A BUILDERS' GRIEVANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7296, 8 January 1902, Page 1

A BUILDERS' GRIEVANCE.

j A deputation representing the builders of Timaru waited on th c Hon W. Hall- Jones on Monday to request that the prohibition against the removal of sand from the railway property at Normanby be removed, as the sandhills on the beach there are the only available source of sand suitable fot mortar and plaster work. Latterly the shingle beach in front of the sandhills and outside the railway reserve has been narrowed by the drifting on of the material. On a few occasions of high seas, the surf has affected the railway, and in view of the possibility that further removal of sand might open a door to danger to the line, the reserve has been fenced off. The builders urged that they should have a couple of months' notice of t!he prohibition, so that they conld complete contracts in hand under the conditions obtaining when they started them. In future contracts they could calculate on the extra cost of sand. The Minister pointed out that if he gave two months' grace, two years' supply might be carted awaf. He, however, agreed to ask the Minister of Railways to obtain a report from a second engineer in corroboration or otherwise of Mr Macandrew's opinion as to the danger of removing, the sand. The sandhills at -Normanby are not very extensive, and lie in the mouth of the small valley of Pighunting Creek, and were probably formed there, as this is the first gap in the clay cliffs where the sea breezes could sift out from the beach sand brought down tlhe Pareora River.