THE NELSON DEPUTATION AND THE GOVERNMENT.

Colonist, Volume XXII, Issue 2514, 22 February 1879, Page 3

THE NELSON DEPUTATION AND THE GOVERNMENT.

\:AuSdm^ :»fi a^av<iv; u>; ■,>+>* ■» i»M xww»■.«.* ■; >: ~^ai^a,^' sbk >*"^W«ifciftfK>#, FSbVuaff 10. J kp4t^ttXimir^^^t dYW dswild •Curfcis, M.Hu^M^UUtetMA^ww^ir^vß.', Lfr Barnicoat, •nit-MrffllietyMlrtJi^ii^a'on'-thtf Hon. the' 'Minis ter m¥Ms w'mvm+mdH^m 1 m\\ix pirn#ie*»aS>s.%Hi glAgh'oii itb«^Wntitfenrto proceed mili !»Hiving' tSßtiflßts-'eallfedfor-before the ??ttr, Stfthit 1 the tdte inigKt not lapte. •■'"■' ", ' Wiriir)aßW#o3^^ai^e^sM Government were #mH&irAi&ißl fttt'ii1 Of 18 eimilar works whioh the Engineer-in-Chief was completing vtb"e prelimthftrr^wr^^^fiUd^MHtf.bi'-iWeHo^'dteftiso for, tenders... ;Mr, Blair ' wbuldM^it '■JfeWdtf .^and' f giJ oVer the whole. West Coast line with a^vfeW'td reporting: upon the most practicable route. An engineer would be alio left in permanent charge of the line., It wat; complained by the deputation that detailed surreys of'the Bell Grove section had not yet been ' taken, so that there w»s a probability of there being some hitch daring the remaining month* of the finanoial year. ; » * Mr Maeandrew replied that the Engineer-in-Chief had never mentioned any such hitch, and he did not think it existed ; but he would wire for information on the subject. He also promised to make immediate enquiries r<j the non-completion of the line to the Fort, and to hare the work done at once. j sin the course of conversation, Mr Maeandrew said that he. had one or two communications from the Agent-General on the subjeot of the Para Para Iron Works, and, that Sir Julius was full of the idea of floating a company in London with a view to starting work for the making of all the necessary iron for tha New Zealand railways. Sir Julius bad seen a gentle* man on the subject, and had sent out a list of queries, which, however, had been'answered prior to the receipt of the letter asking tha questions. He (Mr Maeandrew) had also received a communication from the gentleman mentioned by Sir Julius, in whioh be stated there would be no difficulty whatever in forming a. company in London if satisfactory information were obtained on the subject. As the deputation were aware, five tons of the ore had been sent home as a sample, and as it would have arrived in London by this date, he expected soon to obtain further information on the subject. He thought it likely a factory would be started in Nelson, and he hoped something would come of the Agent-General's aotion. I ~,..■-. February 21. , In consequence of the representations made to the Minister of Public Works on Thursday by the deputation, he forthwith telegraphnd to Mr Blair, the Engineer for the Middle Island, enquiring what arrangements were made for getting out tenders for the Fox Hill extension. : During the day Mr' Blair replied that a surveyor was immediately expected on the ground, and exertions would be made to have the Bell Grove section ready for tender in three weeks, and that Mr Blair would shortly go over the whole line, and finally settle' the Una with the view of preparing plans and inviting tenders for the further section before the 30th June. i Oa seeing the deputation later in the day, Mr Maeandrew again telegraphed to Mr Blair, urging prompt aotion, and was informed, in reply, that tho surveyor < ought by now to boon the ground, and would complete the Bell Grove section in three weeks. ,/. .'-.: .;■. .1 .' ■ . | Orr Friday, Sir Maeandrew informed the deputation that, as suggested by them, an engineer would reside in the district, taking continuous charge uf the line to the West Coast. That part of the line would >be prepared tor completion, and that the Government sincerely desired to carry out the undertaking with the Nelson members respecting the West Coast railway.