HOPE DEFERRED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 5

HOPE DEFERRED.

WORKS. AHOAD 4N THE MAKING. PROGRESS AND PEOSPECTS. ' Sixty feet broad, : with ■ three- feot • for d water table, and, beside the spacious highway, a bicycle track 12 feet broad, shoulder'ing ' a'footpath • eight feet liroad, runs tho Toad to Lower -sundry Government plans, and m w tho -hopes ,of .sojne suburban residents.'' .Has "not the' Government prom- - isedP; When horse 3 havo floundered fetlock' deep ,in mire, and bicycles skidded from clifl fo fence : of ; the 1 twisting,' narrow lane thatnever dries ,in winter, their riders havo sup- r pressed had'language' at the'thought'of the < visionary road that is wjde enough-'to vbe ? always dry somewhere. In tho same way passengers who were jerked from : one seat-.- : arm to the other, as the slow train, swung round the -jolting > curves between Lower ; Hutt and Wellington, consoled themselves with the imagination .of' a time "when the /: curves should be. like -the . street..'Straight,, and tho 35 minutes' journey should bo por-" formed;-;in'2o. The curves .are not all mended 'yet/ : though /something has been : done in a. long time. The road is : not formed yet, but it is paved. Like another: but much speedier .road;' it is. paved with good intentions. *A Dominion representative made the journey r yesterday by tyre- and tram-,:: and with his own- eyes,.' an'd':'ffom 'the "lips"' of . sundry ; Government officials, endeavoured to' > gain some answer .to r; the question,, r "How. -: long? How long??' which sUrbuban resi-~ dents are still applying"to their discomforts. ' But before looking - into tho future, it is amusing,- as well as tragical,--to make some • survey of,the past. ''

Futila Optimism In tho Past.. - The duplication of. the railway line to Lower llutt, and the improvement of the ■ road, were provided for - by an Act .of. 1903, and an -authorisation of 'fundswas T 'made.' Foi the. purpose. A sccond authorisation baa. • been made , since' then. ■ in '19(14 Sir' Joseph Ward, as Minister for Railways, reported cheerfully that:— ... ■ '--. "Extensive alterations have beenput ; ; in hand at Lower Hutt and Petone in ' connection . witli' the; straightening and . duplication of the line between Welling-, ' , ton and "Lower Hutt. ".Tho.workwill. bo • pushed ahead as vigorously asjppssiWe.".;'■ !. Apparently. there was 'sufficient 'vigour'ii. '. the stages of the ' wbrk to satisfy. the Minister, who reported- the following, year:— "In., connection. ..with the .doubling of-.-;. ..the ; Hutt "'Kailway.t : .'lin'e,;'ttbe-/6um'ofc £32,103 has been .charged to Capital Ao- • count under the provisions of .the Hutt Railway, and Road Improvement 'Act of. . .1003, .anil represents' value'of 'wbrk: ; al-'. 'ready \dbne 'in; connection :'with / 'that':.im- . portant undertaking. . .v. Considerable - . progress has .been ' made " with, the' im- ; '-. /'provement of ; the . Hutt. railway, i' The > lino between Lower Hutt and Petone has ibeen new star:.: apprmch-.v.; irig- completion." ' enttblo 'the stone ~ .'•required for the breastwork to bo ob-" Gained, a.quany.has been opened out -. : at Fcncarrow, a wharf built, and icon- . tracts are being let'for. quarrying and • • delivering - the stone." -. • - • • •• . Seemingly at this stage,, when tho .real\ reclamation . .arid - duplication '/ works V had 5 scarcely been begun,' the' ."important under-, taking" lost something of. its importance, for the' Railway : Statement of 1906, still by Sir Joseph - Ward, reports . very easy progress, and-difficulties that were riot : sooli tobe "overcome, /.though, needless to say,' Sir Joseph„W ar d. had jno misgivings for. -. .the future?."i*t Sir ■ Joseph!* Statement for ithatt year reads: — • "Tho Lower Hutt-Wellington lino has been-duplicated and..opened: for': traffic : from Lower Hutt to.Rocky Point, ; a distance of about three miles, . and tho new '-.- station yards'%t Lowei> Hutt and'Petone, . ! 'j : : have^b'eep : , : JOmng;'however,:.. ... . .to - unforeseen. circumstances,, tlio'. con-;.. ; *' , has .up-.to-'thejpresent been, unablo •-••'to 'deliver requirid.'fop facing !'(-»Mi the work, and 'progress', has.'beeii very much in>- . Eedetf ;: in ; .iMrisequence,- ; -'.-Tlie matter , has, , owever, been, receiving; attention; - and ./ the contractor, having now opened: out . a second:quarry from ; which suit-able* y- ; .stone is- -obtainable, . anticipates being : .able'. to .deliveryregularly the fall quail-..' i and is also .-hop'efiU''.of v m'aking ,up arrears. .- <■ 'With;;'a vipw 1 to; further,.-facilitating the : progress of thework,. , the . Department . has : arranged to obtain a quantity' of . ... suitablo stor.o from Packakariki." .

