GISBORNE RAILWAY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19023, 25 May 1936, Page 4

GISBORNE RAILWAY

STAFFING OF WORKS JOBS FY)R 200 THIS WEEK ACCOMMODATION PROBLEM A total of 200 men will be signed o» by the Public Works Department this week, for work on the Waikokopu-Gis-borne section of the East Coast railway, and it is hoped that 'by, the spring the full complement of 1000 men, to which reference was made in the Minister's statement, to the Herald's correspondent jn Wellington last week, will be housed in the various camps along the line. Accommodation problems are the immediate concern of the departmental officers in charge of the section, and every effort is being made to expedite the provision of proper shelter for the construction gangs, in anticipation of the full manning of the line. Of considerable interest during the past few days has been the gathering of experienced staff for the prosecution of the railway construction work. Several additions were made to the regular supervising staff of the department at Gisborne from time to time in the past three or four months, and the influx of officials has increased steadily since the passing of the legislation authorising the Minister to exercise the powers formerly held by the Railways Board. The arrival of Mr. W. L. Bell, from Otago, to take charge of construction on the Waißokopu-Gisborne section, is of special interest, Mr. Bell having reached Gisborne over the week-end. He was in charge of this section of the line during the previous period of activity, and it is gratifying to find that his services are again to be available. Since the suspension of construction on the northern section o 7 the line five and a half years ago, Mr. Bell has been engaged in supervising irrigation work in Otago. BEFITTING OF HUTS A staff of carpenters is at present at work refitting the hutments of the various camps on the section, and providing frames for the erection of tents where huts are not available. .Most of the men taken on the construction gangs in the first instance will be able to find accommodation in huts, • but as the number of men increases, recourse will have to be made to tents. Timber supplies for renovation of hutments, offices, and other buildings still in situ on the section are coming to hand from the department's mills, and no time is being lost in paving the way to the occupation of the camps. The proposal to carry on formation work between Gisborne and Muriwai as early as possible is of keen interest to people of this district. It is believed to be the purpose of the Minister that the work should proceed from the two ports, Gisborne and Waikokopu, and that as quickly as formation can be advanced, the transport of freight in the form of railway materials should be transferred from the roads to tfte completed portions of the line. The construction of the Waipaoa- River bridge, about a mile and a half from the mouth of the river, will be put in •hand as soon as possible, in conformity with this plan of operations, and is expected to occupy from 12 to 18 months. In the meantime rails will be laid between Gisborne and the bridge site, and on the further section to the : neighbourhood of Bartlett's, in anticipation of the stage at which it will be possible to use Public Works Department trains for handling railway materials from the Gisborne wharf. A week of 40 hours, worked in five days in ordinary circumstances, has been laid down as the standard for railway workers by the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, and the men will be paid at the rate of 16s per day. In the event of wet weather preventing the men from working their 40 hours between Monday mornings and Friday evenings, they will bo permitted to make up lost time on Saturdays. REINSTATEMENT OF LINE CAMP NEAR NAPIER The first camp on the East Coast rail way since work ceased live years ago will be established this week, when a number of men will 'be provided with accommodation at Waipunga, about 16 miles from Napier, reports the Napier Telegraph. It is understood that this will be followed later by the setting up of a camp at Waikoau. .Although no information could be obtained from the Public Works Department in Napier on Saturday, it is understood that between 20 and 30 men are to be encamped at Waipunga early this week. The camping accommodation will consist of tents, and carpenters are at present working on the site. The men will be concentrated on the line for about three miles on either side of Waipunga for the purpose of restoring the line where it has been forced out of alignment and filling in wash-outs and subsidences. There is one particularly larae wash-out in this locality. Approximately the same number of men, it is understood, are to be established at Waikoau. The men who are being chosen for both camps are single. The Public Works Department's transport train will continue to run from Napier for the purpose of conveying the men from this end to the work on the line. SOUTH ISLAND LINE INSPECTION BY OFFICIALS (Par Press Association.) BLENHEIM, this day. Departmental officials who have been inspecting the route of the South Island Alain Trunk railway during the weekend completed their investigations and left this morning via the trans-island highway for Westport. The party not only examined the country the line will traverse, but also interviewed settlers to ascertain the probable business derivable from the carriage of goods and' live-stock when the railway is opened. Members of the party refnsed to comment, stating that they were rendering a report to the Minister. The purpose of the visit to the West Coast is to inspect the unfinished section of the Inangahua line.