A LITTLE FURTHER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 570, 27 July 1909, Page 3

A LITTLE FURTHER.

HUTT DUPLICATION REACHES KAIUARRA SOME DISAPFOIMED PROPHECIES The duplicated railwaj lino from Loner Hufct was in use .is far as Kaiwana for the first time- yesterday The double line was opened to Ngahuuiangd at the end of last beptember lo illustrate tho slowness with winch this work lias advanced, it is interesting to give tho prognostications inado from, time to time as to the probable dato of its completion When Sir Joseph Ward opened the Lower Hutt-Potone section of the railwny duplication 'on July 26, 1905 ho was reported as saying "He estimated the time within which tho work would be completed would be two , or three years—that was, the completion of everything The duplication and tho running of the Tine would be completed before that, 'but to complete the whole of the reclamation would occupy the time he had stated 0, Ihat is to say, a year ago this week, at the very latest, tho entire work was to be done The work did not proceed anything like so fast as an optimistic Minister had foreshadowed Nevertheless, the full possibilities of its slowness wero not realised for some time, and on September 16, 1907, the "Evening Post" could state: "If the present rate is maintained, the double line will be at Ngahauranga in January next, and it is hoped that the whole scheme will be completed in eighteen months from the present day " That would mean completion of tho whole work by March, 1909 In February, 1908, however, the Ministerial journal in Wellington, confessed that "the large undortakmg cannot be finished for a considerable time at the present rate of progress " A paragraph published in The Dominion on April 23, 1908, stated. "It is expected that the double line from Petone to Ngahauranga will be in use in about two months' time (the result showed five months), and the Department js fanly confident of having the work finished to Kaiwarra within the next twelve months" (which elapsed threo months ago) A brief spurt of activity raised false nopes in official bosoms, and on July 22, 1908, The Dominion, on Departmental information, stated. "It is expected that the duplication works will reach Kaiwarra by Christmas, all being well . . The work between Kaiwarra and Npahanranga is not nearly so heavy as that from Ngahauranga north, and between Kaiwarra and Wellington, with tho exception of Deep Bay, the work is--fairly easy" But the spurt was quite misleading, ind on February 18, 1909, it was stated, on official authority, in a review of the delays, published in The Dominion, that the double line was expected to bo open to Kaiwarra at the end of April Bad woather<has been largely responsible for a three months' delay as regards even that late estimate, but bad weather must bo allowed for in all estimates The "Block" system of signalling, which represents an advance on previous systems, lias been installed at Kaiwarra, and is noiv m partial operation This system is commonly used on double tracks, though it has not yet become familiar in New Zealand.