( 209 )
4
I beg to conclude by stating that I an fully convinced that, unless immediate steps are taken to increase the staff of this Department by adding four Assistant Eu- gineers, very serious consequences are likely to arise. Mr. ORMSBY has fallen into the too common error of regarding this Colony as small because its area is somewhat limited, but it must be borne in mind that it contains the fourth largest City in point of popu lation in the Colonial Empire (vide p. XXIV of the Colonial Office List) and that it - ranks third amongst the Shipping ports of the world.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
W. CHATHAM,
Acting Director of Public Works.
Statement of Amounts appearing in Estimates and Actual Expenditure on Works supervised by the
Engineering Staff of the Public Works Department from 1894 to 1900.
AMOUNTS PROVIDED IN ESTIMATES.
AMOUNTS ACTUALLY EXPENDED.
YEAR.
Recurrent.
Extra- ordinary.
Total.
Recurrent.
Extra- ordinary.
Total.
1894,
162,500
334,500
497,000
155,437
271,492
426,929
1895,
164,500
303,170
467,670
170,218
201,710
371,928
1896,
179,700
245,500
425,200
194,342
204,434
388,776
1897,
203,000
346,600
549,600
207,175 (2) 325,445
532,620
1898,
199,000
258,416
457,416
203,621
233,781
437,402
1899,
207,000
424,200
631,200 (3) 333,403
192,587
525,990
1900,
207,200
291,100
498,300
237,851 (4) 327,678
565,529
1901,
(1) 281,740
566,338
849,078
1902,
(1) 316,500
612,650
929,150
(1) Includes items for " Forming and Kerbing Streets," &c., which had hitherto appeared under
Public Works Extraordinary.
(2) Includes a sum of $104,539 spent in "City of Victoria and Hill District Waterworks" alone,-
Wongneichong Reservoir then in full progress.
(3) Includes a sum of $111,156 spent under the heading "New Territory," which should more properly have been included under Public Works Extraordinary. The sum of $39,786 was for matsheds, &c., which required practically no supervision.
(4) Includes a sum of $16,208 spent on matshels, &c., in the New Territory, and $60,755 spent on
the Taipó Road.
341