The Otago Witness. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 2.

Otago Witness, Issue 1031, 2 September 1871, Page 12

The Otago Witness. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 2.

This first Annual Report of the Immigration and Public Works Department has been printed and laid before both Houses of the U-eneral Assembly. A number of printed papers relating to the progress of public works throughout the colony, accompany the Report, which deals merely with the leading features of those documents. We learn that the Department was organised at the close of the last session of Parliament, and that the Hon. Mr Gisborne was appointed ad interim Minister of Public Works. The office of Chief Engineer has been, and will be kept vacant, it seems, until it shall have been determined whether it should be tilled up by some one selected in Europe, experienced in the construction of modern railways. In the meantime, Mr John Blackett, C.E., has been appointed Engineer and Acting Chief Engineer. District Engineers have also been appointed in Manawatu, Canterbury, and Westlancl, to superintend the woi-ks in progress. Under the head of ' Land Purchase in North Island,' we find that advantage has been taken of the power with which the Governor is vested by the provisions of the Immigration and Public Works Act, by the Government completing the purcha.se from the Natives

of 231,430 acres of land in Hawke's Bay, for about £10,000. The construction of roads through the North Island, as provided for by the Government scheme of last session, we also learn has been progressing rapidly, and an accompanying Return shows a total of expenditure ami liabilities in connection with this subject of £98,623 3s 2d. Turning to 'Railways and Bridges,' we find that Bteps have been taken to connect the Provinces of Canterbury and Otago by a bridge over the Waitaki, about two and a half miles from its mouth. A Commission of professional men was appointed to select a site, and Mr Blackett reports that a suitable one was obtained, which is on the direct and shortest line that can well be laid off for the railway. The cost of this work is estimated at .£35,000, and the ironwork necessary for its construction has already been ordered from England. The survey of a line of railway between Winton and Kingston has been completed, and from the reports of the surveying engineers, it would

seem that few engineering difficulties presented themselves, Between JMataura and Clutha, the survey of the line was conducted by Mr Bruntox, C.E. f and the plans, sections, report, and estimate have been sent in. Mr BrunTON, notwithstanding the apparently difficult nature of the country, has Rucceeded in laying off an excellent line. His report shows that the steepest gradient is 1 in 92, and the sharpest curve ten chains radius. The cost per mile, inchxding the erection of a long bridge across the Clutha, will not exceed ,£3,241 per mile, including rolling stock and stations. The survey of a branch line between Tokomairiro and Tuapeka is reported also as being in progress. Mr Blacke rr reports that the survey of a line from Moeraki to Waitaki lias been entrusted to Mr Millar, F.S.A. The plans and report have not yet been received, but the acting Engineer-in-Chief anticipates that the result of the survey will be favourable and will show that the line may be constructed with favourable gradients and curves, at a moderate cost. As regards the line between Dunedin and Clutha, now in course of construction, Mr Blackett reports at some length. The plant and rolling stock for the first six miles of this line have already been ordered from England, and another order

for the ten miles at the Clutha end is being propared. The worst gradient on the line is 1 in 50, and the sharpest curve is 1 2 chains radius. The engines, winch are to weigh about seventeen tons when ready for work, may be expected to draw a load of 1 00 tons over these gradients, and will ordinarily have a speed of twenty to twenty-five miles an hour, if required. Under the head of ' Water Races on Goldfields,' in his Report, the Acting Minister of Public Works informs us that the only action under this authority 'lias been taken in the Thames Goldfield and in the Westland Goldfield. At the first-named place a survey is in progress ; at the latter, three schemes for water supply have been proposed. Two of these have been surveyed, and the Government have obtained the plans. The survey of the third has been authorised, and is in progress. No reference whatever is made to Otago in the Report, and at this we do not feel surprised. Some months ago, in dealing with that part of the Report of the Joint Committee upon Colonial Industries which relates to gold mining, we drew attention to the fact that none of our then Goldfields' representatives had been called as , witnesses before the Committee, and we ventured to conclude that, had they been, they would have been unable to furnish the slightest information regarding the interests of those whom they were supposed to represent. We pointed out that an excellent opportunity of bringing the requirements of the mining community of Otago prominently before both branches of the Legislature had been lost, and we expressed an opinion that, in all probability, the interests of the miners of this province would suffer in conse quence of the ignorance of their represen tatives, three of whom, Mr Bradshaw

Mi'Vogel, and Mr O'Neill, had taken up their abode in another part of the > colony. The members for Westland — practical men — gave their evidence before the Committee, and the result of the information obtained from them has been that their fellow-miners in the district which they represented will shortly be deriving benefit from a system of water supply constructed under the allspices of the General Government, and paid for out of the loan which was authorised last session. No doubt action will shoztly be taken upon the recommendations contained in Mr Hauuhton's able report, Imt it is to be regretted that there should have been any delay at all in carrying out works which all will agree are of paramount importance to the mining community of Otago.