CONFERENCE WITH THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Southland Times, Issue 3928, 24 January 1881, Page 2

CONFERENCE WITH THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS.

On Friday last Messrs Bain and ShanKs* had'an interview with the Minister of Public •? vVorks; in his office at Dunedin regarding various matters affecting the Southland district. RAILWAY SIDING. A' f .A , Mr TJain having Introduced Mr\McCallura, of the sawinilliug iirih Of McCalliuu and; Co., to Sir OliVcr, explained ; .th'at the iirm had made .arrangements for transferring a saAvmill plant from Steward Island to Seaw-iird Busli^ some miles beypud One Tree' Point,* and in order to carry; pnatheir* business' there they required-, a: irailway: siding , of£ the ihairi line.' On:*reeentlya making: application" to the Depiattlirent to* provide the , necessary . accominddaiiori it vyas. found that heAvA regulation^ in : regard tpsulingshad been^intrciducedi Ac^rdingA .-. toi these; regulations the finn Ayere asked to . bel at theae-xpense fpf i c pnstractihgVa.-lobp fine twelve : chains in alength -it a -cost of £325, from .-which a sid ing avouljI ligye to be taken. When the 'firm first made application for 'a siding "they- Avere'told by the local ofiicer that they would get one. ' on the usual terms ,t»f guaranteeing a 1 certain amount "of trail ic,' and on the 'good faith of that assurance they had gone if * considerable expense , in connection rt with their neiv sawmills. KoAv'they \ver9 met Avith a demand for £320 , before they could connect their tramway with the man* 'line of railwaj*. i < i . H Mr McCall un prod uced several" letters which he had receive' 1 from tho Uaihvay ' Department on' the s-rubject of his applic: «■ tion for a siding, and complained * S M the* liardsliip of the <iase, inasmuch as no loopS line oi the land, contemplated by tU© »ew

/ ■ / regulations for the use of a private firm was in existence along tho whole length of the line from, the Bluff to Odiuarti. which h© had just travelled. Mr Oliver explained that the new regulations m le-juid to sidings had been adopted by the Department after caieful consideration, but if Mr McCallum could shoAv thas he had bad a distinct i promise •from arty responsible official of a siding on the old teiius before the intioduction of the'*new regulations he (Mr Oliver) Avould take the case into cousideiation, and see that justice was done. In the meantime. However* Mr McCallum would haA'e to pry the sum of £325 before any steps could be taken >in the matter of- providing th" railway accommodation he required. Mr McCallum having stated thabffie would place before the ( Minister a unite* 11 account of the original negotiations with the local officer, then retired. GOODS SHED AT EAbT GORE. .Mr Shanks introduced Mr Kurtain, aVliosaid that he had been requested by the inhabitants in the Otama and Chatton districts rto represenl to the Ministei the great advantage it would be to the rcndents ia those districts if some one a\cio placed in charge. of the 'goods shed at East Gore. In such case it would not bo necessary that a man should be employed *▼ in signalling on the bridge. Under the arrangement, great delay ami r^-isk of danger often took place, Avhich \would be altogether obviated it • tho suggestion he (Mr Kurtain) bad tho honor to make weie given effect to. Ur Kurtain fuither explained .that he had expected to have been accompanied by Mr Bastings, the member for then district; buf in his absence he had availed himse't •of Mr Shanks'*-- visit to Dunedin to lay the matter betore the Minister. , Mr Oliver replied that lie would cause enquiries to be made in order to ascertain if it Avere pmct ; cable to give effect to "Mi Kurtain's suggestion. Mr Kurtain^having thanked, the Minister, withdreAv. J ' ; v '■'*; THE NIGHTCAPS' RAILWAY. J Jfr*Da^ to the desiraldenes^ .platelaying^on;' the Nighfeap^ from AOtrtutauX Be stated that a company with A a capital; of (^lo,QoO^yas prepared ;tpopen A up^he^bal jww-kings andvtp tJay^ tramway ; from 'thence to the.terminuspf the-Govern-X metitlinel AThej;Sbutl)lurid''6eqtion Avas the , onl^poitioiiiof: the railways -fn^tlie Middle, IslandaAvhcic native coal Avas not used. j; If- flieAconstniclioWJ ! of the line ■ 10 '■-•the Nightcaps -'Avere pus'hed^.oh an abundant supply of^'cdai^jr6m.thfere ouglit to be available before rm'any- months had elapsed. Mr OliA-er said Athath.e took a deep interest ; ijif llie'raiiwiiy 'to the /Nightcaps, and so'-sdbn -aS; theforrnation on the southern portion" of "the contract n»w let was' 'completed itr was liis intention to immediately call foi' tenders for laying the "'_ r*uls,.as'many ; .miis3—-aay, six or sevrr. -—?*.» ' tlic baldncc of the. r.op:- avaikkie v.-oujd enable* him io cqmpifcts.' : ; Whsn P&rlia--roent met aiurtliera.vote Avouid be asked. for to finish the' plate-laying on the Avhple '. section to the Nightcaps. . .Z f r^;;sBA^Ri)'BiJSH RirtwApr. . . Mr Bain; asked; Mr:oliv"erif-".the Government wbuldrbs: prepared toco'nsider a proposal -for the; construction of the Seaward Bush railway on the principle Of land-pay- ' ment? . -■■-.■■> x-X ■•; ■■■■-'• ; .';■'■ Air Oliver replied that .lie had .had applications of a similar kind from different parrs : of f? the colony, and the Government AA-ould have* - to : consider the question of meeting these demands. Personally, he thought that facilities should be given. but some general policy would have to be devised which could be made applicable ; THE MARAROA LINE. Mr Bain complained of the action of the Goverhmeßt'-ih^'prdd^edih'g Avith the con- - struction Or the Mararoa line, and said that thiSi-affifMjfc* .a-ssubject -o.f. much unfavorable coniinjgi^ IjifcHl'U^i^ what had been do^an^lii^^M^lM^^* 13 witlr'the A'iew of ufulliaiijs^^ tlic formation by l^iiigsrjrite-juri;^^ voted for the^lltie wbjMd^eh^ie^tliis work to,be cara^out. It|\vas vihte^deditp:- use tliat" pai-t.;<3E itiid line %s si' siditfg^AN^ pressure of|any#kihd liadAfeeen brifiuglitto bear upop;sJi?m;to gelftliis AVprfe;;dphe; His only^teliije wa?i as %c liai9;stated before, to utilise als much of thelfbiTiiation as possible, and so 'prevent the}mpney expended there6hAfrp;m beingehtireiyitliroAvn away. . ABO^Ti6^^y^HE^H3pTCE OE TRAFFIC '.^^AA:ZZM^S&^aZ. ■ Mrdßain iie^2ie^iTCd^tp -the abolition of trW'blTice 6£ r %afficAManagei* on the Invercargill section of railways. He said Ahe "could >not understand Avjiy the/locai officer should be degraded to the rank of stationmastei- and placed under the contn 1 • of the Dunedin Traffic Manager, Avhile as a matter- of fact he was still Held responsible for the satisfactory working of 214 miles of raihvay. The' officer in question had been connected Ayilh the Southland railways ever since theyvvefe established, and had gained considerable as to the "best means of working- them satisfactorily. He „(Mr.Bain) looked upon it as an insu t ' a'to'tiie 'district tliat such an officer should be placed under the control of an official in D.uiifidin. •; - : c , Mr Oliver promised that the matter should be leoohsidered. A. . , THE . HORSE ' OX 3?LI{FF^ WHARF. >,- v aMr-?Shanks complainedL of the removal ' of -the> : engine - from; Bltrffi Avharf , and the ; substitution of ; a horse therefor. This matter had previously been brought under the notice of "the" Minister, and it AA*as therefore unnecessary to f repfeat^f he argu- ;, -m^nts wlnphhad'been f prineriy used.