THE RAILWAYS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12586, 17 October 1911, Page 9

THE RAILWAYS.

PROGRESS OF CONSTRUCTION. 91 MILOS OPENED LAST YEAR. 'J\ '• , . , $ *-** ■ SUBSI'ANTIAL ORDER FOR CUR- '• RENT YEAR. ' m tho Public -Works Statement the, %k uust er dealt with railway matters as; a^* lollows : — ■ " RAILfWAY CONSTRUOTION. ( The fo^owing. sections of railway were.^ opened tor traffic during the last financial year or since its close :— Hu'kerenui tc s.Waj| 4 mileii 30 chains; Welford tc i'eHaffe, 3 miles 27 chains; Huiroa tc T© Wera, 6 miles 77 chains; Domett tc Alma, 3 miles 63 chains; Ngahere tc Blackball, 3 miles 40 chains ; Lawrence to Big Hill, 7 miles, 37 chains; Broken River to Cass, 15 hiil^s 22 chains ;- KaWaka\\a to Towai, 21 miles 18 chains ; tSeddoii to Ward, ','l4 miles 44 chains ;, Waimahaka to Tokanui, 8 miles 27 chains; Kioreroa to Oneralii (Grahamtown Wharf," Whangarei), 2 miles 5C chains : total, 91 miles 35 chains. In addition to the above the following sections «te approaching completion and will be veady to hand over to the Railway Depaa"tme^Jgff^r.- regular working shortly :— \Vaikohu toQtoko,, 7 miles 75 chains; Tewera to Pohokura, 8 miles 55 chains; -Kiwi to Tui, 3:, mi1e5 ,17 chains; Westport to Te Kuha,:^ miles 74 chains; 'Lronadun to Landing, 8 miles 50 chains; Honipapa to Raputupu, 3 miles 52 chains: total, 37 miles 63 chains. The total expenditure on railway works last -yerir. amounted to £1,183,892, made

