MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5167, 13 June 1891, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

: _« _ fc'oino scandalous things m connection with railway construction m Victoria are boing brought to light by a Parliamentary Oomtnittoo. For oxamplo, a witntß?, formerly a survoyor und ongineor m tho railway department, a fow days ago gavo evidence respooting tbe preparation of ostiumtoo for a oortnin 1 railway 34 milos m lorigtb. Ho ahowod how tho estimatos woro prepared ia tho ofllcoo ie 1 Molbourao by mon who had n«ror ewn tho

if country to bo traversed, from plans ai sections which gave no true idea of the wor. ,8 required. For instance m one place it w; 'a thought necessary to build a bridge of ] openings each 15ft, where five 7ft. openini i, would have sufficed. In another place c bridge of 49 openings of lift, each was pri y vided for whoro five lift, openings woul s take all the wator. At a third point 1200f 0 of superficial openings were specified m a n embankment, to provide a water way, bi especially "to let logs through," and tt oountry there is timberless! Then £20 t t £40 on acre was put down for the purchaa , of land, whilo farmers were sellirjg at £3 an 1 £4 an acre ; and Is 6d a yard for earth p works, whilo the local bodies got thei (smaller) contracts done for 5d a yard. Fc fencing £135 por mile was put down, and th committee said thoy know it could bo done fc £60 a mile. The witness thought not. N< says a member, because you spokeßhave th rails and French polish the posts. Th whole Bjstem, aaya the Age, is proved to b entirely lotten. You would think there ia a premiur, offered for fools ; there are ao many who los no opportunity for being foolish. A number of unionists, says the Sydne_ Daily Telegraph of May 20tb, have latel been seen on the Mitchell Downs Country and as certain actions of theirs m con neotion with one of the tanka from whicl the supply of drinking water was drawi by the boundary riders excitod BUBpicioi it was deoidod tv submit a sample of tb water to an analytio examination. Sergean Burke filled a bottle from the tank anc immediately sealod it. This was forwnrdoc to the Colonial Secretary's office and sub mitled for analysis to Mr Mar, Government analyst. His report, which has been for warded to tho Colonial Secrotary, states thai ho found the water to contain a solution of ai much stryohniae as the water wan capable o] dieeolving, or more than one grain per pint He further reports that undießolved Btrych' nine wbb found as sediment m the bottle which containod Iho wator.