WEST COAST ITEMS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 October 1908, Page 4

WEST COAST ITEMS.

[OUR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER.] DUNOLLTB DRAY BRIDGE. WELLINGTON, This Day. The Hon A. R. Guinness yesterday asked the Minister for Railways whether he would without, delay give instruclion to have the dray bridge over t,]io Camp Creek on the road from the Dunollic Railway station (Point Eliz-abeth-State Collieries Railway) to the town of Dnnollio re-erected? When this Railway was opened a dray bridge was erected across the Camp Creek but it. was subsequently washed away and since then only a foot bridge lias been erected in its place. Consequently goods landed at the Dnnollio Railway Station cannot he carried by vehicles to the township and district'thus causing considerable inconvenience and additional expense to tlm inhabitants. The Minister staled, in reply, that (he question of providing a. dray bridge over the Camp Creek on the road from the Dnnollio Railway Station is a matter for the consideration of (be local bodies. To meet the requirements of foot passenger traflui. ;i temporary footbridge wits provided by the Railway Department after the original bridge collapsed. 'lbe dray bridge to which reference was made was a. temporary structure erected by public works Department to facilitate its operations in connection widi the const ruction of tbo Railway and was not intended for public use. _ H a bridge is considered essential in die position referred (o the duty of constructing it devolves upon the local body and not upon the Railway Department. „„ 1U NOLLIE RAILWAY S'IAHON. ],i answer to another question from Mr Guinness, (ho Minister of Railways stated that there arc at present a large number of important and essential work's in various part of the dominion for which provision must be made. He regrets therefore that he cannot at the present juncture authorise any expenditure being incurred for the purpose of providing a verandah at Dnnollio. Railway Station. The matter will be given further consideration when more urgent requirements have been met. BLACKBALL TOWNSHIP. Mr Guinness asked the Prime Minister whether he has had any communication with Sir Edwyn Dawes, proprietor of the township of Blackball or with any one on Ins behalf, as to his willingness to soil the township to the Government and if so would lie state to the House the nature of the negotiations, if any, that arc pending between the Government and Sir Edwyn Dawes for the information of die residents of the Blackball township? , The Prime Minister replied Ui.ah {| u .re has been no communication with him on Hie matter. TELEPHONE BUSINESS. In another question Mr Guinness suggested that an extra wire should be erected to meet (bo increased business on the telephone between Grcyr.ionth and Hokitika and between Greymonth and Recfton? “There is a metallic circuit between Greymonth and Hokitika solely used for communications between these two places,” replied the Minister. “T lie avreago number of communications per day is forty. It does not appear therefore that extra accommodation is urgently necessary. There is another single circuit from Greymonth to Hokitika with Kninara inter mediate on which the average number of spoken messages per day is only thirteen. The metallic telephone circuit from Groymontli to Westport with Recfton intermediate is not congested as (bo average number of communications per day is only thirty.