- • - 'Not Realised. ■ Tho anticipations were not realised, .the first Railways -statement-of: the -Hon. W.i \ Hall-Jones, brought down in/1907, "is quitoi apologetic;— :j " ."I'regret,"-he 'states, fthat the anti- '; cipations, expressed,'in; last, year's.State. • '. "merit; in " regard'.t-o the Icontractor .for. the : :deli\;ery ,'qf->'stone for,;;^eV'.Xl^^D^<Htr s rr\- : •.Lower Hutt' 'duplication works being able ; > v ' .' . .to overtake all arrears, of work were not fulfilled: .''.Operations were, • "therefore, /; ''' . much rofcWedj. Rail-; way Department determined 1 ' the con- - .. ; tract, and undertook the whole of tho '. . rwork.itself.. This.change has had satis- . . factory results, ample. supplies of stone S'l coming /'regularly: to hand. • enabling _ a • large amount of-stone- protective walling , j .and earthwork to be carried out during : h '. . the. year./,, Th e; progress made will enable • a further length of double line to bo . . opened shortly."-.-' "'' . . ... - : ■ In 1908 Mr.' : Hall-Jones reports;-that,' aft-at. ; /"; four years' .work, '. --':L iriU.! i '''Over..- four ...miles of. the Lower Hutfr- ; .Wfellihgton*. duplication htiye .been ■ ; pleted',and ■ t-no' duplicato- liite :will .;■:',.o^iied'.toV.NgahaiU'augar;'shortly. v . Ro'adV '. : and metalling'wili also be gone .' ; on with at'-/ an' early date." : The chief:, engineer -(Mr. J. Burnett) reported that : ' \ ' progress had been retarded by the- difiiV culty of - obtaining ..adequate supplies: of ' ' r '. ''suitable rock for the seaiwall.\"'lt "Would . ' now be. possible to. push, on--; with-sthev .; , road-forining ;ind-mbtalling. -". . Tho Prossnt Position. . The work in general "was" pushed "on with so fast and furiously that the opening .of the ; duplicated linevto Kaiwarri - 'was.fespected ; to take.place first, of all' by.' Christmas,- then-:: by the-e'nd-.of ; iMarch. ,an'd now; abolifctho;erid; ;■ of, April.- 1 - Meanwhile,' the' double' line '; is'Y actually in use as far as.-Ngahaurahga; where a. . new "island" , station opened a few months ago. .'"ft'-'O''.':-For tho year ending, March 31, 1*907, the amount spent upon the' work iVas '£17,000 for: .duplication .worKsY and •£18,907; fo^'the. new .. Hutt -road' (including purchase of '.land)j..»a • total of £35,958.-.; For.the year ending March. 1908: tho amounts wero £38,830 ■ for tho duplication works, abdf £7391-on; rtho'Hutt road (including purchase of land), a, total of ■£46,221. '"Itlialbeen persistently"hinted 1 that »- the reason why the work has been so long delayed is that the Department has outrun'the : constable in the matter of funds, but'tbis is officially; denied,,.and a'high,authority "oi-. ;. - pressed, his opinion yesterday that tliere'waa Y? sufficient money- available to complete' the entire work.