THE MAIN NORTHERN RAILWAY.

Evening Star, Issue 4219, 4 September 1876, Page 3

THE MAIN NORTHERN RAILWAY.

On Friday (as we leam from the ‘North Otago Times’) advantage was taken of a visit to Oamaru by Mr Davis (manager for Messrs Breeden) by a number of the townspeople, to depntationise that gentleman with tho view of acquiring information as to the progress of the works on Messrs Brogden’s contract on the Main South Line, as to the date of the completion of the contract, and as to when the line might be expected to be opened for traffic. Reply was mgde by Mr Davis that very little remained to be done on the line with the exception of the repairs necessary to the Kata bridge. What had to be done was mainly the erection of a few pairs of gates, and this would not take more than a week or so. 'I he repairs to the bridge would take a month or six weeks. There was no difficulty whatever in working the line right through to Hampden, provided trains met at the Kaka find passengers walked across from train to train. If this could not be done, there was certainly no difficulty in the way of running trains from Oamaru to Otepopo, or the north side of the Kaka, so far as the line was concerned; which was in good running order the whole wViy. His firm were willing to do all in their power towards facilitating the opening of the line. He had that diay been in negotiation with the Government Engineer for the district (Mr Lowe), and on behalf of the contractors had to allow the line to be worked at once without prejudice to the contract, and to undertake to execute what details required to he finished within the term of maintenance. The deputation next saw Mr Lowe, who explained that trains could not commence running without involving the acceptance by the Government of the whole line as a completed contract, Unless a special agreement could lie entered into between the Government and the contractors. Negotiations were in progress to that end, and if details could be satisfactorily arranged he, had no doubt that the Government would open the line as early as they possibly could.