TOKATEA TRAMWAY.

Auckland Star, Volume X, Issue 2845, 10 June 1879, Page 2

TOKATEA TRAMWAY.

The following letters havo passed between Mr C. A. Harris, as ChUirman of tho Whangapoa Highway Board, and the managers of the Tokatea, Bismarck, and Royal Oak mines :—

" Gkntlpmbn,—As the managers of the three claims, piincipally interested in the repairing: of the tramway to connect the Bismarck, Royal Oak, and Tokatea mines with Bennett's, Battery, will you be kind enough to1 look over the tramway, and forward to me, addressed to the Chairman of the Whangapoa Highway Board, a detailed estimate of the cost of the above work; and also, if possible, an offer from your companies stating what proportion of the said. cosjb they would be willing tjo.contr'ibute, and the probable nmount' of quartz likely to bo scut down during the next twelve months, together with any other information lik«ly to be/of setvicu ? I should like to have the whole report beforo the next meeting, pf tho Council on 2nd of June.1 ' l rAVLi.'Y •' I am, gentlemen, "Yours faithfully, ,(],;<; ;■ ~, ioi "(■■••p^'A. BAl£klß; rJiJD. " Mossrs DobSoii, Vaugnan, V-fi atfd-Hall.", ■ i.WJ IMO'lrt

" The Chairman Whangapoua Highway Board," ' <\Ji Dear Sir,—Wo.have the Hoiiour46 sub-' mit the following; report to be laid before the Council, on .the cost of putting the tramway in working order to connect the Tokatea and Bismarck batteries with the adjoining mines. Before doing bo, we doBiro to draw your attention to the fact that at present no road exists by which quartz can be conveyed to cither of the above batteries, except n't great cost through buging, s|cdgipg eto.t etc. The mountainous character of the country almost, prohibits the construction of a road that will meet tha requirements of the district, . therefore the tramway becomes an absolute necessity, as tha best and cheapest mode of transit, at the same time the most economical to keep iv repair; In laying before' yott1 the cost, we have taken into consideration that fully one third of-the ol.d material will work up again, being as sound as the first day it was laid down. The cost of repairing each section will be as follows :— < -.:;■' £ s. d. No. 1 Section ;.. ' ..; 45 .0 0 ■» »«*sr ■'»•>«> .-;,.- 'i :;, 40 o<O " 3 - >.:. '■■■'.;; 70 0 0 „ 4 „ ... 15 0 0 Horse Grade .'.. ... 70 0 0 240 0 0

One portion of the tram-way follows the bed of the creek, and is always liable to; be flooded; by each storm. If arrangements could be fnade with the Tokatea Company for the use of their tramway; a short line could be constructed from the Biamark station to connect, at a coat of about £40, .wholly: dispensing with? this' <part- of the line, and reducing the total cost to £195. The old material could be used for repairing th,e .horse grade. ;« jj / || ~ t, As to the quantity of quartz likely to be sent down the next twelve months; we can only answer that there are nine parties working on the Tokatea range, besides the Royal Oak, Tokatea, and Bisniark Companies., The three latter* we believe, .would put oiit quartz to keep the tramway in work from two to three days per week. The Tokatea'Company discharged ten men on Saturday lust, and the KoyalOak has. ceased operations,through want of means of transit, while double the number in"each case could have been employed if the tramway had l?,een in workiug order. As to what proportion of cost the companies would contribute, is a subject that belongs to the directors of the companies alone. - " We remain, yours, etc., '.< J. P. Hall, u-.fi "j. A. Dobson, " John Vaoghan."