"P as under :— Construction of hew lines, 4)74,104; additions to open lines, £360,---92 6; Wellington-Hutt. Railway. V duplication, £19.511 ; Railways Imprpvementt Aceonnt, £60.351: tiOV £^18^892:-' 1 Svill now give a brief- aecottnt.^jf sxvhat was been doii<3 on the several railways "which have been m hand 'during "the year, arid stateMvliat is proposed regarding each for 'the' current year : — Kailm Extension.— TJifc ' formation on this line, carried ou^j^ome years 'ago bj <Ji© Kaihu Valley- Railway Company, has iyl.been resurveyed, and the line relocated. .".- The expenditure during the last financial year was small, namely £2327, but for the current year. ,ar vote, of , £15J000 is 'asked fpK. - .:;; «■$ % g| ivawakawa-"Hokianga.-r-yj3ry satisfac^ ti tory progress has been made with the works on this line. The expenditure last yda f • was 1 1StS,IS5^ arictt iifor ■ tlfe / current yaar a vote of £60,00b-is staked fbr. Kawakawa-Grahamtown — This railway isnow open for traffic for the whole distance between Kawakawa; ;»nd : Whangarei. The extension frori> Whangarei to deep Mater at Grahamtown, including the Has v just beeft finish«d and .handed q\rer... Last year's expend »liture aAio^flted'to £65536j for the current year a vote of £15,000 is required. North of Auckland. — An exceptionally ijood year's work has been done. The s-ectioft between Wellsford and Te Hajia v?*s opened for traffic m May/ 1910, and the further section to KanvSka, 8 miles 65 chains, is approaching completion, the rails being now laid , into the Kai\yakaf station. , The Ross Hill tunnel, was also completed and lined/during the year. Work bix tlie Qtaviatea and Bickerstaff stations lias been vigorously proceeded with and contracts let for Otamatea bridge at Young's Point, and for a shipping -wharf at the same place. A commencement has been, made with the Bickcrstatt tunnel, and the Maungaturoto tunnel. >vj|ll shortly be taken m hand. It I s P r <ffiQsed to ask Parliament to authorise a; further extension of the line for 25 miles; . -This extension will connect with the JVyairoa Rjver, thus enabling waterborne; freight to be brought to the railway if om a considerable distance. AsjSsoon as a suitable length of the railv&y at the Wairoa.. river end can be surveyed, it is propbsied to 'put construe- . t ion Am hand, at 'that end and work southwards, so as to meet the construction "parties already working from Teliana' ■ northwardsl The expenditure «.m t;B?e^^rJlih ' Auckland railway during the previous financial year was stated to brt^fsftfa;rftht I am glad to say that last., year',?,, expenditure., was > even larger,; " Having amounted to no less than \^. £73,042. For the current year a vote rof £120,000 is proposed. Honorable members will recollect that during last recess a Royal Commission was appointed to inquire as to the best route for the extension of this railway, north ,ol MoC%«SV& C4api aaid, it is very pleasing to me teybe-abJe to announce that the Comttjissibn, after going very exhaustively into the matter and taking a larger amount of evidence, came to a unanimous conclusion; namely, that the railway should be expeditiously constructed to a junction .with the section of tjie Kft\vaka\va-Hit>kianga railway now : .dn course of 'construction "between Kawakawa, and Kajkohe'by a route lying 'to the westward of the Tangihua range. The Commissioners report that the ftit>\it& selected traverses throughout, its £ntire' length a large area of rich past^foil land of uniform quality capable of carrying a large population when removed .from,. ,it» present isolation.' I hßvei'Jalready*: stated that provision -\yill be ni&dc m the Railways Authorisation Bill/no sanction the construction of the first ; portion of ,the li ne, recommended by the Commission. ' Huntly-Awaroa. : .Honorable members will 'recollect that the construction of the first section of this v railway, three miles : m length, was r a.uthorjsed last sesiifin.. w^^ y^la'actj[^ : t^e large ..combined, rdad and railway bridge over the Waikato. .. 'tawei*-,' has; beenr ; letv^and the work is now m \ progrgsS. ... t The/Purvey of the remainder of the three miles of section has, j-beqn -gtarted/ so- that< construction feb^Yinjßtfipli cari^ehortly be commenced; ~*"'lt is 1 also" proposed 'to ask Parliament during . the present session to authofTßef'*a- further seciion of the line, abopVy-tyur; r .iniies^ »nd .ja..-hal{ , m Sength. t ThiV extension./ besides opening up much valuable coat-bearing country, will bo m tho direction of an easy-Nid-dle- which,, exists. towaydS;. the-:\Yai"g J i ro and Rstgla& ieotmtry, sp that .a^turiher extension of the Him iii that direction will be pr^tdfcfchlc u^fc tfatev ■ Only a very small sum caroe to be charged against last yea^ . : :vote, ; ,,.bub^for the r present year an appropriation of £20,---000 W|Jl !^b©T|fetiu.Jre^: ; ~i" *•: Raetmt'WiH -Trunk : /The- opening of the North- Island Main T^unk vadjway hasi led do a, gonfider^blei, development of the sawmilling industry between Okahune and Raetihi,' and^urgeht representations have Keen fHade 'to- the Government as to the necessity of a branch line of raiWay "from either Ohakune or Rangataua to enable the numerous sawmills t** fipain access to the railway system and' also io connect the agricutural district of Raetihl' with the trunk line. Provision will accordingly,, be., made m this- year's .Ruilways .Authorisation Bill for the' Construction of a branch railway for a. distance pf abput nine miles., , A v<|te; <ff £16,000 is hjclu^ed m the esti, mates to maVe a commencement with the work- '' .-.''. ' .- -. . w - ;• . . • East Coast Main Trunk r, Reference to this line % will \m f6und under, separate heading. V ''-'■-;' I ■••■' s '•■ , Strati^rd Trunk : Very good proirress 'n'rfa been made with the works on this- Hue. They section between Huivi ia : - and . Teweiu cwaa " opened^, for traffic m June, 1910, and the further section to Pohokura is finished 1 and goods and passengers. are being : regularly conveyed to the foot of the f Whaiigafnpinona sad : die on the next section", eo'that the Bettiers are reaping the benefit bt railway The Wail^amomona •Rmnel, which is oyet 30, chains m length, is proceeding satisfactorily. . Survey work has been m hand, -for some time at the eastern end of. the .line, and. construction operations .-. will be .undertaken as soph as a seetiom 6i. convenient length has been finally located. The expenditutre last-year amounted to £76,234, and for the"cupr«nt year I am, asking for a . vote of;£100,006. • . „ „ - A- Mount) Egnioiit Branch i- The survey of the extension to the quarry site/ is now finished. The expenditure last year was^£Bß2 ; -fb* CHe cutrent 'ydar a vote of £15,000 is provided. ... South Island "Main Tiiunk : At the north end of this v .4ine . the section between Seddqn and ' Ward has been opened for traffic ,ajns fcjinwd«rable progress has beeri'Biade with the formation of the Mirza' s'ectidiv. -A^jyirk has-filsp been "bogun on .th«..soctig'4'.) ; : <»'ih6 Vie river authorise'd'last session.'' 1 Provision will be made for extending the line to the Bouth

