KAIAPOI RAILWAY BRIDGE.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7263, 24 January 1889, Page 6

KAIAPOI RAILWAY BRIDGE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —About fire weeks ago I heard a tinkling noise, but thinking some old lady's bees had swarmed look no further notice of it. But every day. when the same tapping was continued, I thought some new industry had started in our midst and curiosity prompted mc to follow the sound to the railway bridge, then to find five men comfortably, sitting on a plank under the bridge, protected front the sun's rays, and at work with If—le hammers quietly tapping the rust off tlie bridge, and one man following with a paint pot. It seems to take five men to tap rust and one to paint. Half the bridge is now painted, which means, at the present rate, six men ten weeks to paint our railway bridge. 1 should think they must be all skilled workmen and after painting two or three more bridges will be entitled to a pension. Will some of our M.ELR/3 ascertain the cost of painting Kaiapoi railway bridge, and who, if anyone, is responsible for same. Can. we wonder at our railways not paying, or is it surprising that the tariff is so high that wagons can compete with rail for thirty mile journeys, which means a heavy road rate and heavy dnties to make up for our not paying railways? I think our Railway Managers cannot tell us political influence was brought to bear on them in this instance.

__ , A Taxpayeb. Kaiapoi, January 19th, 1889.

Hallway men draw some pretty heavy salaries in the United States. Chauncey __ Depew, President of the New York Central and Hudson Hirer Bailroad. is said to take £10,000 per annum; Charles Francis Adams, President of the Union Pacific lines, gets £6000 a year: and many' other officers receive £5000.