, owing to the slow progress of the Makarau contract, only ,£2,896 was expended. Petitions praying f>r the extension of this railway through the northern peninsula as far as Whangarei continue to be presented to Parliament. As stated last year, the Government fully recognises the importance of this railway, and, as an evidence of this, is proposing to vote a sum for it as above indicated. Gbahamstown-Te Aeoha. As anticipated in the Public Works Statement last year the section of this railway between Te Aroha and Paeroa was opened just before Christmas last. Although the line was opened for traffic at that date, it was not entirely completed, and a good deal of finishing-work has been going on since. The vote taken last year was for £7,000 ; but £7,384 was expended, and a considerable further sum has been spent since the close of the financial year. The vote proposed for the current year is £10,000, which will cover the expenditure since the 31st March last, and also provide for some rather large land-compensation claims still outstanding, and for the work to be undertaken on the new section between Paeroa and Puriri. The very active manner in which all classes of mining operations are now being pushed on throughout the Thames Goldfield renders it exceedingly desirable to proceed with this railway as rapidly as possible. -The bulk of the formation is already done, but, as. the work was executed several years ago, it has suffered injury from the weather and other causes, and will need some little expenditure to again bring it up fco standard requirements. This work will be taken in hand shortly. Contracts for the timber for several of the bridges have already been let, and arrangements are being made for the early supply of rails and sleepers. Noeth Island Main Trunk Eailway. The rail-laying and ballasting on the Mokau Section, at the northern end of this railway, have now been completed, and when some inexpensive station-build-ings, which are proposed, have been erected, the line will be ready for traffic. No great amount of traffic is anticipated at present, however, as the line will not really be of any very material use to settlers and travellers until it is completed to Kawakawa, where it joins the Stratford-Ongaruhe Boad, which connects the Auckland and Taranaki Districts, and which is already in course of formation and nearly finished. It is proposed to take in hand the formation of this section— called the Ohinemoa Section —next month, and to proceed with the work as rapidly as the means at our disposal will allow. At the south end of the line considerable further progress has been made with the works northwards of Mangaonoho, operations now extending as far as 40 miles 40 chains—namely, nearly as far as the Township of Kaikoura. In February last tenders were invited by advertisement in the principal towns of the colony for the construction of the viaduct over the Makohine Ravine. Four tenders were received for the work; but, as the lowest was largely in excess of the Government estimate, it was deemed advisable to decline the tenders, and arrangements have since been made for putting the work in hand on the cooperative principle. The sites for the piers have already been cleared, and the excavation of the foundations and the building of the concrete bases for the piers will be started immediately. An order for the requisite iron and steel materials is now being prepared for transmission to England, and on the arrival of the material in the colony it is proposed to let the completion of the manufacture of the piers and girders to suitable skilled mechanics, and to have the structure erected under the direct supervision of the Government Engineer, assisted by a bridge-foreman thoroughly experienced in the erection of iron and steel bridges. The Engineer-in-Chief advises me that the erection of the viaduct in this manner, including all necessary plant and materials, will not cost more, but probably less, than the amount of the lowest tender for the work, and the Government will have the plant on hand, and available for use in the erection of the Mangaweka Viaduct, and any other similar structures that may be required either on this or any other railway.

ii—D. 1.