THE CHEVIOT ESTATE.

Star (Christchurch), 25 July 1893, Page 1

THE CHEVIOT ESTATE.

•» A TRIP WITH THE UNEMPLOYED. I~FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] On Saturday evening, in company with a number of men who bad been selected by tbe Christchurch Brunch of the Labour Bureau to go to the co-operative works at Cheviot, I left Christchurch by the 9.5 train for Lyttelton to join Ihe smart little steamer Wakatu. Mr Loinas accompanied the men to Port, and saw to their comfort on board. Every arrangement had been made for their reception, and to prevent overcrowding, a number ot the men were accommodated with berths in the after salooD. We left tbe wharf shortly after ten o'clock, and proceeding under easy steam arrived at Port Rooinson at daylight on Sunday morning. The anchor was let go, and all hands were " piped" to breakfast. The men expressed themselves as highly pleased with the treatment on board, and were profuse in their thanks for the good meal provided. The surfboat belongiug to the estate came alongside and took them off, and on leaving they gave three ringing cheers for Captain Wills, which were followed by a similar compliment to the crew. On landing Mr F. Stephenson Smitb, District Engineer, who is in charge of the road works,met the men. A four-horse dray had been provided to take them to their work, which is road formation at Ben more Creek, on the Hurunui road, about seven miles . from the landing place. Being Sunday, there was a large gathering at the port, a number of the men employed on the road works having turned out, as well as a good many of the people from the homestead. The scene was quite a gay one, aa in addition to the large number of horsemen and horsewomen, several parties oame in conveyances. During the day the Wakatu waa bu-jy unloading timber for repairing the Blip, as well aa about forty tons of general cargo. After breakfast I visited the works on the new road whioh is being formed from the port .to the homestead. The road ia being cut ont of the cliff at some height above the beach, which it follows for about eighty chains, in which distance four ravines have to be bridged, and a heavy cutting made at the Big Bluff. The road starts from the landing service, and at once cuts into the hill at an elevation of about twenty feet. For the first twenty chains the formation is throughoa stiff blue clay, which has proved 7 very difficult to work, and is a constant source of annoyance, aB after every heavy rain slips occur, which require care* ful watching, and cause repairs to be a heavy item. The next section, which readies to what is known as Limestone Creek, is through light ground, composed principally of compressed sand, with occasional bars of sandstone, and is comparatively eaßy to work. From this point to the Big Bluff the cutting is mostly through limestone formation. Tne road gradually rises to a height of about fiftyeight feet, and where the cutting ( is being made into the point of the bluff overhanging the Bea the cliffs tower another one hundred feet abovo the' road. This is by far the most difficult, aa well as dangerque, part of the whole work, as the cliffs have to be cut down from the top, and sloped back to prevent any ohance of slips. From this point to the end of tbe Beach road the work is comparatively easy, and presents no engineering difficulties. Two of the bridges are on this side of the bluff, and the road is brought down into Gore Bay by an easy grade. For a . short distance the flat below the cliffs is followed, but after crossing the present bridge at Buxtons Creek, the road turns abruptly from the eea and follows up the Jed Valley. Another sixty chains of sidling are here required, but this is a comparatively eaay piece of work, as the hillside is not steep, and the formation is for the most part sandstone, with patches of flaky limestone. The road is again brought down to the flat at the Brothers, and then the old road up the Jed Valley is mostly followed to the homestead. The work has been let in sections as far as Gore Bay to gangs of men, who work on the co-operative principle, and fair progresß has been made. Drives have been made every chain or bo along the route, in order that the nature of the ground might be seen, and that those in charge of the works might be able to fix fair priceß for the work. The men are given the work at the pricea fixed, but in many cases, where the formation has been found to vary to the detriment of the contractors the priceß have been raised. As an instance, it may be mentioned that on the eections where the stiff blue clay was met with the price originally fixed was sixpence per yard, but when it was found so difficult to work the price was raised to Is 2d per yard. The "eneral run of ++"> •"""• '- "•»<«•-""- *,-, 0 «. .. *-v iivtKniT'MgDS iro_l oa to 8d pet J&td. As yet nd parties have had to work in slings, but it ia p-O-ttblel that some of the men on the Big Bluff contract will bave to be. suspended from the top of the cliff before the job iB finished. The men express themselves aB well satisfied with their lot, and say that they have been fairly met on all' matters about which acy difference of opinion has arisen between the Government officials and themselves. Their average earnings on contract work are from 6s to 8s per day, whilst 63 ia paid for day work. , As many of the men are a long way past their prime, and cannot be classed as ablebodied, the average seems to be a fair one. They say that it costs them about 7s 6d per week each to live, mutton being supplied on the works at 2_d per lb, bread at 7d the 41b loaf, and stores at a Blight advance on town prices. Mr W. Robinson haa started a store and butchery on the station, and his carts call at the various camps four times a week, so that the men are kept well supplied. There is only one mail per week, arriving at the poßt office at the homestead at five o'clock on Saturday evening. By the courtesy of Mr Young, postmaster and telegraphist, the letters are at once sorted, and Mr Smith has made arrangements by which the men receive their correspondence the came evening, and are enabled to have their return letters at the station in time for the outgoing mail on Monday morning. The spots selected for the various camps aro very suitable for the purpose, many of them being situated in picturesque spots at the mouth of a wooded ravine, otia pretty clumps of ngaio treeß, which abound on the rlßing ground under the cliffs. The climate on the coast iB beautifully mild, not a froßt having been known during the present winter. Water is abundant, and driftwood can be had for the trouble of picking it up on the beach. The road when finished will make the journey from the port to the homestead comparatively easy, as the ruling grade will be lin 30. The work should certainly be a reproductive one, and will provide employment for a large number of men for a considerable period. There are at present one hundred and thirty men on the ec-operative works, besides about thirty members of the Government survey Btaff, on the estate, several of whom are engaged in laying out the roads. The Wakatu waa engaged all Sunday landing cargo, and finished discharging on Monday morning. We left the anchorage at ten o'clock yesterday morning, and, after landing stores at Stonyhurst station, came down the coast to Lyttelton, arriving in time for the G p.m. train. The trip was a moßb enjoyable one, the people on the estate being most hospitable, and Captain j Wills put himself out of his way to enable me to see aa much of tho coast scenery as ' possible,