MAIN TRUNK LINE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1666, 3 February 1904, Page 21

MAIN TRUNK LINE.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK.

The Minister for Public Works (the Hon. W. Hjail'l-Jones), returned last Friday evening from a tour of the Pahaatua and Rangitikei districts, tie visited Makuri Ngaturi, Rakanui, Ponganoa, Wainui. Akitio, Weber and Dannevirke, and at most of the places met the settlers and received deputations on matters of local interest. After making himself acquainted with the requirements of the district embraced in the places mentioned, the Minister left for Rangitikei for the purpose of seeing in person the progress of the work at the southern end of the main trunk line. lie found that the line had been completed for a distune of four and a half miles beyond the Mangaweka viaduct, to where the Toi Toi bridge is being erected. This bridge is nearly completed, and the first locomotive is expected to cross about* Wednesday next. That section of the line between the bridge and the Taihape tunnel is now ready for plate-laying. The settlers urged upon him the necessity of making a start with the line to Ukitu, and Torere. The Minister, who went up the Torere Valley, states that it is looking splendid, and that that part of the country is blessed with a very fine class of settlers, who seemed well pleased with their lot. Sawmilling promises to be very active at Ukitu, and he was told that the output there when the line was completed would bo about 40,000 ft. per day. Of course, the sawmillers -and settlers want this section of the line completed as soon as possible to enable them to reach their markets as quickly as possible, and this the Minister promised he would do providing it did not mean retarding the progress of the line to Taihape. That line must be completed, and he was confident that trains would be running into Tatihape by June next. The contract for erecting the station at that place has been accepted some time, and the material is. now on the spot. The line beyond Taihape to Mataroa is progressing well, the chief works on this section being a large embankment and the Matero tunnel. In this tunnel the work is proceeding night and day, the men being divided into three shifts of eight hours each. There are at present about five hundred men engaged on the work at this side of the gap.