iide of tho Kekt'l'angu rivet', about 0^ niles beyond tho Urc river. At the south end the section between Domett and Mina was handed over Mid good Progress has been made with the Parriassus section. A commencement ilafl ilso been made with the formation on the Men^ip section. La?t year's- expenditure amounted to £51,587; for the current year it is proposed to. ask for a vote of £55,000, namely £20,000 for the north arid and £35,000 for the south end.

. INlidland : At the Nelson end of this iine the section between Kiwi and Tui has been finished. The Work oil the Grlenhope section will be handed over

:o the Railway Department m March, i commencement will shortly be made >n the further section between Glenhope md the confluence ,V>f t,he . Hqpe and Bulier rivers, the location survey of which is well m hand. At, the Reefton end the ;ection between Croiiad'uri and the Inan3 rahua Landing is practically, finished, and work is m hand between- the Landing and the Inangahua junction. Suryeys are now m hand to 'determine the oest point for the crossing of the- Buller aver. A great deal of work ha,s been done on the Canterbury-Westland portion of .the line. In the Arthur's Pass tunnel the heading has been driven for % total distance of 1 mile 68 chains leaving 3 miles 37 chains yet to be pierced, and nearly a mile and a half has been enlarged to tile full size and lined. A good deal of work has also been done outside the tunnel, and' at the Otira end the embankment has ~ now reached the bed of the Otira rive.r, and sdme s groins i and protective works have been constructed. Some bank formation has also been done at the Bealy and between Broken River and the tunnel. The works have been m hand under the cooperative principle, and very satisfactory progress Jifis .been made. ' .The seption ? bet.w}egn- : Bv.jkcn River and the Cass", 15 . mik?s 22 chains m length, was opened for, traffic .m December last, . and a' ■ . f ttrthfcv section, 11 miles long, is approaching completion, and is expected to be ready for traffic about the end of the current financial year. This section includes the bridges over the Cass and Waimakarere rivers, and will carry the line up. to the Bealey Valley, and reduce the distance wh'io'h will have to be travelled by the coach .between the railhead to about 15 miles. The expenditure on the different sections of the Midland railway during the year was as under ; Nelson end £23,861 Reefton end £15,675, 'Otira-Bealey £73,178, Broken River-Bealey £38,913, total £151,628. For the current year the following appropriations 'are proposS2a n Nehon end £35,000; Reefton end £20,000, Otira-Bealey £90,000, Broken River-Bealey £50,000, total £195,000: Westi)ort-Inangahu'a ; The first section of this railway between. Westport and Tepuka, 5 miles 74 chains, is finished, except the station buildirtgs., which are well m hand; On completion of these buildings,, the section will, be handed over to the Railway Department for regular working. Beyond Tekuha the work is m progress for rather more than three miles, partly on the co-operative system, and partly under small contracts let by public tender, the work is making very satisfactory progress, and it will be' necessary to ask this year for the authorisation of a further section of the railway. The expenditure last year was £18,557^ and for the current year a vote of £30,000 is disked for.

