SLOW RAILWAY-MAKING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 287, 26 April 1913, Page 8

SLOW RAILWAY-MAKING.

STRATFORD-OXGARUE ROUTE. ■ WORK AT MAIN TRUNK END. LESS THAN TWOMILES FORMED. MANY GAPS TO BE FILLED. MORE MEN URGENTLY REQUIRED. (Auckland Herald Special Reporter). ,' The formation of the Stratford rail- i way from the Auckland cud is proceeding ! at the pace of a snail. It is considered l by the settlers in the district between | Ynumarunui and Ohura that it is a good thing the 'Prime Minister (the Hon. W. I F. Alassey) is visiting the works, and that it would also be as well if the ' Minister for Public Works were to take ' a run down to the railway formation and sec what is going on. The cutting of the line was commenced from Okahukura early in December, 1911. In the intervening 17 months, or thereabout, a distance of about one mile and three-quarters has been partially accomplished. To those whose interests are bound up in the speedy completion of this branch railway, and to Aucklanders, ,who must materially benefit therefrom, this slothful progress must give rise to irritation and impatience. j About 90 men are employed on a work | .which warrants the employment of more than twice that number. From the other end of the line in Taranaki the tracks are now laid as far as Whangamomona, but it looks as though there will be no communication through from Auckland to the well-settled Ohura country for some years to come. There certainly will not be unless more activity is shown shortly. ON THE WAY TO OKAHUKURA. During a visit to Taumarunui, which will be the terminal point of the Stratford branch (although it actually joins the Alain Trunk line at Otahnkura, seven miles farther north), I took an opportunity of driving out to inspect the railway works. The road from Taumarunui follows the . rail and the course of the Ongaruc river. It traverses a goßd deal of the muchdespised pumice country, but on either hand there is a surprising amount of most desirable land lying waste and neglected. Up the Taringamutu and other valleys undulating country runs back into the line of hills. Several acres where the settlers have managed to get in are down in splendid grass, but by far the greater area is given up to fern and ti-tree, with never j a sheep or the mark of a spade or plough to. denote progress. For nearly the whole distance between Taumarunui and Okahukura the land is unoccupied. It belongs to the AlaorLs, and in order to secure it from them on lease almost endless trouble and delay is entailed. One instance may be quoted of a man who leased 300 acres from five native joint owners. The period of two years elapsed before he actually came into possession of the rights acquired. SLEEPY HOLLOW AND ITS SUR- ; • ROUNDINGS.

It would seem to be the future fate of Okahukura never to be more than a temporary abiding-place for a few railway workers. When the branch line is ultimately connected with the Main Trunk the traffic must go through to Taumarunui—there will be nothing to stop at Okahukura for. At present the place is a kind of "Sleepy Hollow," where the "taihoa" spirit flourishes, and no, man over-exerts himself. The Government has erected alongside the railway station four or five substantial houses and an office building for the use of the resident engineer (Mr. A. J. Baker) and his family, and for officials of his staff. In striking contrast is the. camp where several of the men employed have taken up their quarters. This comprises a rough-look-ing and even comfortless canvas-town. Tents are the only structures to be seen, some of the more imposing of these being provided with weather-board sides. Two "boardinghouses" are amongst these tents, and on the principal «ne may be seen displayed a sign on which it is set forth that board and residence (the latter consisting of a truckle bed and sack mattress in a smaller tent) may be had for 16s per week; that casual meals cost Is and that "soft drinks" are supplied. This canvas town lies in the shelter of the first cutting along the branch line formation. The Ongarue river, which will have to be spanned by a bridge, separates the. first cutting from the station of Okahukura itself. The filling-in of the approaches to the bridge site is apparently finished, but there is no sign of any preliminary work on the structure itself.

SERVICE ROAD RETARDS THE RAILWAY. Coincidentally with the formation of the railway, a service road has been put in alongside it, but at a lower level. This has been metalled all the way and extends to the Ohura road, 12 miles' from Ongarue. The engineer explained that this road had taken up a good deal of time in construction.

By means of the service road connection has been opened up with Ohura, and the coaches now take the mails over it through from that district, saving five miles on the journey, which used to commence at Ongarue. However useful the service road may be, however, the settlers of Ohura cannot appreciate it as much as they would if'they saw any hope of the speedy coming of the railway. The fact that stands out most clearly is that, service road or no service road, the railway formation work is, after 17 months, only now one and three-quar-ter miles from the starting point, with many gaps between the cuttings still to be idled in. One of the men on the job who was spoken to rather illuminated the subject. Surprise had been expressed at the solid-looking residences erected at Okuhakura, suggesting that they'seemed too permanent for a staff that should be moving further along with the works in a few months at the most. "A few months!" he exclaimed. "Why, we shall be here for several years yet!" This is exactly the feeling everybody in the district has acquired. Indeed, one representative settler'waxed sarcastic in his indignation, and expressed wonderment at the fact that the Public Works Department hail forgotten to mark off a site for a cemetery at the rail-head.

IN THE VARIOUS CUTTINGS. A visit was paid to several of the cuttings, of which 12 altogether are in hand. In practically each case soft and easy country has been penetrated with no hampering difficulties of anv kind. The line is being formed on a rising grade of 1 in 50, and at the end of the first two miles a tunnel will have to be cut through the main ridge, dividing tho'Oiigarue Valley from the Oaura Vaf-lcy--a distance of just under a mile. Tenders have been called for this work, but they do not close until some time in June. Tn the meantime it is computed that, with the same number of men engaged,' the formation work to the tunnel alone will take another six months. After that will come the laying of the sleepers and rails. Not one of the 12 cuttings is actually completed, and there are several gullies

m between them which require filling in. / Culverts have had to he placed along s some of these "ullies, au d the work done , so far shows good engineering skill. | JJeyond all manner of doubt, however, more men could I K . employed on the .works. That more men should be employed is equally certain) The trade emanating from the Ohura settlers is ill ever-growing danger of b e i ng diverted to laranaki, whereas it would naturallv go to Auckland, once the concction with the Alain irunk is ell'ected. ; FEW DIFFICULTIES MET WITH. | All the cuttings so far are in sound "country. The biggest one. which is , the one nearest to the tunnel, was at l the time of «the visit, in blue pug, heavy to handle; and hard to get out. From what could be learned this has been the j worst difliculty encountered, none of the , other cuttings having been in a really bad class of countrv. lieyoml the tunnel siic—tlmt'is to siv, over the dividing r.ingc--a few men onlv are employed, and the formation work there is not making any marked progress. In passing it may be stated that the new line traverses very beautiful bush scenery, the view towards the tunnel being magnificent. CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEAI UNPOPULAR Work on the Stratford extension is being carried on under the co-operative system, and many people in the sur- " rounding districts are inclined to attri- > ■bute to this particular fact the slow rate'i of progress. Whether that be so or not, the co-operative, system is heartUy disliked by the men themselves. Several of the workers stated that amongst the majority there is a great longing for a change to the contract system. ''We detest the co-operative system,*' remarked one of the hands, "and we look ; forward to the change foreshadowed by the Hon. W. Eraser (Minister for Publie Wprks) as our emancipation. At present men cannot choose their gangs. 1 Old, infirm and inexperienced workers are put in amongst them on the various cuttings .without them being consulted. • The result is that if the cutting is not working on a satisfactory wages basis • J good men will not stay on the job. The ■ i contract system will restore a certain ' I amount of freedom to the workers, and ! they are very anxious for it to be sub--1 stituted."