THE TRAMWAYS. NOTES ON THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE WORK.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1904, Page 6

THE TRAMWAYS. NOTES ON THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE WORK.

A SHIXGLIi TROUBLE. Sir. Korwin, representative engineer for Messrs. Macuituc}, M'Elroy, and Co., continues to luke udvunlage of the lino weather for pushing ou tho constitution of the t nick ior the new twtinway bysteni. Tho rails are hud from the houihern terminus to the Tiamway Hotel, iho road opened down to tho uiunsheds in Ade-laide-road, and tho track has been paved uimoft to I Lowell's Corner. Tho gang which started tuyiug thu track from the town belt at Island Bay had turned into Luxford-stiGft (which thoroughfare i.s now closed ior vehicular traffic) and will soon turn into Rintoul-street. Fiom the city boundary to tho Athletic Park a single truck, with passing places, i.s )>?- ing nut down, and irom tire P.irJt to Rid-diiord-itxcet a double track will bo coustruclod. 'L'ho work has mado stieh lapid progiess along this of tho service that it is anticipated that the Island BUy section will bo opened very shortly after the opening of tho city'.s express loutc, in March or April next. Nearly all iho trolly polos havo been erected along tho express loule, ' Eight moro cars have arrived from Homo this week, making th« total now in tho city about two-thirds of the number ordered (30). Tho uais*uia being equipped I with motoiv, etc., at thu caishcils, all tho ! appliances' lor a number of eais having I come to hand. "lk'sident" writes <m b'.'hulf of Newtown rt'iidents. asking "when the Coiporation 1 cully intends to commence tho wood-blocking of Riddiford-stroet from the., terminus ;vt Ru'seli-terraee to the Basin Reserve." Our correspondent add.s : "There is a good poition of one s-ide of tho road, and thai tho busy -side, too, excavated, but it is left dosated and dangerous. Wo hejir a lot fiom time to timo about the wood-blocking, but that is all. Perhaps tho Council is waiting for the advent of wet weather.. Howovei, this portion should bo done- fust and quickly, «-, traffic is much congested at any time, but moro so now that pull of the narrow roudway is closed. 1 don't know what the road would bo like should a upell of wet. weatln-r come on. U things go on like this; then the tiams will bo running befme tho hiilo trucks are formec!, thus either delaying th& opening of tho line, or else there will bo a certain amount of danger in running and getting on and olf the c»irs. It can be seen that iv other respects tho Council has not betwesu the.so points kept ahead* of the con I Motors (or the line." Enquiries upon tho question raisod go to show that the delay haa been caused by n. difficulty which has arisen over tho supply of Bhittgk\ The contract for tho fsupply of >lunj»".o was given to Mr. J. T. Jones, of the Lower Hut I, who got his material fiom Mio riyeibed nt tho Hutt. For homo time Mr. Jones, was allowed the t-peeinl privilege of an early access to the railway station to facilitate getting the shin^e into the city. When a contractor in another live of business sought to have ,1 pimilar privilege- ex1 ended to him tho Railway Depiutnient had to close down upon Mr. Jones, especially as the Drivers' Union had n'.so directed the attention of the Department to its infringement of a new 1 emulation by allowing Mr. Jones entry into the railway yard before 8 a.m. and ntlfir 5 p.m. The union drew attention to the fact that, in order to secure uniform woiking hours for its members, it had secured tho making of a regulation that the hour.t of working . in the railway yards for delivery-cart^ should be from 8a m, to 5 p.m. The privilege granted to Mr. Jones, ' therefoie, hud to be stopped or extended to others. Sir. Jones, by this action, lost three hours per day, ».«• he worked the trucks from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., using a traction-engine. He hat since been getting shingle from Island IJny ns we I as the Hutt, but even now the hiiiiply of thinglo does not g.ive the trim way cmtructoia a daily surplus, consequently the Corporation cannot begin its wood-paving operations, at present. The Corporation i» no'v considering the question of culling for tenders for another cnntr.ict ' for tho supply of shingle. Something like '150 cubic yards of shinglo per d:iy will be needed for the track and paving work. • It is hoped that, wood-paving operations will be bepnn shortly by tho Corporation*! .staff, and whori the work is begun it will proceed rapidly. • ( prof»ie«-s is bsing made with tho work of making the n'.lcrr.lion to tho Kont-Uiruic mhert. When the top it) converted two or three .days will have to be nllo'nvd for the [n out mi of haulening ' the concrete. Special bocks of a depth oj three inches are being nit for the pnving of that porllr.n of Kenf-tcr-race whero tee alteration to tho culvert is bcinc; rrnde. Tho b'ueks used on the other thorough fares are five inches deep. Owin;; to tho street widening and tramway f>s>"viUions in Xcwlown the Telegraph Department hns had to remove tho tolfgraph-pole-i to tho now line of footpath a'onj; AJf '.aide-road ;>nd Revans and Riddiford sticcts. The Department has put do.in vtrv much stronger poles than tWo hithcsio used, and in some cases, where there will be "pull-off" polt'M in connection with tho tramway system, the liu'^on-si/ed "Lemon-trees" have had' to bo eroded by (Oio Department. It is said that duiin<* their excavations in Riddiford-street the gang employed in planting n pole conio into contact with tho wntcimiar.i and had to seek a place for Mho pole elsewhere in tho footpath. Of conrfc there somo forciblo expressions iibmit "wrong levc'.a" and a feeling of "we don't know where wo arc" or what will be strurk when digging up Wellington's main Ktreets.

Tho question of ttjo charge/? on goods in tho Queen's Bond, and also of providing intrcawd accommodation, has been referred, on tho motion of Mr. Nathan, to tho Wlmrvew and Accounts Committee of tho Harbour Board for reconsideration. The Pctonc Borough Council wrote to the Harbour Board to-dny, seeking a, lcaso of tho foreshore- nl I'etomj at a peppercorn rratol, so tlmt the Council would havo tho power to clear tho beach of debris and deposit**, insist on the oWrvancc of winitary regulations, and generally provide a clean beach for bathing and" recreation. The Secretary to the Board said thero was 110 objection to llio proposal provided ij- wa« restricted to the objcoL'j mentioned, and subject to existing rights mul the power of tho Board to re-enter, etc. Mr. Mothes explained tho desire of tho Council, and pointed out that lVtouc had a beautiful beach which, however, was at times unsightly, yet the Borough Council was power two. The Board decided to refer tho mutter to the Secretary, with iiiAlructiotiM to bring down a repoit growing the l-enn.s and conditions op which the Board would grant a lei'f-i of the foreshore. Messrs. Wardcll Bros, advortito the best biandg of but tor at reduced prices,