"JOINING=UP."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 267, 4 August 1908, Page 7

"JOINING=UP."

WHERE TWO RAILS MEET.

NORTFjnSLAND MAIN TRUNK COM- : . '• : PLETEB, \ A RED-LETTER DAY. ; ; . Yesterday .will bo marked as a red-letter day in tho history of the construction of tho North Island Main Trunk Railway as the day .'f tho meeting of the rails on the northern . did soiijhern sections of the line. Word was received: yesterday' that thp Manganui-a-te-ao yii((luct (tho last bridge ;to bo finished) had been sufficiently completed'to admit of traffic passiiig'i'ovcr it. . ■, ' . . A.-telegram.'received -yesterday afternoon by ,the\ Minister for Public Works (Hon. W. Hajl-Jones) i conveyed the intelligence, whioh has been<ildoked for daily in the past week, that itheilast rail in the ; great work of linking' up_i the i cities of Wellington-and Auckland bj; means of the iron road had been laid at yesterday morning. For weeks..;,the .'northern arid southern rail-heads ® have ibeenisteadily , advancing towards each ' other, 'anduthe aim of tho Department to get .tl'igVponncction completed in time for a ipw;ial-j;rain to tpass right through from Wel- ■ lingtoiivto Auoklahd before "Fleet week" will be carried iinto effect, in four days'time. • . Ballast i trains are, now across 'the viaduct, "and for -the next four , days, given . fine they will bo 4 busily engaged in . partiaiiyrhallasting the line in readiness for i.- the" 'Parliamentary "special," on 'which will be ; : cdnfbrred tho distinction of .making tho first,.,oomplete run oyer tho whole length of the .line. : The'timo-table for. ihe train which will ■coily|yf/±he ' Parliamentary;. visitors to the "Flee't'l"festivities in the northern City has ; - nobiyet been! definitely decided upon. It iis prtjjablejt however, that a start will be made, frolfiijWfellingtcn' at; a quarter-t-o-eloven on Friday' evening. '.'■At daylight on., Saturday : . mprhingaihe 'party 'will be approaching the .' most/interest jng portion of the journey." The central'part; of the;trip, including, the interesfjhg"'bush; sccncry between Qliakuno and Makatote, tho - run / over ' the Waimarino Plains,' and•thej'Raurimu spiral,:wi)l be accomplished in daylight,; and the} trip should prove a 'very .'interesting one. It' is expected tfoat Auckland . will bo . reached about ! a : quarter past six on Saturday evening. • Several members have announced that they will-pot take part in the trip; the latest infor- • . mation',being,that' about sixty' members of ■V totJiiVHouses' wiir avail ithemselvos : of .'the invitation, a'number of South-, ern members and some of tho North Island ■ representatives" will take advantage of the adjournment of the House' to spend a few, • days amongst their' constituents. : "The Fleet visit," said-Vone member last night iiivjdiscussing the position,: "has' come -tft'Sii awkward;time in that.the elections are • coiriing' on and the opportunity of spending a/.clear week- in their , district is one that ( man^j/members. cannot to lose." . ihe Minister for PubliCi;Works and Railways (the Hon. W: Hall-Jones) will not take the first trip oyer'tho Main Trunk. . The:, Hon. R. M'Nab will visit the South; : during "Fleet week.".<ffho remainder of the ■ members of-the Ministry, .with the exception : of; tho Hon. J. it is understood, proceed to Auckland.,