Our Railways.

Otago Witness, Issue 1420, 8 February 1879, Page 6

Our Railways.

NEW RAILWAY TARIFF. The principal alterations in the tariff which came into force on the 6th January last are as follows :— SOIIOIIi TICKETS. School tickets, fcr.ae.tly available over any distance, are now available only for distances not exceeding 55 miles. GOODS. In Classes A, B, C, and i), tho rates remain the same an additional r*te, however, being now included in etch class for distances over 150 miles. In Class A tho charge over Buch distance is 3d por ton per mile ; in Ciaaa B, 2d por ton per mile ; Class C, Id per ton per mile ; and Class D, Id also. AGRICULTURAL PHODUCE. la Class E— agricultural produce— formerly the charges were 2Jd per ton per mile for any distance under 50 miles, and lid per ton per mile for any distance over 50 miles. The tariff now reads : - Not more than 60 milei . . 2Jd per ton por mile More than 60 miles, and not more than 76 milea .. .. lid „ »» More than 75 miles -. ..Id „ „ The terminal clurges in this clas3 are now tho came as in the first four classes, namely :— Upon goods consigned to Duuedin, Christchurch, and Invercargill, not, to private siding 3.. .. 3s 9 J per ton Upon goods consigned to all othar stations and to private sidings in the above-named towns .. .. 2s 6d „ „ wool; In Class A— wool— the charges over long distances are considerably reduced. Formerly unduinped wool was rated at— for under 50 miles, Id per bale per mile ; under 100 miles, $J ; over 100 miles. JJ. Doubledumped ran thus : -Under 50 milea, Ifd ; under 100, ljrl ; over 100, lid. Tno tariff now re ids :— For distances of Undumped. Doub e-dumped. d. d. Not more than 50 miles 1 1$ per bale per mile Moro thin 60 and not more than 100 miles .. Of 1J „ „ More thin 100 miles .. o£ (j „ „ Another slight alteration aa regards wool is that instead of 3sd per bale of undumped for loading or unloading by the Kailway Department, 3d is now charged. MISOKLUNEOrS. In regard of posts and rails, firewood, &c, a slight reduction is made. Tho rata formerly wis lOd per truck per mil* up to 50 milei, and 7}d beyond 11ut distance. Now the distance is reduced to 25 miles, lOd beinjj charged up to that distaneo, and 7£d beyond. In minerals, wh'ch include Rhip3' ballast, bricks, coals, &c, the charges ate now— Not more than 50 miles, 2d per ton per milo ; more than 60 miles, Id (formerly ljd). Coal Dross, and Native Coal and Fkeclay.— The chtrges under thia head formerly were— Not more than 50 miles, 2d per ton per mile; and ljd for each mile beyond Now they are— Not more than 25 miles, 2d per ton per mile ; more than 25 and not more than 60 miloa, ljd ; more than 50 milea, Id. THE WAIMEA PLAINS RAILWAY. The Waimea Plains Eailway, the first sod of which was turned by the Hon. J. BalJaDC9 a few daya ago, is the first railway constructed, under the provisions of the District Railways Act in New Zealand. It v the speculation of a public company, and is being canied out under thß supervision of Mr H. P. Higginson, civil engineer, who prepared the plans, &c, ia connection with it. Mr John Whitaker is tbe contractor, at the figure of £36,000 odd (exclusive of rails and sleepers to be supplied by the Company); the distance ia 36 \ miles, and the coatract is to be finished in 12 months. The line runs between Gore, a township on the Mataura River, and on the main south line of railway, and Lumsden, or the Elbow, a township higher up the Mataura Valley— not close to the river however, but situated on the Oreti River, and also upon the Inver-cargill-Kingston main line of railway. It leaves the railway station at West Gore, and for the iirsb nine miles skirt 3 the spurs of the Hokonui Range, running all the way within short distance of tbe Mataura and through good agricultural land, although the extent of flat country is not great. In this portion of tbe line there ia a series of moderate cuttings and embankments, none 'of which, however, are of any moment. Between the 10 tb and llntb mile the two principal streams met "with on the route are to be crossed — the Obamita and tbe Waimea, namely. Trestle bridges are to be erected over both, that over tbe Oiamita bein<* one of 20 spans of 20 feet each, that over the Waimea one of 19 spans of like extent. From the Waimea bridge to tbe 2 1st mile, the country traversed is so level that nothing but formation is required. The line throughout the distance runs, as may be said, parallel with the Mataura, about three or four miles away from tho left-hand bank, aud down to the river tbe land ia all flat, while on the other side there are undulating downs, the whole having a fine arable soil, and being probably as good farming country aa there is in New Zealand. Between the 21st and 22nd mile tbe heaviest cutting and embankment on tbe route occur, but the latter at its greatest height is only 18 feet, so that it ia nothing extensive. After tbis point the line makes a gradual rise — but tbe gradient is only 1 in 100, and this ia the steepest throughout the whole route' — to the | terraco opposite the homestead o£ Mr G. M. Bell, Waimea Station. Thence it passes hrougb Mr Bell's private property until tbe 26th nule is reached, where it crosses a small stream named the Longridge, and for the next three miles runs across an educational reserve. This through, tne Hue comes into Messrs Larnach and Driver's freehold, through which it proceeds nearly all tba way to Lumsilen, where it crosses the Longridge stream ; tbe distance from the Mataura River is about 10 miles. Nearing Lumsden the line crosses tbe watershed of tbe Oreti, and thence with gentle grades it reaches the terminus in the township, forming a junction there with the luvercargill Kingston line as before stated. At tbe 19fcb mile the junction of tbe proposed Switzera branch line occurs. Tbis line is intended to cross tbe Mataura River and run up tbe Waikaia Valley, where wifchin the last few years so largo a quantity of magnificent agricultural laud has been taken up on deferred payments. It may be mentioned also with regard to tbe Waimea Plains line, that besides opening up the vast extent of splendid agricultural country through which it directly runs, it will tap a large quantity oE deferred payment country on the opposite side of the Mat3ura River, in the Ohatton, Otaina, and Pyramids districts. Communication is by no means debarred, through tho river iuterveiiiog, for in many places it iv easily fordable, except ia Hood time 3. The moat of the country through which tbe lino passes is in the bauds of large ownsrs— such as Mr Joseph Charke, Mefisrs Lirnaub and Driver, Mr G. M. Bell, and others. But in addition to these there are a Large number of small setcleis cm tho loate, having holdings* of 200 acres ami co forth. Tho opening o| $bo liau wilj be looked for-

ward to with considerable interest by the settlers from the Elbow to Kingston, and especially by the business people and residents of the Lake district, as it will reduce the distance by rail between Dunedin and Kingston by no less than 54 miles. Instead of having to make the detour, as at present, of from Gore to Invercargill and thence to Kingston, the new line will enable travellers to proceed direct from Gore to Kingston. Thia will not ody make a very considerable difference in time as far as travellers are concerned, but will effect a considerable reduction in the carriage of goods from the metropolis to the far inland districts.