EAST COAST RAILWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 10

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

. DELAY AT WAIHI.'END. . MINISTER'S :'' EXPLANATION. FOREMAN BUSY AT OTIRA. The. proposals of the Minister for public ' Works'- regarding the resumption ■■_ of i work j upon'tho- Wttihi-Aihontee section of the East: Coast Railway* have been explained by tho Prime Minister in*a telegram to the .-.chairman,' of the Auckland ■ Railways Fragile. . In response to representations made to him, Mr) Peacocke telegraphed. to •; Mr.': Ma'ssey 'on -Monday :• to '. the), effect that the'; Waihi Borough, Council* and other local bodies 'interested were : very much disappointed that the construction of the railway from : Waihi had not been commenced, and asking When the work was likely to bo started. •'■

Five: tenders . have - been accepted foi sections of the construction work. In hii telegram Mr. Massey '••'. explains that . on May'; 12 instructions ■ were given by the .Minister'for Public Workß to the district engineer at Waihi to accept tenders, numbers 1, 3, 4, and 8, the acceptance'-of a tender for No. 2 section having been delayed by an informality, '.'.'....., "The Minister for Public "Works .further informs me," the ■; message states, "that there is some •work to be carried out on the ■'. co-operative system; which '; he gave instructions some tims *&-.s> have put in hand, The delay,, he learns, is owing to the fact that the foreman specially selected to take oharge of the work has been in charge of the ballasting at the Beale'y section, which is about completed. Owing to unforeseen circumstances . this foreman has • been detained at : Bealey longer than anticipated, but the Minister for Public Works has telegraphed to the i district, engineer at Waihi to start the work at once and put on 30 men." ..,