Public Works.

Passing on, Sir Robert said the Public Works Department had in many cases been simply frittering away its money. Votes had been made for roads that ought to have been dealt with by local bodies. As to some of the votes, they might just as well vote [unclear: ney] for metalling Queen-street for the [unclear: pose] of opening land for [unclear: ment.] [unclear: aughter.)] Take [unclear: the] Northern rails It would have been of enor[unclear: mas] service to Auckland to have a [unclear: necting] line with Wellington. The [unclear: le] of Auckland had been their worst [unclear: mies] in this respect; they had frittered [unclear: y] their energies about the line to [unclear: naki] instead of pushing on the central [unclear: .] Once the Central line had been [unclear: eted] it would have been quite enough to have had feeders. But what bad [unclear: ned] in reference to that line. He had that the Government had actually [unclear: wed] about £5,000,000 without count-[unclear: b ill] Bank of New Zealand's guarantee, they came into office in 1891, there [unclear: er] £700,000 in the Public Works that practically they had spent page 4 About £6,000,000. And the railway for which money was set apart had not been completed, and there was not a penny to spend on it now. It had gone in roads, and and in taking snags out of the Wanganui River, the purchase of native lands, and all sorts of things (a voice, 'give us a railway to Waihi') I believe said Sir Robert, it is necessary, but you will not get it.' In the present Budget, he went on, there was about £1,200,000 to be voted; out of that, only £250,000 was for the whole of the railways of the colony. (A voice: 'Take it out of revenue.') 'Take it out of revenue,' was the reply, 'There is actually a deficit on the year's transactions of £109,000.' There was actually a loss on the Advances to Settlers Act, in the first year of £31,000, and it would take six years, by official computation, to recover that. What would be thought of a loan company with one million and a half to lend, who lost £31,000 in the first year?