CREOSOTING WORKS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7158, 24 January 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

CREOSOTING WORKS.

(Haneard.) Mr Joyce asked tho Mi|istor for Public Worka if he will, during tberecess, take into consideration the expediency^ establishing or subsidising creosoting worksti suitable localities, in order that the timbls of the Colony may be used for railway sfepera. He had been induced to put this queam on the orderpaper owing to his having Earned, from a paper laid upon the table ofhe House, that during last year there had bi imported into the Colony one' or two hiMred thousand sleepers, at a cost of 5a eachjir, to ba absolutely correct, 45.1 l v\ about double tho cost of sleepers obtained! this Colony. Further, he found it stated, ja communication from Dunedin, that thefeleepers were not immediately required. 1 writer said: "The immense quantity oftrah sleepers Btackad up at Dunedin and 1 Chalmers is quite surprising, and worthy the attention of tbe Assembly. Most of thteleepers have been lying unused for many iths, and are supposed to be intended for (Central railway. I learn, further, thap.ooo jarrah sleepers have been let for thktlin's River lino, although this branch wppeoially intended to keep up the Bupplj timber, the diatriet havintr been racomraij for totara and matai. The exhaustion & funds pro- . vided for thesa railways mi partly accounted for by these importaj, which are at present dead stock, becauta lines they are intended for are not yet fo{ Had the Atkinson Government spent tine amount of money upon tho railway ations and other labour within the Oolong has been devoted to the importation of h sleennrg, it would have been better ag. adfJH&i depression might have been lessSeverelyiert!— It had been suggested, with regard to the socond part of the question, that creosoting might be carried on at tbo several gasworks in the large towns of the Colony, the substances used being produced at theae places. From papers in his possession, to which he would not refer at length, it appeared that the latest processes discovered were far less expensive than those formerly in use. For instance, it was now stated that it was not absolutely necessary to use carbolic acid. He need not say that the timbers iv this Oolony, although not very durable unless creosoted, were admirably suitable for the purpose of creosoting ; and he should be glad to receive an assurance from the Minister for Public Works that, at any rate, no more money would be Bent out of the Colony for tbat which could ba as well produced in it. Mr E. Richardson replied that generally it was tho intention of the Government not to call for tenders for the supply of sleepers from outside the Colony. With regard to the second part of the question, the Government had resolved to call for tenders again for the supply of creosoted sleepers, but on somewhat different terms from thoso imposed before, and ha hoped by this means to see the industry established. The hon. gentleman, however, was hardly correct in saying that the material required for creosoting was produced at gasworks, because there had first to ba a process set up for the distillation of the article required.