Ngahere-Blackball i This railway has been open for traffic for soriie time, but a good deal of work was done upon it last year, the expenditure having amounted to over £11,000. A few completion works remained to be executed on 31st March last, and A small vote for these is included m the Estimates.

Greymouth-Port Elizabeth : The main line of this railway is complete, with the exception of a centre rail, but some little work yet remains to be done at the end of the line. . The whole railway will, however, be m working order by the time the new 'State mine is m position. The cost of expenditure last year amounted to £47,081, and for the current year a vote of £25,000 is asked for and will be sufficient to complete the linei'

, Ross-Mikonui : Ilie . local authorities m Westland have for some time , past vasked for an extension, of the railway from Ross to Waitara, and the Government after carefully considering the matter propose to undertake the first section of the line, namely as far as Mikonui, a distance of four miles. A, vote of £5000 on account of cost/ is. included m the Estimates. This line will provide an outlet for ; a very larce quantity of milling timber, as Well hs opening iip a considerable area of agricultural land.

Waimate branch extension : Petitions have from time to time been presented to Parliament praying for" extension of the. Waimate branch railway from its present terminus at Waihao Downs to Waihaorungo, and it is considered that the time has now arrived for the work to be taken m hand. A vote of £5000 has been included m the Estimates, to make a commencement with the work.

Lawrence-Roxburgh : A section of 7^ miles has been opened. The expenditure last year amounted to £3894, and for the current year a vote of £20,000 is provided.

Catlins-Waimahaka : At the end a section 3 miles 42- chains has been completed. Furthjer substantial progress has been made with work on other sections. The expenditure last year amounted to £56,592, and for the 'current year a vote of £80,000 is asked for. , Winton-Heddon Bush : For .many years past the Government has been pressed to connect the rich, agricultural district of Heddon Bus 1 }! with' the railway system, and it is felt that this very reasonable request cannot any longer be denied. The line from Winton to Heddon Bush would be, of a, very moderate length, and as the country is exceedingly favorable for railway construction, it is believed it can be built for less than £4000 per mile. A yots of £10,000 as* a first instalment .of the cost, has been included m tlie estimates. . Oirepuki-Waiau oxtonsion : It is proposed to extend the -line- to Orawia"; A 'Vote of £5000 is made. : .

Total appronriations for rajiway .construction : In addition to the ■• votes already mentioned an 'appropriatfori of £llft,oPfi is_requjr^d_fpr p.ej-inanent. w»y. materials for all lines, also £2500 _ for land claims and liabilities of previous years, Ayhich have not been renewed, also, a vote .pf £2500/ for surveys^ of . new lines^ making the tb't^-i proposed ypte f6r railway construction purposes £1,083,000. Other railway M'orks •. Dua-ing the year under review the sum of £248,075 was. spent providing additional r,ojliijg stock and wdifksnop' .machinery, for working railways, and £112,951 m tablet appliances, signals, arid interlocking telegrapli and telephone 1 extensions, water services, wharves, reclamation , work, , dwellings,, reduction ,; oj ' graded, iniprpying? of curves, and additions to station, acconimodation, making ftietotal v expenditure under the heading "Additiops to .open lines" £360,926. "Considerable' progress has been made .wrlth'.the Dunedin-Mos-giel duplication, arid gangs of men. are now engaged m ' tunnel and formation work between Burnside and , Mpsgiel. The etpeuditiire last yeqV^pri duplicatioris and contingent works ;Syas £96,347, made lyp as follows: , Welfingt'qn-T|iitt' £19,511j new Hutt : road (iiiblu^ing land for same) ? £15,485. Auckland : !Perirose £75, Addingtbn-lfollfestoh duplication works £1805, Dunedin-Mosgiel £58,471— £95,347. For the current year provision has been made to the extent of £85,324. The amount proposed to be voted for the current year for "additions to open linefi" is ; £370,000, of which £225,000 is for rolling stock and, machinery, and £20,000 for a new steamer for Lake Wakatipu. ■'■•' '