D.—l

XVII

Telephone exchanges have been established at ishburton and New Plymouth. The vote proposed for the current year is .£30,500, which provides for new telephone exchanges at Hastings and Gisborne, and additions to existing exchanges, in addition to a number of lines, the more important of which are — Whangarei to Poroti, Ormond to Waimata Valley, Burkes Pass to Tekapo, Cambrian's to Beck's, Hende's Ferry to Okarito, and Herbertville to Wimbledon. Besides these new lines, additions to existing wire-accommodation, to provide for increased traffic, amounting to about a thousand miles of wire, are in course of being carried out. The principal of these are as follows: Napier to Wairoa, Wanganui to Napier, Wanganui to New Plymouth, Greymouth to Eeefton, Springfield to Bealey, Blenheim to Invercargill, Lumsden to Queenstown, and Oamaru to Otiake. PUBLIC BUILDINGS. Our expenditure on public buildings continues to be fairly heavy. The amounts voted and expended for services under this head last year were as follow :■ —

The appropriations proposed for the current year amount to £129,115 — namely, £87,615 under the Public Works Fund, and £41,500 under the Consolidated Fund. The expenditure under this head appears, on the first glance, to be rather high ; but, with an increase of population, and with the urgent necessity of restoring the auxiliary Asylum at Auckland and of erecting an additional wing of Porirua Asylum, and in view of the many other important works in hand or required, there is no help for it but to provide the necessary means. The principal works carried out last year, or provided for this year, are as follow: — GeNEBAL. The chief work under this head was the enlargement of the Government Printing Office, for which a vote of £2,000 was taken, and on which £2,456 was expended. This year we ask for a vote of £8,000, as it is important to push on with this much-needed building, so that a considerable part of it, at least, may be ready in time for the work of next session of Parliament. Amongst the illustrations at the end of this Statement will be found a view of the building as it will appear when completed. I think honourable members will agree with me that the additions will provide a much-needed want. I deeply regret that I am unable to make provision this year for the erection of a brick building for the General Assembly Library. This important work must, however, be put in hand at the first favourable opportunity. Judicial. A very large number of buildings under this head have been in hand during the year. Those on which the principal expenditure has been incurred are—the new Gaol at Dunedin ; new Law Library, Christchurch ; new Courthouses at Gisborne, New Plymouth, Stratford, Palmerston North, Otaki, Hunterville, Hawera, Paeroa, Darfieid, Milton, &c; and new police-stations at Napier, Wanganui, Palmerston North, Pleasant Point, Waitahuna, &c. For the current year substantial provision is made for carrying on the works at Dunedin Gaol, and also for completing iii—D. 1.

Consolidated Fund. Public Wi irks Pund. Totals. Voted. Expended. £ £ Voted. Expended. Voted. Expended. I i 46,700 42,829 £ 96,985 £ 76,240 £ 143,685 £ 119,069