After reading a table in which it was claimed that with the exception of Tasmania, New Zealand's expendi ture on railway construction per head of population is the lowest in the Australasian and South African col onies, the Minister said we must con sider the necessities of our settlers, ard provide facilities for carrying product of their labor to market at the lowest cost. We cannot ignore the loss that occurred in the past by the destruction of valuable timber, owing to the absence of means of conveying the article to centres of population. Instead of hastily diminishing the expenditure we ought to complete the main lines of communication and steadily proceed with other works in hand. It was this view of the case that induced the Government to pro pose larger appropriations for railway purposes during the last five or six years, and the same view now actu ated him in submitting his present estimates of votes required. WORKS IN HAND. In the couise of a detailed account of works in parts of the colony, the Minister made reference to the Strat ford-Tokorailway opened some months ago, and said the exploration of a number of alternative routes beyond Toko has resulted in the selection of a line following the Ohura road to about eleven miles. Beyond this there is still a little doubt as to the route to be adopted. As the construc tion of this railway is somewhat of a new departure, being a light line, but on the New Zealand standard gauge, it will be of interest to hon members to know what its cost has been. The expenditure to 31st ult. on the six miles twenty-six chains section to Toko has amounted to £23,929, but some liabilities for land claims and other unsettled matters have yet to be met, which will probably amount to about £SOOO, making a total cost of, say, £29,000, equal to £4,594 per mile, exclusive of rolling stock or £5,500 per mile, including rolling stock. The average cost of New Zea land railways at date, including rolling stock, is £8,159 per mile. The dif ference in this case is due partly to the easy nature of the country traver sed, but largely, however, to the method of construction adopted. It is proposed that the Ohuru section at eleven miles shall be of the same character. 