^ a r AMrj^iaiii said. lie. hadfeceiveid aletter on /thisil subject from a gentlemtpi' who Avas not prohe{to\exag^ate.. The] writer said ' "My spirit has been moved!, within 'ine „.; ; r^iwhat, I havelie^rd pn ; t]ieibest authority XA about d^ctrcatmentiipf \the -p/ie horse; in Axjise btt^thef^vliarf aLßluff. It is scjmdalous A^dmustbeputasfop^ • v^ '. Mr Oliver; said atheireportsr.hc had rea^etved from . the engineers ofthe Depart-■.-A'**n^n£^^ ;to; the;;jivliari,.' Ayas totally ; unsaf c for the \'i|ise^;b%-| , n;^gj.ne| but as/soorf\a^l;lj4 wharf * ,^ffjsSpiit lbvrprder aMdcbmotiArewduld; be : . :^«a'. i iwed..if ; ;the'-ttaffi<s' Avould AvairantMt. ..VV';--'\ : ' ; ''- ;^'AAjni"E ; EAIL>yA^jTAW \ '■■'■ - ; -Mr Baiii stilted that it hiid been his ittentiohtb Complain ofthe inconsistencies in the.raiWay laiiff as, exemplified by tbe . .fac/that .goods ,seht from Invercargill to -Jtfiver.ton.cost nearly ; a&mtfch asgoods sent - Cfrom Dunedin to Biverton ; T but as he un- ■ <lerstood the long-distence rates had been •;'- abolished- it was' not- necessary to discuss ihis matter. "• ' ' ' - ' >lr Oliver— Yes; that is so. Theexpen ment Avas not a success. Z ■ ," " THE RAILWAY .S\ ORKSIIOPS. .. -i ]tfr*'Ba{i3'nexttrefeiTed.to the„iailway ' * workshops^ «nd;said .that* not, only had t large number of men' been discharged , but iieTiad'been info)*med'it wa? noAV proposec ha ietnove some ot the machinery to Dun4jd»». ' ( , ' * ", , J f • : Mr'OJiver replied that he had alrcadj ,anet4«e question of fhe discharge* ftf the ' v/orkiaen by shoAving 'tliat their services 3v;ere not required.. ,Asto lemoval ofthe iiitvcliJiVerv, lie ivas net aware that anything of tlie kind,.AA-as contemplated. He mighl say tl;4t there Avas no intention of removing local woik from InTercvargiJl to Dune dinf the intention \va's to keep local work ir -the district Aveie it originated A l ' He did no 1 ""* iftpan that men Wiild be employed'making - aiticles ■ which' could ' be. boughMnucl >clieaper outside, or produced Avith greatei v - -advantage at a central Avorkshop ; but tha necessary repairs jvoald le done at- Inver *aj|[i]| as befoje- -

CATTLE YARDS r AT MAI AURA * Mr Shanks called attention to the imsnitableness of tho yauK at Mataura foi sending -ciitle'by iiiulwayl'ntttl requested that diev should ho altered and made similar \o thtfo* at' Kd-aUdalcl - *• . Mr OKaci. pnnn-wi 1 thai the matter s.hon'rd'receivc ! ,i.-> h Mention.' i PLATFOKM AT MtUSSWICK. , Mr Bain said ire lad been -waited upon by «x resident of the locality, A\ho leprc- , sented the peon Vat Bi*m*A\Kk \o -<>qnc*t that alplattdtm". -Jhouid be elected tllfile'. The nearest platform was at One Tiee Point, tAvo miles off. A number of liouhC* weW beitii; built; in addition to the n.ide winch already existed at DawqonV sawmill ( imd 'Brown's flour and oatmeal mills. ■The , people wueNvillitig to eiectN'i platfoim at their o\yn. expense, so that it should «»e no , .cost to the Government, and they did not "ask. that the express tiain should stop, but ; woiild be quite conttnt Avith the ordmaiy trains. « Mr Oliver said he would enquire into, the matter, and it po»sible giant such an apparently reasonable request. ,* •, RAILWAY TIME-TABLfei' \ '}■ Mr Shanks t said the'pe'oplein theMatan.a district were hot at all 'satisfied Avith the prevent arrangement of stinting jifttrnoon train from InveicargiU atJ3.lsAjlt would be far more convenient il tlie train Aveie to leave jatv4.3o. * r> „„ •■ s Mr OUyer replied that lw a^quM take a note Vf the request, 'and see'wlfat eduld"l>e done in the matter. ' EPENDA.LE-FORTROSI: RAILWAY. Mr Shanks asked Mr Oliver when he intended to come South for the pm pose of deciding the route of the proposed milway to Fortrose?* j, • { ' " \ I".* , j J4r£ (Oliver 'replied that' heie^pected Major Atkinson to airive during the day from the North, when he hoped to be able to fix a time for coming South. He would giA'e Mr Shanks the information he desiied as soon as possible.