THE RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 401, 9 January 1909, Page 6

THE RAILWAYS.

WHERE 'THE MONEY GOES.' SLACKNESS IN WORKSHOPS

It is stated that tho Railway Department are about; to -respace: about thirty miles of rail between Taumarunui and. Porootarba, on the Alain Trunk lino. This section -was hand-' ed-.over ;by the ./Public.- Works' Department . only .about ;.three years ago, though, it--was constructed someyears .earlier;- Surprise has. been.; expressed r that -.the work. should ; need' •to he ' done -again so soon.'' -'It : - is' 1 -stated that the present construction, is not strong-enough-for the .engines, ■ and'- that new and additional sleepers, and twice tho present number of fang bolts, "are required. The fang bolts go through the bed plate on'each side of the rail, and provont the-'metal from spreading. - It was. on . this section that the' engine of one of the.special trains . went off the line.'.- Some'of the ■ curv.es, are said. to -have -been ,riot very securely laid." The Bailway Department state that the section - was constructed' some years - ago, when much: smaller engines were used - than those - to- be, .employed on the Main Trunk line.'. ■ ' ■

The reconstruction of tho station yards at Taumarunui, necessitated 'by "v.'the removal. of a-comparatively new station from , one side of the .railway to. the other,,has jlist ; been completed, men have been - employed on ' the work for nine months. i ' t The services'-of a large number of men.,in -the. ; Dominion; :• have ; Been .'V.msperised witli' recently';, ' The totalnumber, ,'of men; so ■ treated is .'said -to be between' two hundred . and three •" hunstatedj on their, behalf, ' ; thatthere' is a:large quantity, of / work, laid out for them and ready, to be cone on;rwith. - :; / • suggestion ..has . also "been /thrown outi that the ( programme r of. the' shops is -being curtailed, from moiivoa of economy. The .Department' explains,- however,- that '.all', the,, men who ; have received .notice are: casual workers, and; though. some of, them -.have been m .the.. shops ;.for. seven and eight-years. they, '.^re- originally engaged, for.very .short peri•ods ;; and . .'can consider.' themselves • fortunate : in. been retainedso ! lopg'./. UfltjjV. a' few- .mbntfls. ago most. of. the shops> were working'-double shifts, Vto''fc6]&'vWth;W ex-' ceptional. demand set'-'up" 'by "the expected opening" of the Main Trrfline; Whin %at, mostly satisfied; the two ; shifts' reduced to one shift,, and ..the services of ; , the ,casual .-men who" had' been-' taken" on ' stained., :;Now. .it is .considered: that'; permanent workshops staffs can cope ;with the. .remaining reguireiripnts-. of -tho' Alain. IrunlLseryice, and -, a ..number -'of- t asual employers have therefore been- dismissed. The workshopsare. slacker than , they. have been 1 for seven ,or .eight' years, and, as . the now linos whose - construction will, be. hurried on that: the' tl through ,J : railway; is finished, must remain^for some* time, to .come, in-tlio hands of Department, the slackness is' liliely to.'Continue. ; . , . ,