THE RAILWAY SCHEME.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2759, 20 December 1871, Page 2

THE RAILWAY SCHEME.

Wjcllixutox, Bccomber ID. The following Las been officially supplied to the Wellington Independent, and is telegraphed free to the press of the Colony ; We understand that the question of the construction of the railways authorised by the Assembly has constantly occupied the attention of the Government since the close of the session, and that after considerable negotiations with Mr James Brogdeu, preliminary arrangements have been made with that gentleman on behalf of his firm ; aiid a determination has also been generally arrived at respecting all the authorised railways, The arrangement come to with Mr Brogdeu is to this effect :—With as little delay as possible the Government will place

in his hand* data sufficient to enable the firm to tender for the construction of various railways. If the Government are able to make arrangements with Messrs Brogden for railways to the extent of 1700,000, then “Contract No. 2,” as entered into by Mr Yogel with the firm in England, is to be cancelled; otherwise it will remain in force. Several months must elapse before the necessary data as to all the railways can be given to Mr Brogden; but as the data for each line are given, he is, on behalf of his firm, within one month to send in a tender for its construction, and if the Government should not consider such tender to be reasonable, they will be at liberty to call for public tenders for the particular work. During the interval before final arrangements can be completed, the Government may give to Messrs Brogden and Sons the construction of such portions of railways as may be resolved upon, and the works are to be executed under direction of the Engiueer-in-Chief; the firm receiving payment at the rate of 10 par cent, over and above the actual outlay, and all expenditure being under the control and by the direction of the Government. This provision will enable work to be commenced without delay upon such lines in different parts of the country as the engineers may nave ready for commencement. It is provided that if the contract for railways, to the amount of L 700,000, is arranged, or if negotiations for that contract fail, and Contract No. 2 is consequently revived, the Government may include in the works to be done under either contract, any railway or Earts of railways which may meanwhile have een confided to Messrs Brogden to be constructed under the 10 per cent, arrangement, so that the arrangement really enables works to be commenced in anticipa? tion of the contract finally to be made, without nepessarily importing any additional terms of agreement. On the other hand, if the railways be not included in the contract, the Government have power at any time to end the ten per cent, arrangement, and call for public tenders. The following is a list of the railways concerning which it is proposed to make arrangements with the firm :—Dunedin to Clutha, such portions as are not being constructed under contract; Blenheim to Picton, Kakaia to Ashburton, Ashburton to Temuka, Temuka to Washdyke, Invercargill to Mataura, Moeraki to Waitaki, Auckland to Drury, Drury to Mercer, Wellington to Hutfc (20 miles), Waifcara to New Plymouth, Napier to Pakipaki (20 miles), Brunner to Greymouth, and Kawa Kawa to place of shipment; the last two conditional on satisfactory arrangements being made by the Government with the owners or lessees of the coal mines. In respect to the Brunner mine, arrangements have already been provisionally made with the Superintendent of Nelson. As we have said, if the L 700,000 contract is arranged, the No. 2 contract will cease to be of force, and should the No. 2 contract be brought into operation, the railways enumerated will be railways to be constructed under that contract to the extent of half a million. In either case the construction of lines not coming under the contract arrangements will be let by public tender. A| to the authorised railways, or works not included in the list we have given, we understand that the Government have agreed as to the plan of procedure, which may be stated generally as follows :—Tramway from Napier to the Spit to be pushed cn expeditiously. Waitaki Bridge works to be carried on by the Government,'and proceeded with expeditiously. Kaipara to Klverhead, or to Auckland, the contract to be proceeded with, and the question of diversion to be left for consideration. Hawke’s Bay Railway (continuation), Pakipaki to Ruataniwba to be proceeded with leisurely after the length from Napier to Pakipaki has been completed, the work to be extended ovej* four years, Hutfc Valley to Masterfcon to be pto.qeedcd With leisurely until the line to the Hutt Valley has been’ completed, aiid then be pushed on expeditiously. Tramway from Mauawatu to Wanganui to le completed in four years, but between Rangitikei and Mauawafcu the works to be proceeded with quickly by local labour. Nelson to Fox Hill' to be commenced at onoe, •fcq be proceeded with leisi,j>4y, jpid ’to finished in three years Rangiora to Kowai, when the line to Rangiora lias been completed, and then to be finished in two years. Selwyn to Rakaia, and Tinmru to Wa bdyke— the works now in progress to be, in each case, proceeded with as qui fitly as possible. Wintoa to Kingston to be constructed in four .years, Tokomairiro to Lawrence, to be commenced next summer, and to be completed in two years, Wanganui to New Plymouth to bo commenced when the line from Waitara to New Plymouth has been finished (say a year hence), and to be proceeded with leisurely, to suit the progress of settlement. The Canterbury four branch railways (for which the funds arc partly supplied by the Province) to be completed in four y ears. Westport to Mount Rochfort to be proceeded with expeditiously, as soon us the direction of the lino has been decided.