MORE "GOVERNMENT STROKE."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 433, 16 February 1909, Page 9

MORE "GOVERNMENT STROKE."

SLOW PROGRESS OF AN OTAGO RAILWAY. : ' (BV TEtKGKAPH -SrEGUI • CORRESPONDENT.) 1 Duncdln, February 15. " ..Thei' construction of the Lawrence-Roxburgh ns'-'aijefy. ■ necessary piece- pfVwork; -that'crawls' forward to liko ari'rin-/ ;."septV on Va'""duSfcyv road;.;. •" A/'repftr.fcridiroat'cli^d ; says that up .till the. present out of the'• £80,000 voted a . stretch :of . not quite J+hree'/ :miles- of.^unballasted; railway' has 'been'/.-laid.' .'About six.miles;6f : formation workhai'been ; prepared';for. ; thp' ; la,vingof the "track,.; four . oF.nvo small jbridges built,' and : : about; a".'chaiii ; and a-half of the 22-chainutunrier>through the 'big hill has bne'n partially.'- pierced.. .-. The 'formation; wbrk; finished: does not 'represent the. surinounting of any, great difficulty. Tho work indeed is simple; Sirty -mcn are .. em- , ploypd; railway,;and ; .atj preseht : .'ho ■ •jriore-'are .wanted; for.'thereisipothing-to'do.' As a matter of fact,'several'mini hayo' been; temporarily .paid off, as ■ 7 certain" necessary • levels had:■ not . been given. and the workmen could not proceed" with - the cuttings on tho Beaumont side of the Big Hill.. The ;. Big Hill tunnel. will' bo tho. barrier to' rapid progress, as it has a very hard and flinty heart. Twelve: men,.-fourion'..each, ghiftj*;, are working; hatd at .tho tough rock .every working 'day: in dim candle light,. and they certainly earn their wtfge.' .:ThciV, imploments'-eould--'be improved, and 'boring V, machines areneeded ibadly if . rapid progress be desired;.;. The. drive in the tunnel is eight feet by- eight feet, worked from tho Bcaumbnt sido only. ..Beyond the Big Hill a fow red rags on' '.survey pegs, like, poppies among the., heavy .' com ready for tnb reaper, alone hint at the possibility of a railway being laid some day to Beaumont. V: ; - v