- ; ■■ . ■ Signs of Industry. There aro 179 inen employed upon the work at present, apart: from crushing. The number has beon.as high as. 320, but the foreman is doubtful if he could employ many more now. for tho reason that tho work is, however slowly, drawing: to a closo. - Om comes topoll the.first signs.of industry.'near the Kaiwwra Wharf. At this point tlia 1 protection .'wall which limits tho reclamation aroa ceasosj it is expected to reach Thoradon, from .hair to three-quarters of a milo distant, in from six to eight months. That interval should suf- ' ' fice for Avhat is called tho inner reclamation; , there, is a larger scheme to take tho breastwork fiftoea or seventeen- chains further o«t,

and carry the reclamation right to tho Thom- ../ •don baths. Whether that -.will bo'dono ior riqt;dopends' ; 'on /tlib/ari'bbgemMiti .which; may fi!SK-i;ri?,bb. ; sarictionoy Wellington ■-' railway station and.-yards.-sln.any ease, tho reporter learned from' official quarters-, the "larger-schemo need not be ..carried out at - onco. Rbiiiq Was not built in a day, and tho than.;the . Now Zealand Railway-Department. Futlla Methods. ■.. • -.': ' • At tho Kaiwarra; Wharf. there was a scene' of .foolish:.business.-' ;Tho, 'methods.-of tho 'MRomans were assuredly. not more primitive. ; rocli'a for of boxful, - which; provided, satisfactory /progress.'; 'but the other crano,was raising one small. :tim6,Vatfl'disppsing'iti^/vvitlriri-; :,oradibltf slownessi"ibosidentlie:SSU.' -: A -willing • . man could have shifted many of tho rocks in a ;.\ t third of th^im^:p?thß'.!'«Mb;mightli : ave been • . placed further back, to'onsuro working room, and tho stonos handlod. by tho boxful. Sev- %!' - ,-er'al minutes passed while tho crano was at- /'••"'.' tachbd to one/smaU;storiejr'-moved 'it slowly; ■■■:v -~ ..to lits. placo; and crept round; for 'the ■ next- to. .' bo sOjmred: rßut'. the/foUy/of;this method was "ci-;:;surpassed-by half.-a-dozen: menvonr board- :'a> vi lightcry' loaded .with. rooka for feolamation -of- ■■ - - . I tho , bay.: . Ono would oipect to, see this cargo into the water by sliding boards,' orsomo' .• Biich' simple and speedy means. • Instead; the men werb lifting-.the stones' in their'hands - end dropping them. ono by ono,:into the sea. - ; On the hillside infront of tho Kaiwarra Hotel iSy:'k 'rrelamation.'• ./Soniq of them ".were high on .vV'^i ; is i; ?>l:t'o;eliiEE-':faca?eßrtliVand:''aforifiS'''trlckling--d6wii;'' ■ 'from' their' precarious; .footing;?;; At.'frequent! ■ «y- intervals along tho ; roadi men- .were so employed. Council In the Way. 'iv-'Li;.:.;--',Tho :deop Kaiwarra, which took: a'i® Si > ;'fllhrigViis^ Tho bay was 30 feet: deop in', many places, '-'-'.;/' and; at tho Kaiwarra Vhurf, which tho work. a,;depth,;of(3s.'feet'.',: : ; : Afgocd deal of this jilacb has to be filled, •; however,, and; tho; rest,of the way; to Thorn-< '..' don is . all shallow wator—six and sevori feet.. ■: Tho:pipes.from Wainui-o-mata; belonging to to delay tho _ lmo formation work just-VVboyprid...'this poiirb;; Tho ..'maips, which•.. .. arb, underneath..tho' present .. road, have to bo shifted nearer to tho hill,; lii-iiand; the; pipes 'inMe^ary^ . • ; aro said not to bo in tho Dominion: Tho - to 'take; the. pi pes fi-- : ■ in. their .now position, and it. is .stated .that sj^'yg^^hisvtwnsference; is' iiots made;: within/three or.' four • weeks'.'