OTIRA TUNNEL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 405, 14 January 1909, Page 4

OTIRA TUNNEL.

A BONUS FOR THE MEN.

SPEED OF WORK- INCREASING. ■ IST. TELEGBArB—SPECIAL .COBEESFONDENT.I ■ Christchurch, January 13. Mr. Murdoch M'Lean,-who is'in Christchurch on : his way from' Auckland to Otira, states that -very satisfactory' progress' ; . is being made on the work of: the. tunnel! at Arthur's Pass'.,,' The tunnel has. been'pushed in forlabout twenty-four:chains at'the. Otira end. Water power is laid .011, and the plant will, probably bo ready for use as; soon, as Mr. M'Lean leaches the work to-morrow. At the Bealey end it is hoped,that the machines will bo driven.at the ehd-'of. this month or the middle; of 'February, Mr. M'Lean states' that the men aro contented t and. are. getting along;excellently.: .Only, eight or ten' men out' of about olio hundred and fifty left for the holidays, and most ;oi" those wero married men, who: wished to, go to- their' families. The recent award of the . Arbitration Court is distinctly satisfactory;to Mr. M'Lean. He believes that <jt is' also satisfactory to .the men.! By. their actions, at any rate; they liavo shown that they are not discontented. He has offered to' pay £1 a 7 foot bonus for every ; foot over sixty-six tunnelled in one week.'..Last wepfc.74'feet were done. 1 The; gum of. £8 will, - therefore; be*' distributed amongst' twenty-three or, twenty-four, meni which will be,at the rate of about Is. a day, Before .the holidays 57ft. or -68ft;; a., weelf was the rate, of progress; . Mr. M'Lean be. lieves 'that 100 ft. can be done, and with an average of about' 70, or 75 a week at the Oti'ra ; end, and something less at the Bealey end, (no.big contract will bo completed at the end of its term in five years. Mr. W. Gavin, an. engineer, who was employed on tho construction of the SpringfieldBroken: River line, and who has been engaged by the firm, arrived: in Christchurch to-day. and will go on ,to CTtira .with Mr. M'Lean tomorrow.; . Mr.. Gavin has r.ecently been in South Africa, and', for nearly'two years, ho was engaged on the Western Pacific' Railway in the Sierra Nevadas.. ' :