EAST COAST LINE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 148, 8 June 1936, Page 9

EAST COAST LINE

Men to Enter Camp at Waipunga

Y.M.C.A. HALLS

Work on the Napicr-Waikotlu section of the East Coast Bailway is to be speeded up this week by the placing of additional men at Waipunga, where the first camp to be established on the line will be occupied. Thirty men are to take up their quarters there this week, and will be engaged on building up tlie Waipunga spillway aud landslide and filling up the sunken embankment on the northern side of Wai punga. When these 30 men start work, the complement on the Nnpier-Wai-koau section of the work will bo increased from approximately 80 to 100 men.

The announcement has now been made ol the officers who will take charge of various operations on the railway between Napier and Gisborne. Mr. D. 0. Haskell is the engineer-in-charge at the Napier end. Mr. Haskell had charge of the viaducts when these were under construction, so that he goes back to complete the work that the last Government abandoned. It is expected that 150 to 200 men will be sufficient to do the work on this section in the meantime. Mr. G. Foster (foreman) and Mr. T. S. Bobinson (overseer) are already on the job. Mr. F. Mouat is timekeeper on the Napier-Put orino section, where men are at work on the task of bringing an almost finished section into early use. Mr. W. G. Griffin will be storeman aud Mr. J. Carswell temporary clerk on the Putorino-Wairoa section.

As far as possible there will be piecework rates on all sections of the work. Under agreement, of course, the men must get the minimum provided for, but they are to be encouraged io do better for themselves if they feel so inclined.

Mr. W, L .Bell is engineer at the Gisborne end, taking charge of all active operations on the Gisborne and Whareata sections. As overseers, Messrs. Briffault, Cameron and Connolly will be associated with Mr. Bell on this important section. Mr. Cameron is already on the ground, and Mr. John Connolly left Wellington for Gisborne a few days ago. Messrs. F. H. Mulligan and A. C. Bobinson will be the time-keepers, Mr. A. O. Jones, will take up the clerical work and Mr J. French will be assistant-store keeper. On the Kopuawhara section, Mr. H. G. Johnston will be clerk in charge; Mr. 0. Corkin, timekeeper, Mr. A. W. Craer, storekeeper’s assistant, and Mr. G. Foster, storeman.

The department will not be able to push on with the work at the northern end for a. while, as it has been necessary to procure up-to-date machinery, which is not yet to hand. When this section is going at top speed it is expected that about 1000 men will be employed between Gisborne and Walkokopu. By agreement with the Public Works Department, the Y.M.C.A. will have charge of a hall at each of the camps established on the line. In conjunction with these halls will be picture entertainments and other forms of amusement. The Y.M.O.A. will also have charge of libraries of books, which the Public Works Department will provide for the use of the men.