.timo,-the work- of the: De- > imll/-be : !.l)rotigli'tiv to ; a*: .staxidstil];' i\nd; 'it will bo necessary to discharge mon. A i ;■?"/ Sreat jdeiil of .th © ; hills ido ;inust. com©. dowri at ' Site;:;v,thisjplace;.tb' : reclamation.- Tlio road has also to be lowered i four'feet, to bring-it. oil, a level with what : was Kaiwarra Bay. , flmpla Supplies of Stone - ' • : Por. twelro' months,.past, ' .tho ..foreman ; stated,..there lias been 'no.difficulty in get- ' • .'• ting sufGcient supplies of rock..': Tho l)o- : % • partmeiit*ha3'26 men crushing at Pelicarrbw. ■ ? f;""J.V : ~w4; , !Mglii.' , at- , 'Paek'afeariki.v>.Tpn^feii'/are^env on-^ r ; from:, the, . Manawatu Eailway Gompany, Mr. J. ■ J; K ~ ; .. Powell provides four trucks of.'stono • a day,. :-.::;v : >;6nd''tho':: : :Belm°nt-;;Crusliing./ Company-six •«: : ■v' Other, men*expressed the.opinion, >;'A"f^f.- the r o , '.;\r©ro*;i3bl4oM/»Buffi6ien^>'trii*cks'i.-"t(i' ; convoy. : st<sne -.readily t to-.tho : spots where -it and that their work was often- 'j . delayed from this l cause:For*-twelve -'or 'Si'h eighteen .months, according to tho foreman, i thero.'.was . scarcely;.any -stonb: available for.: ' : ; the ; work. This official did' not think for a ■ Vi' ■ iff.mbment'.itbat?slow, 'progress- 1 bad ;been*; madq; ;. under tho circumstances. .. Kono but those : : . engaged in the ivorlt kiiew .what tho Depart- . • tnent 'had..had ; to': contend against.'.- Ho . i .'thought that wbnders.had been done.. ' .' ' "Island" Station at Kaiwarra. .•• Tho. station at : Kaiwarra. wiU ' bo .shifted .. . ;. Bpori.to form an'islaiid"sfatioff;;liko tha smart ; ' 'heing. decked, wid will ; bo-'finished in about three weeks' timo. There will also bo a now vs ■; >. platform - and now interlocking signalling-;' ap- ' paratus:;: v' The King's High Road. ;' V y.:" ; • / /Tho' Kiii c' s liigii foiidi'which is'npt yot tho ■ 'J;. 'people's,, should'.bo finished in two years. : . ■t)o;.-it;- is ; ! e^imatedhb^.',th9Sfbremahj : ';;:^vHb : ; a: bopefui-.yiewVof'rthihgisWfiThb'people'* ■ do emjoy its uso for half a mile at Papus^K;:frail^;point;*;'i^eteSi?;big'b^^a^ i .n;.;. . .claimed;. ■ But the.'now road' is- only 'in 'a; makeshift 'fbrm. 1 at this Btago, .'though • al- ' ■ - ready ltvpresents' a.' fine,: hard surface. • For ■ : i' Y;> lialf :;its ultimato width,. arid with 'a - very : H^l'Ji^criimbling;;iiirfacb/ ; ■ ithrce-quarters of. a milo from Petone, and ' here, againus .used for:goneral' traffic, while . ,'dmnago- pipes arb i.bbilig ,'laid ; beneath the - feVS V/vb^d^ad;^;^he^sittfacb;,Avill^hardeh; : yt;..is ' ; Stated, when xain has bound:together the soil . . .• and;broken rock; ...Meanwhile, this is not a : .*^d^.-;:P^ 3 ' a nt;:rbad:;fbr resi-. ' aents, at this'stage, may almost prefer their . pld road to tho new. It is .stated that an- - ; other. mile and a' 'half of: new'.road from Pe- ; slibuld 'ibo'.d^nedi-'-in';'^eighteen : mohths'' ■

