The Oamaru Mail THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 18 November 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1880.

Mb. Alexander Brogden, a.member of the Imperial Parliament of Great Britain, and of the firm of Messrs. Brogden and Co., railway contractors, arrived in the Colony by the last San Francisco mail. His object in visiting the Colony is to endeavor to come to some settlement in reference to the long-standing Brogden claims. Enough has been published from time to time to show that these claims arose out of the ivlwr.y contracts winch trie Messieurs i'•f i'dcii eun :_-u out in this Colony. It appears that the engineering iu connection with the Brogden contracts was of the usual character, replete with afterthoughts. The Engineer-in-Chief at the time was Mr. Carruther3, who, it is pleaded, so mutilated the ori:iinal plans and specifications upon which the contractors based their estimates for the construction of certain railway lines, that they feel themselves justified in making a claim for an amount of about L 170,000. If Mr. Alex. Brogden cannot come to terms with the Government, he will seek to obtain the amount by legal process. From what we can glean, conclusive evidence is available that the Engineer-in-Chief so altered the plans and specifications that the contractors are entitled to compensation. The exact amount could only, of course, be ascertained by means of a careful estimate of the additional expense entailed upon the contractors through such alterations. W c may safely anticipate that the matter will be brought before Parliament next session.