PUBLIC WORKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9288, 24 April 1920, Page 6

PUBLIC WORKS.

WELLINGTON, April 23.

Interesting facts, showing, the difficulties of. securing, railway construction material have been elicited from the Public Works officials by Messrs Whitlock and Prime, who on behalf of the East. Coast Development League have been visiting Wellington: to stir up the Publijc Works Department over the wants of that district.. They particularly urged the completion of a part of the Napier-Gisborne railway, the' construction of which-for eleven miles at the' Napier end,' to Eskdale, only awaits the laying of rails-, but there are no rails on the ground. . 'Messrs Whitlock and Prime found that the Department has sufficient rails to lay six miles, but.it has no sleepers.. Several contracts, have been let for New Zealand sleepers, but. none have been delivered, while Australian supplies are held up: through the shipping, shortage. Three years ago. the Public Works Department placed an order for 3QOO tons of Australianr-ma.de rails, but not a single rail is to hand, though a small supply has come from. England since, the Armistice;, and a further shipment is expected 1-"shortly. There seems some hope of the Department abandoning its "one man and a barrow" policy of construction, for 'the East Coast delegation discovered that several, steam navvies are on" order from; America^ and one, to arrive shortly,, will be placed on the NapierGisborne sectiom.