Ngahauranga' arid y,;^Eetontf : .trocks/;ldaded-with'™il/jai«!shuiitei i to iaiid fro, atid ' groups or. men aro'• busy .lovollin'g'u'p; .A strong now.fpncb - bf'Austra~ ' : lian timber has been .constricted from PeV ■ fond for aboto two'a»id 'a. half'miles towards' ■' .-■: town, between /the old-.and'new rails-"' Tne iv'fenc^fMiiSißts^'of^rongposts'placed 'eight' febt;ap^rtj. ; 'with!!a:': heavy; -it 1 l};-;S>Vwill; ;fbdtpath! .^tj^^when'that-rs'rhadefeThreb:or. four- men'havb, built the,fence/thus-far,' m .the' intervals of other'work. ®" Prospeots for Unemployed. Unless tkb shortage of'trucks shouldprove : .'. 6 serious drawback,, it would appear, to the :j; • -ordinary observer, .that a great' many moro men •• might bo employed on the road and reclamation ; work: - Tliero are, said to be' a .• largo number, of unemployed at present, and;-1 wftdgirig'.fro^ Datyiy increase, whenVwintbr'sets .in. 'rWbrk.in I .-.;': j: ': ; . connection with the : :Hutt- railway : line .and road .has •-hmigiback.-qmtb.BufficiGntly. long 'ttemaker,.it;!desirable'.'ithat...'.'the£pace! should • .'• be. accelerated, and if this work- is suitable • to-any large'proportion, of-.tho .unemployed, their, .energies, could be directed to . .more usoful advantage. Tho .wages'paid to- .. - wprkmen ..ao.day .for;'quarrymen-r-the; .; ';';.. workeis on t]]o liillside-~aud : os. 'for, gonoral. labourers.' It-is stated,, however, that the ... work is. too arduous,for, men to do: success- ; fully .who' aro ..'not used-.to heavy labour., vV^iThat-jh'as.iße'en l tlieopinion',of'latke-niimbers' ;of * unemployed in the -past; .the flutt works .. were tho Inst placo they would 'visit. It is . v' stated '■that'^;tho: ; .present: "staffs*; who' have'a if'i'^. : mbst partj; : ; are-fairly steadfast ;to . the ' employment,' . ' thougli such - prolonged--adherenco to' tho' . ' pick' and •'shovel has; not always been the bx- : • ' perieiice of tho past... - - ; 5 ■ • iv ; , . • VValniil.Pipes—An Explanation. With regard to the trouble of tho "Wainui-o-uiata mains, Mr. W. H. Morton, city en- ., ginenrj stated, in ar.swor to •an inquiry last !';-i'','-V'.'.-'®vepiDg l 'rthat.'tHe ; City Council did not, re- . . ; ceiye till!, about " ten days' ago-. of ' tlie! necessity to movo tho pipes, 'and the order . . • for.fresh piping, has'just been, sent to Eng- • land. ' Supplies . are. not likely to arrive' for. . , ten or elovou weeks, and. aro not obtainable .-' ; in thoi Dominion.- Tlio council;know • that ; :'-:fj-;!.v6pmb/day;;it : ..would'be :iie!ccssary'.'!to. move the •' mains, but did not know when or where. Mr. Morton states .that., ho; has some "pipes on ■'.v; ; with.; ; wliich; the'.transferencoT-. might .. ' . ; iiosmtily 'be . effected, but. that would leave !;'M'.i; the'!cbuncil:.wi.thput extra .pipes in tho event . of-an injury -to .tho mams. ■■■ -. ,■