RAILWAY WORKSHOPS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5347, 9 April 1879, Page 5

RAILWAY WORKSHOPS.

A conference between the members, oE Assembly now in Dunedin and members of Committee of the Chamber of ComiEerc-3 was held yesterday at the offices of the Clumber. The inimhn-3 of Assembly pre eat were (he Hon. W. H. Itejnold?, M.L.C., and Messrs H. Driver, H. Bastings, and K. Oliver, M.H.R.'s.

The subject for tiie consideration of the Conference was the advertisement a-kinw for tenders for tho erection of railway workshops at Addington, near Chiistchurch ; and what led to the Conference was the very strorg feeling of dissaf sfac'inn on the part cf the metcanti'e community of Dunedin at the prtpssal to erect extensive workshops for railway purposes at the northern extremity of the Middle Island lines. Tbis disflatiafac-'irn is all the greater became some years ago a spirited controversy took pace as to whether the workshops for the Middle Island should be located at Mussel Bay, Port Chalmers, or in Dunedin. The issue of this controversy was that Government decided that tho workshops should be at Dunedin; and along with this it was intimated that the iuten'ion was to make Dunedin the head-quarters in this respect fur the Middle Island, and Auckland for the North Island. It now apuears that there is an intention to spend something like LIOO.OOO in erecting gigantic workshops at AddingtOD, wh're it is thus apparently intended to centre all the more nn porlant work for the Middle Island—a move which is looked upon as following directly Ircm the establishment of the headquarters of management of constiucted railways in Ohristchurch. It is held that Dunedin is manifest y the most appropriate site for the head worlcshops being situated in the centre of the great I railway works in this Island, and being esreciaUv central towards all those parts of the railway lines on which the heaviest giadients occur and on which, consequently, the greatest wear and tear must be experienced. On the other hand, Christohcrch is the extreme end of the railway works of this Island—the railways in the provinces of Nelson, Westland, and Marlborongh being wholly disconnected from the main fcystem—and is likely to remain so for ""The fallowing telegram, which had been despatched the previous day to the Hon. Ministerof Public Wcrks, by Messrs Driver, Oliver, and Bastings, was read:—" Mercantile people here are "«at\y offended by the proposed action of the Government in establishing the principal railway workshops at Addington. Dunedin is, m you have oftfn said, the principal centre of manufactures in the Colony, and Ha,localposition in relation t-> the railway system of the Island makes it the moat convenient placs tor

per bcolity for general management, as was stating t! at it would be laid before Mr llacaudrew I immediately uv.oll his leturn from '^TTrsicretary of the Chamber (^ Webb) informid the Conference that he hnel interviewed Mr Conycw that aftcrnoor, who bad ttated that thera waa no intention of making the Addington wcrkshocs the principal ones for the Island, but that they were only intended to serve local purposes; that large addiUons were to bo made immediately to the HUside workshors to overtake the increased requirements of the Dunediu Fection ; and that new workshops were intended to re erected at luvercargill for local works. It was decided to call a meeting of the Chamber cf Commerce for Wednesday next, for the purpose of initiating a public meeting to prote3t against what ia lo jkeduponasnotoniy a breach of faith, but a very serious blunder; and the Secretary was instructed to inform Mr Macandtew by telegram of the steps being taken, and to ask that his reply to the telegram from the members of the Assembly be forwarded in time for the meeting of the Chamber.