OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13208, 15 February 1905, Page 5

OTAGO CENTRAL RAILWAY.

Our Alexandra correspondent writes:— "I learn upon reliablo "authority that the Public Works Department intended'to pay. off, on Jast pay-day, all tho single, men and those matried men who had -been on *the Otago Central railway works, for some considerable time. This has not been doiie, -iio men having, been .discharged; It would therefore appear as if the indignant and outspoken action of the Uunedih Railway League lias had soind. beneficial ill-, llueiioo oil the action of tho Hon.- the Minister of Publio Works. Good progress, I hoar, is being made with the earih formation down Chatto . Creek. Tho. railway platform will bo finished in a week or two. It is to bo hoped that tho Publio Works Department will hot erect an expensive station, goous sheds, and tho other buildings necessary to .a terminus, To do so would be'but a wasto of publio money, which would bo more advantageously spent oil the continuance of tho line, "in time to come, if settleriiwit and traflic warrant such buildings, then would be tlio time to erect them. . In about threo. months the wliolc formation from Omakau to tho oonfluence m IB , Uo oc ' c w ''"' the Maniihenitia should bo about completed. At the same time, if employment is to be found.for tho present number" of men, then some of the men must shortly be removed across the Manuherikia. -I observe that the ieaguo has centred its attention wholly on the speedy- erection of tho bridge near AlexThe league seems to forget' that H l ?™ '« » "•«='' heavier pieco of work in bridge-buildinpr before tho one near Alex-' andra is reached: I refer to the'Manorburn bridge, or viaduct,-which is about a quarter of a mile in leiu»Mi. The railway passes thfoiigh Messrs Fowden and Mohcrieff s nurscrv. and will he required-to be carriec) on piles for a quarter of a mile. r"° lon f? distance to bo piled is necessary in case of t-lio railway formation b'cinff washed away durbg a flood in the Manorbum. This picco of work should bo kept ill view by the league, and its influence, exerted to have it pushed oii when tho tiiiio arrives for doing so."