The Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3822, 25 May 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, MAY 25, 1875.

From the Engineer’s report on the Branch Railways which were in hand for the year ending 31st March, we extract a few facts shewing the relative position and cost of the different works. The Green Island railway, consisting of a branch two miles seventeen chains in length to the coal pits from the main south line, was completed and passed early in February, and cost £8,949 4s. We are told In the Engineer’s report that "the traffic which daily passes over this line is a sufficient evidence of its value and importance.” It is manifestly too early as yet to shew by statistics the wisdom of constructing this little branchlet. The Awomoko railway is about ready for the conveyance of goods. This railway runs through very favorable country, ending at the Maerewhenua river, in all a distance of 21 miles 30 chains. The cost of fencing the line, if undertaken, is estimated at £5,130, and of finishing the sleepers, £946. We presume these charges are not yet provided for. The report is very meagre, and does not tell us when the contracts should have been completed. The chief delay has, however, arisen, we understood Mr Keid to say, from a hitch having occurred as to the supply of, working plant. The Waiareka railway comes next. This is a branch from the Waitaki-Moeraki line of 14 miles 72 chains. It is reported to be progressing very satisfactoriiy, and likely to be completed within the contract time in October next. Turning now northwards, the first line reported on is the Uiverton and Otautau branch. The earthworks are expected to be completed in five or six weeks from date of report. The engineers appear to have had a good deal of difficulty with the contractor on this line with regard to the driving of the piies in the timber # openings. " Instead of being driven to suit the ground, they were driven to suit the formation level, contrary to the terms of the specification, and thus many of the piles yielded four and five inches at the last blow of the ram. A complete register kept by the local inspector, who (in the face of such opposition) was simply instructed to note carefully the result of the driving, proves the work to be utterly inadi quate to future requirements, stability, and safety.” Of course, these unsatisfactory openings will have to be removed and replaced. The contractor had indeed been notified he would have to remove them; “but so far from doing so he proceeded to form the embankments to formation level, and close up to the back of the sheathing, causing the earthwork (in the absence of wings) to meet in the creeks between.the piles, and thus dam the water back. he replacing of these openings will prove both troublesome and costly, as the embankments are in some cases of great height. I both telegraphed and wrote to the contractor to at once cease the backing of these openings, but to no purpose. It is right to add that the "wings” spoken of were overlooked in the drawing up of the contracts. Fencing was included in the contract for this line, but it has not yet been commenced, causing inconvenience and disputes among the occupiers of land through which the line passes, more particularly through cultivated enclosures. The Otautau line, to meet the Invercargill and Winton line, is said to be progressing slowly, the earthwork not being as yet half done. On this line the timber openings are said to be in a satisfactory state. The main bridges have not yet been commenced on these two portions of railway. The Orepuki railway is reported to be iu a most unsatisfactory sta’e, and since December last the earthworks are, until recently, said to have been quite abandoned. " From the first two miles from Riverton, no two consecutive chains appear to be complete,” The bush clearings, culverts, and openings are all reported as being unsatisfactory, while, as regards fencing through private property, nothing has been done. The department is not to be congratulated upon the systematic nature of the reports. The report on the Southern Branches is clearly the most complete, but there is altogether a want of system that might very easily be originated. As it i*, from the jumbled, skeleton reports we have, it is very difficult to arrive at anything like an accurate idea of the state of the railway?, and no possible conception can be reached by the most imaginative as to when the lines should be, or are likely to be, opened for traffic. The recent changes in the department may be some excuse for the indifferent nature of the reports as a whole.