NORTH ISLAND TRUNK DRAILWAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13861, 26 March 1907, Page 2

NORTH ISLAND TRUNK DRAILWAY.

PROGRESS OP CONSTRUCTION WORKS. CFsoj£ Oub Own Coreespondekt.) , CHRISTCHURCH, March 24. A Ohristcluircn man who has mado several trips during the last year or two over t-hc route of the North Island Main Trunk railway, and <who tas just returned from another one, expresses the opinion that it is absolutely impossible for the line to be finished as asserted by the Government, by tho end of next. year. The line is practioally finished from Taihape to Waiouru, about 23 miles. Separated by seven miles of bush country from .Taihape is Mataroa, where a railway station has been 'built, but has not. yet been officially opened. The country is chiefly covcred with bush as far as Turangarere, five miles farther'on. Over this distance from Taihape to Waiouru the lines have been laid, and ballast and service trains run to . and fro. Passengers who want to make the journey have to do so on the open truck, seated on the top of loads of ballast, or sleepers, and exposed to risks of suffocation when the train goes through 'a tunnel. No fare is charged 'for this uncomfortable privilege. Formerly there was a coach sendee, but this has now been discontinued. For travellers from the Auckland end of the line, who wish to go fam Taumaraiiui to Raurimu, n passenger car is added to the service trains. Two or three miles past Waiouru a number of cuttings liavo been made, but tho construction, or .the line should prove fairly easy until Ohakuno, seven miles further, is readied. From there to Raurimu,; some 30. miles, the country is bush-covered, and very hilly. A track has been burned through the bush, and the clearing of this burnt track looks as if it might take a. couple of years in itself, while the contract for the construction of the Mangatote viaduct, allows another 12 months for tho completion of that work. Between Olwkuno and the Mangat-ote viaduct N there is another large viaduct, of which only a portion of the stone work foundations has yet beon formed Tho present summer bein-j nearly over, thcro are two winters and one one summer to go through before the time the Government. has said that the line will bo finished. As the roads scarcely dry up much before Christmas, which is'the end of the year, thcro is only about six months' tine weather in which the work must be completed if it is to bo. done to time. When the heavy rains fall many of the roads are in parts three or four inches deep in mud, which must, impede, tho progress of the work. The reeenf, visitor does not believe that the line can be completed in Iras than three years from now. As regards means of communication, lie states that a very great improvement, in the. way of roads lias been effected in the past 12 months. One of the imported ftm?lish navvies met with, who bad been (alien all the way to the, works under contract, stated that he was earning 9s. a day, and was well satisfied. Provisions arc, however, excessively deur, with the exception of meat. At Waiouru, where the prices are probably lower than at Ohakune. bread was selling at from 8d to lOd the 51b loaf.